What's new
By:
Filters

Is there any money in tree stump grinding?

Id think in most cases grubbing the stumps would be better.
 
grumpy356 said:
I had some ground in March, and $10 an inch… that’s WAY more than the going rate here.

Especially since Home Depot started renting grinders.

Good on you for getting it. Great job.
Click to expand...
Keep in mind that's based on exposed dimensions. So on a 10" stump you really grind more like 20" when you account for the bits that are just below the surface. So it's truly more around $5/in.
 
Any of y'all use this style? I've got ~30 stumps, will eventually have more, most are <12" diameter but I've got a few 20-30" mostly sycamore and sweet gum, with a few ash and hickory.

This thing retails for almost $5K new, there's one near me on FBM that's had an electric start HF Predator swap, and "needs bearings" on the business end, looks like they're just pillow blocks, for $800.

I'm not trying to go into business, I'm just trying to clear land, to build a home. I've been using a 450E bulldozer to dig/push stumps, but it's been so wet this spring I'm just making a mess.

290848_dosko-stump-grinder-walk-behind-honda-gx390.jpg
 
I rented the dingo size one that was a little bit bigger than that. I’d rather just pay someone to do it with the full-size machines then go through that again.
 
Lee said:
Any of y'all use this style? I've got ~30 stumps, will eventually have more, most are <12" diameter but I've got a few 20-30" mostly sycamore and sweet gum, with a few ash and hickory.

This thing retails for almost $5K new, there's one near me on FBM that's had an electric start HF Predator swap, and "needs bearings" on the business end, looks like they're just pillow blocks, for $800.

I'm not trying to go into business, I'm just trying to clear land, to build a home. I've been using a 450E bulldozer to dig/push stumps, but it's been so wet this spring I'm just making a mess.

290848_dosko-stump-grinder-walk-behind-honda-gx390.jpg
Click to expand...
I have this exact machine, but an older version. I bought mine lightly used during covid for around $1,700. Mine has what looks like standard pillow block bearings with a grease zerk on the front. I would have no qualms about buying it again at the same price a paid. It's great for little stuff and will do bigger stumps if you're willing to invest the time.

Pros:
Extremely well built/heavy duty.
Uses commercial grade carbide teeth which are cheapish and easy to find, and can be rotated to get more life out of them.
Can be lifted into the bed of a pickup by one guy.

Cons:
Takes a long time on anything bigger than 10ish inches (above ground).
The brake system on on mine is kind of worthless, I prefer just manhandling it around with the wheels unlocked.
Everybody you know will all of the sudden have a stump to grind and want to borrow it.
They say its good fro 6" below grade, maybe on a real small stump, but I'd say 4" is more realistic.
 
Lee said:
Any of y'all use this style? I've got ~30 stumps, will eventually have more, most are <12" diameter but I've got a few 20-30" mostly sycamore and sweet gum, with a few ash and hickory.

This thing retails for almost $5K new, there's one near me on FBM that's had an electric start HF Predator swap, and "needs bearings" on the business end, looks like they're just pillow blocks, for $800.

I'm not trying to go into business, I'm just trying to clear land, to build a home. I've been using a 450E bulldozer to dig/push stumps, but it's been so wet this spring I'm just making a mess.

290848_dosko-stump-grinder-walk-behind-honda-gx390.jpg
Click to expand...
I’d seriously look at rental. $175 a day.. ish
 
I need the stumps out of the ground, I guess a little stump grinder isn't going to cut it if it's only getting 4" below ground. I thought you just tipped them up and kept grinding, thought they'd go as deep as that extension the grinding end is on.

I guess I'll just wait for it to dry out.
 
Yard signs are where its at. Four jobs tomorrow, one is a 40" stump that needs to be cut off, ground and hauled away, $500 for that one. The other calls are for two 24" stumps, one call is a 5" diameter pine and the other an 18" cedar. Just picked up a Husqvarna 390xp, big bore 88cc.
 
Lee said:
I need the stumps out of the ground, I guess a little stump grinder isn't going to cut it if it's only getting 4" below ground. I thought you just tipped them up and kept grinding, thought they'd go as deep as that extension the grinding end is on.

I guess I'll just wait for it to dry out.
Click to expand...
I pushed trees at my place, and I went back and ground a few stumps, and there is no comparison.

A ground stump gets it out of the way in your yard, but I'm not putting a foundation over it, and it would be a bitch to plant a field on it.
Maybe in a few years the root system and part under the top of the soil will rot, but it won't be tomorrow.
 
I'm not sure if it's a good machine or not but a decent price on a pto driven grinder.

mechmaxx.com

3-Point PTO Stump Grinder with 34 Carbide Teeth (PTO Shaft Included with Slip Clutch), for 15-45hp Tractor , SG24

MechMaxx 3-Point PTO Stump Grinder Model SG24 is a great tool for landscaping, its suit for 15-45hp Tractor. This machine equipped with a slip-clutch PTO, ensuring you peace of mind as you tackle stump removal tasks with precision and safety. Included with the SG24 Stump Grinder is a slip clutch...
mechmaxx.com mechmaxx.com
 
Last edited:
If you pick the right tree stump you may find gold.
 
Big oak from today. Got to give the 390xp a good work out. It will drink the gas when you are laying into it 2.5 tanks cutting this down to trim level. It has an adjustable oil feed that I need to turn up, wish it had a manual oiler option. The new bar and chain didn't look so new afterwards.

20240529_160238.jpg

20240529_160245.jpg

20240529_160254.jpg


Adios
20240529_180332.jpg

20240529_180338.jpg
 
Thumping said:
I'm not sure if it's a good machine or not but a decent price on a pto driven grinder.

mechmaxx.com

3-Point PTO Stump Grinder with 34 Carbide Teeth (PTO Shaft Included with Slip Clutch), for 15-45hp Tractor , SG24

MechMaxx 3-Point PTO Stump Grinder Model SG24 is a great tool for landscaping, its suit for 15-45hp Tractor. This machine equipped with a slip-clutch PTO, ensuring you peace of mind as you tackle stump removal tasks with precision and safety. Included with the SG24 Stump Grinder is a slip clutch...
mechmaxx.com mechmaxx.com
Click to expand...
Round tooth recess my cause the tooth to rotated. The Woodland Mills unit uses a square recess to lock the tooth from spinning. If they start to spin they can loosen and fall off pretty quickly.


Today's job is clearing small roots that are sticking up in the middle of a walking trail causing a tripping hazard. Going to set the depth of the grinder to around 4 inches and make a couple passes to bust them up. The trail is approx 600ft and also had one small downed tree that needs to be grappled out of there as well.
 
back woods said:
Round tooth recess my cause the tooth to rotated. The Woodland Mills unit uses a square recess to lock the tooth from spinning. If they start to spin they can loosen and fall off pretty quickly.


Today's job is clearing small roots that are sticking up in the middle of a walking trail causing a tripping hazard. Going to set the depth of the grinder to around 4 inches and make a couple passes to bust them up. The trail is approx 600ft and also had one small downed tree that needs to be grappled out of there as well.
Click to expand...
Good to know. I am a Woodland Mills fan as I have the HM122 mill...😁
 
Woodland Mills upping their PTO grinder game with this beast.

woodlandmills.com

WG28 PRO Stump Grinder

Woodland Mills supplies high-quality Bandsaw Mills, wood chippers, trailers, and accessories! Get the equipment to tackle big logs & long hours today!
woodlandmills.com woodlandmills.com
 
back woods said:
Big oak from today. Got to give the 390xp a good work out. It will drink the gas when you are laying into it 2.5 tanks cutting this down to trim level. It has an adjustable oil feed that I need to turn up, wish it had a manual oiler option. The new bar and chain didn't look so new afterwards.
Click to expand...

You cut them flushish first ?

I had 40+ stumps ground at my last place and they all wanted them cut short or cut them themselves first.
 
rockmup said:
You cut them flushish first ?

I had 40+ stumps ground at my last place and they all wanted them cut short or cut them themselves first.
Click to expand...
Yeah, anywhere between flush and 6inches tall. The taller it is the more chips there are to clean up. Grapple makes short work of the cut offs.
 
The mexicans down the street in the old neighborhood had a stump grind business and seemed to be doing pretty good.
Probably about 15 in the house and they all had nice new company and personal trucks and cars that they kept squeaky clean.
 
Thumping said:
I'm not sure if it's a good machine or not but a decent price on a pto driven grinder.

mechmaxx.com

3-Point PTO Stump Grinder with 34 Carbide Teeth (PTO Shaft Included with Slip Clutch), for 15-45hp Tractor , SG24

MechMaxx 3-Point PTO Stump Grinder Model SG24 is a great tool for landscaping, its suit for 15-45hp Tractor. This machine equipped with a slip-clutch PTO, ensuring you peace of mind as you tackle stump removal tasks with precision and safety. Included with the SG24 Stump Grinder is a slip clutch...
mechmaxx.com mechmaxx.com
Click to expand...

Just looked more into it, the teeth have square bores to keep the from rotating. Probably a good deal, not much to go wrong with them.
 
back woods said:
It has an adjustable oil feed that I need to turn up, wish it had a manual oiler option.
Click to expand...
do what the zipperheads do while running their 070s and 090s cutting boards freehand, old water bottle full of "oil" with a nail hole poked in the lid
squirt it on the bar while you're cutting with the other hand
barefoot for safety, of course
 
Stump grinding is so cheap here there’s no money to be made . Tree work itself pays killer but hard to get people to trust you with appropriate pricing and such because of all the dirt bags .
 
[486] said:
do what the zipperheads do while running their 070s and 090s cutting boards freehand, old water bottle full of "oil" with a nail hole poked in the lid
squirt it on the bar while you're cutting with the other hand
barefoot for safety, of course
Click to expand...
I maxed out the oiler and it has been doing well. It's made to oil up to a 32-36" bar so it's getting plenty now.


Got into a bunch of chunks of concrete and asphalt today. Made four ~400ft long passes with the grinder about 6" deep. Basically a root rototiller. Tossed some dull-ish ones on it for tomorrow.


20240531_223847.jpg
 
Mulling over putting a turbo on my stump tractor, not quite sure yet. It could use a little more power and it smokes ALOT. Thinking a little Garrett gt15 or gt12, it is a 1.3l yanmar. By smoking a lot I mean almost 100% of the time when under load.
 
There's plenty of little tiny turbos in the junkyards these days, just gotta be unafraid of welding the cast steel the turbine housings are made of because they're always part of the manifold
ecotec or ecoboost whateverthehell baby 4cyl

probably on ebay too
 
Branching out and starting to do brush clearing as well. Since I have a full cage and grapple on my tractor it made sense. Just ordered a 5ft flail mower with hammer teeth. Was going to get a 5ft brush hog because I have had good luck with them but was worried about throwing too much debris with one. My last brush hog would chuck debris 60ft+.
 
back woods said:
Branching out and starting to do brush clearing as well. Since I have a full cage and grapple on my tractor it made sense. Just ordered a 5ft flail mower with hammer teeth. Was going to get a 5ft brush hog because I have had good luck with them but was worried about throwing too much debris with one. My last brush hog would chuck debris 60ft+.
Click to expand...
Have a couple large fire extinguishers handy and some water. Really easy to start fires with a hammer flail set up.
 
2big bronco said:
Have a couple large fire extinguishers handy and some water. Really easy to start fires with a hammer flail set up.
Click to expand...

I keep one with me at all times.

Originally looked at a Mechmaxx, same as the stump grinding posted above. Couldnt process my order and there was noone I could even get ahold of. Probably for the better. Ended up getting a BETSTCO 53" mow width commercial centered unit. Rated for 3" diameter trees and has 27oz hammers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Back Refresh