Stump grinders

[PassionForTrees]

When I used to sharpen the rayco superteeth, I thought I was so cool, that I figured out a way to save me money by not having to buy new teeth all the time. Over the years I have switched to Greenteeth and at first used the 900 series due to that being the suggested size for my Rayco super RG50 66 HP stump eating animal. I was breaking teeth and not knowing it, then I was wrecking the pockets, so on any given job I was losing Pocket and teeth costs.... I changed over to the 1100 series and I haven in over 2 years lost a single pocket. and sharpened the greenteeth so much faster and easier and lost only ONE TOOTH in over 2 years, just got done grinding an up rooted monster that took me 33 minutes complete. I get into the gates by spending 2 minutes to take the extra tires off so it will fit into the 36 inch gate. I rarely ever have to take the double tire off, but it's there and I can get in small areas with the big power. I really cant see a better way to go... I still have like 2 sets of extra pockets just in case and a #### load of extra Teeth and dont see me using them for a long time. Happy Grinding everyone!

 

[stump grinder]

Must be that you dont have Rocks in the soil. I had the 900 on my rayco 1645 and had problems. Tons of rock here in northern NY. Broken bolts mostly and carbide chips or comes off all together. I ended up going to leonardi pin teeth but still have carbide issues. That's great service out of that cutter package. Glad its working so well for you.


Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

 

[2treeornot2tree]

Must be that you dont have Rocks in the soil. I had the 900 on my rayco 1645 and had problems. Tons of rock here in northern NY. Broken bolts mostly and carbide chips or comes off all together. I ended up going to leonardi pin teeth but still have carbide issues. That's great service out of that cutter package. Glad its working so well for you.


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I hit rocks all the time. I just dont try to grind through them. I look and if they are big try to pry them out sso I dont beat the crap out of my pockets and teeth.

 

[PassionForTrees]

I hit rocks all the time. I just dont try to grind through them. I look and if they are big try to pry them out sso I dont beat the crap out of my pockets and teeth.

Yep....Common Sence still needed while grinding!! I am in very Rocky soils here in CT. 1100 series Greenteeth is the way to go. Very different from the 900 series as stated in my last post. Common Sence will take you a long way.:msp_sneaky:

 

[Fairbanks Stump]

Stumpgrinders ananomus

I have run a few I have owned a few and I have sold everything except my Carltons..... Because they work so well
I base My decision to own them on 3 factors #1 most Important HORSE POWER #2 Weight (head weight and Ground pressure) #3 ability to get through a 36" gate opening with out tearing up the grass
always go with the biggest machine your pocket book can handle I have never found a space my 7015 cant get into I have never been disappointed by the power or the performance I have put close to 6000 hours om my machines and can attest to their durability and their power! Sandvic teeth from New River is the way to go and for crying out loud sharpen the teeth on the machine and save your self a ton of money!
PM me Id be happy to tell you what ever you want to know as well as some horror stories abot some other fake brands out there that are nothing short of Snake oil!

 

[rlsaloga]

Questions

I have a tree service business in San Bernardino,CA. I am looking for a tree service business in a non competing area of Southern California that I could ask some business questions about stump grinding.
Specifically, how much do you charge per inch or do you use a different method of charging?
What is your minimum charge?
How much do you charge for other things such as distance, ease of access, slopes, hills, being close to other trees or buildings?
What do you do about sprinklers that get damaged when stump grinding?
I have had a stump grinder for several years but only used it in connection with tree removals and I would now like to get some stump grinding only jobs.
Thank you. I appreciate your help.

 

[Fairbanks Stump]

I have a tree service business in San Bernardino,CA. I am looking for a tree service business in a non competing area of Southern California that I could ask some business questions about stump grinding.
Specifically, how much do you charge per inch or do you use a different method of charging?
What is your minimum charge?
How much do you charge for other things such as distance, ease of access, slopes, hills, being close to other trees or buildings?
What do you do about sprinklers that get damaged when stump grinding?
I have had a stump grinder for several years but only used it in connection with tree removals and I would now like to get some stump grinding only jobs.
Thank you. I appreciate your help.

Is your machine self propeled? how great are your sales skills? How great is your Service? I have the best equipment and I am the most experienced operator in the state I charge 200 per hour for my grinding! .... my machine is easily twice as fast as any one else in the state and I charge accordingly I don't want all the work, I only want the work from the customers that want their job done perfectly the first time! and I sell my self as such! if you charge by the inch you screw the customer on small stumps and you screw your self on big stumps! I started my business in the grinding business and I moved into the tree business because the other tree service businesses in my area forgot the Service in tree service!

 

[2treeornot2tree]

Is your machine self propeled? how great are your sales skills? How great is your Service? I have the best equipment and I am the most experienced operator in the state I charge 200 per hour for my grinding! .... my machine is easily twice as fast as any one else in the state and I charge accordingly I don't want all the work, I only want the work from the customers that want their job done perfectly the first time! and I sell my self as such! if you charge by the inch you screw the customer on small stumps and you screw your self on big stumps! I started my business in the grinding business and I moved into the tree business because the other tree service businesses in my area forgot the Service in tree service!

I try to get $300 a hour for my Carlton sp8018 trx.

 

[BC WetCoast]

I have a tree service business in San Bernardino,CA. I am looking for a tree service business in a non competing area of Southern California that I could ask some business questions about stump grinding.
Specifically, how much do you charge per inch or do you use a different method of charging?
What is your minimum charge?
How much do you charge for other things such as distance, ease of access, slopes, hills, being close to other trees or buildings?
What do you do about sprinklers that get damaged when stump grinding?
I have had a stump grinder for several years but only used it in connection with tree removals and I would now like to get some stump grinding only jobs.
Thank you. I appreciate your help.

Determine your charge out rate based on your ownership and operating costs plus profit and risk. There are lots of past threads discussing how to do this. Once you have your charge out rate, then just estimate the amount of time you will need at each job. Include travel time, access, setting up the site, gate/fence removal/replacement in estimating the time on the job. If you have to haul the mulch, I always charge the same rate as grinding (I could be using that time grinding elsewhere, so why should you get a discount). For larger stumps, it usually works out that the price for grinding is the same as the price for hauling all the mulch.

Minimum charge is 1 hour, but that's because around here traffic always dictates how long your travel will be.

As stated above, never charge per inch. That's because the volume of the stump squares with increase in size (remember high school math).

If we break something (window from thrown rock), sprinkler system etc, we either fix it ourselves or arrange to have it fixed.

 

[imagineero]

There's no money in stump grinding in my opinion - at least not in the smaller machine class. I've had a couple smaller grinders (20~30hp), and fairly good quality ones, but I'd never own one again. There's so much competition for stumps, that the prices on stumps which can be ground with small machines puts you squarely in lawn mowing territory. You've got to make minimum $200/hour grinding stumps with a small machine to get anywhere, and the money just isn't there. Worse, when you have a small machine, you will be tempted to throw in grinding for free to win tree work. I sub out all my stumps now, and make more money that way.

I'd buy another machine for sure, but it would be 80hp+ maybe an SC85 or an RG100. Or the big tracked bandit machine. I know a couple guys running machines in that class and they clean up, $400~$500/hour. At that rate, it's worth taking the machine out.

Shaun

 

[deevo]

There's no money in stump grinding in my opinion - at least not in the smaller machine class. I've had a couple smaller grinders (20~30hp), and fairly good quality ones, but I'd never own one again. There's so much competition for stumps, that the prices on stumps which can be ground with small machines puts you squarely in lawn mowing territory. You've got to make minimum $200/hour grinding stumps with a small machine to get anywhere, and the money just isn't there. Worse, when you have a small machine, you will be tempted to throw in grinding for free to win tree work. I sub out all my stumps now, and make more money that way.

I'd buy another machine for sure, but it would be 80hp+ maybe an SC85 or an RG100. Or the big tracked bandit machine. I know a couple guys running machines in that class and they clean up, $400~$500/hour. At that rate, it's worth taking the machine out.

Shaun

Funny how things are in some regions, I know your in Aussie.... I do about $20,000-30,000 in stumps per year with my SC252. Not my favourite thing to do (stumps) but makes me money. After I buy my tracked lift I am gonna go after a 2550 or something bigger. But for now will keep on chugging along with the 252!

 

[ropensaddle]

For the type of grinding I do my sc 602 out performs a self propelled my best day was 127 stumps ranging from 40 inch to 10 inch all grind and leave. I can usually do 40 stumps in 2 to 3 hrs and here stumps don't pay what they do in ya'alls neck of the bush. here the big jobs are 12 to 15 per stump and quite scattered out!

 

[tidy]

hey Shaun,

Its Chris from tidy trees. Whats your analysis of the competition in Sydney when it comes to grinding contractors with larger (60+hp) machines? I hear large stumps are getting done pretty cheap by the established guys so competion is probably tight also. Theres a guy charging 260/hr with a tracked vermeer 60hp and he isnt even a new player.

 

[treeman75]

Im buying a stumper and trying to decide on a pull behind or a smaller one. Im looking at a morbark D76 or a D52 and not sure on a pull behind. what do you guys think of the morbarks?

 

[ropensaddle]

Im buying a stumper and trying to decide on a pull behind or a smaller one. Im looking at a morbark D76 or a D52 and not sure on a pull behind. what do you guys think of the morbarks?

Not sure about mobark but I know they make quality chippers debarkers etc. I had a small one and sold it then i bid on a large grinding project and won so bought my tow behind. Pull behinds shine on golf course or projects requiring more than average travel stump to stump imo. Larger 60 plus hp walk alongs are nice too,what made me go with mine was shaft drive, its smooth strong power to the stump.

 

[treevet]

Demo'ed the brandy new Toro STX 38 Sat and all day today. In love and jumping off the cliff to the tune of about $25k. First demo in the area with 8 hrs. when we got it. Try it you'll like it. :kilt:

 

[2treeornot2tree]

Not sure about mobark but I know they make quality chippers debarkers etc. I had a small one and sold it then i bid on a large grinding project and won so bought my tow behind. Pull behinds shine on golf course or projects requiring more than average travel stump to stump imo. Larger 60 plus hp walk alongs are nice too,what made me go with mine was shaft drive, its smooth strong power to the stump.

The morbarks grinders had some design problems that had to be sent back to the factory for retrofit. Never used one myself.

 

[ropensaddle]

The morbarks grinders had some design problems that had to be sent back to the factory for retrofit. Never used one myself.

Me neither, I just wish we had soil instead of boulders and granite and quartz lol teeth don't last long here :monkey:

 

[treevet]

Did the deal today and they are putting one together for me.

Got it a little less than expected. Very nice niche stumper, I still have a 60 hp tow behind.

TORO STX-38 Stump Grinder

Can change teeth in about 20 mins or less Ropey, and they have 3 sides.

 

[epicklein22]

Hey guys, sort of a hijack, but I'm in the market for stump grinder if any of you guys know of one for sale or will be for sale this winter. Prefer self propelled. Needing work is fine.

I have a lot of hours on a Super RG50 and a RG1625. No comparison. The RG50 makes stumping a nice money maker. The small grinders are good for small companies that want to offer the entire package when bidding a job. They do pretty good if you have sharp teeth, but production isn't really in the equation.