Stump Grinder Woodland Mills WG24?

[dickfoster]

I could really use a stump grinder but those things can be very pricey. Some cost as much as a backhoe. I saw this one and it seems like it's made to get the job done and doesn't cost as much because it seems the design is much more commonsensical than the others I've seen for much more money. No gear box needed, no extra cylinders or hydraulics needed etc. Simply connect to 3pt and get to work. Has anyone here used one of these? If so, how was it?
WG24 Stump Grinder | Woodland Mills US

 

[Snobdds]

You're going to get those stumps one way or another. I have see this one and it does look like it would work.

A couple of things I've noticed. It would appear the tractor would need position control on the 3 point. I am leary of any attachments being directly coupled to the pto shaft. If the chipper suddenly stops, and there is no shear pin or gear box, the only place for that energy to go is straight to the tractors gear box.

Hopefully someone has one and offers some input...

 

[Kryton619]

Funny.....I was looking at this stump grinder myself. It does state that it comes with a shear pin.

Woodland Mills is only 30 minutes from where I live so I may just drive over to have a look at it prior to pulling the trigger. My concern is that my property up north has lots of rocks in the ground.

 

[Piston]

I have one of those "expensive" models, and although I wouldn't want to use the woodland mills one in a commercial environment, it looks as thought if you babied it a bit and used it with some care, it should work just fine for what it was designed to do.

It's certainly a lot cheaper that's for sure.

 

[topbuilder]

I have tractors and I have stump grinders. Have you thought about renting a purpose built machine or hiring a stump grinder? In trying to think of the worst thing to strap onto a PTO , I think a grinder is contender.

 

[Kennyrichmond]

After seeing dickfoster's link, I ordered one - the second three point implement I've purchased for a JD 1025RFILB. It's got a sheer pin. I have an 18 HP PTO rating, but I'm going to try it anyway because it's just so convenient and economical to have one. For me, the requirement is low turf impact. At $100 for a twelve inch stump, the pay back is less than a month with a lot less time, wear and tear than digging them out. Had to get a set of Pat's Quick Change links. Looks like five days to delivery of the set up. Will report back how it works out. If I'm overlooking any other negatives, sure would like to hear about them.

Thanks,

Ken

 

[topbuilder]

"At $100 for a twelve inch stump, the pay back is less than a month"

I guess so! Our area will not support rates like that. For me a 12" stump is 5 minutes. If you have al lot of rock in your soil, that would change things. 18hp seems under powered. Keep your teeth sharp.

 

[Kennyrichmond]

Thanks top,
100 bucks is cheap around here for removing a 12 inch stump 6" below grade. It's $500 to bring a 12" tree down and shred it in Philly, leaving the stump/roots at grade. Have to set up and load the equipment, get it there, try to find a place nearby to park an 18 ft. trailer and dually, then do the job and get it back, remove the grinder, clean and maintain the equipment etc.. All done, $100 doesn't leave too much to eat with or buy suds to wash it down. If one digs the stump out, it's all day and $100 wouldn't buy the sod needed to repair the turf damage. I think I'll do OK with this item on these urban quarter acre ranches.

Ken

 

[Piston]

I have tractors and I have stump grinders. Have you thought about renting a purpose built machine or hiring a stump grinder? In trying to think of the worst thing to strap onto a PTOView attachment 474322, I think a grinder is contender.

No disrespect, but have you actually used a pto stump grinder? I'm guessing not but could be totally wrong. The reason I ask, is because unless you buy a dedicated stump grinder and spend about the same amount of money (or more) as we typically spend on our tractors, it will not even come close to the efficiency and power of a pto version.
Dollar for dollar, you literally can not beat a dedicated grinder if you have a decent sized tractor.

I don't have a large tractor, and only have 39 pto hp, but have extensive experience with my pto powered Shaver SC 50 stump grinder. Compared to the smaller hp dedicated stump grinders I've used, they are not nearly as good as my equivalent hp tractor powered grinder.

Now, add in the versatility of the grapple on the FEL, or even a bucket, and when doing numerous stumps the advantage quickly leans toward ls the pto powered grinder.

Of course, if you are talking about a dedicated 60hp diesel operated dedicated grinder, then it will certainly grind circles around my 39hp
Model, however, if you don't have the 60k to spend on one, then a pto powered grinder is absolutely the way to go.

Again, no disrespect, but I'm just curious if you've had the opportunity to use a pto powered version to some extent? Because I believe that your opinion would be different if so.

If I'm completely off base here then I apologize in advance.

 

[topbuilder]

Oh, you are going to use it commercially. Yea, that be a different animal there.

 

[LouieJunior]

I have a Shaver stump grinder. Watching the original posters video, I wondered two things...

1.) wouldn't there be a lot more torque on the flywheel driving forward at a rate faster than the machine could cut -- or taking to big of a bite? My engine will stall if I overdo it (no damage) an go too fast.

2.) how far below grade can this cut?

I am curious to see the review!

 

[TSO]

Boy using one of these would be tedious and annoying to say the least. The stumps they display also appear to be ideal.

I also have an "expensive" PTO stump grinder and about 42 PTO HP. Like Piston, I also have extensive experience using it, maybe 150-200 hrs... Maybe more. I'm going to guess that I've grinded somewhere around 500 stumps, but that may be low.

Like Piston says, dollar for dollar, you can't beat a good, well-designed PTO grinder on a tractor with appropriate HP.

The grinder in this thread... I agree that if you're just using it as a "homeowner" then it'll be fine. But all the back and forth movement of the machines will get really annoying, and efficiency will suffer. Some stumps require more "finesse" with the hydraulics than this design would offer.

 

[Kennyrichmond]

EA carries the Shaver SC25 at more than twice the cost of the Woodland Mills 24. There are more, easily replaceable carbide bits on the Woodland and to my eyes (viewing you tube demo's) the Woodland looks beefier and does not require auxillary hydraulics for the power beyond. Already have a two stump job lined up. I'll post photos/impressions.

Ken

 

[dickfoster]

You're going to get those stumps one way or another. I have see this one and it does look like it would work.

A couple of things I've noticed. It would appear the tractor would need position control on the 3 point. I am leary of any attachments being directly coupled to the pto shaft. If the chipper suddenly stops, and there is no shear pin or gear box, the only place for that energy to go is straight to the tractors gear box.

Hopefully someone has one and offers some input...

They do supply the PTO shaft and it also includes the necessary shear pin. I think you'd need a shear pin or some kinda of slip clutch to provide some give regardless or whether or not it had a gear box.

 

[dickfoster]

Funny.....I was looking at this stump grinder myself. It does state that it comes with a shear pin.

Woodland Mills is only 30 minutes from where I live so I may just drive over to have a look at it prior to pulling the trigger. My concern is that my property up north has lots of rocks in the ground.

At least I have that much working for me, no rocks thank goodness, just stumps and lots of em. Some like to thumb their noses at my little hoe.

 

[dickfoster]

I have one of those "expensive" models, and although I wouldn't want to use the woodland mills one in a commercial environment, it looks as thought if you babied it a bit and used it with some care, it should work just fine for what it was designed to do.

It's certainly a lot cheaper that's for sure.

Well I have no designs on stump grinding for a living, just getting rid of the stumps on my place then maybe selling the grinder on to some poor soul that is afflicted with too many stumps on his place.

 

[dickfoster]

I have tractors and I have stump grinders. Have you thought about renting a purpose built machine or hiring a stump grinder? In trying to think of the worst thing to strap onto a PTOView attachment 474322, I think a grinder is contender.

Yeah but at 250 a day and the number of stumps on my place I think buying the grinder makes more sense. Especially if I can sell it when I'm done for at least half of what I paid for it.

 

[dickfoster]

After seeing dickfoster's link, I ordered one - the second three point implement I've purchased for a JD 1025RFILB. It's got a sheer pin. I have an 18 HP PTO rating, but I'm going to try it anyway because it's just so convenient and economical to have one. For me, the requirement is low turf impact. At $100 for a twelve inch stump, the pay back is less than a month with a lot less time, wear and tear than digging them out. Had to get a set of Pat's Quick Change links. Looks like five days to delivery of the set up. Will report back how it works out. If I'm overlooking any other negatives, sure would like to hear about them.

Thanks,

Ken

You don't mess around do ya? Maybe I'll wait to hear how it works out of you. If your 18 PTO HP can do it then my 30HP should blast right through them. I think they mention 20 as a minimum but what's two measly HP among friends, just go a tad slower or take less of a bite.

 

[dickfoster]

I have a Shaver stump grinder. Watching the original posters video, I wondered two things...

1.) wouldn't there be a lot more torque on the flywheel driving forward at a rate faster than the machine could cut -- or taking to big of a bite? My engine will stall if I overdo it (no damage) an go too fast.

2.) how far below grade can this cut?

I am curious to see the review!

They say it cuts 6" below grade which is enough to make them disappear from my sight.

I think if you try too much cut it will just shear the shear pin, then you have a minor repair to do which will be enough to make you slow things down a tad.

Oddly enough the video they have seems to be made with Mahindra that's just about the same size as my machine.

 

[dickfoster]

Boy using one of these would be tedious and annoying to say the least. The stumps they display also appear to be ideal.

I also have an "expensive" PTO stump grinder and about 42 PTO HP. Like Piston, I also have extensive experience using it, maybe 150-200 hrs... Maybe more. I'm going to guess that I've grinded somewhere around 500 stumps, but that may be low.

Like Piston says, dollar for dollar, you can't beat a good, well-designed PTO grinder on a tractor with appropriate HP.

The grinder in this thread... I agree that if you're just using it as a "homeowner" then it'll be fine. But all the back and forth movement of the machines will get really annoying, and efficiency will suffer. Some stumps require more "finesse" with the hydraulics than this design would offer.

Actually the back and forth while sitting in the seat looked more appealing to me than getting off and on the tractor just to reposition and I have a shuttle drive.

My only question is why he is only cutting while driving forward. There must be a good reason but it's no biggie either way to me. Time I've got, just not enough to dig all of the things because I lose interest too fast and my sense of humor tends to vanish.

I can't think of many stumps on my place that this thing wouldn't do even the ones on the side of a standing tree could be cut down in size a bit. I've got stumps in all shapes, sizes and flavors. You want fir stumps, I got em, you want cedar, no sweat, yes we can speak oak and even a little pine and madrone too. Just made a 10" sugar maple stump in my front yard today but someone else is gonna grind that one.