Vermeer SC30TX grinder

[Jesse]

Although I am not familiar with the Vermeer it is true you have to adapt the way in which you grind with an hydraulic grinder. It is true there is a power loss but this is far outweighed by numerous other benefits, with a pedestrian grinder you are controlling the speed in which you grind as well as the depth you grind to, the slew action needs to be slower with the hydraulic grinders but you can still take a fair cut.

 

I have customers who purchased these type of grinders years ago now & would never go back to a belt grinder, once you get use to it, it may well seem different. If not I will come to the rescue.

 

I can vouch for Dean, as Dean says you will either get used to it or get rid of it, as its new its a great commodity anyway so you will never loose much trading against something new, once you start flogging it that could be a different matter, i did think as Jo Beau were on your side of the pond you would get a good deal ? i have run a lot a lot of machines and firmly believe don't pursue if its not what you had hoped for, if nothing else was i correct about the very poor working position ?

[David Cropper]

Good point well put Darren. Jesse, as to the poor working position I had the same problem when I bought the Predator. I couldn't in the first few minutes get used to the length of the machine. I was with Darren Shepherd on it's first job, I got him to spot for me so I could weigh up the position of the cutting wheel. After a while it was second nature to know exactly where to grind. I expect that after today's jobs, first one is small apple stumps then on to the next which is conifer hedge stumps, I should get more of an idea. That willow stump was a bugger as all the roots had to be taken out as well so may be starting with a new machine on a hard grind did give me a false impression. Saturday's work is two large hazel clumps on a steepish slope, this is where the Predator would have knackered me.

Jo Beau are in Belgium, but as I said in a previous thread, the small chipper club, I bought a used M200 off a Brit, the prices here are more than I would pay from Dean. It's not an option in moving the Vermeer on, too costly. This has to be my last machine that I buy, I have already sold any of my body parts that I don't need to buy the Vermeer. Plus the local tree surgeons are waiting in the wings for me to snuff it to get their greasy hands on my kit.

[Mick Dempsey]

Although I am not familiar with the Vermeer it is true you have to adapt the way in which you grind with an hydraulic grinder. It is true there is a power loss but this is far outweighed by numerous other benefits, with a pedestrian grinder you are controlling the speed in which you grind as well as the depth you grind to, the slew action needs to be slower with the hydraulic grinders but you can still take a fair cut.

 

I have customers who purchased these type of grinders years ago now & would never go back to a belt grinder, once you get use to it, it may well seem different. If not I will come to the rescue.

 

Firstly lets get our terminology right (for anyone who is confused, not you Dean obviously), by pedestrian grinder we're talking about the grinders where you move the head across and up and down by hand a la hb20, then you have the driven grinders like the 252 or the Rayco 1625/35 where you control the movements hydraulically but the wheel is belt driven direct (well by two belts) from the engine. Lastly the ones like the the Vermeer where the head is driven by hydraulics.

Now I have to tell you that having read up before my latest purchase on a lot of machines (Rayco 1635 although I'm sure I'd have just as pleased with an equivalent Bandit) I would not go near a machine with a hydraulically driven head (unless the HP is so big it would not matter) You talk of a power loss, well having spent many many hours standing behind and alongside machines, loss of power is the very last thing you want, there is not one benefit that compensates for spending more time behind a gutless machine tickling a stump (standing there with a grin on your face thinking "ooooh isn't this reliable!" Doesn't count)

 

The guy with a 252 who demoed a sc30 and thought it was too slow even with the same engine was particularly illuminating.

[Ty Korrigan]

Stu, I always offer grinding as an option/service. Dave always gets the job. Likewise if he is out on other jobs and gets asked about trees, it comes my way.

We have a very loyal gentleman's agreement.

We could rip each other off for a few hundred euro but it would lose us thousands in a year to break that trust/bond.

 

Very honourable indeed but your stumps alone won't pay a mans wages.

Likewise, with our machines even with our turnover of stumps so doing a bit of commercial prospecting to other small tree outfits with a flyer in French could do no harm.

Cold calling the Service Techniques of various small communes might go a long way too but using your name vat number on the flyer as larger organisations don't tend to use non-tva reg micro businesses.

 

Ty

[David Cropper]

Stu. I don't rely just on Darren, there are another 4 Brit tree surgeons and one French one who passes all their grinding jobs on to me. Don't forget that I am a one man band, with my advertising which is roughly €1500 per year I get more than enough work for my grinder plus the brushcutting, I don't have to worry about staff, business premises or the like. I tried the commune route but one French gang as it sewn up in my area. No mortgage and no debt, a very nice position to be in.

Mick, a bit of a sweeping statement about you wouldn't touch a machine with a hydraulically driven head. Sounds to me like you have an opinion and that's the right one take it or leave it. For myself I will listen to other folks' advice, I wouldn't have asked the question in the first place, but you seem to go for the throat with your, shall we say forthright manner, to be kind. Your reputation precedes you. I had a decent day today having changed the teeth round and found the machine more to my liking. I'm a bloody minded sod and reading what you wrote makes me say I like the machine. I can take constructive comments but not patronising ones.

[Ty Korrigan]

Oh, I hope I've not offended you as well Dave.

Ty

[David Cropper]

Stu, not at all, you have given me good, honest advice in the past for which I am grateful and will accept it in the future. Besides if you had upset me I would have told you. Must be my time of the month.

[Mick Dempsey]

A sweeping statement would be "all Americans are stupid" or "all German shepherds are vicious"

Saying (in response to a post by Dean) I wouldn't buy a machine with a certain drive system based on research and owners reports (not least yours) seems fair enough.

[Ty Korrigan]

Stu, not at all, you have given me good, honest advice in the past for which I am grateful and will accept it in the future. Besides if you had upset me I would have told you. Must be my time of the month.

 

Hot flushes? Short temper? Sagging breasts? ( belly in your case) Menopause Mr Cropper...

Ty

[David Cropper]

All of the above and then some Dr Lee. It didn't help when the client who I haven't seen for 4 years remarked that I had a bit more weight on me now, the bitch.

Jesse, you were right ref the poor work position, it's not ideal. The chip containment is excellent, I save so much time not having to move crap out of the way every 5 minutes as with the 450. All the lads who advised me to sweep across slower and higher than before were spot on, a big difference today. Also I changed the teeth 180 degrees and that with the slower, higher position the grinding went well. The stumps were leylandi up to 60 centimetres diameter,cut down 2 years ago and were as hard as hell, again not an ideal trial after the first willow stump. The same again today but a different customer. Tomorrow is hazel clumps. Onwards and upwards.