Vermeer SC30TX grinder

[David Cropper]

I finally got my new grinder yesterday, a Vermeer SC30TX, the tracked one. I'm undecided if I like it. After trading in my Predator 450 thinking it would be more efficient and obviously easier on my joints, I felt that I was taking twice as long to do a stump. Fair enough I only did one large willow which I had started with the 450 before the head gasket blew, but it seemed an entirely different experience. The good old 450 would eat most stumps when the multi tip teeth were in good nick but as this was my first willow in 5 years of pretty regular grinding, maybe up to 4 days a week, I found that both machines were finding it hard going. Is willow a difficult grind? I seem to remember someone on here remarking that the hydraulic grinders seemed underpowered compared to belt driven. I found that I had to take thin slivers at each pass rather than the hefty slices with the 450, it seemed to want to jump about as though I was trying to cut too deep or the teeth were too worn. The Vermeer is 1 year old with only 15.5 hours on the clock, the yellow jacket teeth have only been used on one edge, don't look too bad, maybe I'm too used to the multi tip system to compare. I will turn the teeth tomorrow on the next job to see if it makes a big difference. Anyone have anything to similar experiences?

[Gray git]

Willow and pop are about the worst to grind as stringy and fibrous, give me a hawthorn or sycamore any day!

Hydraulic grinders like little and often across the stump rather than big slow deep bites of a belt driven machine

[David Cropper]

Thanks for that Gray Git, I have done pops before and didn't have a problem, found them very easy. I found yesterday that boredom was setting in after a couple of hours only using one hand on the joystick instead of wrestling the 450 about. At least the 450 kept me fit, now I suspect I'm going to have one callused hand, no dirty comments please, and a bigger belly than before. I could almost have read a book yesterday to keep me interested, a very strange experience. Got a badly sunburned neck as I didn't really move about enough.

[David Cropper]

To make matters worse yesterday, no brew or drinks were offered and it was 28 degrees. My mate was there on his digger and I asked him if he had had one, never been asked in 4 days of being there. I saw the tree surgeon today who dropped the willow and when I asked him about brews, he said the same thing, a dry site. Pillock never thought to tell me beforehand.

[Gray git]

Just look on the bright side, at least you weren't sweating and thirsty ;-)

[David Cropper]

Thirsty yes, sweaty no.

[swinny]

Yes they are a totally different experience to the pedestrian grinders.

 

I have quite a few stumps to grind tomorrow 14-16"

 

I own a vermeer sc252 basically same as yours but not on tracks. Yes it does seem slow but you dont get tired, you can lift the head up and look into the stump to see where you need to go, you can keep grinding in the bottom of the stump without arm fatigue.

 

So many positives. Yes also i think they cut / spin slower than a pedestrian grinder.

 

You will get used to it

 

If you had have bought a radio remote grinder you could have sat down to do it lol

Edited May 19, 2015 by swinny

[Mick Dempsey]

The Vermeer sc30 has a hydraulically driven wheel doesn't it? Does your 252 Chris?

[Buzzsurgeon]

Willow is tough to grind with all but the most powerful machines. Keep your tips sharp, get a cordless grinder and diamond disc. Sharpen little and often, you'll soon notice when it's been dulled.

[Mick Dempsey]

Done some googling, from what I can see the 252 has a belt driven system the sc30 hydraulic drive, and therein lies the rub. Power is lost with hydraulics so that's why it's so gutless at the stump.