Anyone ever build a stump grinder?

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Feb 24, 2005
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Location
eastern NewMexico
I searched stump grinders on here and didn't find much.
Here's my main criteria.
I picked up a used Honda gx390 to try as my first motor. If it doesn't cut it I might upgrade to one of those 27 hp predator engines or some other v-twin.
The cutter head is going to be made from a 9.5 inch diameter steel circle, over all cutter head diameter will be about 12 to 13 inches. Probably use taper lock weld on flange and pulleys on the cutter head.
Cutters will be eight, 700 series green teeth.
New stump grinders are stupid expensive, used ones I find are beat all to hell and priced almost as if they are new.
Rentals are $300 for half a day and they are all junk and look like $700 to $1,000 cheapies, basically glorified lawn edgers. You would need to rent it half the day to grind away a single 3 foot stump.
I'm building about a $2,500 to $3,000 price point one.
Anyone know of 1 inch heavy duty pillow blocks that have a really good seal?
 
A proper stump grinder takes a lot of HP - all of it. Definitely not worth trying to build. Unless you already have a 40+hp coming out of something, even then.....just rent or hire.
 
I haveprobably ground out hundreds of stumps. I seriously doubt you could build a decent, safe, one-off hydraulic stump grinder.
The laters ones are easier to use and do a great job.

Good luck.
 
I've never built one, but I've sure been staring at the 3pt ones as a future attachment for my tractor.. The simple ones really aren't that expensive.
 
Call a tree service.
Same problem, they'll charge hundreds of dollars.
Then also, best case scenario I only remember where and can find 80% of the stumps. I have dozens more stumps to make cutting firewood in the next year.

My tractor is only a little 2 cyl 18 hp diesel kubota that I turbocharged.

Safety is meh, as long as it doesn't kill or amputate me it's good as I'm using it on my land.
 
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Or cut them flush to the ground with a Poulan, as long as you don't pull dirt into the cut you can cut a bit of dirty bark on the outside. When it gets dull, sharpen it with some decent files and 4 minutes later cut another stump.
 
if you are on your own property and the fire risk is low, drill a few holes and soak them with something flammable. Light em up and let them burn.
My fire risk is better than most. The only people who have lower fire risk than me are retired people in their 60s from what I have seen.
We have burn bans that last over a year. The burn bans are lifted for few days to maybe a few weeks at a time.
 
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Or cut them flush to the ground with a Poulan, as long as you don't pull dirt into the cut you can cut a bit of dirty bark on the outside. When it gets dull, sharpen it with some decent files and 4 minutes later cut another stump.
Yeah I tried that. Most trees I was able to cut off just about level with out any dirt work, others I hoed the dirt back from the base then cut the stump slightly below grade, but then 2 or 3 years later the dirt eroded away and all those stumps are now sticking up enough to catch a mower deck.
 
I use to cut them flush. Still do with small trees. But they take 10 years to decompose around here. Then you have a hole. So I just leave the bigger trees stick up and deal with them now. It gives better leverage to pull the whole thing out once the roots rot. And i found once you burn them and leave a char, then that slowed down the decomposing process.

Last ones I tried to cut flush were Bradford pears. I piled dirt over them to help level it out as the wood rots. But the trees are still suckering up from the roots after 3 years. :(
 
Yeah I tried that. Most trees I was able to cut off just about level with out any dirt work, others I hoed the dirt back from the base then cut the stump slightly below grade, but then 2 or 3 years later the dirt eroded away and all those stumps are now sticking up enough to catch a mower deck.
Yeah, they do tend to that, I have a a tractor and just use a tooth on the box blade to break them up at that point but its been for small trees up to 8" trees on the woods trails. I have also just cut them again, as I have a poulan I don't like very much! Also a few roots chopped with the axe, seems to let my tractor rip the stump out.
 
I've removed lots of stumps over the years and no one method works for all. Sometimes the only available approach is a spud bar and an hour or two of digging, other times i just cut them flush and cover with dirt. For most, however, just leaving 3 ft of trunk allows an easy pull with a truck or tractor. If it is a big stump with large roots, just cut the big roots off with a Sawzall (9 or 12" blade) so it can be pulled out with a tractor or truck.

Of course, a heavy duty stump grinder would be nice to have available whenever it is needed, but the necessary storage space (and price) are prohibitively high for most homeowners. OTOH if you have a lot of stumps, buying one and then starting a part time grinding business may be worthwhile...
 
The 9.5 inch steel wheel of death has arrived.
I decided to go with taper lock. An evil bay seller was blowing out their taper lock inventory and I was able to get three 1 inch 2012 taper lock bushings (one for the cutter wheel, one for the pulley on the cutter drive shaft and one for the engine) and also got two, buying the remainder of his 2012 3x122mm pulleys.
But I still need some kind of 2012 sprocket or flange to attach the 2012 bushing to the cutter head.
 
I got a used approximately 4.5 inch in diameter timing belt pulley off ebay for $8 shipped. I'll stick it on the lathe and cut it down to look more like a weld on flange.
 
Well I built my stump grinder, it runs great. The first oil change/fillup the oil got really black and metallic looking after about an hour of run time. So changed it and filled it up with cheap Rotella 30wt oil I got on clearance at walmart a few years ago. On the 3rd oil change it looks like oil in my other machines. I grease the pillow blocks after every time it runs with majestic "red and tacky" grease. Haven't blown out or got any pillow bock play yet.
 
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