PTO driven stump grinder for small tractors

[Tornado]

Been thinking more and more seriously about maybe getting a stump grinder for my L2501. Ive spoke often on these forums about my ongoing yard expansion/ land clearing ive been doing on my 13 acre property. When I bought my house, the woods were about to swallow the yard space. The lady who lived in the house prior was in a wheelchair and I was told never wanted anything cut down, so it grew and grew. Ive transformed the property quite a bit, especially since acquiring the L2501 tractor in May 2019. 75 hours on the trator and nearly all of it has been in pushing tree tops, moving logs, root raking, and discing areas that were formerly heavy woods. Ive planted grass in these areas this year and it looks fantastic. One problem remains however - I have dozens of stumps all over the place. I cut them down low and then just mow around them; Some of them I've burned out, by purposely building my burn piles for cleanup on top of them. I went to the local equipment rental place which is really good, and they have walk behind TORO stump grinders (the bigger ones that run on tracts) for rent for like $250 a day / 8 hour runtime allowance. Ive looked at videos of these units in operation and think id have to spend a lot more than 250 to get all the stumps, and I've have to stump grind for days probably standing behind this thing.

This brings me to where I am now - looking at the only 2 real options for owning my own stump grinder capability without spending thousands of dollars. Im aware of 2 options on the market - the Baumalight 1p24, and the Woodland Mills WG24. Both look fairly similar on the specsheet, and both have good reviews from folks. Ive watched videos of both in action. Baumalight requires me to purchase through a dealer, and woodland mills offers direct ship to customer and no middle man. The WG24 I think would be cheaper but not 100% sure. I'm looking for input on these, and would love to hear from someone who actually owns either of these units. Woodland mills has a note on the website saying that essentially they are backlogged on orders, so I have no idea how long id have to wait. Baumalight I'm stuck going through a dealer. I have hit the website up of the closest dealer on their website but they show no baumalight products in stock at all - baumalight isn't even mentioned on their website anywhere. I have not bothered to call just yet. So, I'm really curious about the purchase experience for either unit from an owner.

part of me also still thinks I should save my money and just let the stumps rot out on their own as I've been doing, maybe rent the Toro and just do the ones I find more annoying. The thought of having my own grinder though is really appealing, especially as I continue to create more and more stumps everywhere. If it sounds like im on the fence, I am. I tend to waffle anytime I see price tags with 4 digits and above.

 

[shelkol]

While I don't have a tractor PTO grinder, I have had a 4 cylinder Vermeer and currently have a Bluebird walk behind. I watched the video on the woodland mills website and have a couple of comments.

1. Since you are up in the tractor seat you may have trouble judging just how much you are trying to take in each pass.
2. I like being able to swing it back and forth as opposed to just going forward and back. I think it gives you more control and you get a better idea of just what is happening.
3. If you are working in a tight space you may not be able to move your tractor in the right position.
4. I live in New England and we grow rocks here ( at least it seems that way) Be prepared to change teeth and find out how much they cost. It becomes a good sized part of your investment.
5. If this is a one shot deal, consider having an excavator come in for a day. You'd be surprised how many stumps they can do in a day. Maybe bury them or have them carted off. You'd probably save money and just watch

 

[B737]

A bunch of us have ordered or recently took delivery of WG24. It is 500 pounds vs 300 pounds of the bauma. I think that is prob one of the biggest differences. About the same price. I would typically rent a hydraulic grinder once or twice a year, but recently placed my order.

Woodland Mills WG 24 stump grinder

Got a call from R&L carriers this evening. My WG 24 stump grinder will be here Thursday of this week. I predict at least half a tank of diesel will get used this weekend. I have several stumps and a few roots that I intend to grind. I will post pics and a review info after I get it. I think...

www.orangetractortalks.com

I know your plight, my property was in similar shape. Nothing ever maintained, dozens of dead trees, fallen logs, overgrown brush so thick you couldnt walk through it. Little bit at a time, one section at a time... The layer of dead leaves was prob 4-5" thick, and totally infested with ticks. It is a very rewarding long term project, to turn into a park like settings.

 

[Tornado]

While I don't have a tractor PTO grinder, I have had a 4 cylinder Vermeer and currently have a Bluebird walk behind. I watched the video on the woodland mills website and have a couple of comments.

1. Since you are up in the tractor seat you may have trouble judging just how much you are trying to take in each pass.
2. I like being able to swing it back and forth as opposed to just going forward and back. I think it gives you more control and you get a better idea of just what is happening.
3. If you are working in a tight space you may not be able to move your tractor in the right position.
4. I live in New England and we grow rocks here ( at least it seems that way) Be prepared to change teeth and find out how much they cost. It becomes a good sized part of your investment.
5. If this is a one shot deal, consider having an excavator come in for a day. You'd be surprised how many stumps they can do in a day. Maybe bury them or have them carted off. You'd probably save money and just watch

Appreciate the points of input shelkol. You make some good points, and ones that have often come up with these pto grinders - mostly the lack of clear vision. I have spent some time watching videos of these grinders being used by folks, and I think its more a thing of getting the feel for it over time. It is not the ideal way to operate a grinder for sure - but the plus side i think is that you can add a $2500 piece of equipment to your tractor, which I already own, and have a fairly capable grinding solution. For someone who already owns a tractor this is about the cheapest way to buy into stump grinding capability, so that is the real appeal here. It seems, based on the videos ive seen, that once you get used to the unit, you can make short work of stumps.

Rocks will be no issue at all here. I'm in north Florida and have very sandy soil. Several of the biggest stumps are within 15 feet of my house, and some near my septic tank. If an excavator was used id want to be the one operating it. I could rent an excavator, but I just really don't like that option. It would be more expensive than a grinder, and the time I would need to rent it for to do all these dozens of stumps would likely be over $1,000, and I wouldnt be surprised if it crept up to the cost of buying one of these options Ive listed. Ive sort of been leaning further and further away from renting something for the work just because ofthe number of stumps I have now, and as I clear more they just keep adding up. I really would rather not dig dozens of holes all over my yard to get stumps out with an excavator though, but I did consider this option as well. I need to get in and buzz these things off in 15 or 20 minutes each and be done with little mess. The only options I'm really considering is grinding the stumps or just ignoring them entirely and letting them rot out.

 

[Tornado]

A bunch of us have ordered or recently took delivery of WG24. It is 500 pounds vs 300 pounds of the bauma. I think that is prob one of the biggest differences. About the same price. I would typically rent a hydraulic grinder once or twice a year, but recently placed my order.

Woodland Mills WG 24 stump grinder

Got a call from R&L carriers this evening. My WG 24 stump grinder will be here Thursday of this week. I predict at least half a tank of diesel will get used this weekend. I have several stumps and a few roots that I intend to grind. I will post pics and a review info after I get it. I think...

www.orangetractortalks.com

I know your plight, my property was in similar shape. Nothing ever maintained, dozens of dead trees, fallen logs, overgrown brush so thick you couldnt walk through it. Little bit at a time, one section at a time... The layer of dead leaves was prob 4-5" thick, and totally infested with ticks. It is a very rewarding long term project, to turn into a park like settings.

When did you place your order B737? What's the backlog like, or have you already recieved yours? Would love to know more about your experience with woodland mills.

Also - Ive seen the weight comparison come up, but I have noted as well that the wg24 lists 500 lbs as the shipping weight of the package, and in other places it lists it as like 480 lbs or osmething, but Iwonder ifthat includes the iron pallet and framing that it ships on. I've tried to research this - I just don't see 200 extra pounds on the WG24 when I review high resolution photos of the 2. I would love to know the actual real weight of the 2 units as standalone units - no shipping weight. I feel like they are closer in weight than 200lbs. They use the same gauge metal it seems, and the cutting disc is the same size, same thickness, and even the same number of teeth.

EDIT: thanks for the link. gonna go read through that thread

 

[dirtydeed]

Tornado,

I can't say enough good things about the woodland Mills WG24. It worked great. I recently ground 78 stumps in approx 20 hours of tractor run time.

Yes, read the above thread...then place your order.

If you have any questions, let me know.

 

[torch]

I'm in north Florida and have very sandy soil. Several of the biggest stumps are within 15 feet of my house, and some near my septic tank. If an excavator was used id want to be the one operating it.

How big are the stumps? If digging them out is on the table, then perhaps consider a backhoe attachment, especially if a backhoe might be useful for future projects.

I've been carving a building lot out of the bush in similarly sandy soil and digging the stumps with a 6' 3ph backhoe that I bought used (but in great shape) for about the price of a new stump grinder. Most are under 12", a couple up to 18" trunk diameter. I had to wrap a couple of the big ones with a chain and pull them out with the bucket, but other than that, no real problems.

An alternative to digging out every last root is a battery operated reciprocating saw. Dig around the stump down to the roots and saw them off.

Just a thought...

 

[Tornado]

Tornado,

I can't say enough good things about the woodland Mills WG24. It worked great. I recently ground 78 stumps in approx 20 hours of tractor run time.

Yes, read the above thread...then place your order.

If you have any questions, let me know.

Kind of a dumb question but just curious - when they deliver this, do they have a way to set the unit down on the ground themselves? Or will they be expecting me to have pallet forks to unload it? I dont have pallet forks for my tractor so just curious about this.

What is the turn around like on ordering and then final delivery? From reading the other thread it seems its a good 7 or so weeks ? Also - how often do the teeth wear down on these things? Just a general ballpark on life expectancy.

appreciate the great review and experience youve had. This matches everything else ive read on the unit

 

[dirtydeed]

for me, it was about 7 weeks. They used R&L Carriers for shipping. Once I got a tracking number, it was delivered within 2-3 days. I had to call to schedule the delivery date. They called me about a half hour before the delivery to verify I was home.

The grinder was delivered via box truck with lift gate. So, no, you don't need forks. I would anticipate your delivery being a bit longer since you're in Florida. Mine came out of Buffalo NY.

I wouldn't worry so much about the teeth since you have sandy soil. Just grab an extra half dozen just in case. I think that I found another supplier that offers teeth at about $10/tooth and I'm planning on getting a grinder wheel to touch them up over the winter.

 

[bird dogger]

Tornado, I just used my WG24 again yesterday behind the B2650. One neighbor (elderly widow) had marked about 75-100 roots protruding or growing at ground level and left over from the removal of a row of giant poplars that had been removed a year ago. My other neighbor walked in front of me and pulled the flags and pointed out the roots as I ground them. Done in hardly an hour or just over. The neighbor helping me then pointed out 3 good sized stumps in his yard and asked how busy I was. The stumps were close together and took maybe 30 minutes tops to get them well below ground level.

I've had the grinder for a year now and I consider it's paid for itself by what's it's done for me and the neighbors. And it's always at the ready when another stump shows up because of a tree being cut down or heavy brush being removed. I agree with Torch, that a backhoe is also nice to have, especially in your lighter soil. If you have upcoming uses for one, that would definitely be something to look into also.

Looking down back over your shoulder to line things up does get old if you're going to grinding all day long. A back up camera is in the works to be mounted on my grinder. It's just not high enough on the to do list and now my grinding jobs are just two or three stumps at a time, which are manageable for me to look backwards. And once you're lined up and starting to grind, your tractor lets you know if you're going to fast or deep as it either starts to bog down or jump/vibrate. they're maybe not ideal on the tractor for getting into real tight spots but if you can back up to it.....you can grind it. the nice thing is they are so simple that there's not much to go wrong with them other than tooth maintenance. No extra motor to maintain, etc. A few grease zerks to grease and that's it.

The shipping crate mine showed up in was no way near 200 pounds and more like 50 at best. It was very light gauge metal.

If one were planning to grind stumps for pay it might not be the right choice. To have handy when ever a stump needs to disappear around here.....it can't be beat. Everyone's circumstances are different though. As far as the build quality, the WG24 is very ruggedly put together.
regards,
david

 

[Tornado]

Tornado, I just used my WG24 again yesterday behind the B2650. One neighbor (elderly widow) had marked about 75-100 roots protruding or growing at ground level and left over from the removal of a row of giant poplars that had been removed a year ago. My other neighbor walked in front of me and pulled the flags and pointed out the roots as I ground them. Done in hardly an hour or just over. The neighbor helping me then pointed out 3 good sized stumps in his yard and asked how busy I was. The stumps were close together and took maybe 30 minutes tops to get them well below ground level.

I've had the grinder for a year now and I consider it's paid for itself by what's it's done for me and the neighbors. And it's always at the ready when another stump shows up because of a tree being cut down or heavy brush being removed. I agree with Torch, that a backhoe is also nice to have, especially in your lighter soil. If you have upcoming uses for one, that would definitely be something to look into also.

Looking down back over your shoulder to line things up does get old if you're going to grinding all day long. A back up camera is in the works to be mounted on my grinder. It's just not high enough on the to do list and now my grinding jobs are just two or three stumps at a time, which are manageable for me to look backwards. And once you're lined up and starting to grind, your tractor lets you know if you're going to fast or deep as it either starts to bog down or jump/vibrate. they're maybe not ideal on the tractor for getting into real tight spots but if you can back up to it.....you can grind it. the nice thing is they are so simple that there's not much to go wrong with them other than tooth maintenance. No extra motor to maintain, etc. A few grease zerks to grease and that's it.

The shipping crate mine showed up in was no way near 200 pounds and more like 50 at best. It was very light gauge metal.

If one were planning to grind stumps for pay it might not be the right choice. To have handy when ever a stump needs to disappear around here.....it can't be beat. Everyone's circumstances are different though. As far as the build quality, the WG24 is very ruggedly put together.
regards,
david

Really appreciate you taking the time to share all of this. I've also read through the other thread shared here. This is what I want to do. Backhoe is more money than I want to spend, and unless I ever find a much larger need for a backhoe I will never own one. Just having to put it on and off all the time as I would have to do, plus the cost, I just have no interest in going that route. I just have no big need for a backhoe. The stump grinder though is super attractive to me because I could see it benefiting me a ton. I have dozens of stumps now as I've said, and I have plans to create dozens more over the next year. Really the only 2 options I was considering was getting a stump grinder (or renting one) or doing nothing at all and just letting the stumps rot out on their own. All of the feedback on the WG24 has been so positive that I really want to go that route. I just need to spend the money now. I have so many other things I have in the plans though its just prioritizing when to make the purchase. If I could go to a store and actually buy the unit and take it home id probably have it today. Knowing its a 2 month wait to get it kinda makes me want to focus on other things on my list - Its weird how that is.

 

[dirtydeed]

Tornado,

Since your in Fla, you'll have no issue grinding stumps in the winter. We get this white "sht" in the winter making it difficult to even find a stump.

Regarding stump removal with a backhoe on compact tractor...Yes, it can be done but it's not a very pleasant experience. It makes one heck of a mess and takes 5-10 times longer to do than simply grinding them. Trust me on that, I have always had a backhoe on my machines, but they rarely get used to dig stumps. They simply aren't built for that task and can be quite expensive to fix what breaks.

The last time I dug out a stump for a neighbor, it cost me nearly $30K. As in, I wound up getting a new tractor. I got pizzed dealing with this stump, and went aggressively at it with a machine too small for the job. I wound up blowing a hydraulic hose and tweaked the frame of the tractor. There was a quarter mile hydraulic oil trail down the road to my house.

Never again.

 

[Tornado]

Tornado,

Since your in Fla, you'll have no issue grinding stumps in the winter. We get this white "sht" in the winter making it difficult to even find a stump.

Regarding stump removal with a backhoe on compact tractor...Yes, it can be done but it's not a very pleasant experience. It makes one heck of a mess and takes 5-10 times longer to do than simply grinding them. Trust me on that, I have always had a backhoe on my machines, but they rarely get used to dig stumps. They simply aren't built for that task and can be quite expensive to fix what breaks.

The last time I dug out a stump for a neighbor, it cost me nearly $30K. As in, I wound up getting a new tractor. I got pizzed dealing with this stump, and went aggressively at it with a machine too small for the job. I wound up blowing a hydraulic hose and tweaked the frame of the tractor. There was a quarter mile hydraulic oil trail down the road to my house.

Never again.

Right. You highlight why digging the stumps up was never a consideration of mine. My step dad has a tractor from another brand of similar size and power to my L2501, but he has a backhoe. Ive watched him dig stumps out on his place. It took forever, it created a mess, and just constantly putting strain on the tractor ripping and clawing and tearing and repositioning and digging and clawing some more. If I had to do this for each of the dozens of stumps on my place It would take me months to get it cleared. To me the stump grinder is simple, fast, consistent, clean, and many times cheaper. Its a no brainer.

Regarding the weight though I did do some more digging. The actual product weight of the WG24 is 470 lbs. Shipping weight is 500lbs. The baumalight 1p24 is 350 lbs ship weight, so it is indeed over 100lbs lighter than the WG24, and costs essentially the same money. The only thing you may could point to for some folks is baumalight claims it is American made, and WG24 is made by a Chinese manufacturer. I know this is a big deal to some folks.

Any of you know if the WG24 is quick hitch compatible? I have the QH15 quick hitch, if it worked with that it would be preferable. That would give me an additional 70 lbs of weight on the 3pt hitch with the grinder. I feel like more weight is perhaps a little plus, and maybe would help stabalize the grinder more and prevent it from bouncing

 

[dirtydeed]

Tornado,

I don't have a quick hitch but took some measurements if it helps... Lower three point yokes min width is 26". max width is 31.25". These are clevis/yoke style.

Top link holes (there are 3 holes at different heights) run 15"-18.5" above the lower lift yoke centers.


I was not aware of the fact that these are made in china. I assumed that they were made in Canada. After reading thru their website, you are correct. That leaves a bit of a pit in my stomach. Wished I hadn't learned that.

Edit: found the hitch dimensions in the manual. (you can download it as well.

 

[Tornado]

Tornado,

I don't have a quick hitch but took some measurements if it helps... Lower three point yokes min width is 26". max width is 31.25". These are clevis/yoke style.

Top link holes (there are 3 holes at different heights) run 15"-18.5" above the lower lift yoke centers.


I was not aware of the fact that these are made in china. I assumed that they were made in Canada. After reading thru their website, you are correct. That leaves a bit of a pit in my stomach. Wished I hadn't learned that.

Edit: found the hitch dimensions in the manual. (you can download it as well.

View attachment 49383

Yea I also saw a video somewhere with a Woodland Mills guys talking about their designing of the WG24 and he openly stated their goal was to put a high quality grinder like this in the market at an attainable price, and so he said they shopped around for manufacturers and landed on one in China.

Its obvious though why they and most companies do this though, China can simply beat everybodies price in manufacturing, meaning you can offer customers a much lower price tag. This may be why the woodland mills product is like 130lbs heavier than the 1p24 product and is still cheaper. If the WG24 was 100% made in North America I would expect the price tag would be over $3,000.

I will take some measurements and see if it will fit the quick hitch.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

One option to a stumpgrinder is to cut close to the ground, chew out a 'bowl' int he stump,pour some diesel in it, let soak in overnight. Next day use propane torch to light it up. Stump will smoulder until stump and roots are gone......

 

[JimmyJazz]

I have quite a bit of experience in this area. A neighbor of mine with an excavating company offered to remove a large red oak tree stump that had been dead for years ,and cut flush for $100. About 20 minutes into the digging the "root ball" was exposed. It was the size of small car. I decided it was easier to leave it than to find a load of dirt to replace it. Yes, I still payed him. Kinda funny. In this case I paid a tree specialist to come and grind it. He did 2 large stumps for $300. If you are still considering letting them rot I would first drill lots of large and deep holes in them. Fill the holes with kerosene , cover with garbage bag and after a few days of topping up light em (the fun part). Light em when the ground is wet if possible. Throw some top soil on the charred remains and let nature do the rest. Cheap and easy.

 

[SidecarFlip]

So do I and I have my own method. I cut them high (the bigger around the higher I cut them). Then I put a chain choker at the top and hook it to my drawbar and put the tractor in FWA 4 low and yank them out of the ground, roots and all. Let them lay there for a couple months do the dirt falls off, drag them to my burn pile and roast them. The big ones (over 15" in diameter, I have ground with a stump grinding outfit. Around here it's 50 cents an inch.

 

[Greg8352]

While I don't have a tractor PTO grinder, I have had a 4 cylinder Vermeer and currently have a Bluebird walk behind. I watched the video on the woodland mills website and have a couple of comments.

1. Since you are up in the tractor seat you may have trouble judging just how much you are trying to take in each pass.
2. I like being able to swing it back and forth as opposed to just going forward and back. I think it gives you more control and you get a better idea of just what is happening.
3. If you are working in a tight space you may not be able to move your tractor in the right position.
4. I live in New England and we grow rocks here ( at least it seems that way) Be prepared to change teeth and find out how much they cost. It becomes a good sized part of your investment.
5. If this is a one shot deal, consider having an excavator come in for a day. You'd be surprised how many stumps they can do in a day. Maybe bury them or have them carted off. You'd probably save money and just watch

 

[Greg8352]

While I don't have a tractor PTO grinder, I have had a 4 cylinder Vermeer and currently have a Bluebird walk behind. I watched the video on the woodland mills website and have a couple of comments.

1. Since you are up in the tractor seat you may have trouble judging just how much you are trying to take in each pass.
2. I like being able to swing it back and forth as opposed to just going forward and back. I think it gives you more control and you get a better idea of just what is happening.
3. If you are working in a tight space you may not be able to move your tractor in the right position.
4. I live in New England and we grow rocks here ( at least it seems that way) Be prepared to change teeth and find out how much they cost. It becomes a good sized part of your investment.
5. If this is a one shot deal, consider having an excavator come in for a day. You'd be surprised how many stumps they can do in a day. Maybe bury them or have them carted off. You'd probably save money and just watch