Stump Grinders

[Arborkeith]

Holmentree, have you run a machine besides your 252 that was belt driven? I've replaced jack shaft bearings on my machines at every 800 hours. Around 500$ for the bearings, 3 1/2 hours to change. I change the main drive belt once a year at 85$ a pop. Never had an adjustment issue. The reason I ask if yours was a rental is that if the alignment gets off in a belt drive system, it spells trouble. It'll throw off the belt, prematurely stretch the belt and cost a lot of money, sometimes rental yard "mechanics" don't know how to put them back together so that you can avoid these problems. And my Carlton 7015 Trx was bought in October of 2005, has a little over 1600 hours on it. So I consider it a cheap easy system. It works for me. My Carlton 7500 is a 2002 model that I bought from a friend. It has just under 900 hours on it and has had one set of jack shaft bearings on at 800 hours, and a belt every two years(it's a wider heavier duty belt). Overall I'm very satisfied .

 

[lumberjack]

Carl, did you buy a new mini excavator??

Used, 2010 Kubota KX121-3 with a 6 way blade.

 

[HolmenTree]

Sounds like you've had some odd issues with your machine.

Holmentree, have you run a machine besides your 252 that was belt driven?

My 1st and only grinder .I bought my Vermeer 252 new in 2002, got over 2000hrs on it now. Other then the cutter drive setup the machine otherwise has given me very little trouble and my dealer support from Vermeer is amazing.
For my one man operation I need a machine that is self propelled that I can load and unload off my trailer unit and travel through a 36" gate. I myself only operate this machine and after 10 yrs of practice I'm pretty quick and efficient running it, but having said that I have the auto sweep disabled and running the very aggressive 700 Greenteeth reds. With this done I have this machine fine tuned [besides replacing the 25hp with a 38hp] the best I can for production..........which puts alot of stress on the cutter drive. The extra production I'm getting far outweighs the extra cost and maintenence I'm spending on this little machine.

For my upgrade the Bandit 2550 with 4x4, Kubota 44 hp diesel, blade and only 35" wide for a little over $30K is attractive to me. And yes no belts, shafts and bearings to grease and maintain is one of the biggest features too.

 

[flushcut]

I have to say I agree with ya HT that Bandit is very attractive.

 

[lumberjack]

I haven't greased the cutter wheel bearings on my RG85 in something like 700 hours. Before we were doing good to get 400 hours out of a set greasing them twice a day.

Those jack shaft bearings should last the life of the machine I would think, unless they're under spec'ed by Vermeer.

Where are you going to put your 340? :p

 

[Arborkeith]

Haven't greased your bearings in 700 hours? Seriously?

 

[HolmenTree]

Those jack shaft bearings should last the life of the machine I would think, unless they're under spec'ed by Vermeer.

Where are you going to put your 340? :p

Vermeer upgrade to a stepped down jackshaft about 5 yrs ago and that's what I got when I changed mine, then it broke almost right away. This design was faulty so Vermeer went back to the old straight shaft. The jackshaft bearings last me 3-4 yrs but the cutter wheel pilow block bearings I change every year, alot of stress on them with disabled auto sweep and red Greenteeth.

The 340 will need a trailer of its own, I'm thinking a 3-4 ft high solid side 16-18 ft dump trailer . Good setup for those jobs where you don't want to bother chipping and haul the whole tree away to the nearest landfill or local sawmill.

 

[Arborkeith]

the big one . I love Carlton

 

[Oldmilltreecare]

Holmentree, that has to be the best and most universal set up I have ever ever seen! You've got it ALL covered there. Inspirational.

 

[HolmenTree]

Holmentree, that has to be the best and most universal set up I have ever ever seen! You've got it ALL covered there. Inspirational.

Thanks Oldmill,
Years ago before I built this trailer unit I got some inspiration when I was in Austria as I was watching a bricklayer repairing a cobblestone street all by himself.
He was carrying his tools and then the bricks with this little 4 wheel drive power wheel barrow. I was quite amazed because he had well over a thousand pounds of bricks on this little machine, I went up to the machine to find some kind of company name information thinking it was probably a German made machine.
From reading a English only label it said "Muck Truck made in England."

After coming home my plans started from there. Keep things small, simple and efficient......especially in todays economic times.

 

[Tucker943]

What a well thought out, ultra efficient, highly mobile set up. That set up is the work of a man with a clear direction as to how he wants his business to operate.

 

[HolmenTree]

What a well thought out, ultra efficient, highly mobile set up. That set up is the work of a man with a clear direction as to how he wants his business to operate.

Thanks Chris. Yeah I hope to keep this setup together for another 10-15 yrs. Up to a few months ago I had a business direction to buy a Gehl loader from Carl, kind of speed up things with my jobs. But now have since accepted a instructor positon with an arborist training company on a casual basis, so I'll just stay with what I got.

In January while at a instructor training seminar with the other instructors in PV Mexico I met a great bunch of arborists from all over North America. Chris you may know one of them .....Tony Tresselt from Philedelphia, PA, he's Tony over at the Buzz. Super smart good dude. Also James Luce from Bellingham, Wash.

Easy to make a life's redirection..................when meeting quality people like this.

 

[Tucker943]

I don't know Tony. I don't know many of the inner city tree crowd. More so the fellas on the western suburbs.

 

[Burnham]

Good for you, Willard. That's a super move, and smart...as we get along in years, it's way better to use your experience and brain to make a living instead of working your body like you were able to when young. My take on it, anyway.

 

[HolmenTree]

Good for you, Willard. That's a super move, and smart...as we get along in years, it's way better to use your experience and brain to make a living instead of working your body like you were able to when young. My take on it, anyway.

Well said Burnham, I was thinking along the same lines. Thankyou!

 

[Oldmilltreecare]

Good for you, Willard. That's a super move, and smart...as we get along in years, it's way better to use your experience and brain to make a living instead of working your body like you were able to when young. My take on it, anyway.

That's right. As Ted (Easy Lift Harness fame) is always saying, "Work smarter, not harder!".
It's so much better.