Stump grinding - time lapse - 2

Grinding a large conifer stump using a Camon C500 Stump Grinder hired from Newmarket Plant Hire (Suffolk, UK). This machine has a single cylinder Honda 4-stroke 13hp engine. It has pull start and it was very hard to start. You're supposed to stop it every time you re-position it, but being so hard to start it would have wasted too much time and energy, so I used a bit of wire to keep the dead-man's-handle in the running position. It was hard work to manoeuvre as it weighs 118kg. Not recommended unless your garden is flat. The other issue I had with it was the handbrake. Not only was it very hard to apply, but it didn't actually hold the machine. You can adjust it such that it will hold the machine , but it is then impossible to engage it - it uses an over-centre desing to tension and lock it out. The machine was delivered with what appeared to be blunt teeth, but it managed to chew through all the stumps I used it on, including some cherry stumps. I reckon it would have been much faster with sharp teeth. Using this machine is very physical, and not recommended for the small, weak or unfit. The bigger, heavier and stronger you are the easier you will find it to use. Just starting it will make your arms ache as it can take 10-15 pulls to get it going. Over all I was very impressed with it. For reference it chomped through this stump in about 75 minutes. Taken with a tripod-mounted Canon IXUS 70 in time-lapse video mode, 1 frame every 2 seconds.

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Howto & Style

Tags:

• stump
• grinder
• grinding
• camon
• C500
• review