Stump grinding tips/ tricks/ tools.

SouthSoundTree-

TreeHouser
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Sep 24, 2014
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After three or so years, I've decided that I should fix my grinder, and have had the time. Yes, I dislike grinding, but recognize I can do it alone, with minimal body wear and tear, along with low risk.

I have a 25 HP Rayco super jr from back in the day. A small back yard machine.



What have you found to be profitable approaches to sales, tricks of the trade, homemade shielding, etc.

Discuss.
 
My first little grinder should be here in a couple weeks, 35hp Terex. Should be interesting.

I had a folding plywood shield that worked well, although I am thinking I may push cleanup and get the Stein shield and a power broom.

Pricing by the inch is a losing proposition, usually due to the radius being squared for area and volume. On small grinders, bidded jobs will yield far more profit than the hourly rate (maybe worth $100/hr here).

Green Teeth are the way to go, IMO. 500 series most likely on your sized machine.
 
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I tried green teeth years ago when I first got the machine. A hair too narrow to accept the ones I tried. I have Vermeer yellow jackets, double sided, easy to change.

I have a shield of hinged plywood. Too heavy, to hard to set up on a slope or with wind. I like the idea behind the Stein shield. Thought I could make my own with some help, contracting out the sewing.

On a big stump, I've heard some people grind all the around, and cut off more than they can initially.

I've heard of working with the grain from all directions (to a degree), rather than from one side.



Sharpening carbide teeth, what kind of respirator and tools?

14,000 years ago, we were nothing but ice on bedrock. Rocky glacial outwash soils here. Wish it were not true. I think that if I sharpened my own teeth, I could dig around the stump less, and make more money in my field time, and get more life out of teeth.
 
Get thinner plywood. 3/8 is plenty thick. You can put some pvc on it vertically for soft ground, hammer a stake through it for hold or wind.
 
I think I used 10/32. I could make the Steins, but I don't know that it's worth it. You already have a small grinder, might as well step up the protection game.

I have seen someone grind around the stump then cut it off. I plan on using the Avant to push the chips out of the way.
 
I'm in a hurry Sean but I ran that machine for years, I'll put some thoughts down later. Initially I'd say remember that it's working best when you're using the teeth from 3 o'clock to 6 o'clock on the wheel if you see what I mean.
Also most stumps are best approached not from the side or the top but at a diagonal angle, I find the chip comes away better due to the way the rings grow, it sort of breaks it off better.
 
Stumper shield shown here has saved me more time in cleanup than I care to think of. It's just mesh tarps zip tied to some plastic stakes. It's stopped rocks and broken teeth. Easy to make and cheap. Too.

As stated before I hate stumping so I'll be watching this thread with great interest. uploadfromtaptalk1429070078050.jpg
 
I think that setup would take too long to setup for multiple stumps. Do you have to drive the stakes in the ground? If the wind blew that tarp over you'd have a big mess wrapped around your cutter wheel.
4 sided 3/8 plywood on 3 piano hinges works great and quick to fold up, move, setup and store.

SDC10676.JPG
 
I rarely have guards in front of the cutter, my mess gets thrown back wards...
 
grinder shield.jpg

We "acquire" these screens commonly used by Telco technicians. The pic is actually of two units opposite each other-the corners are hinged so any angled config is possible, line with shade cloth (mesh tarp?) and its a light and effective debris screen, pretty cheap too.
If I'm running a low hp machine and doing a large stump I will grind the stump in 2 runs. The first run to take it to just below ground level and the second run goes under ground and through the root plate, I do this to be able to grind as much of the meat of the stump before dulling the teeth in the ground.
 
Running 700 Greenteeth on my grinder really throws the chips out everywhere except to the rear.
The rubber curtain on my 12 yr old 252 is still in perfect shape and contains all the chips from going back.
 
I made my own grinding screen. I'll snap a few pics today because it's "Stump Day".
Blower, rakes, shovel, cutter mattox, spare teeth, spare pockets, bolts, long pry bar, ax, sledge, and gas if its gonna be a long day are some of the things I have on the truck. Flags, flagging tape, spray paint, and hand tools.
Sharp teeth are an absolute must with low hp machines.
 
Yes, either a green wheel or a diamond wheel. A respirator is a must.


I don't sharpen chains, much less stump grinder teeth, not much help on the topic. I do know you grind the face of the green tooth while rotating it to give it the concave shape. The more harsh your ground is with regards to rock, the less concave you want it be.

Green teeth dud just come out with their WearSharp teeth, which I haven't tried yet (nor understand), but allegedly they sharpen themselves.
 
Right now I just put the used chains in the bucket. Scott sharpens the chain on the saw when he runs out of something to do.
 
Image.jpg I call it a demo bar great for busting up embedded rocks or concrete.
Image 1.jpg It's made out of 1" black pipe and each panel is 41"X44" weighs about 40lbs, at a guess.
Image 2.jpg A close up of the corner. The screen is just shade tarp folded over the whole thing and secured with zip ties.
 
I use a aluminium poles from a lacrosse net, drive some re-bar , drop poles on, then spring clamp a tarp to the poles.. very flexible and easy to set up, store, transport..
On a job in the city, we actually left the lacrosse net up and used it to cover the stump on 3 sides, then put tarps over the net... worked well on stumps small enough to fit inside the net.
 
That sounds like a good idea, Murph. What do you mean "spring clamp"

Lax net? You have laxers in the family?
 
Nothing terribly earth shaking here, but I did grinder my first stump with a mini grinder today. It was a heck of a lot better than I thought it would be with a 35hp gas engine! [Shameless plug] Another amazing thing is this grinder only cost $17.5k delivered![/shameless plug]. I am going to get more experience with the grinder and start looking at the numbers with regards to ROI and profitability of a grinder this size. This is the smallest grinder I've ever had by a wide margin. We've put 4k hours in between the Rayco RG50, RG85, and Carlton 7015TRX in our time doing stumps. That grinder cost $10k less than our RG50 did 17 years ago; it's about 1/4 of what a 74hp Carlton 7015TRX costs. It certainly isn't a great fit for a stump company, but I'm trying to pencil out its practicality for tree companies. I am also pondering the idea of it and a groundy doing the sub 30" stumps without my involvement.


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