Stump Grinding yay or nay?

[hazzygawa]

I had a job last week to grind some small stumps out between two houses. There was a drain either end of the line.

So I decided to lift one of these drain covers made of concrete. It bloody weighed a ton and covered in ants.

 

Beneath was about a ten foot drop in to the sewers. I was just praying that when I put the cover down I didn't drop it down the hole.

It made me sweat an awful lot.

 

The things you do to check for utilities.

[Shane]

Cheers for all the input lads. Reading all that and talking to my uncle the possible plan would be to get a small pedestrian grinder and a trailer and do stump grinding just of a weekend or evening to put a bit more money in the bank, whilst still carrying on with my tree firm employment of a week. Does that sound plausible? I'm a bit sceptical because all my colleagues have said its very boring, expensive replacing teeth and makes one hell of a mess...one lad even said I'll be claiming on insurance every week for smashed windows or cut cables.

 

Why not tout for stumpy jobs, then hire in a small one to get some experience?

As for claims.... use boards to protect windows/greenhouses etc. You can begin by leaning them against tarmac pins or garden forks. You caould go to your local car boot sale and buy up all the old wind-breaks - they serve as an adequate defence. Its the front gardens where you will have most hassle, all the services including very shallow cable tv .

Be careful and maybe hire in a CAT scanner (they pick up dogs too).

 

After a while you'll see what the demand is and know if you want to do it.

PS - till youve had some experience avoid trees outside private gardens - there could be hi voltage stuff BT fibre optics etc.

Start gently and good luck

[Ty Korrigan]

Ah...

We invested in a pedestrian grinder in order to offer the stump as a 'Bolt On'...

It works for us.

We win jobs as we can offer a complete package and I'll ask the client if they want us to grind just below soil level or really clear the stump area for replanting later.

I take photos to show whats what as you never know...

In my opinion, every Arb should have a wee grinder for well...pocket money really.

You can buy one cash and take cash with it (not that I'm advocating such...)

Look, no-one works a full years potential and stumps can generally wait until convenient eh?

Good for slack days, rainy days and Saturdays.

Ty

[Stephen Blair]

Stumps are like firewood, either a sideline or distraction in a small tree surgery business .

Put the same effort into tree work as you would grinding and recieve far greater rewards.

Climbing is the cream, everything else is a lower rate.

I have never lost a job due to me not doing the stump personally.

[Marc Lewis]

About 5 or 6 years ago a mate of mine asked for my advice. He was thinking of buying a stump grinder and and doing solely grinding to make a living. I advised him not to as I could not see the market being that large and that alot of tree surgeons have their own stump grinders. Anyhow he went against my advice and bought a couple of machines (1 large, 1 small) and is now making a really good living at it! He has since employed another person and has enough work for the both of them grinding at different sites full time!

 

The 1 bit of advice I would give (although history shows my advice not to be great, lol), is to get a large machine ie 40 - 50 hp + so you can do stumps quickly and be competitive on price.. You will need a smaller one also for tight access sites.

 

It is worth calling round local tree surgeons and offering your service to them.

 

Good luck if you decide to go ahead with it!

 

Marc

[Breezeblock]

we bought a second hand one about a year ago its only 13 hp and we get quite a lot of work for it i would say its definately worth while but we are only a 2 man band a small band at that:thumbup1:

[ecotreecare]

we bought a second hand one about a year ago its only 13 hp and we get quite a lot of work for it i would say its definately worth while but we are only a 2 man band a small band at that:thumbup1:

 

 

Same here.... Definitely worth it.

[Breezeblock]

ironic our engine pegged it yesterday

[tuttle]

i'm not sure about stump grinding, seen and used one, but seems very time consuming.

 

What I do is dig a moat around the stump and cut it below ground level, customers are always chuft that its gone

[Frankie Lawrence]

i'm not sure about stump grinding, seen and used one, but seems very time consuming.

 

What I do is dig a moat around the stump and cut it below ground level, customers are always chuft that its gone

 

Ha yeah until they want to dig it up! It's a service that earns someone monney and they're paid to do it some time is less of an issue unless you charge the same for digging a moat and flushing a stump off than someone who runs a stump grinder.