Re: 3 point beast of a STUMPGRINDER checked off my "attachments to buy" list today
Thanks Piston. The possibility of a size upgrade is one of the 2 reasons I would probably consider the larger grinder over the smaller one.
That changes everything
I just noticed the the "for sale" in your sig.
In that case, (and assuming the money isn't a big issue which it sounds like it's not) I think you'd be smart to go with the larger grinder.
I've found the WorkSaver SG-36 sale priced @ $5200... it's rated for around 40-100 HP. The dealer says that, while my tractor would be at the lower range of horsepower, it should still work fine.
Your dealer is spot on. My grinder is rated for 35-100hp and weighs 1200lbs. It works fine behind my tractor, in fact it works really well, perfectly fine, the only difference is that I can't take as big of a bite as with a larger tractor.
The diameter of the wheel is 34" if I remember correctly, and I want to say it's 3/4" thick, so you have a LOT of rotating mass there. Once you get the wheel spinning (I set the RPM's to a high idle, and feather the clutch for a second until it's spinning) then it takes a lot for it to stop. That rotating mass helps out with the lower hp.
The other reason is the weight; I would think that the extra weight of the larger unit would help it stay more stable and not bounce around as much as the lighter one. Thoughts?
I remember reading on here that someone (not sure if it was one or more people) did notice that with the design of the smaller units they tend to be less stable, and put a twisting force on the swinging arm assembly. If you look at the design of the smaller ones, I think they are offset to one side (where the side to side pivot point is) and supposedly isn't as stable. I didn't mention this before because it's sort of splitting hairs and being too "picky" as I don't think it makes a difference in actual use. Hopefully "Foggy" will chime in here, it may have been him that mentioned it in the past.
I wasn't going to mention this before, but since you asked I will. My grinder is very heavy, and because of that, and how the left/right swing arm is mounted in the center, it is absolutely rock solid when planted on the ground and grinding a stump.
Piston, what exactly do you find as a limiting factor when using it on our size tractors? Does it cause the engine to bog down, or do you have to go more slowly when cutting through a stump?
Yes and yes
The limiting factor is good ole horsepower! If I take too big of a bite, and go to fast on the swing, it will cause the engine to bog down. I've stalled it a few times by taking too much of a bite, and hitting the swing cylinder a little too fast. (I probably should have had my slip clutch set a little lighter.)
Honestly, I don't think I would grind stumps any "better" or "faster" with the smaller grinder that is more properly sized to my machine. I think it would "feel" more efficient, since I'd be using up most of the capability of the grinder, but I really don't know if it would be quicker??? It may be, I've never operated the smaller version so I can't say. However, I've never met a stump that even stood a chance against me
My situation is, I've probably got close to 200 stumps of my own, with more in the future as I cut down more trees ... and I also wouldn't mind hiring myself out occasionally to make a few bucks on the side to help pay for the implement.
That's exactly my situation as well. I have a never ending supply of stumps, and occasionally do jobs on the side. People are always impressed with the machine. I've never operated a dedicated stumpgrinder, but I imagine it would cost a pretty penny to get one with a 40hp diesel engine driving it. I've had many comments on how powerful and downright scary it is to be near when it's running. Definitely don't let bystanders stand by!
Could you ballpark the typical time it takes you to grind an average sized stump, say 14 inches across, and about 12 inches high... call it hardwood for the sake of argument.
Thanks again.
14"??? My initial answer is "surprisingly fast." If it took 10 mins then I am doing something wrong! I posted a video (albeit extremely BORING) of the first stump I ever ground on youtube. I set up my phone to video it, and it was the first time I used the stumpgrinder, so I had no experience and it's about as long as it should ever take to grind a stump that size. I'll see if I can find a link, you can check the length of the video and see how long it was. I want to say it took me about 15 minutes to grind a roughly 16-18" stump maybe??? It was white oak. I could do it in probably half the time now.
So much "depends" as usual. On big stumps with shallow roots, I often find myself chasing the roots, it almost takes more time to chase the roots and grind them than it does the stump. I ground a large pine in the fall and had to chase the roots all over creation, I think it took close to an hour and a half to do that ONE stump.
Also, depth makes a big difference, if you want to go 12" below ground, the stump flares out a lot on certain trees, this means that a 14" stump turns into a 24" stump a little ways down.
I suppose the bottom line is, I've never operated a smaller (more properly sized) stump grinder on my tractor, so I can't compare them honestly. However, I am consistently impressed with how much of a beast this grinder is. It's one of those things that just give you a huge shiteating grin every time you use it.
