Should I add stump grinding to my business?

[Courage]

Hey guys, I'm looking some business advice. I have owned my own landscape maintenance company for the last 3 years.
My bread and butter in weekly lawn service (mowing, trimming, and blowing), but I'm looking to add another service...

Here's my reasoning.

Currently I have 3 days of mowing a week, enough power raking/dethatching, aeration, and spring cleanup to keep me busy from as soon as the snow leaves till mowing starts, and enough sprinkler blowouts and fall cleanups to keep me busy from the end of mowing till we have snow... most of the time. I technically could still be working weather wise this year, but normally we'd have 2' of snow by now.
Anyway, I'm looking for a service to kinda fill 1 or 2 more days each week through the mow season. I don't want to add a day or two of mowing, because I like being able to bump things back and forward enough to not have to skip a week, but still have 6 consecutive days off for trips in the summer...
So I'm looking to add 1 off job type stuff to what I offer. I'm hoping to do more mid season aeration this next year, as I bought a Stinger Dual Aer this summer. But, I'm looking to add something else too.
Now that I've kinda explained what I'm looking for, any thoughts owhich I should buy a stump grinder, and add that to my list of services?

I already have trucks, insurance a trailer, chainsaw, that kinda thing, so really all I'd need would be a grinder, and marketing... How much is your minimum to show up with your Grinder? I like to make $100 an hour of on the job time (with my other work, when I facter in driving into town, driving between jobs, and stopping for a 40 minute lunch break, I average $70-80 an hour for a whole day). Is this reasonable with stump grinding?

What size of grinder would you recommend for starting out?

I've found a Toro STX26 for $7,500, a Vemeer SC292 for $10,500, and a Barretto E30SG for $13,800. Are any of these good starter machines?

I live in North Eastern Washington, so we have a pretty broad mix of trees as far as hardness goes.

Do y'all think stump grinding might be good service to add, or should I keep looking?

Thanks in advance!
Courage

 

[PennHavenTW]

IMO stump grinding would be a wonderful fill in thing, only a couple things to consider.

Depending on your machine size, and number of men onsite, but $100 per hour seems a little low. Of course different locality is to be considered, but I normaly bill $90 per hour for a Bandit SG 40 and $110 per hour for two men. So if one job has 2 machine hours and 4.5 total hours I bill $675, $150 average per hour jobsite time

Stump grinders are extremly high maintenance machines, they are in the dirt, get filthy, dirty air filters, dirt in the drive system (machines vary) and broken and dull teeth from hitting rocks and dirt.

I have experience with a Rayco Super Junior, a Vermeer SC30 and a Bandit SG40 considering entry level machines. My opinion is get a SG40. It is one of my best experiences in this class. Anything smaller will only result in disappointing removals. They will take a LONG time to get any sizable stump out of the ground. Not too disappoint you, but I would not reccomend any of the three you mentioned, they are too small. If I had to choose one you mentioned the Vermeer would probably do the best since it is belt drive and not hydraulic. Alot of power is lost in a hydro system. You have to know your budget though. SG40s certainly are not a 10K machine (for something decent).

And PPE, you certainly will want safety goggles, maybe even a face sheild and chaps, depending on the machine. Some of that dirt comes at you with some real speed! Shins and face usually don't agree!

Love to hear others opinions too!

 

[EchoShindaiwaMakitaDolmar]

Here in SW Florida, many people expect the stump grinding to be under $200 to get it flush to the ground.

 

[Jed1124]

Why not make lawn treatments to your existing clients? Fertilizer, insect, disease control.

 

[lone wolf]

Why not make lawn treatments to your existing clients? Fertilizer, insect, disease control.

Aeration, fertilizing and seeding pays well! My grinder still isn't paid for after years, 30K for a new one is a lot of stumps to do to break even. A Skid steer is ten times more productive than a Stump Grinder.

 

[Luztree]

Stump grinders are there to just complete a job. Paid $83,000 for my vermeer sc70 track machine 2 1/2 years ago. Has 150 hours on it. 2 clutches under warranty and today they dropped off the machine to me after the wiring harness to the electric clutch went bad. Machine is out of warranty, but to their credit they warranted it. The harness is, wait for it, $3,400 dollars plus all that labor. Love the machine but I hope this solves the clutch problems. So in closing, you do not make money with stump grinding, only finishes the removal job.

 

[lone wolf]

Stump grinders are there to just complete a job. Paid $83,000 for my vermeer sc70 track machine 2 1/2 years ago. Has 150 hours on it. 2 clutches under warranty and today they dropped off the machine to me after the wiring harness to the electric clutch went bad. Machine is out of warranty, but to their credit they warranted it. The harness is, wait for it, $3,400 dollars plus all that labor. Love the machine but I hope this solves the clutch problems. So in closing, you do not make money with stump grinding, only finishes the removal job.

Agreed! Be better off to save the money and buy a Skid Steer or something you would use a lot more and pay someone for grinding.