Stump Grinding Business

[TheTreeSpyder]

On some stumps we used to grind around the outside circumfrence leaving cleaner 'bone' of stump inside the bark, nails, trapped sand etc. (that grinder took abuse of); then take a slab off the top with a big saw. That could save time grinding,mess, cleanup by taking that piece out in slab form, compressed as much as possible. Rolls/ flips/ sleds easier too!

Grinders cost more than saws generally, as well as their cutters. Can be a good strategy.

Pretty good way to express that price $tumper!

 

[Lumberjack]

The added cutting hight comes in handy on uprooted trees. We thought about the PTO grinder, but I figure that that will were out the clutch super fast and they are a pain to change. I still say get a RG50 or a RG85. The super RG50 and the 85 come with a backfill blade.


Carl

 

[GlennG]

I just read every post...Here are my thoughts. The people who will actually pay to have a stump removed care about there property, lawn, trees, gardens shrubery etc. If you bring a Bobcat across most of the nice properties that I work on there is going to be serious damage(unhappy customers) especially with the rainy summer we just had in the east. I use a 20 hp self propelled walk behind machine. I can leave a property with no trace and this alone gets me refferels and recomendations. I can go up steps, into gardens, thru 31 inch gates. It has a decent reach and it is simple to work on. If I am going to bid on a stump job I can just drive it into the bed of my Toyota truck (24 mpg) 9 times out of 10 the homeowner has me do the work right then. I can take a stump out a lot quicker this way than returning later with heavy equipment that the customer does not want on their property. No extra trailer,liscense plates,taxes required. I charge 5 per inch for the first stump and less if there are multiple stumps . No 2 jobs are the same and I try to adjust according to ease or complexity of the job. I offer good customer service and clean up everything, level the hole with grindings and haul the rest. If I`m removing a tree I can put the grinder in the big truck while pulling the chipper. I dump the chips and retrive the stumper at the end of the job. I like the efficiency of not having to bring multiple vehicles pulling trailers to the smaller removal jobs. Saves gas and lets us BS together during the drive. 90% of the time this little machine is perfect 10% of the time I wish it was bigger and more powerful. I can`t believe a Bobcat would be perfect 50% of the time . My little stump machine actually started my tree business. I`m not an arborist yet but I`m reading, studying and learning everything I can. I`m attending seminars and loving what I do. Stump grinding in itself will pay the bills but its lonely and sometimes boring. I enjoy the company my crew to make the day cruise along

 

[GlennG]

I forgot to add that I compete locally with a guy that uses a bobcat and I get most of the work because I can get to places he can`t or because homeowners simply refuse to let his machine on their lawn. Here is another pic

Glenn Gertis

 

[xander9727]

Glenn,
My stump grinder is almost identical to yours with the exception of the color, and the battery and gas tank are reversed. Mine originally came with a 18hp kohler magnum. When it through a rod I replaced it with a 20hp kohler command pro and now it grinds twice as fast.

 

[xander9727]

Do most of you sharpen the teeth on your grinders regularly? I sharpen mine when they loose an edge or I get into some rock or other non-wood hard surface. I can sharpen them in about 25 minutes and it really saves wear and tear on the clutch and belts. Additionally sharp teeth can cut the time a job takes in half for bigger stumps.

 

[Kram]

Glen, what size dia. was that stump on your second pic? I'm guessing about 48 inch. A big one.

 

[Dan F]

I have used a skidsteer mounted grinder. I've also used a walk-behind manual swing (Rayco of some sort, looks VERY similiar to what Glenn posted pics of) grinder as well as a Vermeer SG252.

Of the three, the Rayco comes in last. Swinging it manually SUCKS! But it did a good job of braking (no, not breaking) a ballcart with a boulder on it down a hill once. The skidsteer mounted grinder has it's place, if you have a lot to grind in a large area, it is worth it.

For all around general use, of the three, I would have to go with the 252, though it does have it's limitations. Mainly the steering sucks and it is slow to move from stump to stump if very far apart. It does a good job though.

Here's a suggestion: RENT a grinder, as you need it. If you can line up 3-4 (or more) stumps to grind in a day, charging $75 or so per, then after the first stump, the grinder is about paid for for the day. I think we rented the 252 Vermeer grinder last week for $100 for a 24 hour rental. Used it on the job for 6 stumps, then I brought it home and ground a lot more on the clients tab.

I don't think you will make a lot of money grinding, but if you are losing other work because you don't grind, then like I said, rent as you need to, if you find you are grinding more and more, then look at buying. Charge more for the other work if you can to help pay for the grinding....

That said, have you looked at a Dingo or MT50 (or similiar) with a grinder attachment? The mini-skidsteer base price is lower (just slightly though) than a full-size, and it can go through gates usually without a problem. Getting one with tracks reduces ground pressure too and doesn't leave ruts like a wheeled machine will. (Though some here may argue about that point....)


Dan

 

[GlennG]

I buy my teeth I quanity for $2.25 each so I usually just swap in a new set. I have been seriously thinking about switching to Greenteeth but the initial sticker shock makes me balk. Sharp teeth is an absolut must. <p> The stump in pic 2 was a 50 inch oak, that was hit by lightning. The grinding process took less than 20 minutes cleanup took 30. I charged $4 per inch on this job cause it was easy job.<p> Swinging manualy sucks in the beginning but after a few stumps I got a good feel for my machine. The machine is well ballanced and I can feed it through the stump most efficiently by feel, I can outcut a 252 because of this, not to mention it is fast traveling and easy to manuver around the stump. I am happy to operated this machine. Its very "all-terain" and this helps me in Western Pa because our terain is very hilly. If I need to buy a bigger machine I`d like to check out the Vermeer 50tx track machine, but it would probably make sense for me to stick with what I have and rent the big machine from time to time. This is just my .02 . This is what has been working for me and I`m satisfied .<p> One trick that I`ve been doing lately is to spread a 12x16 tarp on the ground behind the stump. I then put down 3x6 sheet of plywood on the tarp, closest to the stump. I drive my machine onto the plywood and it swings easy. I can shovel the chips easily off of the plywood . I then gather the tarp and have little to clean up.

Glenn Gertis

 

[stump grinder]

grinder teeth

Glen,
Do you get your teeth from discount stumpcutters? If so have you had any problems with teeth bending and tips coming off? I sent them back a box of 40 teeth because he wanted to see them and he said that the teeth were sticking out too far even though I set them to rayco's spec. I guess he did not expect that many in the box. I run a rayco 1620 jr.

Dean Chartier

 

[GlennG]

Yes I get them from Discount Stump Cutters. I have had the tips come off but only after hitting a buried surveyers spike . I have seen a few that where not bent to the right spec from the factory, this would cause the tooth to scrape the inside of the wheel housing and make an aweful racket. I have about 5 sets of teeth left and when there used up I think I`m going to bite the bullet and purchase Greenteeth. I`m looking foward to the simplified tooth changing. <p> Has anyone switched to Greenteeth cutters from the old 1/2 inch square shank cutters? Is it worth the $$$?

Glenn

 

[xander9727]

I switched to the vermeer "pro teeth". It cost me around $250 to buy the new pockets, teeth, longer bolts and six spare teeth. I think the switch was definately worth the money. I have never broken one and have only had one carbide cutter come off. I have found buried chain that wrapped around the wheel and stopped it completely (took some time to get off ), I have hit rebar, railroad spikes and numerous rocks, bricks, etc. and have yet to have a tooth break. With the old style teeth it seemed like I broke at least one a week. Once I hit a piece of granite and broke three at the same time. I really like the pro teeth and usually sharpen them 20+ times before they are worn out. A set last eight months to a year depending on how much grinding we do. Once you own the pockets the teeth cost approx. $5 a piece. A full set cost me around $75 with shipping.

 

[Yellowdog]

I do a lot of land clearing and usually have to dig stumps out for hauloff in containers or burning on-site in a pit. For those of you who are in the know, would a skidsteer mounted stump grinder work well on uprooted stumps? If nothing else, would it remove some of the volume?

Does anyone know if it is acceptable to grind stumps where a foundation will go? Down here, we uproot everything but it disturbs lots of rock and leaves "pockets" of soft earth that have to be filled in or compacted to some extent.

We also get a lot of very large dead oak stumps that need to be ground. How will a stump grinder hold up on hard, old, tree stumps?

 

[Yellowdog]

Dan,
You made an excellent point and observation. I thought about the stumps moving some but not violently. That could be dangerous or costly especially if rocks are on the stump.

 

[Ax-man]

Yellowdog,

I've had to do this a couple of times, to reduce the weight of the stump for our loader to be able to pick it up. On a large heavy rootball it will work to a point, but as mentioned by Tree Co you you will suck it in and under the machine. You just have to know when to stop.

In regards to your second question, most builders I've work with put extra rebar over the spot where the stump was.

Old dead stumps are little harder on machines than live ones. Oak is a good stump to grind on in most cases alive or dead. The worst ones are the softwoods like pine, willows. basswoods, poplar species, birch, the worst of the bunch to grind on is an old dead American Elm stump, especially if the cutting teeth are a little on the dull side.

 

[stump grinder]

I agree with the Elm, hard as a rock. Not a good job.

Dean

 

[Stumper]

Hmmff. I always thought elm was relatively easy. You guys need to try Osage or Huisache. I'll agree that the surprise for the inexperienced is pine-it can be awful to grind. As far as Yellowdog's queation goes-I've ground many stumps out for foundations to go in. If it is gone-its gone! If a slab is going in then reinforcement makes sense because the remaining roots may permit a little settling as they decompose. Where footings are going in I have always just ground everything out of the footing trench and the contractors have been pleased as punch.

 

[Ax-man]

Stumper, If you noticed I said American Elm, Siberian Elm or commonly missed named Chinese Elm is realatively easy I'll agree on that one. Your right about Osage Orange though, I just forgot it because I don't grind alot of those out. I've cut on enough of them though just nothing more than a living tangled brush pile on roots.

What is Huisache anyway, never heard of this one, must be something that is local to your area only????

 

[Yellowdog]

Why is the pine and softer woods difficult to grind? I will most likely be grinding ashe juniper and live oak. We don't have many elms around here.

 

[Stumper]

The juniper will be easy. Live oak is dense wood that tends to make very fine chips(as opposed to big, coarse chunks). Live oak isn't dead easy just because of its density but it grinds well. Both Junipers and oaks grind relatively well even with slightly dull teeth. Whay makes pine difficult is a degree of compressability-the wood tends to spring away from a cuttertooth rather than being sheared by it. Pine grindings usually wind up as a bunch of shredded stringy fibers. Freshly cut live trees and sharp teeth tend to grind fairly well. Old pine stumps in which the lignin has begun to break down are easy. However, pines that have been cut for 6-months -2years are nasty. Species plays a part-Pinyon grinds well and spruces aren't too bad but Ponderosas and Slash pines-yuck. At least they smell nice.

Axman, I did catch the American Elm part of your post-they ARE quite a bit harder to grind than Siberians but I still don't think they are horrible. Huisache is a tree of South Texas and Mexico. HARD. The biggest Osages I've ground were 30+ inches in diameter-tough grinds. Dead eucalyptus can be tough to. The worst thing I've ever ground remains unidentified- the owner didn't know what it was and I couldn't identify it from the stump. The wood was Hard, Pink and gummed up sharp teeth 'til they would hardly cut because they had no relief behind the edge!