I'm thinking about starting a stump grinding business next year. Anyone have any suggestions? I'd also be looking at debris cleanup and firewood sales to supplement the business. This would be a second line of work.
Stump grinding?
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velvetfoot
Minister of Fire
We hired a guy to get rid of several stumps when we first moved in. Now, like 8 years later, my wife, who is a gardener, will remark once in a while how great it was we got the stumps ground down.
Utilitrack
Feeling the Heat
I have used a guy every year for the last three years, ice storms have been decimating the trees in my yard, but that is another story. He works full time for the DOT and grinds stumps at night, he does a phenomenal job and only charges $80 per stump. He plans on giving his current grinder and truck to his son when he goes off to college. In Maine, this is really only a part time gig, but in NC you could probably do it year round?
As a second income I would use lower rates as I would not be relying on the income. Just trying to do some homework on the subject now.
Do yourself and your competition a favor...don't ruin the market. There is nothing wrong with charging an honest rate for a job well done. If you come in with cut rate prices, your competition will try and match and then it will be a race to the bottom and enough hard feelings to go around.
velvetfoot
Minister of Fire
Johnny Cash said "bad news travels like wildfire, good new travels slow" Do a good job, the work will come. Jags comment is 100% on the money.
Thanks for the advise. My biggest concern is the ability to sustain this business without dropping trees also.
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
Part time business.... the hard part won't be the work, it will be doing enough of it to pay the insurances, licenses, maintenance, and fuel bill while still paying yourself anything more than pennies per hour.
My sisters boyfriend had a tree company come cut down about 13-14 trees in his yard. He let us take the wood. So he told the tree company to buck the wood and leave it. They were contracted to cut the stumps in the quoted price of the job. I dont know the details but the Tree service company never came back. He paid them full up front. I dont know if they showed up with the grinder with all their other equipment or what. He waited almost a year and then he rented a stump grinder from a equipment rental company. It was a walk behind one man machine. I never saw it. But Im curious about trying one. Personally here we have always used backhoes and excavators to dig out stumps.
I would get something fairly large and tough. It would also be good to have a smaller machine for yards where you can't tow or drive in a large machine. You will be called on to do all sorts of jobs.
We had some large stumps ground by a local pro. It was great to watch. Here is short video of his big machine. It is attached via a hitch to his truck. I think he charged $400 or $450 for taking down two large ~45" stumps and two smaller ones. It took a couple hours.
This is not cheap equipment even if used.
http://equipment.vermeerused.com/eDetails.aspx?eqID=1704538&close=Y&lang=na-en
We had some large stumps ground by a local pro. It was great to watch. Here is short video of his big machine. It is attached via a hitch to his truck. I think he charged $400 or $450 for taking down two large ~45" stumps and two smaller ones. It took a couple hours.
This is not cheap equipment even if used.
http://equipment.vermeerused.com/eDetails.aspx?eqID=1704538&close=Y&lang=na-en
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mellow
Resident Stove Connoisseur
If you haven't used one before I would suggest trailing a professional if you can for a few jobs, maybe go over a few cities or a state. I would soak up a lot of knowledge from AS on this subject, but real life is going to be the real training source.
As already mentioned a good diesel stump grinder isn't going to be cheap, and older ones will require quite a bit of upkeep. Last I checked a vermeer 6xx with tons of hours and use was starting at $10K.
I would love to have this Carlton down in VA: http://blacksburg.craigslist.org/hvd/4493744788.html
This Rayco might get the job done as well: http://greensboro.craigslist.org/hvo/4458015153.html
As already mentioned a good diesel stump grinder isn't going to be cheap, and older ones will require quite a bit of upkeep. Last I checked a vermeer 6xx with tons of hours and use was starting at $10K.
I would love to have this Carlton down in VA: http://blacksburg.craigslist.org/hvd/4493744788.html
This Rayco might get the job done as well: http://greensboro.craigslist.org/hvo/4458015153.html
Pennsyltucky Chris
Minister of Fire
Ya beat me to it. I grind stumps. It's a good way to make an honest buck. But for my sake, and other small business owners sake, please don't dilute the market. I've got about 10 grand in 2 grinders, plus my insurance. Then, I have my truck, trailer and employee. I charge between $3 and $10 an inch, depending on the type of stump, how green it may be, and height. I just did 10 hemlocks with an average diameter of 7.6 inches. Threw in an 18" maple for $300. The homeowner told me I beat the other guys bid by roughly $50. Still made a decent buck. Could I have done it for $200? Sure. The homeowners could also go out and buy a $6,000 grinder and learn how to use it, then assume all the risk. Grinders are expensive. Maintaining them costs money. You may grind for 2 or 3 summers at a loss if you buy one and start a business. Maybe longer.
IHATEPROPANE
Minister of Fire
So it's ok for you to charge a lower rate but the new kid on the block should not? What you did to your competition is what you are asking the potential newbie not to do.
Its his business he can charge whatever he likes. If it makes others lower their prices to stay competitive so be it.
What you and Jag suggest is the equivalent to all the local mechanics getting together and making a pact not to charge under x amount for any job. Not good
TimfromMA
Minister of Fire
I use the tip of my chainsaw and cut lines in the stump a couple inches apart then cut another set of lines perpendicular to those. I then use a sledge hammer and break it up. I only care about getting the stump down low enough that I can run my mower over it.
IHATEPROPANE
Minister of Fire
I do something similar. Once its low enough for the mower I drill a bunch of 1/2" holes in it, add a little soil and seed. You cannot tell there is a stump there at all unless you are standing on top. Now these stumps are no more than 18-24". Not sure how well it would work with a huge stump.
No - what Jags is suggesting is that there is probably a reason that the market is where it is at. As a newby jumping into an unknown market (as a green stump grinder) that doesn't know all the maint issues and other overhead (yet) it would be kinda silly to cut throat the market just to loose money. Business 101.
If you chase the customers that only hire you because you have lower rates they are the only customers you will ever have.
IHATEPROPANE
Minister of Fire
Business 101 would also tell you to study the market to see where maintenance and overhead costs are......
And being a second income he should be able to offer a descent price cut.
More work and less profit or less work and more profit? I know which one I would choose.
IHATEPROPANE
Minister of Fire
Although a catchy phrase seldom does it work out as stated.
Usually it is More Work, More Profit. Less Work, Less profit.
IHATEPROPANE
Minister of Fire
I don't want to divert this thread anymore....I just don't think we should be suggesting where he sets his pricing. If he wants to undercut everyone locally that's fine, if he wants to price in line that is fine, if he wants to charge more guess what......it's fine. It will be his business and he can run it as charitable or viscous as he likes. I am hoping it works out for him however he decides to run.
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