stump grinder purchase

[76gmc]

 i am looking to stump grind part time. does anyone have any advice on what to buy? gas, diesel? belt or hydraulic? 2 or 4 wheel drive? tracked? it needs to weigh less then a ton. thanks!

[T Welsh]

76gmc, We have 2 stump grinders, One is a Rayco RG50 and the other is a Vermeer STX50. Other manufacturers are Brush Bandit,Carlton. Your one stipulation that it has to weigh less than 2000 lbs. is cutting all the serious machines out of the equation. Take a look at the manufacturers web sites and go through and see if you can find one that fits your needs. Also take a look at the used market. One thing I will tell you unless you intend to spend 10k to 15k you will be seriously disappointed. These machines do one job. They are very high maintenance and live and work in very ugly conditions that require constant greasing,sharpening of teeth and cleaning of the air filters. My favorite is the Rayco,it has 4wd and is hyd. drive has a dozer blade on the back and is diesel.The power is transmitted to the cutter wheel via a rubber cog belt. But it is way out of your price range as a part timer. An older unit can be had for under 10k and it will do the job as long as you keep the teeth sharp and belts tight. I,ll add a link for you to take a look at used machines. http://www.rayco-mi.com/used_stumpcutters.html. Hope it helps you out. Tim

[bugdust]

I found it difficult even to rent a stump grinder, but did locate a guy with one who will come down tomorrow and take out an 18" maple stump for $100.00. I can have a bunch of stumps taken out for $15,000.00. Now I understand why not many are available.

[T Welsh]

bugdust, Most major rental centers will have grinders for rent. For a real machine that will grind all day long you are looking at about $250.00 a day. They are always dull and you just beat the dickens out of the stump. I guess that's where the saying run it like a rental comes from. A good machine with new teeth is a wonderful tool and will chew a 20 to 30 inch dia. stump below surface in about ten minutes. You can go faster, but when you hit a rock while grinding you no longer have sharp teeth and they cost about 6 dollars@ x 24 . Tim

[76gmc]

thank you. what do you like better about the rayco vs the vermeer?

[T Welsh]

76gmc, The Rayco is a better built and designed machine in my opinion. I like aspects of the Vermeer but we have had double the maintenance and repair vs. the Rayco. If you are mechanically inclined take a look at the used market and look for wear items in the cutter wheel as in bearings and belts and the linkage pivot points on the up and down and swing cylinders. The bushing are usually shot on used units, But can be ordered and replaced if not taken to far. Any questions let me know. Tim