Stumpy Grinder

That's where a little Alpine Magnum comes into its own! You can run it parallel to the wall and come in at an angle and literally take everything out up to the brickwork! I only use it for a very small percentage of jobs or for finishing off jobs like that, but sometimes it is worth its weight in Gold! Actually though, they cost about £7000 new so they really are almost worth their weight in Gold! The other alternative there would be a petrol disc cutter with a Terrasaur carbide blade to trim the last bits out. Pink scaffolding definitely doesn't help though! SG

I really must start to take more before and after photos! Some great stuff in this thread. I did a job last year at the back of an old airfield. A cherry stump about 10 inches across tight behind an old shed. Noticed a few bits of old metal flying about but nothing too big. Looked down the hole and realised that I'd ground thorough some live .50cal ammunition which had been buried after the war! That could have been interesting if I'd hit a primer! SG

Here it comes! Here's a great website for any meteorological buffs where you can be in the middle of a storm and see where the lightning strikes around you and wait for the noise! https://www.lightningmaps.org/?lang=en#m=sat;r=0;t=3;s=0;o=0;b=;n=0;y=51;x=-3.0762;z=5; Enjoy! SG

Looking at the design more closely, I think this may be a converted wheeled strimmer! The guard at the front would be a little bigger than the cutter line. The castor works the same as on a pedestrian flail giving good manoeuvrability whilst keeping the head at a constant but adjustable height. Turf tyres and a relatively small engine would also indicate more of a mowing machine? I hope you didn't pay a stump grinder style price for it? SG More pictures of it here: Stump Grinder | eBay

Can't say I've ever seen one like that before. Most will have a makers name somewhere, but there are a serious amount of home made versions and copies about. I would think looking at the brake style lever and lawnmower throttle that this is a home made one. It has a Honda engine which is a good feature. If it works - it works. Any machine of that size will have its limitations though. It will be low powered and light weight which will batter you as well as the stump (eventually!). Ok for occasional light use, but that's about it. That said, all stumps are made of wood! It's just a case of how much time and effort you want to expend. That machine would take out a privet hedge stumps in no time, but a 5 foot oak stump would be rather emoitional! Keep your teeth sharp and cut a little at a time. Move the machine so that you cut along the grain and not across it for maximium effect. Technique is important with a smaller machine. Some operators just rely on brute power with blunt teeth to overcome poor technique which is also not cost effective. Where did you buy it from? SG

Obviously deep enough to remove the wood! But... you raise another valid point! Imagine how much a hole that deep will continues to sink after back-filling as the soil consolidates? Probably considerably more than a rotting sub-surface root? SG

Interesting concept with very little practical application. Looks good on an old rotten stump that it can slide over but what about a 5' freshly cut oak? It also has to go VERY deep to ensure the core pulls out. You certainly couldn't just skim a stump down 6" below a prize lawn to turf over with minimal disturbance. You also need to make a huge hole for even the smallest stump. Severe narrow access and weight issues! Looks like a lot of outlay for something that you could rarely use in realistic situations. SG

Fair point! As you can see I have no interest in it or any idea who's playing. I wonder how it would affect the vote though if they came home early? I'm sure there are those with the mentality to use their vote to snub? SG

I suppose if we leave the Eu that would be the end of this embarrassment every 4 years? Another good reason for vote to leave. SG

Another thing I've been asked for in the past is twisted decorative looking root for use in making trunks for Bonsai trees to grow up around. I would imagine yew would be ideal and could find you a home for bits that would otherwise be wasted with little labour required either! Worth a Google! SG

Probably right. If they were worth that much I wouldn't have ground out as many like that as I have! Surprisingly easy to grind too as they are hard but with no solid structure. Some fantastic colours and grain though. Probably best for small projects such as knife blanks which are also cheaper to post! I reckon cutting it won't be too chain friendly either! Knife blanks sold on eBay would probably work but a lot of work for little reward I would predict? SG

I doubt they have much European Ash to worry about it? The airborne spores only really affect the leaves which remain here. They are probably still getting over 'agent orange' dieback spread by American forces! SG

He says it has been dug up so clearly looking to sell it? I'd have thought wood turners would love it but they never want to pay much! I have a friend near Mendlesham that would probably be interested. Is that far from you? I tried shifting some English walnut a while back thinking it would make good gun stocks and discovered that the finest stocks are made from walnut root wood! SG

Do Husky's run hotter than others? I was also advised to run my 3120 XP on a 1:32 mix by its previous owner, but I'm guessing that would have been mineral? I've been running it on 1:50 Husky oil and it seems fine. Its fitted to an Alpine Magnum so runs at full trigger most of the time as well. It is a bit of a brute and bloody thirsty!!!! SG

Because there's 2500 acres of it and it will soon all be dead!

I was advised recently to only use Husky 2 Stroke Oil in Husky saws as they run hotter than Stihl and the oil can cope. (this was from a very reputable local chainsaw establishment) Interestingly, one of the chaps I grind stumps for had a brand new Husky which seized after only a year. He'd been running it on Stihl Oil. Has anyone else had a similar experience? SG

Sent from here full of Ash to Vietnam where it is made into furniture and probably sold back to us! Any sensible forester will be thinning the Ash as much as possible before Chalara makes it worthless. Ash die back has seriously taken hold now here in East Anglia. There will certainly be a lot of firewood about. I will probably do quite well out of stump removal from ash trees removed from gardens. It is rather sad though as one wood I manage locally there are 600 year old coppiced Ash stools dying. SG Forgot to mention, this is still green exported not K'D'd.

PM sent. SG

Can I drive it? If you think stump grinders are scary dangerous machines, check this out! [ame] [/ame]SG

Getting it there would be tricky as it's too far to drive it. I'd need a plant trailer of about 7m length. Weight of tractor and chopper would be about 2500 kg so could just about tow it behind a Ranger (3500kg limit?) if the trailer was less than 1000 kg. Could run it for about £250/day as it is a 'good cause'! I doubt you'd have a full days work though as it cuts at a good fast pace?

It's a gnarly machine that has no modern equivalent! Picture a upturned skip base with a 100 kg square steel plate rotating at 541RPM with a 3 kg drop down swivel blade at each corner. This is driven from the PTO which has a shaft direct to an old car wheel and tyre. The wheel sits on top of the rotating plate and drives it. It is so clever as the tyre slips under stress (controlled by tyre pressure) and is effectively your safety clutch! It also works as a 90 degree gearbox which is a weak link on many toppers. It weighs 900kg which is about all my old Ford 4000 can take with maximum weights on the front. The tractor is 40 years old and fully air conditioned with the glass replaced with wire mesh and branch deflector bars. If I can drive the tractor over it, it will cut it. If I can't, I just reverse through it! http://www.theauctioneer.co.uk/2015.november/images.3/IMG_2999.JPG

I donated it to the Game Shoot BBQ if you recall? I've been meaning to pop down for a stalk and look at what you've been up to lately. I've heard you've been busy! I've still got the Reco 'Whoppa Choppa' on the back of my tractor which will smash a 6 foot path through brush and small trees. If there's a bit of work I'm sure I could get it down there.

Ha Ha! I just had a look back through your posts and worked out that it was someone that makes charcoal and is as mad as a bag of weasels! I even named your charcoal maker! Hope you are well!

Yes - cover blown already! Who's that? If that's you in the Avatar I'm not sure I want to know!

I drive a White Ford Ranger that I bought off some dodgy geezer who I see is on here - be sure to wave back!