homemade stump grinder?

[flatyre]

I've got a real bee in my bonnet about building my own stump grinder. Now I know many of you will say "just buy one" but funds are very tight at the moment. I like tinkering with stuff as a hobby and this could be something that actually pays for itself and might even bring in enough money to pay for a factory one. I got the idea from looking at a little petrol rotavator I just picked up. I know this is an overly simplified evaluation but basically you need a frame, engine and belt driven grinding head. Apart from the actual grinding head, I have plenty of usable parts, small rough terrain wheels, petrol and diesel engines, controls etc. However a local guy is selling three old Howard rotavators for parts or repair, which could be beefed up and modified to take a stump grinding head, advantage of using the Howard is the self drive. I don't expect it to be a weekend job, but what do any fellow tinkerers think?

[treequip]

Things like PUWER and CE are putting an end to DIY builds, unless you are willing to "wing it" a bit

 

Rotavators are low speed high torque things and a grinder will need a much faster cutter wheel.

 

Adapting an existing machine can be more work than a scratch build and you are probably going to need both engines to power it or proprietary machines are going to laugh and kick sand on your machines face:laugh1:

[tcfengineering]

I say have go, but be safe. I have built loads of things for my own use which wouldnt stack up as a commercial product if you factored in time.

 

Start by finding out as much specification as possible from a commercial grinder and see if you can make this work with what you have got. Whatever you do, post up some pics for everyone to see, and if you need advise, just ask. Above all stay safe, if you are not 100% sure that it is OK, then redo it or go back to the drawing board

[Shane]

Wasn't there a thread on here a couple of years ago when someone made a really amazing machine with an elongated cutting wheel - very well engineered iirc.

 

We just need someone with more computer skill than me to put up a link and help out.

[Scott Walker]

Wasn't there a thread on here a couple of years ago when someone made a really amazing machine with an elongated cutting wheel - very well engineered iirc.

 

We just need someone with more computer skill than me to put up a link and help out.

 

Yes, I was just about to say that. The grinder he built was on tracks and looked a cracking machine, I think the guy who built it was a heavy plant fitter/tree surgeon

[Jonny69]

I've got a real bee in my bonnet about building my own stump grinder. Now I know many of you will say "just buy one" but funds are very tight at the moment. I like tinkering with stuff as a hobby and this could be something that actually pays for itself and might even bring in enough money to pay for a factory one. I got the idea from looking at a little petrol rotavator I just picked up. I know this is an overly simplified evaluation but basically you need a frame, engine and belt driven grinding head. Apart from the actual grinding head, I have plenty of usable parts, small rough terrain wheels, petrol and diesel engines, controls etc. However a local guy is selling three old Howard rotavators for parts or repair, which could be beefed up and modified to take a stump grinding head, advantage of using the Howard is the self drive. I don't expect it to be a weekend job, but what do any fellow tinkerers think?

 

Wireless Remote Controlled Tracked Stump Grinding Machine - Bailey Forestry Engineering

 

Anything is possible.

 

I wish id have bought this when it was up for sale. Not seen it running but the spec was pretty good for a homebuild

[Gray git]

Wireless Remote Controlled Tracked Stump Grinding Machine - Bailey Forestry Engineering

 

Anything is possible.

 

I wish id have bought this when it was up for sale. Not seen it running but the spec was pretty good for a homebuild

 

That looks realy impressive!