Stump ginder questions

[canadianclimber]

Is stump ginding worth it for a smaller company? Once you factor in cost of the grinder, maintenance and staff hours to run it is seems like cost venture unless you have endless amounts.

At most I miss out on about 15 jobs a season because I can't grind. I also don't push it. I find most people don't really need it but think they do. The majority of the yards I work in don't have nice lawns where you would want it removed.

In my area a stump grinder such as a Bandit HB20 goes for about 15-20k. I think this is the smallest I would want. Long time ago when I worked for another company it seemed like it was very high in maintenance time. And a pain to muscles around.

I could find a smaller grinder for about 5k but unsure how durable those would be. Then would limit the stump size even more.

Unfortunately subbing them out is not an option.

Would be interesting to hear if someone has actually kept track of the numbers for smaller volume companies. Obviously the big companies would have the volume.

 

[Burnham]

Don't forget to factor in the boredom issue .

 

[lxskllr]

I was considering buying a little one that showed up at the consignment shop. Brand new, and about $400 cheaper than the cheapest price I found. I think it was pro(sumer) quality, but more for a landscaper than an arborist. Ended up deciding I don't want to get into stump grinding. It looks unfun, and I have no personal need. My recommendation for stumps would be to put a flowerpot on top. I just leave the ones at my place, and consider them a yard feature.

 

[Mellow]

Why is subbing out not an option? I got rid of my own stump grinders years ago because it was cheaper to let someone else do it. Capital investment is high, especially now, and maintenance is high as well.

 

[stig]

We sold ours, because it wasn't worth having for the money it brought in.
Plus what Bunham said.
Nobody was lining up to run it.

 

[Ryan]

I refer any stumps I get to a guy I've never met. Stump grinding is all he does and he charges reasonably. They give good feedback when I ask how he did and that's good enough for me.

I did a summer of stump grinding when I worked for a tree service and you don't quite get the satisfaction you get from making the tree disappear.

 

[Jonny]

Stump grinding is a one man job usually.
It’s a nice gig for older folks, especially if you got something with a remote control. Bring a lawn chair!

 

[BIGTWIG]

@canadianclimber


It’s worth it for my company to have a stump grinder.
It’s probably our most expensive machine dollar for pound, since it only does one thing.

The value of a stump grinder depends on your project types, distances from shop, your current staff’s capacity, availability of subs, and your desire to grow your company.

I wouldn’t buy a stump grinder that isn’t remote control.

 

[canadianclimber]

Subbing out isn't an option. I'm in a small market with only a few reputable tree companies. We all tend to compete for the same jobs. I approached one company but they kindly said no.

I agree with you Burnam, it is very boring. And not much satisfaction.

 

[Mellow]

That makes sense if it's only other tree companies doing stumps. Around here, there's a boatload of guys who just do stump grinding and nothing else.

 

[canadianclimber]

That makes sense if it's only other tree companies doing stumps. Around here, there's a boatload of guys who just do stump grinding and nothing else.

That would be ideal.

 

[SkwerI]

Maybe there is somebody local to you who does stumps but you don't know him yet. Maybe make anonymous calls to all the small local tree companies you can find and ask about getting a stump ground. Just a small one.

 

[cory]

Ftr, I love grinding stumps, nothing at all boring about it imo.

It is good money, same as rest of treework.

Little grinders suck except for poor-access stumps. Bigger grinders are key.

 

[flushcut]

Altho I like your post I question your sanity! Stumps suck! At least here glacial till, have I said that before hummm…, anyway.

 

[cory]

Glacial till = lots of tooth-wrecking rocks?

If so, yeah, I grant you that rocky soil sucks and can diminish the enjoyment of demolishing stumps, somewhat.

We have alot of rocks here. Not every stump has em but most have some at least.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

If I need to grind stumps, I rent the damn thing and pass the cost off to the customer along with my rate. This often includes transport. Then, I return the damn thing to its rightful place for some other poor bastid to maintain.
Everything else, the termites can have.

 

[flushcut]

Yes, rocks, sometimes lots of rocks. Rocks in the middle of the stump like it grew there. I am lucky to get five hours with a set of teeth. Then add in pocket bolts about every twenty hours. Pocket breakage is rare.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Rocks, wire, artifacts, concrete, stashed civil war fire arms.... cable... nails, fences. Think Ranching, Mining and Logging and the steel associated with those. Yup. Showed Stig a tree with a whole motor in it. Fug stumps. Termite fodder. Or burn the damn things.

 

[stig]

We don't have the civil war stuff here.
Our civil wars were fought before they invented iron.
But apart from that............yes.

Tore the crap out of our Bandit once.
Turned out the hollow ash tree was on top of the old village smithy.
Iron everywhere.
Eventually had to bring in a backhoe and dig the stump out.

Fortunately the client was a fencing shop that we have helped cutting lines for years.
He took one look at the mess and said, I'll pay for that shit!

 

[lumberjack]

I have a stump grinder so I don't have to deal with another company for that. I had a grinder but used a sub for 4 years until he repeatedly dropped the ball on a large job. I said hell with and bought a new, bigger (RG80) grinder and took care of the stumps myself. That was November of 2020, the grinder still has under 100 hours on it, but they go for ~$20k more than what I paid.

Zero regrets about having a powerful compact grinder with a remote control. I have no ambitions of owning an unpowerful compact grinder again (like the inexpensive 38hp gas grinders).

 

[flushcut]

High HP is real nice in a stumper.

 

[SeanKroll]

How do you feel about losing those 15 jobs a year? How many stumps was that?

Is your dance card full?

How big of stumps do you need to grind?


I've have a small Rayco (originally 20hp, upgraded to a low for 25hp).

I avoid grinding when I can, either by giving alternatives (e.g.,low stump plus mulch) or subbing/ passing to a good stump service.

Good to have for the occasional stump (s) for great customers. I've only got $4-5k into it, total, in 12 years.

I've used it for my own person stumps, too.


An 80k grinder would be super fast, but a waste of money for me.
I can sell it now for a couple grand easily.


Just a different story.

Your situation is its own thing.

 

[Raj]

In my area stumps are a great fill in, decent money and not much time. There is always an Italian who cut a fruit tree down and wants the stump gone to plant another one. I find it interesting to see the root patterns, but that is me. There are tons of tree guys and stump guys, but they are busy, and I'm able to swoop in and get those jobs.

 

[canadianclimber]

Losing the the 15ish jobs isn't to big of deal. I am busy enough. Trees aren't huge in my area. I always offer alternative. Most trees are around mulch beds anyways. Or they are coming down due to other landscape projects. Rare to deal with a 36 dbh tree. Lots in the 24inch range. What I'm starting to notice is the couple of tree companies that have grinders low bid the removal and jack the grinding price since they know it is a unique machine to the area.

Always seem to hit the year end goals. Maybe it's just my competitive nature. I feel like there are other pieces of equipment I'd like to buy to help with production or open other avenues of income.

 

[SeanKroll]

If you don't have a material handler, it's the way to go. A stumper would be way down the list.


Never mind how guys run their show. Be happy with the way you run yours.