Why a stump grinder is worth it it

[5030]

No. You get a tractor with hydrostatic transmission and no clutch slipping. Start on the right side of the stump, back up past it, lower the cutter so you are taking a VERY small cut and slowly ease forward. Rinse and repeat, lowering the cutter slightly and moving to the left slightly with each pass.

If it starts to bog down and the slip clutch on the unit kicks in, then you immediately back up a little. Again, hydro helps.

Don't even have clutches in my M9's, so no clutch to slip and wear out anyway. Hydraulic shuttle with a wet pack and creeper gears. Over 5000 hours on them and never adjusted the wet pack, ever.

 

[mikester]

The video of the Woodland Mills grinder is worth watching. That is a very appealing chipper. But in order to move, you have to drive the tractor very slowly so you need a real slow tractor and slipping the clutch to work it. Is that how it's done?

It looks well made but no mention if assembled in Canada or elsewhere.n It certainly looks ruggednand a good choice for a chipper.

Made in China. Chassis seems heavily build with thicker plate steel. Comes with a slip clutch PTO shaft. I picked it up directly from WM and they seem to have a lot of stock and a nice showroom. Good customer service, I'd buy from them again.

My tractor is HST. I just leave it in 1st gear LOW. After a pass I can back up, lower an inch or two, then go forward again. To move across the stump I just turn the steering wheel a bit and make a pass. Not much side to side movement required on the smaller stumps.

I was looking at a smaller 24 inch "used" Baumalite unit with side to side swing but the WM unit was cheaper and on sale. The side swing looks like it would be better for taller and wider stumps. I also like the bigger 28" diameter and heavier wheel.

 

[sixdogs]

I run mine (articulating swing grinder) with one of my M9000's but in creep gear only. A stump grinder on any tractor would work better with a hydrostat however, but the creep gears are a good substitute.

The China clone to the Landpride unit I purchased years ago is an exact copy. I suspect today the price differential is moot. My issue with most of them is they don't use the industry standard carbide teeth so you are stuck buying their teeth whereas mine mounts the industry standard teeth and they are indexable to 3 different positions before replacement and the outfit that produces the industry standard carbide teeth is 20 miles from here (Green Manufacturing) so I can drive over there and buy them direct. Greenteeth are the industry standard for stump grinders.

It sounds like you're saying my Land Pride 1525 grinder uses proprietary carbide teeth?

How long do the carbide teeth last and how much to replace?

 

[Smokeydog]

Like hearing about your successful experiences. Was looking a Miller 3pt grinders years ago and sometimes wish I pulled the trigger. Backhoe, ripper and time is what helps me. Do have some monster trees, 5’ white oak, 4’ mulberry around the old homestead. The lateral roots are as problematic as the stumps.

Do have a lot of head size or smaller red heavy quartz type rocks thats hell on rotary cutter blades. Trees seem to push them up at the base. Limestone is no where near as destructive. So the type of teeth and maintenance reviews are appreciated.

 

[5030]

It sounds like you're saying my Land Pride 1525 grinder uses proprietary carbide teeth?

How long do the carbide teeth last and how much to replace?

Sure it does and your teeth are indexable to 3 positions. Tooth life entirely depends on what you 'chew' up in the stumps and how many stones you encounter. If you are careful and don't 'grind' rocks and no metal in the stumps you grind. they should hast a pretty long time. I've run at least 30 stumps with mine and I just rotated the teeth to the second position. Like I said, Green Manufacturing has them in stock all the time and they even have the wheels the teeth mount to. I believe it's www.greenmanufacturing.com though I could be wrong.

 

[sixdogs]

Sure it does and your teeth are indexable to 3 positions. Tooth life entirely depends on what you 'chew' up in the stumps and how many stones you encounter. If you are careful and don't 'grind' rocks and no metal in the stumps you grind. they should hast a pretty long time. I've run at least 30 stumps with mine and I just rotated the teeth to the second position. Like I said, Green Manufacturing has them in stock all the time and they even have the wheels the teeth mount to. I believe it's www.greenmanufacturing.com though I could be wrong.

I'm almost all softwoods and we have so few rocks I can sell the ones I pull out of fields. I haven't hit a rock yet with the stump grinder.

 

[5030]

I'm almost all softwoods and we have so few rocks I can sell the ones I pull out of fields. I haven't hit a rock yet with the stump grinder.

I goofed. Goggle up 'Greenteeth'. That will take you to their website and they are nice folks as I deal with them in person. Was just on there and I see they don't make replacement teeth for the Woodmax grinders at all. Just Landpride, Erskine and all the commercial stump grinders. Just so happens my Chinese stumper takes the same teeth as your Landpride takes, right down to the tooth pockets. Woodmax and the others are out of luck. They sell the big wheels as well.

 

[ultrarunner]

My so far only oops moment was with a rented grinder…

All went well until loading up I noticed the side window of my truck shattered…

Stone tossed about 60 feet…

 

[5030]

I've never rented one but I have a buddy who did, a tracked machine. The rental outfit told him it was 'good to go'. It wasn't. The cutters were extremely dull and he had to fight with every stump and they were all softwood. Told me it beat the heck out of him plus it was 500 bucks for the day...

Mine has a full steel guard on both sides plus a large rubber shield on the back that hinges up. Necessary to have so you don't fling stuff. I tried grinding a stump with the back rubber flap up (secured it with a tarp strap) and it flung chips about 30 feet. One time was enough. Had chips everywhere, not good.

 

[5030]

For the quantity of stumps I have to and will grind, owning one is the only way to go. I have a huge willow stump coming up soon. Has to be 5 foot across so it will take 2 complete grinds as the one I own won't swing that wide. I get some side work up town grinding stumps once in a while.