Vermeer mini skidsteer

[MatthewMMeckley]

Soo with this season starting in a whirlwind we have found ourselves in the market for one of these or a vermeer stump grinder. In my mind I feel that the mini loader will be more of an asset than just a stumpgrinder. Do any of you use the stumpgrinder attachment and how does it compare to just having a stumpgrinder? I like that you have multiple uses out of the mini loader with logs, pulling branches, municipal contracts and etc. i would like some sound advice as i take all of your advice seriously. Sorry if its a broken record and there is already a forum about this. Thanks tree fam!!

 

[flushcut]

How big are your average stumps? Mine are 30-36" with my largest at 23', a willow with extensive surface roots, and have a Vermeer 652 stumper and a s800tx mini. I have thought about going the attachment route but horse power is key to making stumping profitable.

 

[Fiddler]

I run a 38 special with a revolution wheel from New River Equipment on a Vermeer 650tx mini. I like the combination a lot for what I do, and have been very happy with the durability of the wheel and teeth...but that's for me. With 300 hrs on the machine the only thing I've done aside form regular maint. is get rid of the servos and go manual on the throttle and choke.

I've read concerns about seeing what your doing with an attachment...there is about 6-8" in the center that I can't see the stump...doesn't bother...I can lift and replace the grinder quickly if I need to look (which is rarely). Also have had no problems with the belt...hasn't even needed adjusting yet with well over 1000 stumps done so far.

I had a 25hp self propelled Vermeer stumper before, my current set-up is a huge improvement. switching attachments is a breeze, and having the BMG on the mini is probably the biggest labor saver and production boost I've had experience with.

Horse power is nice but myself I lean toward being non-invasive and maneuverability with what I run into on my jobs.

It really depends on what the majority of your jobs are like as to what will work best for you.

 

[flushcut]

I wanna hear more about that wheel! I have been thinking about going that route.

 

[Fiddler]

24 teeth. I find them fairly easy to change and have no air tools. The 8 lead teeth are usually all that wear much. I think it cuts much smoother then the wheel on my Vermeer 625 did.

In the last 1010 stumps I've done I've managed to hit three stones, broke one tooth (loosening nut), cross-threaded one nut onto tooth, and lost one tooth (not tight maybe?.

I have the original (discontinued I think) wheel. Here is a link to the new model...

http://newriverequipment.com/pages/the-revolution

 

[lumberjack]

I am of the opinion that I prefer Green Teeth over the Revolution/Sandvik setup. Faster cutting it seems, although the Sandvik teeth last ages, they just don't cut as fast it seems.

I sell Boxer mini skids and Avant compact wheel loaders (as well as Gehl wheel loaders) as well as do copious amounts of tree work. My personal opinion is that unless you need to fit through a 3' gate, the Avant is the way to go with regards to a mini loader. The travel speed is roughly double a mini's, the lift height is ~30" higher, depending on what you're comparing. The highest lifting mini (coming next month) is the Boxer 900HD at 94". The smallest Avant has 108" of lift height.

For mini skids, the Boxer 525DX has 9" wide tracks, but can still fit through a 36" gate. Flip a lever and the tracks are out and it's 43.5" wide for hillside stability.


I used to sell the Stumper Industries grinding attachment, but they decided to change the way they were structured and dropped their dealers. I also sell the 38 Special self powered grinder attachment that Fiddler mentioned above. With Stumper out of my picture, the 38 Special is an excellent contender.


I have quite a few videos on my YouTube channels. Feel free to give me a call or text any time. 662-251-8686


www.youtube.com/RutherfordConLLC
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