MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
Sound that beeyotch!!!
How to estimate a stump job
- Thread starter woodslinger
- Start date
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emr
Cheesehead Treehouser
That must be the going rate in WI..... At least for legit companies. That's exactly what we do.
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HolmenTree
Banned
I have a minimum of $100 plus 5% GST. Every now and then I get a call for one little 6 inch diameter for example, no charge for cleanup as it's just a little raking and one scoop into the bucket. With my stumper on my dump trailer setup I can unload, grind, rake and load back up and be out of there in 15 minutes. I always work these jobs into other jobs that I'm doing in that neighborhood. I've been operating solo for over 8 years now.
I don't know about any differences in grinding softwood or hardwood stumps. I'm not in Australia where I'm told there's some hard fibre wood. But I can show you some oversize lakeshore spruce that got cores and lateral roots that are tougher than any hardwood around here. DED American elm is a tough hardwood here but if you look after your equipment and don't try to grind with dull teeth hardness is not a issue unless you're constantly grinding 4 footers or bigger. Then you need more h.p.
I don't know about any differences in grinding softwood or hardwood stumps. I'm not in Australia where I'm told there's some hard fibre wood. But I can show you some oversize lakeshore spruce that got cores and lateral roots that are tougher than any hardwood around here. DED American elm is a tough hardwood here but if you look after your equipment and don't try to grind with dull teeth hardness is not a issue unless you're constantly grinding 4 footers or bigger. Then you need more h.p.
woodslinger
TreeHouser
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #29
Can you expand a bit on the HP? are the stumps I have lined up too much for the 26hp machine?
sotc
Dormant hero!!
No, you can do it, you'll just be there longer and reposition more.
Mick!
TreeHouser
Meybees, if it's all done in the one day it's ok.
squisher
THE CALM ONE!!!!
Yah it's definetly worse if you've got to come back separately for the cheap stump.
Chris E
I'm Not Slash
It can also suck doing any stump at the end of a big day-mainly on a handle bar machine
flushcut
TreeHouser
If we are busy I'll schedule a day for stumping and line up a weeks worth of stumps to be ground.
flushcut
TreeHouser
More HP makes the stumps go away faster. I started out using a 25hp machine and moved to a 65hp machine and the difference is black and white. A 24" stump with the old machine would take around half an hour and the new machine does the same stump in under ten minutes easy. HP rules stump grinding, but is harder on teeth. The 25hp would bounce off of rocks whereas the 65hp tries to eat the rock resulting in more broken teeth.
Raj
TreeHouser
Well I feel good now, cherry, oak and ash around 28"-34" root flare takes my 10.5hp Rajnak Special about 15-20mins to grind down about 12" below grade.
treebilly
Student of the Jedi. OH-7106A
I used that 26HP toro dingo on a 60" stump. It took almost two hours to completely grind. We had to bring the mini in to scoop chips out of the way several times. The hydraulics would get pretty hot after a half hour or so of hard grinding so I would let it run at a bit over an idle as we scooped chips out. That things ok for a few small stumps but if you have the room to maneuver I'd go with more HP.
I can't comment on pricing as most of ours is tied in with the removal and I just get the final bill, not the separate pricing for each item in the job. That and We usually have another crew that handles stumping
I can't comment on pricing as most of ours is tied in with the removal and I just get the final bill, not the separate pricing for each item in the job. That and We usually have another crew that handles stumping
woodslinger
TreeHouser
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #38
I've got plenty of room to manuever, all of the stumps are in the open. From your description it sounds like I should definitely go the bigger machine. If they decide to split the job up the smaller machine might work, or rent the bigger one for round 1 and whack the big stump, then come back with smaller machine for round 2.
squisher
THE CALM ONE!!!!
That's how I always did it. so it pretty much always sucked, coming back after the fun was done. I'd have delegated out every single stump if I could've but it seems every time I tried that, they'd figure out some way to screw it up. So I basically resigned myself to the mind numbingness of doing it myself.
SouthSoundTree-
TreeHouser
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2014
- Messages
- 4,941
Splitting the job means that the price is higher overall!
flushcut
TreeHouser
Just rent the bigger machine and get them all done at once. I did 80 stumps in 12 hours size range was 12" all the way up to 90" with most of them in the 24-36" range. That day sucked but good money.
Chris E
I'm Not Slash
It's still the same amount of work isn't it
woodslinger
TreeHouser
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #43
That would be my preffered way to go, they mentioned the possibility of splitting it up to make it easier on their checkbook. Maybe I'll offer to split the bill into 2 payments. They are very good customers and always pay their bills, so I'm not worried about them screwing me later.
SouthSoundTree-
TreeHouser
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2014
- Messages
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two mobilization charges for jobs done on different, non-consecutive days. More to clean some areas twice. etc.
Chris E
I'm Not Slash
Apologies Sean, I thought I would try to be funny and mimic a typical big city customer
flushcut
TreeHouser
Bigger machine, pound out the work quick and split the bill. That's what I would do.
HolmenTree
Banned
I can see the difficulties of splitting up jobs in a big city. Main reason I can make good money with my 25 hp 252, as my city can be covered end to end in 5-10 min in 30 mph traffic. Cottage country is only 15 minutes away.
Raj
TreeHouser
Interesting to know what method of pricing you chose on this one....... just wondering.....
SouthSoundTree-
TreeHouser
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2014
- Messages
- 4,941
Missed it without a winking or laughing emoticon.
woodslinger
TreeHouser
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #50
I'm 30 minutes from this one, not counting the travel time to go get the grinder. There is a place within a mile of them (where I rented a lift for my most recent job for them) but for a weekend rental the place I use is cheaper, and in the opposite direction. So splitting the job would crank the cost up by 3-500 bucks. Just the hassle alone would drive me bananas. Plus I'm doing several other stump jobs the same weekend, so if this one covers the rental, the rest are EASY money.
I'm trying to figure out what seems reasonable right now. Just for baseline I figured at $5 per inch and came up with 1755, estimating the root swell just above ground level, and 3356 using a sliding scale for diameter with cleanup. It feels excessive to me to pocket 2-3 grand (after expenses) for 1 day of work. But I think my conscience often stands in the way of my wallet. . .
I'm trying to figure out what seems reasonable right now. Just for baseline I figured at $5 per inch and came up with 1755, estimating the root swell just above ground level, and 3356 using a sliding scale for diameter with cleanup. It feels excessive to me to pocket 2-3 grand (after expenses) for 1 day of work. But I think my conscience often stands in the way of my wallet. . .
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