# Forum Home Renovation Landscaping, Gardening & Outdoors  Stump grinder - wow

## GeoffW1

Hi, 
Used a stump grinder for the first time today. What a brute. One of my stumps was of some type of really tough hardwood. I had been having intermittent goes at it for years, but an axe would just bounce off. It was almost petrified hard. 
The stump grinder just pulverised it. It was a manual unit like this  http://www.redroo.com/sg350.htm 
The only thing I would criticise is that the lateral traverse movement across the stump was done by locking the right wheel with the handbrake, and then pivoting the whole thing around that wheel. 
Some units do have a traverse movement which operates while both the wheels are locked, which I think would be easier and safer. 
Bye bye stumps, in short order. 
Cheers

----------


## Terrian

yep, used one of those before, they sure make a hard job a whole lot easier !

----------


## Haveago1

After many stumps being dug out manually, even with the help of a tractor, I too am now convinced the only way is with a stump grinder.  
I take it your hired it - how much was it?

----------


## chipps

Had 3 stumps ground last week. Very impressed with the results, gound down to 40cm below ground level and all that's left is 3 piles of well shreded compost. 
He quoted $1 per cm. ended up being a tad over $100 for the lot. Considering 1 stump was well over a m2, but he did em all so quickly.

----------


## Terrian

> After many stumps being dug out manually, even with the help of a tractor, I too am now convinced the only way is with a stump grinder.  
> I take it your hired it - how much was it?

  about $150 for a day, so it may be cheaper to get some one in if you only have a couple of stumps to get rid of.

----------


## GeoffW1

> After many stumps being dug out manually, even with the help of a tractor, I too am now convinced the only way is with a stump grinder.  
> I take it your hired it - how much was it?

  I did hire it, from Kennards, for 4 hrs at $186. I notice that does not compare very well with the commercial quote here of $1/cm. 
I have another one in my sights (it is not a stump yet) and will be phoning for a quote or 2. 
Cheers

----------


## Compleat Amateu

How big and heavy are these buggers? 
I have a VERY steep driveway, and manhandling tools into position at the top of the driveway (where the action is) is a major challenge. 
Can 1 (old) bloke get these out of the back of the station wagon and onto the ground?  Or is it not that simple?  Do they fit in the back of yer actual Subaru? 
Cheers

----------


## chipps

This guy had a grinder that was like a skinny dodgem car, he drove it by standing beside it. The controls and shield articulated. Perhaps something similar would be good on slopes. Might be safer than DIY.

----------


## Chumley

We had about 15 trees removed over 2 sessions when we moved in - the stump grinder told us a large portion of the cost was getting the machine on site, after that each additional stump was only a small add on cost.  If you're going to get someone in, save up a few stumps to do all at once. 
Cheers,
Adam

----------


## Terrian

> How big and heavy are these buggers? 
> I have a VERY steep driveway, and manhandling tools into position at the top of the driveway (where the action is) is a major challenge. 
> Can 1 (old) bloke get these out of the back of the station wagon and onto the ground?  Or is it not that simple?  Do they fit in the back of yer actual Subaru? 
> Cheers

  most seem to be designed to be transported by trailer, and to be used on reasonably flat ground, and nope, the certainly wouldn't fit in the back of my '91 Suby wagon !

----------


## GeoffW1

> How big and heavy are these buggers? 
> I have a VERY steep driveway, and manhandling tools into position at the top of the driveway (where the action is) is a major challenge. 
> Can 1 (old) bloke get these out of the back of the station wagon and onto the ground? Or is it not that simple? Do they fit in the back of yer actual Subaru? 
> Cheers

  Hi, 
The one from Kennards was about twice the size of a lawnmower, and weighed 160 Kg.  
You would need a box trailer or a ute to transport it, and ramps or planks at home. It would not fit in the Subaru. I had my son to help me, and could definitely not have got it into and out of the trailer by myself.  
If ever I got something like that on hire again, I would get a rope pulley block arrangement to keep it under control. When 160 Kg gets away from you, there is no stopping it yourself. 
Cheers

----------

