Had to grind a big'un today.

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Topbuilder

Mouth breathers need not apply.
Joined
Sep 23, 2012
Messages
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Location
Lone Stare State, USA
Sweetgum 071914 6x8.JPG In three years this one is in the top 5 largest I have had to grind. I know this is average to our Aussie friends and other parts of this country but pretty big for this part of Texas. About 6' x 8' Sweetgum. I'm sure the drought was too much for it. Was not dead but starting to drop big limbs. It took 4 hours trailer to trailer. The shavings would not fit in a 8' pickup bed. All moved by hand. Not enough room to use my push blade. Not a job I like to start Friday afternoon at 3:30...
 
was wondering how close the UNDERGROUND supply to the box was to the tree

Three feet... Just like the picture.
I must have nerves of steel. But, I do play the game "Operation" on the week end to stay in shape for these "life or death" stump grinding jobs. I have been known to live on the edge. I once tore off the "do not remove" tag from a mattress...
 
Three feet... Just like the picture.
I must have nerves of steel. But, I do play the game "Operation" on the week end to stay in shape for these "life or death" stump grinding jobs. I have been known to live on the edge. I once tore off the "do not remove" tag from a mattress...
you know the reason I asked, right??
 
A man calls me to grind some stumps. Did not tell me there was still a little bit of a stump still attached to all of them...
This one is a Red Oak, a touch over 4' across. Not my normal thing, but when you're slow...Big Oak 2.jpg
I took a little off the sides with the grinder. A 24" bar and a 562 took care of it from there. No doubt the largest I have ever had to drop.
The pic does not show the heavy lean away from the machine. I just had to get it on the ground. Fortunately it fell just far enough away from the stump I was able to grind it.
The rest were easy once this one was out of the way. The biggest was about 24" DBH.
This was a 150 acre Ranch. I'll be back. I saw some close to 50 trees that won't make it 2 years. Looked like bad dozer work. Major roots cut at the base. Gouges in the trunks. That and the past drought are all taking their toll.
 
Three feet... Just like the picture.
I must have nerves of steel. But, I do play the game "Operation" on the week end to stay in shape for these "life or death" stump grinding jobs. I have been known to live on the edge. I once tore off the "do not remove" tag from a mattress...

That stumps biggern' Texas tb, must have had a STIHL saw to cut that off !

Yeah, your right about it, we do them'ns on an average day in Aus. , save the hard ones for Sunday mornings, just to warm up for the week ahead !
 
"made me realize how many gynecologists there are on the road" You kill me.
Yeah, the buddy I called to work with me runs a small tree service. He's a die hard STIHL man. (pretty sure he does not have a Stihl pocket knife! though...) He brought a 60 somethin' cc with a 25" bar to the party. Funny how he was always more than happy to let me have at it on the rough stuff with my saw. But then it occurred to me , he's probably never seen a saw run that good. :muscle:
 
Of all the things I have "found" while grinding... this one was a little scary.
Rayco - Rebar.jpg
3/4" rebar, 20' long buried under dirt and grass. Wrapped all the way around the wheel before I could get it shut down. Could have been much worse. I sheared some pocket bolts, trashed a bunch of teeth, lost 1/2 a day. I could not load it so that meant a empty run to the shop to grab the liquid wrench. (Victor) Once the rebar was removed I took the machine back home, replaced all 24 teeth and damaged pockets. Went back to the job, and hit another rebar in the first 2 minutes. Another half a dozen teeth broken. Not one of my best days...
 
This was a big 'un!
China Berry.jpg
One of those jobs where the customer forgot to mention the stumps were just a little ways out of the ground. He was not surprised when I had to raise my price... There were 5 total. Fortunately they were a very soft wood. China berry? I don't think I have ever ground one before. Must be fast growers, the owner said they were 30 years old. Nice people who are living on a ranch that has been in the family since 1919. They have a live oak by the main house that was planted by Sam Houston! Aprox 1860, the trunk is probably 48" across.
 
:wtf: tb, bet that bar had the belts squealing big time ?

Worse than anything I've experienced, to do it a second time, that'd bring an expletive
or two from me I'm afraid....for about 1/2 an hour !!!

At one stage I was finding so much steel I seriously thought of getting a metal detector
to check ground over.

ps..have you considered a remote op. grinder, you can press the kill button running backwards
as the steel smacks the cutters and wheel into submission and belts start to smoke :yes:
 
:wtf: tb, bet that bar had the belts squealing big time ?

Worse than anything I've experienced, to do it a second time, that'd bring an expletive
or two from me I'm afraid....for about 1/2 an hour !!!

At one stage I was finding so much steel I seriously thought of getting a metal detector
to check ground over.

ps..have you considered a remote op. grinder, you can press the kill button running backwards
as the steel smacks the cutters and wheel into submission and belts start to smoke :yes:

There is no squeal on my belt. This machine has the poly-belt with teeth/cogs on it. I took the cover off fearing I damaged the belt. They are close to $400. I could not see any damage. I was so lucky that once the pretzel action was over, the teeth/wheel was no longer in contact with the wheel. If it had locked it up, something would have to give. I was running balls to the walls... I had 15' of rebar sticking straight out from the cutter wheel when it was all over. Could have been really nasty.
Yeah, still dreaming of moving up to a remote grinder. 7015 Carlton... If every week was like the last few weeks I would already have it.:dancing:
Been busier than a one handed paper hanger.
 
What set up does Rayco have from engine to wheel tb, don't know a thing about
Rayco, but only one belt ?
 

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