Can’t believe I missed this video. Plain and simple... you guys are good people!! I agree with some other people. You do give good advice. It was nice seeing a different piece of equipment too.
I think stump grinding is a very sensible step to expand a business from mowing lawns but you can always rent the machines before you bite the bullet and buy one and then have to move it which means having a trailer in a truck that can tow a trailer as well as somewhere to store it
Hey Tim, for future reference, The correct method is to use the lower front quarter of the grinding wheel to grind the stump, not the bottom. The idea of the teeth is to sever the wood fibers, but as you probably discovered the teeth don't grind very well across the grain of the stump. Experience from somebody that has been doing it for close to 20 years.
As a property owner preparing a site for building our home I have been looking at alternatives for removing stumps 2-8inch diameters. Not having used a stump grinder in the past your comment was appreciated.
This is my 19 year in the lawn care Business. Started with a push mower and now have 2 John Deere zero turns , a walker mower, 1026r and just bought a kubota tracked skid steer this year.
I bought a grinder on line, I removed about 60 stumps(my yard) that were much much bigger, over 3 years and sold it. For 3/4 of what I paid for it. It was nice not needing to struggle to do everything in a day. The guy that bought was putting it into his tree business tool box.
In addition to a standing sheet of plywood to protect the deck and reduce debris flying everywhere, a sheet or two on the ground, for the stumper tires to roll on, will make it much much easier to navigate the stumper around on the rough terrain. It's worked great for me!
I've rented small stump grinders like this on several occasions. I use it more for grinding down exposed roots in the yard which usually ends up being a one day project. I've considered purchasing one but for a couple hundred bucks every 4-6 years it would take almost 100 years to break even on the purchase price. Also, by renting I let the rental company worry with replacing and sharpening the carbide teeth. :-)
As someone who grinds stumps for a living, you will quickly learn all the time and effort saving tricks to these grinders, I started out with a simple push machine, paid for itself within 3 months, have 3 machines now, a push unit, a self propelled unit and a machine mounted unit, the push is still a solid go to unit due to it getting in, the machine most is the least used due to access restrictions, so be warned, small is good, might take longer on the big stumps but a little compact unit can certainly hold its own on a cost to income basis.
Really great thoughts on how to expand a small business. Looks like a good tool, but if one gets too many specialized tools, storage space and maintenance become problematic. And like mine, your wife is super smart. Thank God for the fairer of the species.
Instead of buying one of these straight away, I'd recommend renting a couple different models. Believe me, stump grinders are somewhat niche need-wise unless you've really built up your business (or are in an odd position with perhaps another contractor). Renting them will also give you a feel for which one you like best, what features are important, etc. As this is a really "single job type" of equipment, that's where I say rent first. A tractor though... lots of different jobs you can do with various implements, no niche there. And mowers of course- well almost everyone has a lawn ;-)
Ha look at Tim with the Jack Armstrong stump grinder. From my time using one in the past, my back just cringed with a stabbing pain telling me no no no. Its defiantly a young mans tool.
Two things. I agree, self propelled with control over each wheel would make for more control and easier to use. Visibility to the grinding wheel. I think better visibility to the front edge would be a big help. The mirror on Vinny is a good example.
I bought Husqvarna sg13 at a Church auction (identical to that) . Upgraded to 500 ser green teeth and it's a great little machine. No gym membership is required when you own one of these.
Your advice about starting small and watching your expenses is good for any business. I wouldn't worry too much about exercising though. I do resistance training. I refuse to exercise!
I rented a hydraulic stump grinder this past year. It was awesome. It had small tracks and hydraulic sweeping and raising control. Would have covered you in all departments. Plus doesn’t bog down as much.
Tim Christi stump grinders are for tough people We rented one for 6 or 8 stumps that job told to hire people like you who understand equipment God Bless PaK
I also agree with the notion of renting / buying portable equipment. ( reminds me of lawn cutting 50 years ago with my family lawnboy ) When I see the arborists in my neighborhood they generally use a larger but still "walk behind" grinder. What I always wonder and shake my head about is the landscape companies unloading a zero turn or stand behind 60" mower to cut a postage stamp yard or the local Wendy's ( sorry Christy - the Chick- Fil-A ). I would think they waste more time loading / unloading, turning around every 30' than using a standard lawn mower. What the heck it's not my job. Thanks for fun videos. Take care always.
I think buying smaller machines instead of a tractor is definitely the way to go, first a tractor is a huge expense and doesn’t include all of the many attachments that you need which are also very expensive...other downside of a tractor is that you need to carry diesel while this bluebird will use the same gas as your zero turn...tractors are a luxury plane and simple.
I would get an aerator first, then a brush cutter or chipper depending on where I lived as they are probably a lot more useful generally than a stump grinder.
Fred, did we try to hide that bluebird provided the equipment? We certainly did not intend to hide that. Bluebird has provided several pieces for us to experiment with this year.
I have considered lately to get a stump grinder as an additional service to my business that would be cheaper than getting a dump truck and/or a subcompact tractor. My problem is I end up talking myself out of things so often because there are so many people around here that would attack a stump like that with just a pickax for like $10. And th worst part is there are people around here that look for that kind of labor. thinking ahead i know i probably wont buy one but as of now i am seriously thinking about it
Until cash flow is consistent, I would strongly recommend renting a piece of quality equipment when needed rather than purchase. especially when just starting a new business. I got my parents old mower. then their snowblower was paid for with a season of free service (re-negotiated to two seasons). Stump grinding was too infrequent to purchase equipment for. Love the videos.
How's she goin'? That stump grinder may be hard to handle and move but it does a nice job. I think for landscaping, getting in and around already established landscaped areas, this would be the go to machine. Take care!!!
I grind part time and it's a great investment it's work but that is a great machine to get started with . I would suggest doing the greenteeth upgrade for that machine to save you some time.
I think if an individual can make the money back from the purchase in a month maybe two then it should be fine. With a smaller unit they would be able to get into tighter areas and fill a niche that bigger companies can't or won't do.
I own a lawncare buisness and own a similer stump grinder to me they are great for grinding stumps of shrubs and bushes sure beats digging them out by hand. But in my opinion if your taking down tree stumps your better off renting a larger one. When I was starting my buisness if I was going to buy a new tool I would be sure to have a job lined up that would pay for that tool and eventualy you have every tool.
i suspect for a lawn cair busness just getting going you would rent this type of equipment rather than buy. A Lawn Aeriator or Power Rake which can be used more often would be a better piece of equipment to buy.
I have about 3 - 4 beech and oak stumps about 30 inch diameter. I was debating whether to rent one this size or the bigger Vermeer 30 hp. The prices for all day are substantially different, $123 per day vs. $320 per day. Your machine seems to cut through the stump faster than some of the other people who rented the same size Toro. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks for posting the video. By the way, I like the scripture too.
If you're trying to use this to make money then it would probably only be economically justified in places with limited access. If the access is less limited then renting a bigger stump grinder will increase your productivity per hour above the additional cost of the bigger machine.
most people in UK Hire Stump Grinder as cheaper than buying one most gardeners here don't have tractors they have Push Mowers as you call them like Honda HRX217 BACKPACK BLOWERS STIHL KOMBI Range that has lot of attachments that what 16yr old friend who gardener bought
Manual pushing it back and forth will catch up to you later in life. Like you said power wheels would be better. I know someone with a remote controlled unit and the head swings back and forth, it’s much easier and also very expensive.
I would advise anyone to rent equipment in the beginning and just work the fee into the cost of the job, just as you do when you own a piece of equipment. This allows you to see if you will actually have enough work to justify the purchase. Plus it allows you to see if you even want to do those types of jobs and what features you want to have on the equipment you buy. Nothing worse than to buy a machine and then realize you hate using it. Lastly when you are new to using a piece of equipment usually things happen that are tough on the equipment, so why not learn on a rental instead of one you own. These are the lessons I have learned over the years.
I agree. The one caveat to renting for business use is availability. Most rental places only have a limited number of units and availability during summer season can be a challenge. This isn't typically a problem for a home owner as they can schedule the project around equipment availability but when you are a contractor a lot of times home owners can't wait around for your rental unit to become available. Another issue that has to be considered is condition of the equipment. I've picked up a rented stump grinder only to get it home and discover it won't start, won't run right or the cutting teeth are damaged. Again, an inconvenience for a DIYer but if you are on a paid gig it can be a major issue.
@@eosjoe565 I agree with what your saying, but if we are talking about a young man, such as Tim was describing they generally can be a little more flexible when they do a job. I have learned to check the functionality of the item I'm picking up as well as I can in the parking lot before loading it. You are correct though that both of those things need to be kept in mind. And as a side note I dont think renting is a good long term plan, but it does have its place.
Sweet, thanks for the quick response. Been thinking on adding one to our business, but havent used one before. Have a job with 10 stumps to grind. All small diameter like the ones in this video. I may rent one to see how i like it.
I dont know too many 13-15 yo having their own lawn care bussiness and looking to spend maybe 20 thousand dollars, in fact i probably know of none perhaps the main reasons being you cant even drive and not many will give you a line of credit to expand yourself in that aspect, i know there are some exceptions out there but you have said many stupid things in this video but hey i guess thats what makes it interesting and keeps you viewership up
How old are you, Bobby? There ARE motivated young men in this country. I get these questions frequently. Often these young men have worked hard enough to add thousands of dollars to their savings accounts. Often enough to buy a tractor with cash. Just because you are not aware of any young men with that much motivation and maturity doesn’t mean they don’t exist.
Not necessarily. While the tracks on a self-propelled unit might be handy for traversing rough ground, once you start grinding the stump you must manually move the unit from side to side and for that the tracks might be a hindrance. With the wheeled units, once in position you activate a brake on the one wheel and that lets you rock it back and forth without moving out of position. There are large units that do have tracks but they only use the tracks for driving to the stump. Once in position they will typically have a hydraulic cylinder that moves the cutter side to side while the tracks hold the unit in position. I've used self-propelled wheeled units and they drive around quite easily, similar to driving a walk-behind snow blower.
With hydrostatic tracks a hydraulic pivot point could be added. I’ve run trailer based stump grinders with a similar setup and think that a daily operator would appreciate a compact machine that’s easy to maneuver
sometimes this rain it if you can get some customers at the same time make sure you got enough business to think about buyingor monthly payments sometimes you can't afford it all at once I bad equipment that cost of your $100,000 so you're mebut before you buy anything make sure there's enough business for it good luck i everyone
Tim, responding to your request, I think yes that it would work well for yard services! I am twelve years old and I have my own yard service business and all I have is a tractor, yard trailer, leaf blower, weedwacker, etc. and I cannot afford something huge like a 1025r and buy the stump grinder and it just gets expensive and I am not afraid to use any sort of machinery however loud it is because there in s always earplugs! Something like this would be great for my business to expand by grinding some stumps! Great video!
Really it’s best to work at home save money. Because it’s money 💰 that not even your parents can afford today. Remember come tuition does go up. So now you have find a way to pay it back. I can remember my high school graphing calculator my teacher wanted me to get not happening my dad was a penny pincher yea I had bullies destroying stuff it adds up. So go work hard lessen the burden off your parents.
I think having the stump grinder is a great idea, however, to add it to an up and coming company, I think, is a bad idea. This stump grinder is 4k. And the question is how many clients will need stumps grinded? Supply and demand. It's great if they are an established business, but then the question of liability comes into play and the need of insurance if they hit something with the stump grinder.
One other thing to consider is that with the walk-behind it is in FRONT of you and there is better visibility of the stump. With the tractor mounted units it is behind you and it can be hard to see the stump. I recall Tim mentioning that visibility was a challenge with his 3PH unit. Still... if you have a large stump to grind the tractor mounted units will probably do a better job with less man-handling of the unit.
Of course this would be a wise buy I’d stick with zero turn equipment cost of operations fuel oil break downs flats don’t buy a Cadillac buy budget but decent enough shop read up do your home work, don’t buy the first one you see. Ask questions for a young man let parents help. Save your pennies. Not just stump grinders any and all lawn care equipment. College taint cheap in fact it’s getting harder and more expensive so from middle school age heck yea hop to it. My brother through what little summer job working at a country club.
VERMWEER grinder is so much easier and better. The vermeer is self propelled and hydraulic driven head. 18" hardwood will take an hour. A pine would get done in 15 minutes.
I feel like the homeowner "removing" the shrubs made this job much harder than it needed to be. If he would have left them alone, you could have probably chained to them and pulled them out stump and all. Regardless, good advice for the younger generation looking to level up their business.
That thing costs 5 grand. I could buy a used self propelled stump grinder that fits through a 36 inch gate for about the same. What a joke. In order to grind a $50 stump you can mow 10 lawns in the same amount of time.
He thought I got plenty I just shook my head. Nope I told him if you get out of college graduation with in excess of hundred grand you’d be doing good. He didn’t buy it. Well apartment rent living experiences plus tuition has to be paid back most of an honest career pay check will be haunting you. Hard pill to swallow he wants a new car this champagne 🥂 life style on s beer budget. Parents today education taint free what you get out of it. Kids think I gotta have a new this or that state of the art. Tack on two grand note book. Pens 🖊 pencils ✏️ paper 📝l then gas ⛽️ oil changes insurance break downs. Maintenance costs of this new car or truck to look cool.
i think those walk behind machines are wasted opportunity. there should be a walk-behind tractor with snow blower, mower, stump grinder attachments...etc i see no reason why someone needs to take care of whole bunch of engines that can do same job.
Your wish has already been answered. Check out the Troy-Bilt FLEX. It is a power head with an attachment for aerator, pressure washer, dethatcher, snow blower, chipper/shredder, leaf blower, mower, water pump and log splitter. I'm sure a stump grinder attachment isn't far behind.
