Stump Cutter Reversal

Spiffy · Sep 20, 2005

I've read several posts on this but my problem may be different.

I have a stumping job this weekend, and I'm already tired of eating chips. Time to reverse! I took my cutting wheel off only to realize it has a tapered shaft. While I was very happy to see the quality construction, I can't reverse that! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Now what? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

BTW...I do have some good advice (I don't have a 2ft gear puller): the wheel drills and taps like butter. I put a couple 3/8fine taps at 2inchs each from center. Matching holes in a bar. Snug a couple bolts down pretty good, then give it a good whack from the back with a rubber hammer; comes right off. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

J_J · Sep 21, 2005

Are you placing the stump grinder on the stump and grinding from the forward part of the stump. There seem to be different approaches to stump grinding. Start cutting at the stump close to you. start cutting at the stump farthest from you. Blade direction, some cut with the blade cutting from the top down, and others cut from the bottom up, other wise, teeth are cutting up in stead of down. I called PT, and they said to place the stump cutter on the top of the stump and lower the cutting teeth to the stump and cut with the teeth cutting from the bottom to top. Several have reversed the blade on their stump grinder, and say that it works much better. I can not reverse mine, no bolts. and tapered shaft.

Spiffy · Sep 21, 2005

Many thanks for your quick reply J.J!

May be in J.J.s response, but it's a little early for me: for those who can't reverse (I will find a way someday (likely make a new blade....one for stumps and one for trenches then); which technique is the best for either cutting or operator comfort?

Thanks! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Spiffy · Sep 21, 2005

One more thought; if I cut a plus sign into say 18 inch [deciduous; don't think any pine] stumps will they be weak enough for 4 quick tugs from the BH?

MossRoad · Sep 21, 2005

Hmmm. Can your BH break a 9" wood beam? If so, maybe it will work. Just be careful the hydraulics don't bend the machine before the wood breaks.

As for stumps in our yard, I like to cut an X or two into them with a chainsaw, then let them sit for a few months. Then a couple more X's, etc... after a year or so, the stump is usually rotting on its own and easier to pop out with the forks.

If I had many tens of stumps to remove and a stump grinder, I'd probably do the X thing in them with a stump grinder and hit each one a little more every few weeks over a year or so rather than spending lots of time on each individual stump. Unless, of course, you want them gone NOW! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Spiffy · Sep 21, 2005

Good points MR! The little playing I've done, I don't think the BH will find weak spots on itself or the tractor, by why push the limits.

I took out a 6" stump with the hoe, but quartering an 18 may be too much. Now if I go # instead of +, just maybe.

Now if I could reverse it, perhaps I wouldn't be asking these crazy questions, but alternate solutions make for good discussions anyway! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

toy · Sep 21, 2005

I am addressing your comments on not being able to reverse the direction of the stump cutter because of the way the shaft that the blade connects too is tapered or the bolt holes that are in the blade that they are tapered I beleive what you said about getting a blade that has the tappers or the other side of the blade would work. I know others have reversed theirs and it has worked for them but as I understand your situation your stump cutter is not like theirs. I don't have a stump cutter but it is a fact that if you turn a motor end for end with the shaft pointing in the opposit direction that will get the bottom of the blade running away from you instead of toward you. Now how hard it would be to do this I don't know but I would assume that you would have to rework how the motor mounts are on the quick attach. The folks at Tazwell welded the mounting up the way they did and I beleive a weldor can weld up a mounting bracket in reverse order to the way it came. That is an alternate way of doing it and I don't know how hard it would be to do this, it may be too ambitious a job to under take. What you said about the ease that the blade was to drill it might be easier to rework the blade to fit your application . I am aware that some have reversed theirs and they have worked well for them but you expressed concern about that for your particular situation. I hope that this don't come across too curt but I expressed this before and it was not received very well.

Spiffy · Sep 21, 2005

No offense taken here, but it was nice seeing your heads up about the curt tone anyway, as words on a screen will never mimic face to face exchanges.

I didn't see your earlier postings but do agree reversing the motor would work. The problem here is that the weldment is shaped about like a channel iron; the motor fits inside, and the blade runs about inch from the flat side.

Maybe I could get some place to cut the hub out and reverse it; I certainly don't trust my hand on that one.

So, as you're saying: easy enough to fab up an entirely new one with a mirror image. But the extra time and expense just aren't quite available right now. Maybe someday.....

Oh, I got an email from the previous owner reminding to disconect the BH hoses when using front attachments. Sure adds some power! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Of course now those chips really hurt! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

cqaigy · Sep 21, 2005

I've done something similar in adding to the surface area on the top of the stump, then a nitrogen source like ammonium nitrate layered on top. In this climate, the stump stays moist until mid late summer and it rots pretty quickly.

Marks481 · Sep 23, 2005

</font><font color="blueclass=small">( I hope that this don't come across too curt but I expressed this before and it was not received very well. )</font>

I remember the previous discussion, where you recommended reversing the motor mount, and everyone piled on to say it wasn't required.

I guess this proves that you are a forward thinker, since it appears that the design of the stump cutter has changed, and the easy fix everyone else tried is no longer applicable. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Spiffy · Sep 23, 2005

Actually, I'm not so sure the difference is by year, but probably cutter size. Maybe they changed all of them though....not sure.

Spiffy · Sep 23, 2005

MR, you're right! I tried one of my larger stumps with the hoe (after quartering) and it doesn't touch it. But had to try it anyway! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

A side note: as much I like the articulation and osillation, it doesn't give the full weight of the machine to the hoe. Still the weights and powers seem to average out pretty nice, such that nothing will break. The only problem is for something built good and heavy like that, it's way to easy to over estimate it's capacity (both literal and time).

Afraid for my job Saturday, I'll be chipping all the way and "eating" every one of them. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

J_J · Sep 23, 2005

Is your cutting teeth rotating towards you or away from you?
Read my post about how PT says to use the stump cutter.

J_J · Sep 23, 2005

When I use my stump cutter, and I do not get blasted with chips and dirt.

Spiffy · Sep 23, 2005

The bottom of the wheel turns toward the machine.

J_J, I did read your earlier post but may not be understanding correctly. I read "put the blade right on top of the stump and cut down".

I tried that, then of course adding back and forth motion when I got a few inches down. Still throws chips at me (right from the start and maybe even more when I add the back and forth). It seems to work pretty good when I start from the far side and work backward, but still throws chips at me. When I disconected the BH it sure helped the power, but now the chips really hurt.

Part of the problem may be that I'm cutting stumps 3 to 5 years old; probably peak hardness on untreated deciduous stumps.

Tomorrow I get 3 week old stumps, I'll report back. Certainly take any other advice before then though.

Another one of my side notes, how fast does your machine travel J_J? I think mine is much faster than the new ones (I'm thinking about putting in a "stop", that I can swivel out for transport speeds, and I'll have the best of both worlds).

Spiffy · Sep 23, 2005

Another puzzling thing, unless I feather the joystick or over travel into the stump in the first place, my front end seems to get a little (maybe an inch or so) relief before holding position. Enough that barring the afore mentioned actions on my part it just sit on top on burns instead of digging.

Also, I should take pictures, but my carbides while not absolutely sharp, don't look too rounded. Any rule of thumb for allowable radius on these (I'm seeing probably less than 1/64th)?

toy · Sep 23, 2005

I read your post about the technec you use for cutting stumps out sounds like that you use the stump as a deflector as you are grinding it that seems like a practicle way to do it. Another thing a person might do is tilt the stump cutter up as far as it will go and put the stump cutter as closs to the ground as possible and then feed into it letting the leeding edge of the blade cut into the stump instead of the bottom of the blade. I like reading your posts you offer a lot of good ideas.

J_J · Sep 23, 2005

Try this, place the quick-attach bottom on the stump. Tilt the blade down on the far side of the stump , so the stump is between you and the cutting blade. Back up slowly and swivel left and right. I might add, my stump grinder also has a rubber flap on the bottom about 8 x 20 in. Don't know if this is factory or not.

Spiffy · Sep 23, 2005

Thanks J_J!! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

No, I don't have the flap; not sure if it's factory or not.

But, I'll try the technique you're describing. Sounds like I was on the right track starting on the far side. Without the flap though, I'm thinking I might need to aquire a taste for wood tomorrow. Slightly longer term, it may be easier to add a flap than reverse the blade. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

I am still tempted to reverse the blade someday though - if for no other reason than just to be a non-conformist [not sure it that applies though when all the 42X guys are already doing it]. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif