Pics of my neighbors stump grinder at work

Geo-TH,In · Oct 18, 2018

Posted on Modern. Used upload pics/video

Traditional Farmer · Oct 18, 2018

He needs to cut a least a couple more inches off the stump to make the grinding easier and go faster.

Geo-TH,In · Oct 18, 2018

I really think he know what he doing. 75 hp turbo diesel. He never overloads his equipment. He had to replace both pulleys and belt, over $1000. Chips were flying up to 50 ft. He was done in a few minutes. Over a 3 ft stump. He cuts it about 8 inches below grade on first cut. Then remove all the wood chips. Then he comes back and levels the ground on final cut.

coshoo · Oct 18, 2018

Local guy has a home made version- frame similar to a Waterloo Boy, with a caster wheel at the narrow end. Its self propelled, and powered by a 6-71 Detroit. Makes pretty fast work of stumps. He makes sure anyone in the area is wearing ear protection. Its almost worth having him out just to listen to the thing.

Mike M · Oct 18, 2018

Standing where he is while it is in operation ( must be a remote )I'm pretty sure he does not know what he is doing ! Those can and will throw things out and back.

oldtanker · Oct 18, 2018

(quoted from post at 06:31:37 10/18/18) Standing where he is while it is in operation ( must be a remote )I'm pretty sure he does not know what he is doing ! Those can and will throw things out and back.

Actually he's where he should be. That blade is throwing the dirt and shavings under the machine. That's why it has the shielding like it does.

Rick

Mike M · Oct 18, 2018

Directly in front of the spinning cutting wheel ! I think not ! They can and will launch things out the front too. Teeth and rocks can and will.

Logan in SE Texas · Oct 18, 2018

Cool! I think he knows what he is doing, anyone who invests that kind of money in a machine usually takes the time/effort to study it's operation. He doesn't have any visible hearing protection, either he is already deaf or soon will be. Those things are loud!

GEO-TH, In · Oct 18, 2018

He removed his hearing aid and uses ear plugs. He an old school farm boy.

oldtanker · Oct 18, 2018

(quoted from post at 07:47:13 10/18/18) Directly in front of the spinning cutting wheel ! I think not ! They can and will launch things out the front too. Teeth and rocks can and will.

Mike, take a close look at the picture. The grinder has a shielding off to both sides and toward the skid steer end. Then over the top of the blade. With the direction of the blade it's going to throw almost everything away from the guy and anything that stays in there and comes around is most likely going to get aught by the blade shield.

I had a couple of stumps ground a couple of years ago with a very similar unit. It didn't throw anything where it wasn't supposed to.

Rick

37chief · Oct 18, 2018

Surprised something that big isn't self propelled. Stan

Crazy Horse · Oct 18, 2018

Looking at that photo, I assume the operator is using some kind of a remote control? Where is a good place to stand I wonder, off to the side? Common sense might tell a guy (experienced or not in stump grinding) that he's not in the safest location.

Meanwhile, if he ever played in rock 'n roll band on weekends, he might not even hear anything so no need for ear protection.

Mike M · Oct 18, 2018

I think I'll just say I'm smart enough not to stand directly in front of a cutting wheel ! Especially that close ! If he has the old style pocket teeth which Carlton still uses a lot of they can and will fly out of a pocket.
He can stand anywhere he wants to. But people doing things like that usually end up getting hurt and then suing companies and then even more useless safety features are added to equipment.

Geo-TH,In · Oct 18, 2018

Crazy H.
You are assuming he isn't wearing ear plugs. He is.

He's wearing a hardhat with face protection.
Notice there is a shield over the business end of the cutter.
All the crap is flying backwards. Nothing is flying forwards.
This isn't his first rodeo. Been in business for a while and no ER visits.

Where would stand when operating a stump grinder?

CLYDE MASON · Oct 18, 2018

working for the state we went thru 2 model 10 stump cutter. i had a crew that cut trees, mostly elms. we had to stand in front of the machine. it had wire scteen and cover to stop the chips.we never had anyone hert in over 40 years. i could say more but not.

Crazy Horse · Oct 18, 2018

George ..... where would I stand (not knowing what the recommended location would be)? Well, most green horns like me would likely stand off to the side I think. If were a remote control, why would that be wrong? Is there anything unsafe about standing to the side? If so, please enlighten me. If you had not experienced one of these or watched someone who knew all about them, where would you stand? And my comment about the hearing protection and the rock 'n roll band, well I thought I was being funny, I guess you didn't think it was. And being an "old school farmer" ..... that in itself can be a red flag to me.

Crazy Horse · Oct 18, 2018

Oh, and one other thing, I've looked at a good number of videos on stump grinding. In not a single one did I see the operator standing in front of the grinding wheel. This video (see link below) is a sales video by the company that is selling this particular model so I assume it is a video which likely would not result in any legal action should something go wrong. Notice though that the controls are to the side of the machine so not much choice as to operator location ... BUT whoever designed it placed the controls to the side on purpose I think, probably a safer place to be located than in front of that cutting wheel.
Poke here and live longer ...

4play · Oct 18, 2018

(quoted from post at 10:37:36 10/18/18) Surprised something that big isn't self propelled. Stan

This is a smaller machine, or to be fair a medium sized one. The big boy machines are self propelled.

4play · Oct 18, 2018

Lots of smaller machines are self propelled too. Not sure why this one is not, its either personal preference, or the price point I guess

Hobo,NC · Oct 18, 2018

Daggumm I thought we were gonna see the TERRAMITE eat'N a stump

RandyB(MI) · Oct 18, 2018

Mike M, you are correct. I retired from Morbark Inc, one of the first and biggest builder of these. Most are track mounted and all remote control. NEVER do they stand there to run them. That shield on the machine leaves a lot uncovered. Anything could be thrown off that cutter wheel. I'm not talking wood chips, like you, I'm talking teeth and attaching parts. They don't seem to care what degree of circumference at which they choose to fly off a spinning wheel. Anywhere from 30 - 90 degrees off, and to the front, the centerline of the spinning wheel is proper. The builders who produce them and the safety manuals should know best. Where he's at isn't it.

RandyB(MI) · Oct 18, 2018

Just looked at Carletons own safety warnings...says min of 25' and to the side of cutter wheel for remote control units. So...if he gets hurt , and with these pics...he's screwed . May not be his "first rodeo" but may soon be his last.

Oliver 500 Wa · Oct 19, 2018

Lots of smaller machines are self propelled too. Not sure why this one is not, its either personal preference, or the price point I guess

My buddy that owns a tree service says it has to do with what each job is like.

He has self-propelled on tracks from 30 HP to 80+HP and self propelled on wheels in the 25-40 HP range. These are mainly used where access is limited.

He has tow-behinds like the one in the first post in the 30-60 HP range. If he has access with a truck, he mostly sends out the tow behinds.

His position is that as long as there is access, the tow behind is faster. Just back it in or drive right over the stump and get to work. No unloading/loading time at the jobsite. He also has less equipment out on the job. Tow behind is its own trailer. Self-propelled needs a separate trailer.

Geo-TH,In · Oct 19, 2018

Sorry to disappoint. If you look close at pic, you will see Mighty Moe's front
bucket. After he ground just the wood stump, he would move to another stump. I
scooped up the chips and put it in a trailer. Then he came back and ground the
roots and dirt. I picked that up and added it to the compost pile.

A lot of armchair quarterbacks telling my neighbor how to operate his grinder.
You had to be there to determine he was in the safest place. Crap was flying
all over, just not in front. It was throwing chips 50 to the sides and back,
nothing in front.

Mike M · Oct 19, 2018

I work for the company Morbark just bought up last year. small world.

Geo-TH,In · Oct 19, 2018

My neighbor is a one man operation. He has a tri-axle dump trailer. He puts his
Bobcat in trailer and pulls the grinder behind the dump trailer.

His 75 hp grinder never struggles, no black smoke. He doesn't run it at full
throttle. Chips are flying up to 50 ft on the sides and back. I thought it was
snowing wood chips.

Pics of my neighbors stump grinder at work

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Similar threads