skid-steer/mini loader stump cutter..revisit

[ROLLACOSTA]

ok guy's who has one ?? how well does it work compared to a purpose built stump grinder ?? how much was it ?? are they worth considering when buying a new grinder?? what teeth do they have/use ?? what is the general opinion of them ???


the last time i saw a bobcat demo it the stump cutter was very slow ,mind you it was 5 year's ago ,so maybe they have improved,plus i don't think the user was very experienced

 

[Frans]

I think Kanga Loaders sells the stump grinder attachment in your country.
It is the fastest one on the market
Frans

 

[Koa Man]

I tried out a Toro Dingo stump attachment about 2 years ago and it was at least as fast as the Rayco 1620 Jr. I once owned. The thing I did not like about it was the cutter wheel was mounted sideways to the machine and threw chips all over the place. Most of the mini skids have the cutter wheels that way. The Bobcat unit has the wheel mounted like your dedicated stump grinders and I would buy their attachment. I need to try and demo one first. I am about to buy a Boxer mini skid with grapple forks this week.

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

yes we have kanga overhere frans...will you buy a stump cutter for your bobcat koa???

 

[Koa Man]

If I can sell my Levco HD45, I would use that money to buy the Bobcat brand stump grinder attachment. I don't like the ones that Toro and some others make because they mount the cutter wheel at a 90* angle to the machine. The chips fly all over the place. The Bobcat brand is mounted like a regular stump grinder wheel.

 

[Frans]

Check out www.terrapwr.com
they are the only ones I have been able to find that make a grinder attach. that looks like it may be worth it.
Frans

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

i guess from the responce to this thread there are very few skid-steer stump cutter's out there in the real world [so the sales men are full of bull ]

 

[Koa Man]

OK, here is what is going down. I checked terrapower's website and inquired about the high lift bucket and stump grinder. The max. recommended cutting height is 2 ft. above grade and max. cutting depth is 14 inches below grade. It takes Rayco super tooth. You get a 8% discount if you buy both attachments. Individually the prices are $3400 for the stumper, $1699 for the 6 cube high lift bucket, which will add 23 inches in height and 22 inches in side reach. This will give the Boxer mini skid a 6'10" dump height, pretty good for a mini skid. I will most likely buy both attachments, even if I don't sell my Levco first. Oh, my Levco is the HD46, and not the HD45 I stated in my earlier post.

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

the trouble is KOA once you start looking into purchasing a skid-steer it become's a mind bending exercise as there are just so many to choose from

 

[Koa Man]

Rollacosta,
I purchased the Boxer from Compact Power and ordered the grapple attachment from David at Top Notch Tree Equipment. He is running 4 of the Thomas mini skids with grapples and he says those small machines can move a lot of brush and logs. I decided not to get the grapple forks since it would require a wide area to move brush, whereas the grapples can drag brush like a person would. I may get the Terra Power stump grinder. David said it was rather slow running it on the Thomas with only 8 gpm flow. I believe the Boxer has 14 gpm and the stump grinder should get a min of 11 gpm to run properly. Hopefully I'll get everything here within 30 days and then I can try it out. I sure hope I won't be disappointed. I know a couple of guys with Dingos and they are real happy with them. The Boxer is a superior unit. You should check out their website and look at the pictures of the grapples in action. Pretty impressive.
http://www.topnotchequipment.com/

 

[Stumper]

Koa What is the diff between the HD45 and the HD46? I've run a 45 but can't remember the other Levco models.

 

[Koa Man]

The HD46 is 100% hydraulic operation, steering, cutter wheel, etc. It has 2 hyd. drive motors for the wheels. It is a 4 wheel machine, 35 inches wide, about 8.5 ft. long and weighs about 1300 lbs. It cuts very fast, but the traction to me is less than that of the Rayco Jr. I had. Mainly because the Rayco had a locked axle plus the hyd. tongue extension that could help push the grinder. My Levco has 6 levers for operation: 1. cutter wheel up/down, 2. cutter wheel left/right, 3. steering, 4. slow travel, 5. cutter wheel on/off and 6. fast travel. I wish I knew more about fabrication and hydraulics. I would take the Levco apart and adapt it to fit the Boxer as an attachment.

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

so KOA have seen the stump grinder in action yet for the THOMAS ??...my local skiddy dealer has just stopped selling BOBCAT and has gone over to THOMAS..I realy like the look of that grapple..what made you decide on a THOMAS ???

 

[Koa Man]

I am not getting a Thomas mini skid. I am getting a Boxer, but buying the grapple from Top Notch Tree Equipment who is a Thomas dealer. He said the Terra Power grinder should work way better on the Boxer with 14 gpm flow vs the Thomas with only 8 gpm. I would have really liked to get the Gehl Advantage compact wheel loader, except it is 41 inches wide. I really need something that will pass through a 36" gate.

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

Ahh sorry mate i must read thread's more thoroughly

 

[Frans]

Hd46?

The HD46 is 100% hydraulic operation, steering, cutter wheel, etc. It has 2 hyd. drive motors for the wheels. It is a 4 wheel machine, 35 inches wide, about 8.5 ft. long and weighs about 1300 lbs. It cuts very fast, but the traction to me is less than that of the Rayco Jr. I had. Mainly because the Rayco had a locked axle plus the hyd. tongue extension that could help push the grinder. My Levco has 6 levers for operation: 1. cutter wheel up/down, 2. cutter wheel left/right, 3. steering, 4. slow travel, 5. cutter wheel on/off and 6. fast travel. I wish I knew more about fabrication and hydraulics. I would take the Levco apart and adapt it to fit the Boxer as an attachment.

Just who makes this machine? Name? Company?
I have never heard of the hd46 and any info. on how to learn more would be appreciated
Frans

 

[Koa Man]

Frans,
the HD46 was one of the various models made by Levco out of Arkansas. They went out of business about 3 months after I bought my machine in March of 2000. Other than the sheet metal, all the other stuff on the machine can usually be bought locally. White Machinery carried a lot of the other spare parts or could make them. You can buy the replacement teeth from Leonardi. It is a very good grinder. It is real easy to go deep with it, although I find the max. cutting height a little low. The bottom of the cutter wheel is only 11 inches above the ground fully raised, but it will cut 20 inches deep. I would have preferred a height of 16 inches and a depth of 15.

 

[Stumper]

FYI, I like Leonardi so this is not anything against them but the former shop foreman at Levco is licensed to produce the teeth and, last I heard was selling them for less than Leonardi. My dad has purchased direct from him since Levco closed. If anyone needs contact info I can get it for you.

 

[Frans]

thanks for the info.
I'll do a 'google' search and see what I find
Frans