Equipment for cleaning up and filling stumps

[arbor pro]

Until recently, I've been using a vermeer 252 exclusively for stump grinding. I would haul the 252 alongside a bobcat mt50 mini skid on a 14' flatbed trailer pulled by an f350 with a 12' dumpbox. I'd grind a stump with the 252 then unloaded the mini skid to clean up the debris (if the stump was big enough to warrant using it) and dump the debris in the truck. I would make a return trip to fill the stump with dirt using the same truck but pulling a 14' dump trailer filled with about 5 tons of topsoil. This has worked pretty efficiently because I would usually grind and cleanup multiple stumps, then return later with dirt to fill all the stumps at once.

My problem is, now that I've acquired a larger pull-behind stumper which grinds the stumps out much faster than my 252, the efficiency of my cleanup and filling of the stumps is getting screwed up. I usually don't pull the large stumper with my f350 anymore because the truck is too long and blocks too much of the street when I grind boulevard stumps. I instead pull it with a SUV which has a very short wheel base and works just fine to pull the big machine.

However, I must now make a seperate trip to clean up the stumps if I want to use my mini skid. I don't like hauling the mini in the bed of my dump trailer along with the dirt so, I've talked to machine shops about building a heavy-duty removable carry rack on the back. We've decided that it's too much weight sticking out the back and have scrapped that idea. It's also too much tongue weight on my F350 to put a carrier for the mini skid across the front of the trailer so, I'm now considering selling the dump trailer and just buying a flatbed that I can load the mini on the front of and carry dirt on the back.

I'm doing this part time and don't have the option of having a second person follow me around and clean up after me. I'm also not getting any younger and the days of shoveling dirt out of trailers to fill stumps is taking its toll on my back. I've thought about a dump trailer with a clam loader but don't know if that's the ticket either. What are you guys doing to be as efficient as you can be when you have to grind, cleanup and fill a lot of stumps that range between 24-60" diameter? Is a larger self-propelled grinder the answer so I can still haul it alongside my mini skid on the same trailer?

 

[Thor's Hammer]

this attachment is one option.
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=48216
otherwise, put a tow hitch on the bobcat, and use that to position the big stumpgrinder.

 

[Bigstumps]

Don't clean them up!! Your machine will make you way more money grinding than your back will cleaning them up. Let the customer hire a landscape company.

I explain in my estimate exactly what it will look like when I'm done. If I couldn't get work maybe I'd consider changing my attitude, but if I can stay this busy no use doing the grunt work!

 

[Steve-Maine]

I had been doing stump grinding for over 40 years and never cleaned up. There is more money in grinding and leaving chips where they fall except cleaning sidewalk and street. The first 3 jobs I did I cleaned up and that was enought. I probably lost a couple of jobs because we didn't clean up.

 

[juststumps]

grind and go !!!!!!!! thats the ticket !!!! ain't worth cleaning up.... i'll grab a rake and fill the hole in enough , so no one steps into the hole and breaks a leg.....will blow off the side walk, driveway,, porch,, etc.... let the lawn guys clean the mess up,,, replant grass,,, they gotta eat too!!!!

 

[Oly's Stump]

Same here...been grinding since 1987. I have removed grindings on a few commercial jobs that I could not get around it. I would never even consider applying top soil.

 

[arbor pro]

I should clarify why I do cleanup. It's not because I want to, it's because I have to in order to stay busy with enough work in my area of the world.

About half of the stump grinding that I do is for a municipal contract that requires cleanup and dirt fill. Providing no cleanup is not an option. I do the contract because it helps me stay busy in my small town of 25,000 people. Perhaps, if I lived in a larger urban area, I could find enough stumps to grind without having to do cleanup but, in my corner of the world, that is not the case.

When I do cleanup for private customers, I make sure that I charge for it. It's good money - just hard work. And, as I said before, if I could find enough stumps to only be able to do grinding and not have to do cleanup, that would be great - but, not the case.

I appreciate your replies to my post but, what I'm really looking for here isn't advice to stop doing cleanup but, rather, feedback on how other guys who do cleanup and dirt fill are handling the situation.

 

[B-Edwards]

If your doing it by yourself ,looks like your doing it as good as I can think of a way. That's how we do it except we take the dirt and cover with a tarp ,load grindings over dirt to front of bed then fold tarp back and take dirt to hole. If someone has a better way please tell us. Like he said it's not realy an option for some of us.

 

[04superduty]

if you bought a international or freightliner with a 14-16 ft landscape dump then you would have room for the new dirt and for the waste dirt. if you had a different trailer you could pull your stump grinder on with you skid steer and move it around the yard also. of course it is eaiser to spend other peoples money.

 

[treeman82]

I know that if you look around you'll be able to find a few companies that make trailers which are both flatbed and dumping. Like this you can put your loader on the flatbed part, and still have the ability to haul topsoil and dump it. I have no clue on what they cost, but I do know that I have seen them out there before.

 

[juststumps]

old way,,,, 252, loader on trailer,,,,,load chips into truck.........come back later with dump trailer,, fill holes......

new way,,,,,suv pulling big tow behind.... what now??????

you're already making two trips the old way,,,,,, so grind stumps with the suv,,, park that,,, then come back with the dump truck,,, dump trailer with dirt and loader in it......

load grindings in truck,, take dirt out of trailer,,, you might have to cut back on the amount of soil you carry, with the loader in the trailer !!!!

just my idea

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

nice website OLY!

 

[Oly's Stump]

Thanks Rollacosta!