If you only had $20k to spend on a grinder...

[ROLLACOSTA]

its all very well talking about how much is charged and how much you make...and whether you do this or that. A business is a risk which ever way you look at it, owning a bar happens more than starting a stump business, that is risky..but some make money, some go bust...owning a stump business is the same. there aint no golden pot waiting for everyone at the end of a rainbow. But if you see an chance take it. As for all the pessimism, some talk of 200 pound a day for stump removal....it will only happen for a while if folk let it, then there will be no grinders about cos there are all bust or running 2nd hand slow unreliable equip. the circle continues. I charge what i think is a fair amount for the job, i think long term and care for my customers. whether i will be here in 2, 3 or 10 years time will be down to market forces and how i have adapted to them. Life is not all about the money, if you can earn more at walmart, go work for them. i like stumping....i will take the risk and see what adventures lie in store for me...... fortune favours the brave.

I can hire a mini digger [brand new] for £50 per day or a man/driver with a new 50k JCB backhoe for £180 per day,all i'm saying is the market determines your pricing,we are heading the way of the mini digger or JCB there just aren't enough stumps to go around ,my machine has only got 65 hours on the clock,I hope fortune favours me this week..

 

[howel07264]

hours woked

I can hire a mini digger [brand new] for £50 per day or a man/driver with a new 50k JCB backhoe for £180 per day,all i'm saying is the market determines your pricing,we are heading the way of the mini digger or JCB there just aren't enough stumps to go around ,my machine has only got 65 hours on the clock,I hope fortune favours me this week..

Rolla i bought a new truck 2 years ago with an hour meter.only use it to haul my grinder around. i find i have put more time on the truck driving to and from the job than hours on the grinder. i wish it was the other way around. Since fuel costs exploded after last years hurricaines the jobs have really dried up. has your 352 had any problems?...Regan

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

Rolla i bought a new truck 2 years ago with an hour meter.only use it to haul my grinder around. i find i have put more time on the truck driving to and from the job than hours on the grinder. i wish it was the other way around. Since fuel costs exploded after last years hurricaines the jobs have really dried up. has your 352 had any problems?...Regan

Hi no problems other than one leaking steering ram,and I had a mod done to stop the muffler/exhaust from coming loose,and a relay worked loose and the machine wouldn't start..Work over here has seriously dried up ,to many grinders not enought stumps me thinks..

I must admit you can grind a lot of stumps in an hour..

 

[Bigstumps]

Buy this and go make money! Looks like a good deal if it doesn't go crazy at the end.

http://cgi.ebay.com/2005-Carlton-SP...9QQihZ020QQcategoryZ63924QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[buff]

If the owner of the grinder is making good money, why is he selling his machine?

 

[howel07264]

Desperation

If the owner of the grinder is making good money, why is he selling his machine?

For a bigger ,badder machine. more hp.=more money. In reallity probably out of desperation. only 110 hours in 1 to 2 years cant produce much revenue.
Regan

 

[Bigstumps]

It would be a cheap way to test the water. Doesn't work out sell it and not lose much. Hell I'll buy it for $5K if you decide you don't like it after 40 hours!:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[juststumps]

the Vermeer 352 is the best and I believe the most powerful portable in it's price range. atleast it was when I bought them a few years back. I agree with you on the 252's (i had one for about a year)....way too slow

Rolla,
there is a need to be in a rush. instead of the crew of 4 guys watching you grind the stumps. by the time they are done raking up.... the stump is out. then its time for them to fill in the hole(s).

Carlton and Rayco do make some nice machine, but are more $$ than the 352 in similar power sizes

i grind alone,, and why do you need 4 guys to fill in the holes?? why are 4 guys even there??? they should be out making more tooth picks!!!

 

[John464]

i grind alone,, and why do you need 4 guys to fill in the holes?? why are 4 guys even there??? they should be out making more tooth picks!!!

after the trees are down you have branches to chip, stumps to grind, a whole yard to rake up. The cleanup doesnt take that long and the stumps should be finished nearly the same time everything else is if you have a fast efficient machine. That way the crew can move as one force to the next job. Having the grinder while the job is still in progress can also speed production allowing you to back trucks further to the wood etc. Why go back to remove the stumps or have one guy stick around longer while the rest of the guys go to lunch? then again if you dont have a crew or only are in the stump grinding business it wouldnt make sense to ya.

 

[juststumps]

If you ever figure out how grind enough stumps to pay for a new grinder and recover the depreciation too along with the expenses, please send me your method.

buff, my expenses equal $ 700 per month.. at $80 per hour, it's less than 10 hours a month...

 

[juststumps]

There are many cost to grinding stumps. Some are as follows:

1. Cost of grinder
2. Depreciation of grinder
3. Parts and service of grinder
4. A vehicle to tow the grinder
5. Phone book and other advertising for grinding
6. Cell phone for ginding
7. Fuel cost for vehicle and grinder
8. Income tax

When all cost are considered, how much do you really make? Simply saying that you "charge enough" to cover all of the cost is not enough. You have to get people to agree to pay. You also have to consider the cyclical nature of the business. If you sub out jobs, you must consider that others will sub out to you. They will also want their 15% and more too. I have had many tell me how much they charge. But none have yet to tell me how much profit per year they make by stump grinding. If anyone tells me there is a living in this or even good part time money I say that they are not counting all of their cost.

i lease my machine,,, have a 5x8 job,,, don't advertise,, have a truck,,, work local,, its the biggest tax write off in the world

 

[juststumps]

If you ever figure out how grind enough stumps to pay for a new grinder and recover the depreciation too along with the expenses, please send me your method.

you don't recover deprecation,, you write it off...

 

[juststumps]

after the trees are down you have branches to chip, stumps to grind, a whole yard to rake up. The cleanup doesnt take that long and the stumps should be finished nearly the same time everything else is if you have a fast efficient machine. That way the crew can move as one force to the next job. Having the grinder while the job is still in progress can also speed production allowing you to back trucks further to the wood etc. Why go back to remove the stumps or have one guy stick around longer while the rest of the guys go to lunch? then again if you dont have a crew or only are in the stump grinding business it wouldnt make sense to ya.

let me get this straight,,, becuase all jobs are different... you drop a tree,, and while the ground guys are chipping brush, bucking the stick up, then raking the mess up,, you send a stump grinder into the work zone???? your kidding, right???

 

[John464]

let me get this straight,,, becuase all jobs are different... you drop a tree,, and while the ground guys are chipping brush, bucking the stick up, then raking the mess up,, you send a stump grinder into the work zone???? your kidding, right???

no not kidding at all. there is plenty of stuff for them to do after the tree is down. they just have to keep a safe distance away from the grinder. my point is the grinder should finish just before the crew of guys run out of things to do and decide all there is to do is stand around. if you know how long the stumps will take you wont have guys watching you grind. slower grinders, ala 252, cant keep up to a full crew.

 

[juststumps]

no not kidding at all. there is plenty of stuff for them to do after the tree is down. they just have to keep a safe distance away from the grinder. my point is the grinder should finish just before the crew of guys run out of things to do and decide all there is to do is stand around. if you know how long the stumps will take you wont have guys watching you grind. slower grinders, ala 252, cant keep up to a full crew.

whats your idea of a safe distance??? i can't imagime running a grinder while there are groundies, working around the machine!!!! when i do my own gig, it's usaully after the fact.. tree's gone... if i'm in on a side job take down,, i don't grind till the site is clear..at my day job, if we have to grind,, we send a man out with the grinder, and he helps till we leave.. then he grinds... then he goes to the next job,,, etc..

 

[swaltman]

Raygo RG 50 Stumper

The rayco rg50 66 hp diesel is a great machine. If you are interested in one. I have one with about 200 hrs. Pics available. Price is 25K. 2004 model.
shoot me an email at [email protected]