Stumpy Grinder

When you get the new parts, take note of the codes and part numbers before they wear away. You will soon find a cheaper alternative, and probably the same one as they buy them from! SG:thumbup:

Most machines tend to use two bolt cast iron 'pillow' block bearings. They are easy to change and usually locate on the shaft with two allen type grub screws. Unless they are corroded, they should slide off relatively easy. The makers recommended ones are always expensive as importers and retailers all add their costs on. Best thing to do is find the equivalent high quality bearing and fit it yourself! RHP do some very good ones which will match your current ones. They also do belts! Just get the code from your ones and find an alternative! For instance, all 'V' belts have a code such as A64 in the part number. That means it is an 'A' profile with a 64 inch internal diameter. You should find pretty much any bearing or belt you need here at a vastly reduced cost! Buy 2 bolt cast iron pillow block housings online Shame you are so far away or I could come and help. Then again, it isn't or we would be in competition! Regards SG I don't really see how anyone can really make a living from doing stumps if they can't fully maintain and repair their own machines as they require constant TLC due to the harsh life they lead. A new machine will last a good while, but will eventually self-destruct even if maintained properly. The cost of a new machine is a lot to recuperate, so you can't just keep buying new ones! Effective maintenance and repair is the only way to make them cost effective. A £30,000 machine that has done only 530 hours has already cost you £56.60/Hour in purchase alone without running costs, fuel or profit! That's a lot of money to make back! Breakdowns that you can't repair yourself cost a fortune in parts/labour and lost work. I try and carry enough spares and tools so that I can fix a machine myself on site. I've only twice failed to complete a job where I couldn't fix the machine on site.

I would say that less than 5% of the work I do requires access less than 3 foot (or 36"). That means that I can do 95% with a bigger machine which takes much less time and effort on my part! If I lost the other 5%, I wouldn't be too bothered as they are often awkward and hard work! It's not just width, but tight corners, slopes, steps, raised borders and other obstacles that are restrictive. I also have a Rayco RG 20 with reduced width down to 29" which is self drive and can get most places but is still very capable. If that won't get there, then there's the Alpine Magnum which I use for probably less than 1% of jobs. Very hard work, very thirsty, very expensive teeth, but again very capable and has its place in my arsenal of machines! Getting a smaller machine may get you everywhere, but it will hurt your pocket and your body! Bigger is definitely better and more cost effective. Possibly even worth hiring a smaller machine (or some mug like me!) for the infrequent 5% of work? SG

Not heard that one before, but wow!.............. Mariella Frostrup accidentally invites swingers with pampas grass - Telegraph Could be good way to get some pampas removal jobs, or possibly some alternative stump grinding! SG

Surely it will just grow back again? I've taken loads of Pampas and Bamboo root balls out with the grinder. It goes through them like there's nothing there! I'm guessing it would do the same if it was still standing. Probably create quite a mess though? I'd like to try and ratchet strap around the top and then grind the base. I reckon that would work nicely! SG

Even the polychain belts are about a quarter of the price! All you need is the pitch distance between teeth, number of teeth, width and length which you can generally read off your old belt. Worth having a spare at those prices?

Having replaced a lot of Pillow Block Bearings now on various machines, I think it is worth voicing my opinion. I use Rayco Stump grinders which are undoubtedly excellent machines with exceptional engineering. They tend to use 'Sealmaster' bearings which are very good and robust. Unfortunately, they cost a bloody fortune for what is effectively a consumable part on a stump grinder. A recent bearing failure cost me £86 for just the sealmaster bearing inner. They are American. I thought that it was about time to see if there was an alternative...... After a few measurements and a short space of time on the internet, I soon discovered there was! A company called 'Simply Bearings' were extremely helpful and a pair of complete high quality RHP bearings including housing and inserts cost the same a single insert delivered! Yes, two complete bearings delivered for just £86!!! Buy 2 bolt cast iron pillow block housings online At first glance, they are extremely well made and smooth running, although not quite as well finished on the cast iron housing as the sealmaster. However, the inner race is extremely well engineered and appears to be better sealed. Anyway, I've been running them now on the top jackshaft position for a good while and they a performing extremely well and don't seem to require much grease as they don't leak. At a quarter of the cost, they appear to be just as good! Don't be a slave to manufacturers recommendations, as there are definitely cheaper alternatives! The same is true with belts! SG

Ah, that's a bit more useful information! Your vehicle should have an audible relay which 'beeps' with your indicators/hazard lights and is common to both with a trailer fitted. Check that for open cct or broken wires. Short cct's normally blow fuses! SG

Couple of old pallets and some cammo netting with maybe some of the Laurel branches on top would make a better den. Sometimes a good gesture can go a long way. Most of our type of work comes from word of mouth and a good reputation. Use the situation to promote yourself as a good guy and you could do well out of it. You clearly are already that or you wouldn't be bothered by the situation. SG

If the same happened with two different trailers, then it is clearly the truck which is at fault. The Earth is quite often the problem which is the white cable. Try and join this with a wire to a known good earth point on the vehicle and it may cure it. Otherwise, the RH indicator is the Green cable which may have a short circuit. Problems usually occur at termination points such as plugs of earth bonding points. I should caveat that I grind tree stumps, but I also have a HND in electronic engineering! SG

Explain that the work is not up to the standard you would expect and show him exactly why. Explain what you believe to be the cause of the substandard work. Show him exactly how you wish the job to be done and the standard you wish to achieve. Most of all, remember how good/bad you were at that level of experience. You can't teach experience, you can only gain it. You have failed yourself through a lack of supervision. If he is a true friend, he will be understand and be receptive. If he is not, then ditch him and move on, as he is not a true friend. SG

I've got a rather strange belief that one day I will discover some kind of treasure beneath an old stump! Probably an old oak or yew that once had something buried alongside it or even within an old notch which has subsequently spread over hundreds of years! So, a year or two ago I was clearing a load of stumps in an old cottage garden on the edge of an old Suffolk airfield (Horham). The last stump was a smallish cherry tucked behind a shed right on the boundary with limited access. Lots of debris flying around as normal, and then I noticed yellow shards of metal. I pulled the machine out to see yet more yellow metal. Gold! I've struck Gold I thought! However, closer inspection revealed that I had actually just smashed through some live .50 Cal ammunition which must have been buried there after the war! Thankfully I'd gone through it sideways and not hit any primers which I'm sure would have gone off as they still looked very preserved and the powder still dry within. After serving 24 years in the army and survived being shot at several times, it would have been somewhat ironic to have shot myself with a stump grinder?! My search for my pot of gold continues! SG

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That would explain the terminology used by the chap that sold them to me that described the 242 as going like a 'Raped Ape'! Sounds like I got a bargain with a pair of 2 series in great condition, fully serviced and ready to go for £300?

I bought a 242 and a 254 recently off a chap for about £300. Both great condition and amazing old saws without the modern complications! My local 'chainsaw doctor' reckons the 254 is the best chainsaw ever made as it revs higher than any other and is bomb proof? I'm not entirely sure of the technicalities, but I do respect his judgement. I just stuck an Oregon chisel chain on the 254 on the original 18" bar and it cuts at a rather alarming rate for such an old saw! The 242 is much lighter. It too has the original 15" bar and the throttle response is instant! The build quality of these saws which must be 30 years old now seems to be so much better than modern equivalents? Or is it that the 'Eco' restrictions and gadgetry create more problems? Either way, I suspect my old 2 series saws will still be going strong long after most of the latest 5 series will have expired? I've heard great things about the 346 XP and need one! Chainsaw manufacturers would do well to remember two of my favoured motto's: 1. Keep it simple! 2. Don't try to fix something that isn't broken! If they reintroduced some of these older models, they would be bought in an instant! What does that tell you? SG

https://www.lambin.fr/tronconneuse/tronconneuse-thermique-professionnelle/1676-tronconneuse-thermique-professionnelle-husqvarna-346xp-45sn.html Voila!

I can't quite work out your thinking there? 2 or 3 days hire for 4 or 5 small stumps? Probably less than an hours work? Just find someone local like myself that can charge by the hour or job. More cost effective than hiring or buying one. Even small machines fetch ridiculous money. SG

The tail isn't right. It starts too far up the spine. What species is it supposed to be? Head looks a bit like a Roe, but they don't even have tails. Nice work, but I'd say ditch the tail and just have a rounded back end. SG

Why would you even considering hiring a machine and digging it out? You'll just end up with a big hole and a huge stump to get rid of, as well as a day's hire. A stump grinder would smash that out in a fraction of the time for a lot less money and all that is left is some woodchip to fill the hole. SG

My guess would be that the piece of metal that once filled that hole was guilty of scoring your bore! Not good reliability considering limited use, but at least they honoured the warranty. Best thing you can do now is sell it whilst it is still working and use the money to buy a Husky! SG

And who do you think will get the ultimate vote on that when or if the petition gets discussed in parliament?

I think that bearings, along with belts and teeth can almost be considered as 'consumables' on a stump grinder as they will regularly need replacing. There are ways of setting teeth that are maybe less aggressive and prolong bearing life, but then grinding takes more time! You just have to factor such costs in as a percentage to every job as they are inevitable. Stump grinders are not cheap to buy, or run and maintain! SG

Why not put it on here mate. Many of us regard our dogs as family members and rate them higher than many people we know. Losing a dog is like losing a child to many people, and to think where some of them may end up is extremely distressing. There is actually a petition going at the moment to try to raise the deterrent of this awful crime which is becoming more common. Please sign: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/181752 There is also the 'Dog Lost' site which might help: DogLost - Reuniting Lost Dogs With Their Owners I hope there is a safe reunion. SG

Need another frost really before I can mow so that I can pick up all the dog shite whilst its frozen as it is much easier! SG

There is one point worth clarifying here. As I don't generally cut trees down myself, most of the work I do is as a 'subby' for other tree workers, landscape gardeners, patio/driveway specialists, site clearance, foresters etc... So the price I'm quoting is for THEM and not the customer! Most know what I can do and I'm happy for them to quote on my behalf which means they generally make a bit too! I'm not VAT registered so if they are then that needs to be factored in. In fact, I often do much better out of this than if I quote privately as some of them seen to charge obscene amounts which I clearly see the benefit of! Basically, a lot of folk have come to realise that it is much more cost effective to hire me and my machines for the minimum time required as opposed to an expensive machine for the whole day which they then have to operate (and is generally in a poor state of repair with blunt teeth and no power!) It's a 'win-win' situation for all concerned. Of course I do some private work and I undoubtedly could charge a bit more in some circumstances, but I'm in a fortunate position where I don't rely on this income (yet!) so I'm happy to let the business grow and invest any profit back into it. In the meantime, my good name and client database continue to grow at an alarming rate without advertising! I will come to rely on this more in the coming years, and it could be passed on to my sons. I don't want to be seen as a bad person, but it is my business plan and it appears to be working nicely. Regards, SG