Stump grinders

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

trzz

ArboristSite Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2004
Messages
59
Location
houston
skiddstear loaders

I want a fast meathod to hall limbs from the backyard to the truck. Has anyone got one? does it tear the livin s it out of the grass? I have been informed the tracks work best on grass but as you know its 50/50. The bobcat 175 looks good until you see the 5800 lbs weight. A 463 is only 2900 lbs. Has anyone got a loader they like? prentice or a rotobec ?
 
Nickrosis

Nickrosis

Manned by Boderators
Joined
Mar 10, 2002
Messages
2,968
Location
Milwaukee, WI
Underpaid groundpeople are the most economical choice. Loaders are rough on the grass. No doubt. You can sneak gently with smaller track pieces, but you're not going to be too happy. The exception of course is big wood. We'll lay out the plywood if we're hauling 10k+ lbs. out of a backyard. Then a skidsteer is a heaven-sent blessing. No disguise.
 
Koa Man

Koa Man

Kahuna giganticus
Joined
Oct 8, 2003
Messages
1,543
Location
Kailua Hawaii
Originally posted by ROLLACOSTA
i find it a lot of hassle dragging around a 10ft trailer and 252 for a few 8 inch stumps..which could be ground out with like you say a rg 12 or alpine magnum, aussie have you seen them little alpines in use??

I am about to. I just bought a new one which arrived last week. I bought this for a job I am going to do this Friday. Even the RG12 would be very hard to get to these stumps, which entails carrying the grinder up some stairs with a sharp turn. I am charging the owner 3 times the cost I normally would if it was accessible by my Levco. This job will pay for 25% of the Alpine's cost. I have passed up many small hard to get to stumps in the past. Now I should be able to do almost any stump and charge twice as much for those that require the Alpine. I'll post the results after Friday Nov. 12.
 
ROLLACOSTA

ROLLACOSTA

Addicted to ArboristSite
Joined
Feb 7, 2004
Messages
2,776
Location
Suffolk Uk
i used my little rg 12 today im realy pleased with it..15 inch nootka stump all done in under 10 mins [7-9 inches below grade]

i would have bought a alpine magnum but the sole importer is so dam greedy he's selling the cutter and saw engine [complete unit ] for over $4,500 so i never bought one ,his loss :(
 
kiwigrind

kiwigrind

ArboristSite Lurker
Joined
Apr 22, 2007
Messages
5
Location
brisbane
alpine

I am about to. I just bought a new one which arrived last week. I bought this for a job I am going to do this Friday. Even the RG12 would be very hard to get to these stumps, which entails carrying the grinder up some stairs with a sharp turn. I am charging the owner 3 times the cost I normally would if it was accessible by my Levco. This job will pay for 25% of the Alpine's cost. I have passed up many small hard to get to stumps in the past. Now I should be able to do almost any stump and charge twice as much for those that require the Alpine. I'll post the results after Friday Nov. 12.

how did it turn out i live in brisbane im looking to buy one of them alpines $7000+ new how much did you pay do u know of any second hand ones going:cheers:
 
kiwigrind

kiwigrind

ArboristSite Lurker
Joined
Apr 22, 2007
Messages
5
Location
brisbane
alpine

i used my little rg 12 today im realy pleased with it..15 inch nootka stump all done in under 10 mins [7-9 inches below grade]

i would have bought a alpine magnum but the sole importer is so dam greedy he's selling the cutter and saw engine [complete unit ] for over $4,500 so i never bought one ,his loss :(

was that $4,500 australia if so were can i get one ive been quoted $7000+:cheers:
 
Oly's Stump

Oly's Stump

ArboristSite Operative
Joined
Feb 22, 2006
Messages
421
Location
Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin
I run a Rayco RG50 and a Carlton 8018 TRX with a sandvik wheel. Self propelled is the way to go now a days. I use the Rayco for smaller residential jobs. I wish Rayco would make that machine with remote. The remote feature on the Carlton is great. I cannot see any other machine beating the Carton Track in land clearing jobs. I just did a lot job last week with the Track that would have been difficult with a wheel machine because it was very wet and muddy. No more backing up too stumps! The Carlton TRX remote machine does not have a swing out control panel which allows you to get at tight access stumps. Believe it or not but there have been some situations that the Rayco could not get that the Track could get. Example: Between two buildings.
 
arbor pro

arbor pro

Addicted to ArboristSite
Joined
Mar 23, 2006
Messages
1,484
Location
SD
I run an older Vermeer 665A pull-behind for larger stumps and have both a vermeer 252 and rayco 1625 super jr for hard-to-access stumps.

When I set up my 252 with greenteeth a couple of years ago, they recommended the larger red tooth. Now, the Greenteeth company recommends the smaller 500 series tooth for this size machine.

I don't notice any problems with bearing wear or excessive grabbing on my 252 with the large tooth setup - perhaps, because I have autosweep. I'm wondering if anyone else with a 252 and autosweep has switched from the larger tooth to the smaller one and whether it's a better setup for the machine?

By the way, I'm selling the rayco 1625 super jr if anyone's interested. It only has 310 hrs on it and a fairly new engine. I don't need both it and the vermeer and I'm keeping the vermeer simply because I like the autosweep feature. Otherwise, the rayco is basically the same machine and runs like new.
 
Koa Man

Koa Man

Kahuna giganticus
Joined
Oct 8, 2003
Messages
1,543
Location
Kailua Hawaii
Wow, kind of forgot about this thread. I posted results, but it must have been on another thread. The Alpine Magnum is a great machine. It is very fast cutting for its size, but there is a learning curve to use it effectively. rbtree also bought one and he also likes his. I have done several jobs where the homeowner told me other guys said the stump cannot be removed and to just let it rot. Premium pricing is what I charge when I HAVE to use my Alpine because my bigger machine cannot get to it.
 
SinglerM

SinglerM

ArboristSite Operative
Joined
Apr 28, 2006
Messages
344
Location
Guam. Japan soon.
I have a carlton SP4012 with Dura Disk. It has the vanguard 35 hp gas engine. I haul it in a tandem axle enclosed trailer along with chainsaws and other equipment.
I've looked into the Alpine Magnum, I wouldn't mind getting one. I'm not going to spend what they want for one though.
It's way over priced for what it is. I've seen some situations where it would have been nice to have one.

I really like the 4012. I wanted one that would fit through a gate for residential work.

Mitch
 
Koa Man

Koa Man

Kahuna giganticus
Joined
Oct 8, 2003
Messages
1,543
Location
Kailua Hawaii
SinglerM,
The Alpine is not overpriced, when you consider what the Stihl or Husky powerhead alone costs. The quality and engineering of this grinder is first rate. All machined aluminum. Ever try to find a used one to buy?? Virtually non-existent, most everyone who buys one keeps it. I never saw a used one for sale in any of the tree equipment websites.
 
Plyscamp

Plyscamp

ArboristSite Operative
Joined
Dec 11, 2004
Messages
286
Location
San Diego Area
I own 3 Alpine Magnums, the oldest is a 1996 Model (Back up unit). We use them every day and they are worth every penny you spend on them. They go everywhere that my other units wont go and create a very good return on investment. We have ground Stumps to 6 Feet in Diameter on banks with the Alpines.

Other Grinders in the Fleet are:

Vemeer SC206 (W/25 HP Kohler) Back Up Unit

Vermeer SC252 W/ 25 HP Kohler

Vermeer SC252 W/ 28 HP Lombardini Diesel (8LD 740-2) 1,476CC Air Cooled Diesel
60 Ft. Pounds of Torque.

Vermeer SC505 W/ 50 HP Perkins Diesel

All of the Vermeer units run Multi Tip Wheels & Cutters
 
Last edited:
AC1025

AC1025

ArboristSite Lurker
Joined
Apr 7, 2012
Messages
6
Location
adrian mi
I have a carlton 4400-4. The seal on my hydraulic break motor is leaking. Can this be fixed or do I need a whole new motor? I dont really want to buy a new one for $1000. Thanks
 
Dadatwins

Dadatwins

Addicted to ArboristSite
Joined
Feb 14, 2004
Messages
3,331
Location
Central Va
I have a carlton 4400-4. The seal on my hydraulic break motor is leaking. Can this be fixed or do I need a whole new motor? I dont really want to buy a new one for $1000. Thanks
Almost 10 year old thread - wow. Price rebuilding the unit at a good hydraulic shop, the rebuild price can sometimes be close to the new price, and new may give you some kind of warranty. A lot of stump grinder parts are speced to the application and are not interchangeable also. Good luck
 
AC1025

AC1025

ArboristSite Lurker
Joined
Apr 7, 2012
Messages
6
Location
adrian mi
Almost 10 year old thread - wow. Price rebuilding the unit at a good hydraulic shop, the rebuild price can sometimes be close to the new price, and new may give you some kind of warranty. A lot of stump grinder parts are speced to the application and are not interchangeable also. Good luck

Thanks! I am just trying to see if anyone has had any luck and price. No sure why my thread said Apr, 2012 It is not that old. lol
 
AC1025

AC1025

ArboristSite Lurker
Joined
Apr 7, 2012
Messages
6
Location
adrian mi
So back to the problem at hand. Has anyone had any luck replacing seals in the brake motor or having it rebuilt on a Carlton 4400-4. Thanks not idea is a bad idea!!
 

Latest posts

Top