What Should I Look For When Buying a Stump Grinder? Top 4 Tips

How do you choose the right stump grinder? Let's get into it

How do you pick the right tool for grinding stumps?

As a landowner with a tractor, a PTO-driven stump grinder can be one of the best machines for removing stumps from your property, grinding them away and leaving you with clear land. When doing tree removal, stump grinding can be an important step for preparing land for a new use. Stump grinders are also essential for business or professional tree care services, especially for land clearing and land management. 

Models like the Woodland Mills WG28 PRO can be useful tools not just for cleaning up your own land, but also for small property maintenance companies offering stump removal.

But what are the most important things to look out for when purchasing a PTO stump grinder? The choice of equipment often depends on the specific task at hand, such as the complexity, duration, or scale of the job. Let’s find out more.

Introduction to Stump Removal

Stump removal is an essential part of the tree removal process, ensuring that your land is truly cleared and ready for its next use. After a tree is cut down, the remaining stump and its roots can become obstacles, making mowing, landscaping, or new construction difficult. Old stumps can also attract pests, encourage unwanted tree growth, or become tripping hazards, especially if they’re left at ground level.

This is where a stump grinder comes in. A stump grinder is a powerful machine designed specifically to grind down stumps and roots, turning them into wood chips and making the area safe and usable again.

Choosing the right stump grinder for your needs depends on several key factors, such as the size and type of stump, the density of the wood, and the scale of your job. Whether you’re tackling a single stubborn stump or clearing multiple stumps after a major tree removal, using the right grinder will make the process faster, safer, and more efficient.

By investing in a quality stump grinder, you can ensure complete stump removal, prevent future issues with roots, and restore your property to its best condition.

What are the reasons for owning a PTO stump grinder?

Stump grinders can be incredibly useful tools for property maintenance, with the ability to not only remove the stumps but also tree roots underneath. This helps get rid of tripping hazards and more safely prepares the land for a future use over other stump removal options.

PTO stump grinders work by utilizing your tractor’s horsepower, turning the PTO shaft which connects the two machines. The key components of PTO stump grinders, such as the grinding wheel, teeth, and drive system, are engineered to maximize performance and efficiency. This means the more powerful your tractor, the larger a stump grinder you can use.

While there are other types of stump removal options, such as wheeled machines or handlebar grinders, PTO stump grinders are fast and much easier on your body since you’re letting the machine do the work. Maintaining your PTO stump grinder is essential for long-term reliability and ensures the machine remains effective and durable.

Investing in a PTO stump grinder can also save you money over time compared to repeated rentals or less efficient stump removal methods.

Key features to think about when you're buying a stump grinder

When it comes to stump removal, there are a few options for the best stump grinder, so here is what we recommend you look at when making a decision:

Maximum Grinding Depth

One of the main reasons for buying a dedicating stump grinding machine is to not only remove the remaining trunk but also the tree roots lying underground. Even small stumps can have large root systems that are dense and difficult to remove by hand. Leaving them there risks them becoming tripping hazards or becoming home to pests.

When purchasing a stump grinder you want to look at models with a good grinding depth for getting under ground level and removing roots. The larger the tree trunk, the more depth you'll want to dig deeper and get rid of roots. For most stumps getting just a few inches underground will help deal with this issue and give you a hole which you can fill to level out any uneven terrain and restore the landscape of your property.

Grinding Wheel Size

Stump grinders are equipped with different size grinding wheels. While a larger diameter grinding wheels might make faster work of a stump, letting you grind more with each pass, the size available to you will be dependent on the horsepower of your tractor's PTO. A smaller stump grinder will still get through larger stumps, it just may take longer.

The grinding wheel on a stump grinder is equipped with carbide teeth that chips away a little bit of material with each pass. Old stumps are dryer and can be dealt with faster while newer, younger stumps may be more difficult, but the size of your grinding wheel is still important.

Tractor Compatibility

Because your tractor directly powers the stump grinder via the PTO, you'll need to pick a model that's compatible with your tractor's PTO output.

Smaller models like the WG24 is compatible with tractors that have a PTO output of 15-45 HP. Meanwhile the WG28 is compatible with tractors that have a PTO output of 35-80 HP.

Generally speaking, as long as your tractor is large enough to lift it, we recommend going with the largest stump grinder your tractor can handle, since that means you have the best tool available to you for grinding the largest stumps you can.

Additional Features

Woodland Mills stump grinders both come in PRO models which feature additional extras, that while they're not necessary, they can make for a smoother and easier stump grinding experience so they're worth considering.

The Woodland Mills patent-pending Shock Absorption system helps dampen the movements of the machine and helps apply consistent pressure to the area while grinding. This can be great if you're on a job site and have dozens of stumps to remove, making it a smoother and easier experience.

There's also the Go/No Go Visual Indicator, which helps help maintain the optimal working range for tractor speed as you draw through the stump.

There's also the Chain-Equipped Chip Deflector, which helps prevent wood chips from flying around and helps reduce cleanup.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Choosing the right stump grinder is a key factor in making stump removal efficient, safe, and cost-effective. By considering the compatibility with your existing equipment and the size of your stumps, you can select a machine that suits your needs.

Remember to prioritize safety, maintain your equipment, and assess each job site carefully before you start grinding. With the right stump grinder and a focus on best practices, you’ll be able to tackle most stumps with confidence, leaving your property clear, level, and ready for whatever comes next.