Stump Grinder Containment

[Lumberjack]

Edit to add: On topic, before my long, off topic, rabbit chasing diatribe. I am going to make some easy to hold the plywood erect at 0* and 90*. I'll report back how they work.




What do their chippers offer that no one else does? I'd rather have a Bandit, Woodsman, or Mobark. They are chipper companies that have proven products and at least the MFG will offer support if the dealer sucks.


FWIW, it cost me $1700 and I still had to source the parts myself. I sourced the $1500 pump that took them 3 weeks to deliver (after confirming they had it on the shelf) in a day for $300 including over night shipping.

The glass half full it cost me $1700, the glass half empty it cost me $3000. Half full the original pump had to be replaced, and I agreed it was worth the $1500 for the mfg to supply the pump. That pump dies and I spend the $300 for the pump I sourced to replace it. We'll round the change down and call that $1700. Half empty I spent $3k on pumps that were defective when I could have spent $300 and DIY.


FWIW, the pump I put on has 400 hours on it and is still going strong.

The short(er) story, if you want it:
1875 hours on RG85, aux pump (everything but the cutter wheel) is getting tired. It still works but is noticeably slower than new.

I order a replacement pump in December, pick it up from the dealer, and install it in Feb when the machine is getting serviced.

The pump lasts (maybe) a couple hours before it blows the seal on the input shaft. The pressure relief valve hadn't been messed with (still factory set) and its setting had been confirmed*. The filters had been replaced, hydro fluid replaced... nothing was different than the other 19 scheduled maintenance secessions we'd done on the machine, aside from the pump. The pump has an SAE A mount (self aligning).

I call Rayco, they say it must be something I did and they wouldn't ship a replacement pump until I paid for another or I returned that one and it was warrantied. They say that they've NEVER had to a pump wear out, much less need replacing, odd since they had one on the shelf and told us to watch our feet because an RG85 operator in FL replaced his, ran over and broke his foot after his new found speed caught him by supprise.

I ask if they have a pump in stock, they say they do (odd right?), I pay for it and ask them to rush it to me and I'll send them this pump. They insist that I send it back to the dealer who will send it on to them. I do so and wait for my replacement pump to arrive.

After 3 days rolls by I call and ask for an update (for my pump that was suppose to be there 2 days ago) and they heee haw around and say it will be there soon.

Fast forward 3 weeks and I get an overnight package from Holland (I think) with the pump inside. I install the pump and make it less than an hour before it blows between the front section and the mounting plate while I was running the machine.

Hmph.

I call the dealer and ask about the warranty on the first pump and explain what happened with this one. They say they returned it to Rayco who should be calling me soon.

Fast forward a few months and several calls from me to the dealer and to the mfg and I see Rayco at the ISA conference. I talk to a fellow who tells me he's a higher up (I can dig up his card if it matters) and he will deal with it personally as soon as he gets back.

Yay!

A month goes by and I still haven't heard from him, so I give him a call. He says "I dunno" and that he'd look into it. I call him the next week and he declares they never received the pump.

Hmph.

I call dealer, dealer says I never sent it (wow coulda told me 8 months ago) and that they weren't going to do jack until I proved I sent the pump to them. We hang up. 10 minutes later I call to confirm they received the fax where their employee signed for a package from me the day after I said I sent it.

Blah blah blah, they find it, send it to Rayco who sends it to the mfg who says it's not going to be warrantied and sends the pump back to me fully disassembled some 10 months later.

 

[28Stumpman]

I found the best way to contain chips was to buy a Vermeer
But really, when I had my Rayco's they do spray them far. You can add on to the chip chute and make it go down more like on the new 100, that will help, I had plywood on hinges, and if you have a blade you can weld little hooks on it and lay it on there so you don't have to carry it. I had a fabic snow fence w/ re bar and that worked well, but was a pain setting up and carrying, especially after it rained and was wet. Good luck and I really do not miss that machine at all.

Lumberjack- No surprise to hear your story, Thats too bad your having all this trouble. I'll send you a pm with some contacts to hopefully help you out.

 

[RLEWIS]

Sorry guy's but plywood all you want. The modular guard is the way to go. It beats the stumpr guard hands down. Wham bam thank you mam, 25lbs, lightweight, one guy can handle it, NO hassle, and easy storage. More money?..ya.

 

[southsoundtree]

For my Rayco SuperJr 1620, similar in size/ appearance to the Vermeer 252, I use one sheet of 1/2" (thicker than needed for chip containment) cut into 2'x4' pieces and hinged in three places, accordion-style. I can set it up in a few different shapes, and lean some additional 4'x4' plywood pieces around the ends, if needed (this allows one to be in front of me when operating). I will usually drive the machine onto a tarp to catch some of the stuff that is flung backward. This works pretty well, just be careful about catching the front end of the tarp. Easy clean-up if you need to remove chips, as you can drive the machine off of the tarp, fold and dump into a can or carry/drag.

I can fold the wooden shield in half or quarters to use as a ramp for the grinder or handtruck/ wheelbarrow, so its somewhat multi-purpose. Your stumper might need a dedicated ramp that is separate from the shield. One lightweight, one heavyweight

Its a bit heavy, but I usually use my hand truck to wheel this screen and the extra plywood in one trip from the truck to stump. I would like to have an anchor point for it to be held down in the wind.




"Get a large diameter hole saw and drill the hole about 2" from the edge."--TD
Rather then buy an extra tool, use a chainsaw to cut the handle, or if you have a sawsall or jigsaw, drill a small hole to insert the blade, and cut a hand-friendly handle.





I was thinking of buying some fiberglass window screen, and sewing or gluing strips onto it to form sleeves at the ends and along the length that will hold a small diameter PVC pipe that will slip over small diameter rebar that are carefully put partway into the ground (irrigation, utilities should be marked in the vicinity of the stump anyhow). This will roll-up and be lightweight and form any shape you want. A small container for the rebar, and you'll be good to go in a lightweight, compact unit. It will work on hills/ berms/ uneven ground, where the wooden shield will want to fall. It should hold up to wind better, too, I think.

This idea is similar to tents that have sleeves for the poles, if that paints a picture at all.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Rather than flimsy window screen material you can find shade cloth fabric or the stuff that is used on the tops of dump trucks. If you don't have a heavy sewing machine you'd be surprised how cheap it is to have the tarp company sew up the panels to fit your dimensions.