What are some good stump grinders for beginners?

[Connoraz]

Hello everyone, I am new to this site. I am a full time firefighter looking into starting a stump grinding business that I can do on the side. I have experience in tree service but I do not know much about stump grinding. For you experienced individuals, my question is this, If you could go back to when you started stump grinding, what stump grinder do you wish you would've bought to start?

 

[Seachaser]

Depends on the location, type of work, etc. I have a DR self propelled that can get through gates and in tight places. It takes anywhere from five minutes on a small stump to over an hour on a 30+ inch fresh one. If you have to do a lot, I would get one mounted on a tractor or skidsteer. When I got mine, they were unavailable due to Covid.

 

[Connoraz]

Depends on the location, type of work, etc. I have a DR self propelled that can get through gates and in tight places. It takes anywhere from five minutes on a small stump to over an hour on a 30+ inch fresh one. If you have to do a lot, I would get one mounted on a tractor or skidsteer. When I got mine, they were unavailable due to Covid.

Thank you! I have been looking into the vermeer sg30. Im looking to get a new 2023 so i dont have to worry about previous owners and the wear and tear. How efficient is it compared to a DR? I would like to get one that isn't going to give me more back pain then I already have but I would like the best bang for my buck starting out.

 

[capetrees]

sg30? Maybe a sc30tx?

 

[chipper1]

Hello everyone, I am new to this site. I am a full time firefighter looking into starting a stump grinding business that I can do on the side. I have experience in tree service but I do not know much about stump grinding. For you experienced individuals, my question is this, If you could go back to when you started stump grinding, what stump grinder do you wish you would've bought to start?

Welcome to AS.
I usually rent a grinder when I have a couple jobs to do or a few stumps at the house. If I need to tread lightly I'll get a smaller tracked unit. If I don't have be concerned with the yard and I have a good number or larger stumps I normally grab a larger rental unit, it eats them right up. The guys I rent them from trust me to change out pockets and cutters, so they send a bunch of extras with me and the tools to change them.

 

[Sidecarflip]

No comment other than whatever you decide on, make sure the 'teeth' on the grinding wheel are Green Manufacturing 'Green Teeth' and not some proprietary tooth that you have to buy from the OEM. You will be wearing out the carbide teeth no matter what you do and Green Teeth are easily replaceable and readily available and Green Manufacturing sells direct as well.

If you buy a new grinder, be ready to shell out big bucks, they aren't cheap, especially the self propelled ones.

 

[661Joe]

Sg 40 from bandit new with the rev wheel and be done 26k out the door rev wheel over green teeth any day. Chips are better more contained and last very well. If your getting new and walk behind to fit threw a gate I promise sg 40 it’s 38hp swing console can’t get much more in such compaction

 

[661Joe]

Fwiw I was a green tooth guy for ever. The rep made me try a rev wheel for free. I’m very thankful for it. Side by side on two stumps very identical the rev wheel was far superior

 

[661Joe]

I got a black one

 

[Sidecarflip]

Bandit is local pretty much for me so I can get Bandit parts factory direct in 2 days usually and Green Manufacturing is also very local for me. Nice people / plant to visit and I know them personally as well. They are in Morenci, Michigan which is about 20 miles from here actually. Gives me an excuse to swing by Adrian, Michigan and peruse the Harbor Freight store and get lunch at Culvers.

I'm a Harbor Freight junkie, always have been and I spend serious jack there often. Just bought a new TIG welder (the orange 205 amp unit that I added a CK water cooled torch too and sold my Lincoln Square Wave with cooler and torch to a good friend and customer of mine as well as my Hyper Therm 65 amp plasma cutter which I replaced with a pair of HF plasma cutters.

The Hyper Therm consumables are getting way out of reach, price wise and I use a ton of them with my big plasma table, I have a Sidekick 5x12 table, Only issue I have with the HF plasma cutters is they don't come with a straight barrel torch head so I had to buy one aftermarket and adapt it to the machines. No big deal and the HF 65 amp cutters already have the voltage dividing plug in the units from the factory so they are basically plug and play with the HT interface cable which I didn't sell when I sold the Hyper Therm. the person who bought it don't have a table so had no need for the cable in the first place so I kept it.

I just designed a jig to dress Wearsharp grinder teeth but I have to build it yet. You need a diamond wheel to dress them anyway and the wheel has to be smaller of a diameter to concave the teeth with. Green will rergrind them for me but I prefer to do it myself, because it's cheaper and I'm frugal (also known as cheap)....

 

[661Joe]

It really is preference I was a green tooth junkie I’m also in mi was down state now up state I can say over 12 years of grinding and I wish the grinding waste was the waste I get now with a rev wheel. I was hard set on green teeth I no longer am. Maybe on a larger machine but then again a large machine with a rev wheel I bet would absolutely be sweet. Only time will tell. The cleanup alone is so much better the rev wheel keeps waste 50% more contained the chips are smaller they can’t fly as far I also noticed the rev wheel seems to Handel rocks better again just my experience

 

[661Joe]

Pics don’t sue it justice these were monsters on a damn good slope cut as flush as possible before grinding started. Massive stumps plus the hillside made it even worse. About 1hr and 15min total for both very impressive for a walk behind machine

 

[661Joe]

Notice how fine the chips are. This 38hp machine can take a 2inch swipe out of oak. Bogs slightly but is in no way abusing the machine. So you take 1inch bites and mover pretty damn quick. I never moved those chairs or table notice the lack of grindings on them. My old one with green teeth would have stuff on the roof