Are PT 425 Owners happy with the PT Stump Grinder??

   / Are PT 425 Owners happy with the PT Stump Grinder?? #1  

FAZTRAC

Bronze Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2010
Messages
62
Location
Flatistan and Tenn. (part time)
Tractor
PT 425 & john deere hydrostatic, DR Brushcutter 17 HP!!!!
Considering the purchase of a PT factory stump grinder.

What is the concensus here on the utility and function of this implement?

thanks guys
 
   / Are PT 425 Owners happy with the PT Stump Grinder?? #2  
I bought a stump grinder when I purchased my 425 (2007) used it to grind twelve pine stumps, long story short! my stump grinder is in pieces in the garage and Terry recognizes my voice immediately when I call Tazewell, unless you have a lot of stumps to remove save yourself the heartache and go rent one for the day, money aside in my case it would have saved ''hard feelings'' towards Powertrac, other than that issue I continue to have a ''love hate'' relationship with my 425
 
   / Are PT 425 Owners happy with the PT Stump Grinder??
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Can you elaborate on the circumstances of your stump grinder on the floor of the garage in pieces since 2007, that's not very encouraging.....:confused:
I have a lot of stumps, way more than a rental will handle, and more coming!!!....

Also is is it hard on the front end structure of the 425 ???
 
   / Are PT 425 Owners happy with the PT Stump Grinder?? #4  
Can you elaborate on the circumstances of your stump grinder on the floor of the garage in pieces since 2007, that's not very encouraging.....:confused:
I have a lot of stumps, way more than a rental will handle, and more coming!!!....

Also is is it hard on the front end structure of the 425 ???

Some PT attachments are amazing and do far more than you expect, for example the grapple bucket can hold an amazing amount of brush if you know how to use it, and a good amount if you don't. The stump grinder is not one of these. On small stumps, six inches and under, it will take them out in a very few minutes. On big stumps, two feet and up, you can spend hours per stump. If you get a vine wrapped around the shaft it can take out the shaft seal quickly. I have a lot of use on mine and am generally satisfied. That said I have had to replace the shaft seal at least once and weld the disc to the hub once. Mine dates back to 2000 and I believe they have improved it. I would buy again. There are a lot fewer stumps on my property than there used to be.
I have been able to get this where I don't think a rental one would go. I have not used a rental unit, but have seen them operated. I think they have the same issues, but are much harder to maneuver.
 
   / Are PT 425 Owners happy with the PT Stump Grinder?? #5  
As Bob Rip stated the stump grinder is extremely versatile I have ground stumps where it would be impossible to use any other piece of equipment, but to elaborate the dismantled stump grinder resulted from hydraulic motor manufactures defect not a Powertrac defect. When the shaft sheared on the motor it allowed the grinding disk to ''exit stage left'' it imbedded itself in a tree a few feet away from where I was working , upon speaking with Terry at Powertrac he felt that replacing the motor shaft would be a manufacturer warranty responsibiliyt due to hours used and place it broke (hollow motor shaft with retainer pin hole drilled perpendicular to axis=shear point) after Powertrac fixed the motor (warranty work should not have been performed until authorized) they billed me for the repair, it was cheaper to purchase a new motor, the manufacture claimed I abused the motor to cause such a failure , and therefore would not warranty the broken motor shaft, typically when grinding stumps a swinging motion side to side usually is necessary (recommended) to remove material, since the grinding disk is supported on only one side it creates a unequal load on the bearings in the hydraulic motor, but I also feel that a motor shaft of higher quality would have prevented the failure. When I get time to rebuild the stump grinder I will support the grinding disk on both sides with bearings and will couple the motor to the shaft with a love-joy style coupler capable of protecting the hydraulic motor from vibration and shock loads generated by the grinding disk. the other issue to address is the bolts used to mount the teeth to the grinding disk mine came from the factory with grade#2 bolts with nylock nuts I was constantly checking these bolts (teeth would loosen up and wobble plus I sent one into orbit before I realized the problem) I fixed the problem by installing grade#12 bolts and metal locking nuts . All in all the $ spent for the stump grinder compared to the cost of renting a unit I was money ahead to own the attachment . ''do not let one bad apple spoil the whole bushel''
 
   / Are PT 425 Owners happy with the PT Stump Grinder??
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Thanks guys. Does anyone own a "new and improved" late model stump grinder where some of these issues may have been addressed?
I think that this is one of those implements thats cheaper to buy than make.
 
   / Are PT 425 Owners happy with the PT Stump Grinder?? #7  
I don't know if this is useful, but I'm in the mood to tell a story:

Mine is/was an early model with the teeth welded to the blade. I bought it used from DaveSisk way back when.

I always felt that it spun too fast and didn't have enough torque for stump grinding. It was a constant struggle to keep the cutting depth just exactly right so it took off shavings but didn't stall. I decided that it would probably work better with a motor of about twice the displacement for twice the torque and half the speed.

I did find that it worked very nicely as a wheel trencher for low voltage wiring, sprinkler lines, garden edging and even cutting through asphalt pavement.

I say "worked" instead of "works" for a reason. While cutting a trench, I ran into some rocks. Make that lots of rocks. It was amazing - the pitifully underpowered stump grinder would kick softball sized rocks right out of the damp clay. It was violent, rough and noisy, but it got it done...right up until the mounting ears broke off of the hydraulic motor.

That motor has a new home on the world's ugliest leaf blower. I rigged up a clamping plate that holds it well enough for that task.

I have a replacement motor sitting on a shelf waiting for me to find my box of round tuits. It's the same basic series Parker motor, with about twice the displacement, which is good, but it also has different hose connections and a different mounting pattern. I think it will work better, but for now it's a "To be continued" story.
 
   / Are PT 425 Owners happy with the PT Stump Grinder??
  • Thread Starter
#8  
OK So I am detecting a low grade of enthusiasm for the PT Stumpgrinder.

It seems that there is a fine line between being fast enough to work efficiently and cut and .....having a large enough displacement motor to have the grunt to actually make the cut without bogging.

I have an old Vermeer, belt drive, roll around stump grinder unit I bought from a Home Depot rental center for cheap that runs off a Honda motor. It would be a nightmare on my mountain sides by itself, but maybe I can rig something so I can use the FEL and carry around the main carcass without the handles and use it like the PT unit. I have 15 spare sets of sharpened cutter blades they threw in with my purchase :thumbsup:.
 
   / Are PT 425 Owners happy with the PT Stump Grinder?? #9  
OK So I am detecting a low grade of enthusiasm for the PT Stumpgrinder.

It seems that there is a fine line between being fast enough to work efficiently and cut and .....having a large enough displacement motor to have the grunt to actually make the cut without bogging.

I have an old Vermeer, belt drive, roll around stump grinder unit I bought from a Home Depot rental center for cheap that runs off a Honda motor. It would be a nightmare on my mountain sides by itself, but maybe I can rig something so I can use the FEL and carry around the main carcass without the handles and use it like the PT unit. I have 15 spare sets of sharpened cutter blades they threw in with my purchase :thumbsup:.

Good choice. There's only so much that can be done with 8gpm@2500psi.
 
   / Are PT 425 Owners happy with the PT Stump Grinder?? #10  
I have the stump grinder for the 1850, welded teeth. I bought it heavily used. It has leaked some oil from day one of my owning it but it demolishes stumps. I am pretty happy with it. I have done quite a few 18 - 24" stumps with it at friend's houses. I run it with the blade reversed.

Ken
 
 
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