Stump Grinding Startup

[Gologit]

Good luck to ya! I am getting ready to buy another one, Stihl 760 just for hogging out around some of the stumps. I have the large Husky now, she is a beast. Mind you that the Alpine will work you to, and a very small learning curve, but in MHO, great units.

Stihl 760? What's that?

 

[Haulinwood]

Stihl 760? What's that?

It is the small motor from Stihl for the Alpine Magnum stump grinder. I have the large Husky 3120 for hoggin out wood/stumps, but want the smaller one for trenching out around some of the stumps I get myself into.

 

[treemanbrisbane]

I hope you got that from 2treeornot2tree, he was right on the money about calling your local tree loppers. In Brisbane where I live the tree men organise most of the work even if they aren't doing the stumps themselves.

You could also try fliers but your market might be a bit specialised for that. If you were to advertise tree work on the same flier, then sling the tree work to a tree lopper who gave you his stumps, maybe??

Good luck, mate.

 

[kzn630]

Hello Everyone,

Just giving an update on where I'm at. Got my sales tax permit for where i'm at, picked up 100K in general liability insurance and will start running my first ad this coming weekend. I am getting a large ad in hopes it stands out and brings some calls in. As for a machine I have a rayco 1625A lined up which will run me around $200 dollars for 8hrs. Planning on bundling all my jobs on the weekend. If anyone has any other thoughts for my grand start please post.

Thanks again everyone for all the great advice!

 

[Haulinwood]

Good for you. But if I was you I would look at getting a little bit more insurance. When I started out which was just this year, that was great advice from others on this site. 100 thousand will not go far if some major was to happen! I got 2 million and only cost me about 900 a year. I would rather have a heck of a lot more than not enough. 900 a year is a small amount to pay if a tooth or rock would happen to hit someone, or worse! We can take all the precautions in the world, but it only takes one time for something to go wrong. Hitting a power line, or water line, emergency fees for a pipe fitter, etc, can eat that up real quick.
Just my thoughts anyway. Good luck to you, and hope all turns out well for you.
Haulinwood.

 

[Tree Services]

Not sure you should be taking advice from someone thats only done 217 stumps and grinds them to grass level or 4" deep. Save your money and buy a used Vermeer or Rayco portable. You will get many calls for that 1- $45 dollar stump. The rental machine is a bad plan. Most clients wont wait a month or two, until you schedule enough stumps to make it profitable. The insurance is important, but its very rare that a cutting tooth will fly into anything other than your pile of chips. Rocks are another story, keep people away and use a guard around the cutter wheel when you are near homes or cars. Always call for a locate if you are not sure where underground utilities are, especially fiber optic. Keep irrigation pipe and fittings on your truck. Grind the stumps deep enough so you don't have any call backs, remove all surface roots and don't leave a huge mound of chips behind. Wear a uniform shirt, and PPE. You will build a good reputation if you do quality work.

 

[Haulinwood]

Not sure you should be taking advice from someone thats only done 217 stumps and grinds them to grass level or 4" deep. Save your money and buy a used Vermeer or Rayco portable. You will get many calls for that 1- $45 dollar stump. The rental machine is a bad plan. Most clients wont wait a month or two, until you schedule enough stumps to make it profitable. The insurance is important, but its very rare that a cutting tooth will fly into anything other than your pile of chips. Rocks are another story, keep people away and use a guard around the cutter wheel when you are near homes or cars. Always call for a locate if you are not sure where underground utilities are, especially fiber optic. Keep irrigation pipe and fittings on your truck. Grind the stumps deep enough so you don't have any call backs, remove all surface roots and don't leave a huge mound of chips behind. Wear a uniform shirt, and PPE. You will build a good reputation if you do quality work.

Real nice Tree Services. I just started this year also, since early June, I would say 217 is pretty good, for late nights and weekends. Around here most folks only want to flush with top soil but I go further, and have gone as much as 12" below. So before you start talking s__t you do not know about, think! I was just giving my opinions as a new comer myself. But I guess we should all listen to you because your the big dog?? Give me a break, walk a mile or so in another mans shoes before you start to type!

 

[kzn630]

Real nice Tree Services. I just started this year also, since early June, I would say 217 is pretty good, for late nights and weekends. Around here most folks only want to flush with top soil but I go further, and have gone as much as 12" below. So before you start talking s__t you do not know about, think! I was just giving my opinions as a new comer myself. But I guess we should all listen to you because your the big dog?? Give me a break, walk a mile or so in another mans shoes before you start to type!

Alright guys, How long would you say it should take to grind 30 30" pines using vemeer 252? also on a job like this what would you charge?

 

[OLD MAN GRINDER]

Alright guys, How long would you say it should take to grind 30 30" pines using vemeer 252? also on a job like this what would you charge?

You are looking at min of 20 hrs with new sharp teeth, stumps cut low as possible, when i had my 252 i dreaded fresh cut pine, exp 30", don't know what u need to make an hour, but at 100 u are talking 2000.00, that would be a big job even with my 2550, somebody with a high hp machine could do it much cheaper, if they are all 30" or over that would be one hell of a job for a 252, esp for an old man like me, I don't think anybody down here would pay that, that is the trouble with a small hp machine, u just can't go with the big hp machines on a big job, even with my 2550 i would have to get a min of 30.00 per stump or 900.00, if they were hardwood different story alltogether...much cheaper than fresh cut pine, i am working up a bid right now on 22 diff sized pines and 10 hardwoods, all fresh cut...

Hope this helps,,,,,good luck....


Bob....

 

[kzn630]

How long have the pines been cut?


That's a really small machine for that job.

Yesterday

 

[Tree Services]

Alright guys, How long would you say it should take to grind 30 30" pines using vemeer 252? also on a job like this what would you charge?

How can you start a stump grinding business when you have no idea what machine to buy or rent, how much to charge, or how long it will take to do a job. I don't want to sound cynical, you spent money on advertising, money on insurance and business license and basically have no clue what your doing. Your competition will burn through those 30 stumps, while your trying to figure out how to get your machine off the trailer. If you are serious about owning and operating this type of business, you have got to get some experience first. Then decide if you want to go off on your own.

 

[Tree Services]

Real nice Tree Services. I just started this year also, since early June, I would say 217 is pretty good, for late nights and weekends. Around here most folks only want to flush with top soil but I go further, and have gone as much as 12" below. So before you start talking s__t you do not know about, think! I was just giving my opinions as a new comer myself. But I guess we should all listen to you because your the big dog?? Give me a break, walk a mile or so in another mans shoes before you start to type!

I am hardly a big dog, but I do know what I am talking about when it comes to stump grinding. Your clients, that you flush cut their stumps with your alpine magnum will be paying twice for the work when they have to call another contractor. I don't normally respond to threads, but why would you give advice, when you barely know this business?

 

[Haulinwood]

I am hardly a big dog, but I do know what I am talking about when it comes to stump grinding. Your clients, that you flush cut their stumps with your alpine magnum will be paying twice for the work when they have to call another contractor. I don't normally respond to threads, but why would you give advice, when you barely know this business?

I know that I have to grind down 10-12" at least, and I mention this to the client. But the client is always right, and I make them sign to that effect. I do not like doing them that way, but if that is what they want and they understand that grass, etc. will not grow, my butt is covered, when they sign. Most of those grinds are in beds and areas where I cannot grind much deeper. I am sure you have more experience than me, I am not pretending to know it all, just giving my two cents worth from another newbie. And I have had to go back and do a few jobs from the so called big guys that go in with their huge grinders, and do not do much more. You can laugh at the Alpine all you want, fact of the matter is, it gets the job done, maybe not as fast, but it gets it done. Again, it was just my side view from another newbie.

 

[kzn630]

Well I'm going to answer my own question. The vemeer 252 is not good or timely for large stumps but in my case it was the largest thing around. I did 3 pine stumps and 1 hard wood out of a total 39 stumps and decided to call it quits(lol). Also I underestimated the stump sizes. They were more like 40 - 50 inches at the base. But this was for a friend and it wasn't a problem..more of a good learning experience. Although doubt the majority of my jobs will be like this what do is a good grinder that could handle a job like this yet versatile enough to do the smaller ones?

 

[MSgtBob66]

First of all, give 'er he!!. Second of all, you gotta dive in sometimes!

Your first year or two will be a learning experience. If you only have a rental 252 to start with, well by golly go do it! You do need to figure out your costs to figure out your pricing. With that info in your back pocket, you need to figure out a minimum price. Up here in the North, I charge $75 minimum and go from there.

All stumps ground out and chase those big roots out as well. There may be a mighty big hole in the ground, but the stump will be gone. I also charge 1/2 the grinding cost to remove the mulch along with disposal (I do not make money on disposal, I break even there to get the job) and I'll even back fill with the cheapest black dirt if the customer wants. I've had 2 call backs on grind & goes for big roots I missed, & while I was not happy with myself, I cheerfully came back and continued to grind.

Don't let the "big time" grinders here on AS get you down. We all started somewhere, and stumpin' ain't rocket science. Its work, and sometimes its hard work. Don't feel threatened if your experience right now is minimal, study the AS forums and get out there and grind! What you do need to be cautious about is trading dollars. You need to make some money while working. Your buddy's land clearing is a great place to start your schooling on stumpin'. Continue with the job, let him know where you stand (ALL of your customers need this info BTW) and learn stumpin'.

Basic tools I have with me at all times (besides the grinder): Pick/mattock to dig around roots and pull rocks, hard rake for pulling mulch away, long handled shovel for the above as well and my wheel barrow to haul away mulch for clean up jobs to put into my trailer/pickup as needed.

One of the guys here on AS said it the best: $100/hr while grinding should pay for all costs and put some money in your pocket. Line up multiple jobs for the grinding, and if you do clean up, come back later the same weeekend to do that. AT LEAST cover your rental/fuel/mileage and lunch and put some mony aside so you can buy a grinder (used and you are able to work on it yourself) that will let you do the 4 or 5 $75 dollar jobs at your schedule per week plus a few bigger jobs on the weeekends and you'll soon be thinking about quitting your day job and grind full time.

That all being said, be honest with your customers, do not be afraid of getting called back (do a good job the first time), and use your locate services so you don't get killed grinding a stupid stump. Have a minimum of $1,000,000 liabilty insurance and get licensed in your city/county. Soon, you'll have a couple of bucks in the bank and will be looking to upgrade your equipment.

Good Luck!

Bob

 

[Saw Dust Smoken]

A min of $5 -$7 a inch. Include root flares in the measurement. Or by the hour $100 min.

 

[MSgtBob66]

What Smokem says...

about pricing. That's about the correct price up here in MN.

Bob

 

[paccity]

125.00 to show 125.00 an hour. sometimes i'm nice.. get as much hp as you can. in and out.

if i did not have this i would not do it.

 

[OLD MAN GRINDER]

Your first year or two will be a learning experience. If you only have a rental 252 to start with, well by golly go do it! You do need to figure out your costs to figure out your pricing. With that info in your back pocket, you need to figure out a minimum price. Up here in the North, I charge $75 minimum and go from there.

All stumps ground out and chase those big roots out as well. There may be a mighty big hole in the ground, but the stump will be gone. I also charge 1/2 the grinding cost to remove the mulch along with disposal (I do not make money on disposal, I break even there to get the job) and I'll even back fill with the cheapest black dirt if the customer wants. I've had 2 call backs on grind & goes for big roots I missed, & while I was not happy with myself, I cheerfully came back and continued to grind.

Don't let the "big time" grinders here on AS get you down. We all started somewhere, and stumpin' ain't rocket science. Its work, and sometimes its hard work. Don't feel threatened if your experience right now is minimal, study the AS forums and get out there and grind! What you do need to be cautious about is trading dollars. You need to make some money while working. Your buddy's land clearing is a great place to start your schooling on stumpin'. Continue with the job, let him know where you stand (ALL of your customers need this info BTW) and learn stumpin'.

Basic tools I have with me at all times (besides the grinder): Pick/mattock to dig around roots and pull rocks, hard rake for pulling mulch away, long handled shovel for the above as well and my wheel barrow to haul away mulch for clean up jobs to put into my trailer/pickup as needed.



And a 660 with a long bar, the most imp tool IMO...

Bob....

 

[MSgtBob66]

Hey Bob, what's a 660?

"And a 660 with a long bar, the most imp tool IMO..." Is this a saw? If so, I was relating to the stumpin' aspect of the job, after checking out the situation. I have had quite a few jobs where the stump was about 6' high still, so I added chopping them down to the quote. I guestimate on that, depending on the diameter of the stump. I did chop down an additional small tree one time with the grinder and then added it to the multiple stumps I ground out that day.

I don't always carry a saw in the rig when grinding, not set up for storage yet. I plan on rebuilding my current dump trailer into a landscape type dump (back 2/3 is dump, front 1/3 platform) with plenty of tool storage. The frame is getting chopped & welded this next week.

Bob