I really appreciate the most helpful info. I've got one more question. How do you market your stumpgrinding service? I'm new and am trying a lot of different things. One I hope will work well is direct mail. I drive through various neighborhoods and when I find a visible stump I take a digital photo of it and write down the address. When I get back to my office I use our tax assessor's database to look up the owner of the property. I then write a letter to the owner and include a photo of the stump(s). I've just started this and so far have only gotten one job. It was for 7 stumps, the smallest being about 24", but they were all very rotten and the job went really fast. You can see a copy of my letter at http://hotlinecy.com/stumpgrindingletter.pdf
Thanks...
Cy Stapletonhttp://hotlinecy.com/stumpgrindingletter.pdf
I bought a Bandit this year. I got the 34 horse Cat and wireless remote. Love it.
I bought a Bandit this year. I got the 34 horse Cat and wireless remote. Love it.
There are a lot of awesome machines. Turbo deisels that are remote controled are sweetness. I think if you need one good all around model to get the small tighties and the big ones you go with a machine like your are talking about. If you have the demand and budget i would say a small medium and large machine is the way to go. I wouldn;t mind a track machine for the tricky terrane, hopefully soon.
Pricing at one flat rate per inch is not that accurate in determing your work load. I look at the job and figure how long it is going to take me. I know it cost 70/hr just to run the machine if you include replacing, carbide, belts, pulleys, bearings, oil changes, pockets, bolts, fuel ect. remember you are depreciating the machine over a set amount of time 5 years 6,7, maybe even 10 depending on how many hours you are grinding a year. You really have to look at everything it cost to grind stumps in the first place including how much it cost you everyday just to wake up in the morning , 75 bucks to roll out of bed? Insuranes and everything all combined.
You have to look at the job by time and complexibility. Rock hazards, are the stumps cut low, are you going to flush cut them low? Are you going to smoke a chain, hit a nail? How does the wood grind. Is it going to take a while. Is it dense and heavy wood like beech? is it brittle and smooth to grind like oaks? Is it fresh and wet or rotten? Is it a hard and dry from sitting all summer durning a drought? Are the roots from a red maple running several feet away from the trunk? What are the clients planning to do with the area? do you have to break through the core so you can have proper flow of water for planting? can you just take it down an inch to hide for a mulch bed?
After you answer all these questions and more, start to think about volume. The radius of a circle squared times pi gives you it's area. Think of the difference of the volume of wood you are going to have to chip between a 1 foot stump versus a 5 foot stump. 113 face cu. inches versus 2826 face cu. inches. You can see the volume increases exponentially the larger you go. So if you charge 2 dollars an inch for a 1 foot stump or 24 dollars, don't charge 120 dollars for the 5 foot stump with 25 times as much cu face. The larger stump is the more work, and when you get used grind time you will understand this.
when pricing - Know you wood and look at all the factors and remember don't undercut yourself. These are imaginary stumps in my example but charge 600.00 or more for the five footer ... remember the chips build up and things get a lot more complicated with bigger stumps 10 dollars and inch is not really that off when you think how much the volume increases. You will get to the point when you can just look and tell. You will know all the factors that determine your price including what others are charging and your exact costs. Hope this helps. Good luck... Justin 860-874-1205 STUMPS IN CT...
Aside from that i wouldn't get that bandit model. In stump grinding generally there is no replacement for displacement. HP is more than slightly important. i feel like getting that machine would be a bad move. Go with at least the 2100 model. Check with carlton they make some reasonable little deisel ones that are similar also. Just go a little bigger and you will be happy. 2900 call it a day check out the SP4012 with the kubota that carlton makes i think this could kick some ass for you. I have a litte one like this with a 27 kohler and it is so fast that i did 40 little stumps ranging from 1 inch stubs to 6 inch mixed hard woods in just over and hour for 450.00 a couple weeks ago and the lady tried to change to price after because she thought it was to much to make so quick. some times it is the right tool for the job that makes the differnce. If the travel speed is the same for the kubota i am definatley upgrading to that. mine has 250 hrs or so right now just put a new v belt on it.
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