stump grinder

[stray]

Has any one consider putting a trincher blade on the stump grinder. Will it fit? Is the stump grinder motor the same as the trincher motor? How much does a trinch blade cost? I am sure going to try reversing my stump grinder. Thanks 14 for the info.

 

[FOURTEEN]

The OEM blade reversed on the Stump Grinder does a fine job as a narrow (2" wide by 6" deep) trencher!! I have used it to dig about 300' of trenches along the edges of my driveways. Then I fill them with crushed stone to keep the grass and roots out, and preserve the borders. It moves forward at a slow walking pace spitting out dirt, roots, and rocks (up to grapefruit size) with ease!! It is much easier to stay on line going forward.

Before starting larger, deeper trenches to be dug with my MiniHoe, I cut the proposed sides of the future trench with the Stump Grinder so that the MiniHoe doesn't pull up large irregular chunks of soil, sod, or long roots.

The cutter teeth on my Stump Grinder blade so far show NO signs of wear!!

 

[pajoube]

Great idea Fourteen, thanks.
PJ

 

[blackwell]

The stump cutter will also cot pavement!
EB

 

[FOURTEEN]

"" The stump cutter will also cot pavement! ""


Thankfully my 'pavement' is just crushed stone, and it zips through that!!

Since asphalt is crushed stone and tar, that should cut well. The Stump Grinder teeth are carbide. Carbide tips are used to drill concrete. Therefore, it would seem that the Stump Grinder would cut the relatively soft concrete typically used for driveways.

I bought the Stump Grinder to grind stumps, but so far, after reversing the blade, I have used it 80% of the time for trenching!!!!

PS: Since this picture was taken, I have added a larger guard to the top of the Stump Grinder to better control the debris thrown forward by the blade.

 

[stray]

I reversed my stump grinder today and used it. I too can see no reason why anyone would not reverse it. It made all the difference in the world. All the chips and dirt just went the other way, allowing me to see what I was doing. The holes were countersunk on the Powertrac side. But I didn’t bother to do that when I reversed the wheel.

 

[FOURTEEN]

I doubt that you will ever regret it!! Note how clean the front of my PT-425 is after grinding away half of this stump!!

Before each use, just check that everything is as it should be! Of course, you should be doing that with the PT, and all its other various attachments, anyway!!

The biggest pain is things wrapping around the cutter blade hub!! I was using surveyor's tape on the ground to mark where my trench should be. I allowed the cutter blade to get a little too close to the tape. (Operator Error!! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif) You would be amazed at how fast 100' of tape can go from horizontal to spiral!!!!

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[stray]

LOL I guess that was a lesson learned. I sure have learned some or those the hard way. Unlike the stacker i use at work the left peddle on the power trac is not a brake. lol

 

[FOURTEEN]

Well it is, and it isn't! Stomping on it when going forward will definitely stop you, but it will also send you backward!!

Once you get the feel for it, made easier with treadle cords

, you won't want to mess with brakes again!!

Like riding a motorcycle instead of driving a car, it's the same thing, only different!!!

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[blackwell]

PT sells a spring kit to increase treadle resistance.
EB

 

[FOURTEEN]

Great!! The cords have worked perfectly for me for 125 hours. I'll bet their kit is more expensive!!

I informed PT of my concern about the floppy treadle on the all hydraulic PT-425 on 2/25/4.

" 9) The Treadle Pedals are too floppy and are difficult to control safely particularly on rough surfaces! (I have installed strong Neutral Position Return Springs with zero preload.) "

Last week I unlooped the cords as an experiment. The experiment lasted about 4 minutes! They were quickly reinstalled! Still using the original cords, which show little wear, and no failures!!

Do their springs install at the center, or at the ends?? Compression or extension?? Zero preload??

I highly recommend this modification, their way or mine, particularly to new owners!

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[toolz_not_toyz]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( PT sells a spring kit to increase treadle resistance.
)</font>

Wonder if the latest batch of PTs come with these pre-installed.... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Dakar]

I think I may have gotten the first PT out the door with the springs. While testing their demo model, I commented that the treadles sure were touchy, and Scott told me about the springs. They put them on at no charge (which is reasonable considering they are probably a 50 cent item and take 30 seconds to install.) They told me that I probably would end up taking them back off as I got used to it, but I think they make it much more easy to operate. I got the strong impression that they feel real men don't use springs, but hey whatever makes life easier is my motto.

The springs are mounted above the treadle assembly just inboard of the removable black panels that make up the sides of the 'transmission tunnel', about six and a half inches from the outer edges of the foot pedal portions of the treadles. So when you press down on one side of the treadle, you are compressing the opposite spring. When the treadle is in the neutral position, there is no load on either spring.

They seem to work very well, although I doubt they provide as much resistance as Fourteen's solution. I have used the 425 for as much as 3 and a half hours without experiencing any fatigue to my calves and ankles. Hope this helps.

David

 

[FOURTEEN]

Thanks for the report!!

Like many things in life medium is best. If there is too little resistance, the weight of your foot must be held up off the pedal or constantly balanced with pressure on the other pedal! If there is too much resistance, your foot gets tired from constantly pressing down hard on the pedal! My Wal-Mart cords are a little too strong. When operating for a long time at constant speed and direction, my foot gets a little tired from pressing down. For bucket work, MiniHoe, Stump Grinder, Forks, and Brush Cutter, particularly on rough ground, they are just right!

I could search for slightly lighter cords, or make the attachment points closer to the tunnel, but since I don't mow grass or travel long distances, I'll leave well enough alone for now!!


Real men think about what works best for them, not about what 'Real Men' may think of them for not thinking like them!!!!

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