what's the reasonable price for an old Vermeer 630B

[Erwin]

i'm looking at an old unit (1989 model year), but in very good shape. What's the highest money and teh lowest you'd pay? The owner is an old timer running a small operation (deseased now), bought new in 1989. I'll try to get hour numbers later. Thx

 

[Blakesmaster]

i'm looking at an old unit (1989 model year), but in very good shape. What's the highest money and teh lowest you'd pay? The owner is an old timer running a small operation (deseased now), bought new in 1989. I'll try to get hour numbers later. Thx

Really depends on hours and condition. I bought a '93 630B for $5K about 5 years ago. Original owner, decent shape, about 600 hours. Has paid for itself several times over. If you buy it, set it up with greenteeth and keep them sharp.

 

[Blakesmaster]

I owned one back in 1987.


I suggest looking for something a little larger or better yet self propelled. The 630B is slower than molasses and has to be pulled around with a pickup truck, has small wheels, cuts a small footprint, and has such a short tounge that it's hard to back up.

I remember getting a Rayco 1665 and it was about five times faster and had about 5 times the grinding footprint.


Apologies to Blakesmaster, he posted while I was typing.

No apologies necessary, treeco. The 630B is no doubt a slow machine, especially considering it's minimal 35 horsepower in a tow behind. I will say it is a good starter grinder. I've thrown far more stumps at mine than that little machine should have ever had to deal with but she ate them all. The greenteeth probably doubled it's ouput as well. It has it's faults but I dont regret my purchase in the least.

 

[mckeetree]

I sold a 1990 (I could be a year off either way) 630B in 2011 that was as straight and clean as any out there with about 275 original hours on it for $5,500.00. That's right, over 20 years old and 275 hours. We had owned it since it was almost new.

 

[Erwin]

Thx all. I'll post back once I looked at the unit on monday

I'm thinking about a triple tow setup. My chip truck tow a heavy duty dump trailer (next year's investment). My bobcat mt55 rides on the trailer. The 630b follow along at the back. Once I get to the job site, the mt55 is going to drag it anywhere it needs to go, even a gated backyard. I have been running a tree trimming side business for 16 years. I want everything to be simple, practical and makes good sense. I think that I'll like this setup. Erwin

 

[mckeetree]

I've had a couple drinks now and my mouth gets loose but a damn 630B is something I never want to own or run again. That thing is so yesterday.

 

[Gerasimek]

I'm thinking about a triple tow setup. My chip truck tow a heavy duty dump trailer (next year's investment). My bobcat mt55 rides on the trailer. The 630b follow along at the back. Once I get to the job site, the mt55 is going to drag it anywhere it needs to go, even a gated backyard. I have been running a tree trimming side business for 16 years. I want everything to be simple, practical and makes good sense. I think that I'll like this setup. Erwin

Hate to sound harsh, but that sounds like a very poor setup. I owned a 630 for years and rejoiced when someone bought it from me. It's a dinosaur. Heavy, slow, belt-driven, gas, tow-behind, etc. Did I say slow? I did. Really slow. It won't be simple or make sense. I agree with most of the other guys here. If you're going to go small get something like a Vermeer 352. Self-propelled and diesel is simple and makes sense.
I now own a Vermeer 1152. Self-propelled, diesel,4x4,110hp,wireless remote control. I wished I had never bought the 630. It was a waste.
Gerasimek

 

[Blakesmaster]

I won't stand here and claim that the 630 is a great machine, especially given the other (more expensive) options out there. Just saying that with sharp greenteeth it really does a sufficient job on all but the biggest of stumps. If purchased with that in mind the machine is well built and solid enough to grow the stump aspect of your business.

 

[Erwin]

I do understand why some of you don't think much of the 630. However, cost is the driver here. I don't really want to grow stump grinding part of my business as one suggested. I only want to do the trees I cut myself. Go out and grind stumps for others is the last thing in my mind. I just want to have the capacity to do all my small to medium ones. I don't want to invest more than 5k in a stump grinder. It's just not my core business. Being a side business, I only want to focus on the tree part which is very profitable. My other option is a 252 which is much smaller. 352 is out of the option due to cost. However slow, it must be a lot faster than 252 especially if I can use it in the backyard. Don't compared it with the one you guys have now, lots of power, all the bells and whistles. I only compare it to the 252 and sg30 attachment, because that's what is relevant to me. Thx all for your comments. Erwin

 

[One of a Kind]

How do you change the bearings on a 630b

 

[Erwin]

Never done it. Already out grown that one. Have a nice sc60tx, a real kick ass machine