No tractor breakage and 7 stumps are chips.

[TheLandofSnipers]

First time using the PTO on the tractor so I was sort of just waiting for something to break. Spotted a minor hydraulic leak, I'll deal with that later. Overall it was a successful day

 

[Thomas]

Gotta love it when plan comes together. :thumbsup:

 

[Dwellonroof]

What kind of stumps?
I have maple, oak, locust and another type I can't think of right now but mine are quite a few feet wide at the ground level as the roots go out, two are 7 to 9 feet.
I'll see if I can find a picture.

 

[Dwellonroof]

 

[TheLandofSnipers]

What kind of stumps?
I have maple, oak, locust and another type I can't think of right now but mine are quite a few feet wide at the ground level as the roots go out, two are 7 to 9 feet.
I'll see if I can find a picture.

All the ones I did were Pine, Aspen and Birch. The largest one was about 3' at the base and the roots were about 5-6'. You have to make 1/2 to 1" slices / passes, a LOT of them. It's hard to judge the height and position of the cutter from the seat of the me tractor with the cab on it. After ~6 hours I was starting to get the hang of it.

 

[k0ua]

First time using the PTO on the tractor so I was sort of just waiting for something to break. Spotted a minor hydraulic leak, I'll deal with that later. Overall it was a successful day View attachment 685857

How are you liking that woodland mills? I looked at them and kinda wished I had one.

 

[TheLandofSnipers]

How are you liking that woodland mills? I looked at them and kinda wished I had one.

Effective and simple sums it up. I've never used anything else so it's hard to judge how good it would be compared to anything else.

 

[k0ua]

Effective and simple sums it up. I've never used anything else so it's hard to judge how good it would be compared to anything else.

That was my take on it by looking at video's. Effective and simple. And well built from the looks of it.

 

[CobyRupert]

Did you rent or buy grinder?
This is “fixed” mounted right? You can raise and lower with 3 point hitch, but move it left/right and forward/back with tractor?
Probably not bad with a hydro tractor.
I think the one’s that swing left to right with hydraulic cylinder are a lot more expensive, but maybe worth it if renting.
So where was the hydraulic leak if just PTO driven?

 

[k0ua]

Did you rented or buy grinder?
This is “fixed” mounter right? You can raise and lower with 3 point hitch, but move it left/right and forward/back with tractor?
Probably not bad with a hydro tractor.
I think the one’s that swing left to right with hydraulic cylinder are a lot more expensive, but maybe worth it if renting.
So where was the hydraulic leak if just PTO driven?

Here are my thoughts: Yes, most effective with a hydro tractor, less effective with shuttle or straight gear machine. In other words, a PITA with them.
AND I think the operator is far safer with this simple machine sitting on the tractor seat than standing off to the side as some people do with the hydraulic "swingers". The fixed unit just seems simpler, and less to go wrong. The idea that it pivots if you move too fast seems like a good safety valve to me. Next to nothing to break, not even a gearbox. Sure you can break teeth, but you can do that with any of them, and it may not be as fast as some of the others, but again it is a simple machine. If I was buying one today, I believe it would be the one I would buy.

 

[oosik]

James - with the "fixed" units you can only move up/down?? You have to move the entire tractor to get left/right - forward/back?? If so - that does sound like a PITA.

 

[oldballs]

Woodland Mills WG 24 here...........have done over 30 stumps so far.......sure beats an axe, mattock, shovel, chainsaw, and sore back.

I only move forward....then reposition...If going too fast the grinder will rise up....my neck gets a little tired after awhile.....but it is a very old neck. Right now I have seven more stumps to do....

Cheers,
Mike

 

[k0ua]

James - with the "fixed" units you can only move up/down?? You have to move the entire tractor to get left/right - forward/back?? If so - that does sound like a PITA.

Maybe difficult with a gear tractor, but absolutely no problem with a hydro tractor. Watch the video.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

I happen to have a hydraulic up/down - left/right stump grinder by Land Pride. Position the tractor, engage the pto and use the hydraulics. I did two 18" pear stumps, a 24" cedar, and a 30" butternut stump this afternoon in about 3 hours. I'm sure I'll get faster as I learn. Sure is hard on the neck though. Oh... and I can stay on the tractor while doing it.

 

[TheLandofSnipers]

Did you rent or buy grinder?
This is 吐ixed mounted right? You can raise and lower with 3 point hitch, but move it left/right and forward/back with tractor?
Probably not bad with a hydro tractor.
I think the one痴 that swing left to right with hydraulic cylinder are a lot more expensive, but maybe worth it if renting.
So where was the hydraulic leak if just PTO driven?

Bought it.

Leak was from the engine area, not the grinder.

 

[TX Chris]

James - with the "fixed" units you can only move up/down?? You have to move the entire tractor to get left/right - forward/back?? If so - that does sound like a PITA.

Moving the stump grinder side-to-side between passes isn't a big deal like it may sound. When you back up to make the next pass, the slightest turn of the steering wheel will make a several inch difference in the position of the stump grinder. It's not like you're making three-point turns to reposition every time you make a pass. The movements are so minor that you don't even really think about it. It just happens naturally as you're moving back and forth over the stump.

I've removed roughly 60 stumps from my property with mine (only 8 acres but the previous owner - 41 years - never removed a stump after taking down a tree). For the average homeowner, this grinder is hard to beat for the money invested. If I were a professional doing more than hobby work, this isn't the machine for many reasons (who wants to bring a whole tractor along for the ride just to grind a stump?).

 

[k0ua]

Moving the stump grinder side-to-side between passes isn't a big deal like it may sound. When you back up to make the next pass, the slightest turn of the steering wheel will make a several inch difference in the position of the stump grinder. It's not like you're making three-point turns to reposition every time you make a pass. The movements are so minor that you don't even really think about it. It just happens naturally as you're moving back and forth over the stump.

I've removed roughly 60 stumps from my property with mine (only 8 acres but the previous owner - 41 years - never removed a stump after taking down a tree). For the average homeowner, this grinder is hard to beat for the money invested. If I were a professional doing more than hobby work, this isn't the machine for many reasons (who wants to bring a whole tractor along for the ride just to grind a stump?).

Those that have never driven a hydro tractor for a length of time and become "one" with the tractor don't understand that movement in a hydro tractor is practically an unconscious thought process. And the tiny body movements to move the tractor to grind the stumps would surely fall into that arena.

I think there are faster and more complex grinders out there, but for a homeowner wanting a simple rugged low cost grinder, AND if he has a hydro tractor already, this looks like a good one to me. Without a hydro tractor to make the movements this grinder would be a big PITA. I saw where one owner in the comment section that did not have a hydro tractor, used the bucket edge turned down into the ground to move the tractor thru the stump by using the dump action to move the tractor incrementally. I reckon this to be possible, but still not nearly as efficient as a hydro tractor transmission.

Another user that used the Woodland Mills on two different JD tractors mentioned that the less complex hydro on one of the tractors was better for this purpose than the E-hydro tractor because he could feel the pressure in the pedal better when he was "crowding" the hydro by moving too fast thru the cut. I fully understood what he was saying as the Electric over hydraulic E-hydro would insulate him from this backpressure on the pedal.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Those that have never driven a hydro tractor for a length of time and become "one" with the tractor don't understand that movement in a hydro tractor is practically an unconscious thought process. And the tiny body movements to move the tractor to grind the stumps would surely fall into that arena.

I got a kick out of reading that... lol Do you think those of us that have a gear drive tractor never become "one" with that style of transmission?? lol lol

I have my Woodland Mills stump grinder on a "gear drive" tractor (with creep) and it's no big deal at all, I ground 32 stumps one day, and it went as smoothly as when I'm on a whiner tranny tractor. It's really all about getting use to, what you own...

My gear drive tractor makes less heat, uses less fuel and has more PTO power to the grinder, stump grinders suck up PTO power like crazy and more PTO power = deeper cuts.

SR

 

[Steppenwolfe]

I got a kick out of reading that... lol Do you think those of us that have a gear drive tractor never become "one" with that style of transmission?? lol lol

I have my Woodland Mills stump grinder on a "gear drive" tractor (with creep) and it's no big deal at all, I ground 32 stumps one day, and it went as smoothly as when I'm on a whiner tranny tractor. It's really all about getting use to, what you own...

My gear drive tractor makes less heat, uses less fuel and has more PTO power to the grinder, stump grinders suck up PTO power like crazy and more PTO power = deeper cuts.

SR

:thumbsup: GEARED TRACTOR'S RULE !!!

 

[Sawyer Rob]

:thumbsup: GEARED TRACTOR'S RULE !!!

I don't think Obi Wan Kenobi is going to buy that! HA HA HA

SR