Stump Grinder

[SwampmanLA]

I have a 30" diameter oak stump that needs to be ground that is close to my home. From the quotes I am getting for someone else to do the grinding I am considering just buying a PT stump grinder, the rental would make a good down payment. So for those that have one, do they work well? Also, can they be used for other applications like shallow trenching, etc..........

 

[sweettractors]

We had 43 to remove on the farm and we had a guy come in bid the job. He bid $20 per stump. Size did not matter. He came in with a Commercial Vermeer grinder behind a Jeep and done a excellent job. Ken Sweet

 

[Phils]

I bought the stump grinder when I first got my PT (shipping cost for implements alone is too expensive).

I haven't kept count but I'm sure I've removed at least a hundred stumps, some up to at least 30". Well, MAYBE only 50... kinda like "how long was the fish you caught?". But even 50 is a lot. It has performed flawlessly.

The PT grinder will take longer than a commercial one, but it's not that big of a deal. If I had a 30" to remove I'd "budget" an hour. Maybe with a refreshment break, it could take a little longer.

If you do get the grinder, many of us have found it works WAY better when the cutter is reversed. That is, as it comes from PT, all the chips are thrown back at the operator.

Reversing the cutter causes the chips to be thrown away from the PT. I've used mine both ways and there is NO disadvantage to reversing it, unless you don't pay attention and toss chips and maybe a few stones onto your neighbors Mercedes.

I have only used mine for trenching in dirt. I have a trench I need to make across a paved driveway, but that's something I've been putting off for a couple of years now. Supposedly, that job won't damage the cutters but even if it does, they are individually replaceable. But the job isn't THAT important and is easy to postpone.

Phil

 

[Gravy]

I've got the old style stump grinder with welded-on teeth. I've been using it to cut asphalt pavement in preparation for trenching. I've only cut about 20 linear feet so far, but the teeth show no signs of problems. I suspect they are the same teeth that are used for mining equipment. It's way faster & easier than a diamond pavement saw.

 

[J_J]

Gravy,

Are you cutting down on the asphalt or cutting up from the bottom? If you are cutting up, does it cut it out or rip it out with a jagged edge?

Like this.

 

[Gravy]

Gravy,

Are you cutting down on the asphalt or cutting up from the bottom? If you are cutting up, does it cut it out or rip it out with a jagged edge?

Like this.

J_J,

I'm cutting both ways. It doesn't seem to make much difference so far. The cut is surprisingly clean.

 

[SpringHollow]

I have done maybe 20 stumps with my used stump grinder. Maybe i am too hard on it because it never takes me close to an hour; 15 - 20 minutes for ~ 28" stump. The FEL is shaking sometimes when i take too big of a bite. Rotted go the easiest and i do not count those. Green grind pretty well. 6 month old stumps are harder for me to do. My blade is reversed and the welded teeth.

Ken

 

[Gravy]

I suspect that the added mass and hydraulic power of an 1850 make a big difference. My 425 may not be quite manly enough to make full use of the stump grinder. The engine will stall long before the stump grinder itself starts struggling.

Tomorrow will be a new test. I'm going to be trenching across about 25-30ft of asphalt paved parking lot. I'll use the stump grinder to cut the asphalt. Then I'll use the mini-hoe to expose the old water line and the trencher to cut a route for the new water line.

I'm paying back to my boss for some of the times I've had the benefit of using his really expensive equipment. I had fun running his equipment on my time, and now I'm having fun running my equipment on his time.

 

[SpringHollow]

Quote: "I suspect that the added mass and hydraulic power of an 1850 make a big difference."

Yeah, there is that. I need to learn to pay attention to what machines people have.

I can definitely stall my stump grinder and still have the engine run.

Ken

 

[CurlyDave]

I have a 30" diameter oak stump that needs to be ground that is close to my home. From the quotes I am getting for someone else to do the grinding I am considering just buying a PT stump grinder, the rental would make a good down payment. So for those that have one, do they work well? Also, can they be used for other applications like shallow trenching, etc..........

If you are going to continue grinding stumps in the future, buying one is clearly the way to go.

If you only need to do one stump, I rented a walk behind Vermeer from Home Depot about 6 months ago to take out a 30" oak stump right next to my concrete foundation. It took two or three hours, but only cost about $100.

It was a nasty stump, it had incorporated a lot of rocks into itself, and many years ago someone had laid a 2" galvanized pipe right next to the tree, which got engulfed in the wood over time.