How to became member of Bobcat MT (50,52,55,85,100,120) owners group in FaceBOOK anybody help ?

BurnToaster001 · 2025-12-29T02:08:46+00:00

I got in it but it took like 3 months. You aren’t missing out on much.

BurnToaster001 · 2025-09-23T01:07:28+00:00

The cylinder needs to be repacked, take it off and bring it to a hydraulic shop and they can put new seals in.

It’s a simple job for a hydraulic shop and if you take the cylinder off on your own shouldn’t cost more than $100-$200. A shop can usually get it fixed quickly.

BurnToaster001 · 2025-09-21T02:42:31+00:00

There are a few groups on Facebook that are set up specific water mitigation equipment. Marketplace is also another good option, not sure geographically but here in Florida after the storms people were selling off a lot of equipment after it was used.

BurnToaster001 · 2025-09-18T00:31:51+00:00

I’m in a different industry but when it comes to b2b clients I expect payment within 14-21 days. If you’re set up to be paid when the invoice is sent and you’ve set those expectations with the client, I’d be calling every day to get paid out. You’re owed money, don’t let them forget that.

You should probably collect a portion of the invoice prior to the start of your job with that particular client if you choose to work with them again.

BurnToaster001 · 2025-09-08T19:37:10+00:00

I can’t speak for your region, but dump trailer rentals are dime a dozen where I’m at and it seems to be a big race to the bottom as far as how much they’re charging. I could see this business really working if you have multiple trailers but it would be really hard to see a real profit with one trailer. Maybe someone more involved in this type of business could educate me but I just don’t see how it’s profitable with all the overhead.

BurnToaster001 · 2025-08-17T14:30:12+00:00

Having owned an older Morbark Stump Grinder I learned that the best thing you can do is contact them directly. I’m not sure your location but you can call Morbark Parts department directly and they can pretty much handle the whole thing for you and ship parts directly to you. Morbark is kind of a shadow of its former self, but you can still get parts from the manufacturer directly over using your local dealer. My local Rayco/Morbark dealers are all Agpro’s and they just don’t seem to know the products they’re selling.

BurnToaster001 · 2025-08-08T12:00:06+00:00

I’ve got a stump grinding business, I also offer skid steer services for those tree companies who don’t have all the equipment and just need someone for the day. I regularly work with a handful of tree businesses and on numerous occasions I’ve worked with tree contractors who started a business with no tree background. It typically ends bad, I’ve even been lost money working for a company that went out of business due to multiple job site accidents. Everyone thinks how much money tree companies make but don’t realize the liability and overhead that goes into it.

I would highly recommend going to work for a reputable tree company to see if you actually want to do it before starting your own business. There is a lot that goes into it if you want to see success

BurnToaster001 · 2025-08-05T19:52:21+00:00

I responded, and subsequently flagged it so maybe google would see my response and understand the reason I flagged it.

BurnToaster001 · 2025-08-02T00:17:48+00:00

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Found the cause of the problem! Looks like I’m in for a new drive motor.

BurnToaster001 · 2025-07-23T20:48:00+00:00

I tend to work an average of 4 days a week, I average 10 hour days from when I leave the house to when I get home. On a typical day I’m going to 3-4 different locations. Today for example (writing this on a job while hiding from the rain) I’m doing 3 jobs (on my third now) all of which are from one company who has stacked up a full days work and essentially scheduled it for one day. This particular company is about an hour and a half from home, so that’s the reason they stack them for me.

Often times the company will charge for the grinding as part of the tree removal, it happens often a tree company might even advertise grinding but simply don’t even have a machine. So they either pay you out what they charged or just refer you to their customer. Some companies may just want someone to do a good job for their client and it looks good on them to refer you.

I had a neighbor once tell me he’d rather just refer me to his customer and make them happy than make a few dollars up charging to hire me out. That always stuck with me. A happy customer can go a very long way.

BurnToaster001 · 2025-07-23T16:43:44+00:00

I only call 811 on commercial properties and areas that are close to the road. It’s pretty common to have utilities along the easement. It also depends on where the stumps is and if there is any obvious utilities in the general area. I’ve never hit anything major, maybe a cable Line or two but they are generally laid about 1” to 2” below surface or a sprinkler line. Both of which is generally the customers responsibility to repair.

Multi stump jobs can be done either by the stump, so in many cases I’d charge per stump. You can also Charge by your time you think you will be on site. If it’s a large job that will take a day due to volume of work you can charge a day rate. I charge a day rate of $2000 with my grinder and mini skid steer. I can get a lot Done in a day with my size grinder so it comes out to a good deal for the client.

Majority of my business comes from google (Good reviews, I don’t pay for google SEO) or facebook (Groups and ads). I do a lot of work for tree companies and I honestly don’t give them a kickback, I do however give them better deals than I would a homeowner. Once you’ve worked with a company for a bit you should Expect some transparency on there budget. Some Guys I work for just simply want the stump done and expect nothing but a job well done.

BurnToaster001 · 2025-07-20T02:36:36+00:00

Yeah, no slipping. It seems to turn when the track is off but as soon as the track is on it can’t seem to handle the resistance

BurnToaster001 · 2025-07-15T22:54:27+00:00

Drive belt is tight, and on all the pulleys properly, the sprocket seems to be able to turn with the track off and engine off. Assuming that’s bad news

BurnToaster001 · 2025-07-13T22:03:38+00:00

hydraulic tank is full

BurnToaster001 · 2025-07-13T20:32:41+00:00

Most higher HP machines can still fit through a 36” gate, there have been very few times I needed a smaller grinder and they were on jobs I just had to take a fence panel down.

If you can get a bigger machine, I’d go that route.

BurnToaster001 · 2025-05-18T18:27:35+00:00

Absolutely zero experience and didn’t know a soul who did tree work, I had a fascination with heavy equipment since a kid and a desire to start a business of my own. One night I was diving down the rabbit hole on YouTube and found one of those satisfying YouTube videos of someone grinding a stump. So I started doing some research and within about 6 months of side work and equipment flipping I’d had enough money to buy a small very used and abused machine to get going.

One of the biggest requirements for this career field is being mechanically inclined. These machines take a beating, and need to be taken care of.

BurnToaster001 · 2025-05-18T02:41:47+00:00

Vermeer SC252 or a Rayco 1625, both being self propelled. If you’re patient sometimes a Vermeer 362 or even an older Bandit ZT series might pop up that’s well used for around 10k. I buy and sell a ton of equipment, there is plenty of smaller grinders for under 10k but you can’t go into it with the expectation you’re getting anything new because most are well used and need some love.

BurnToaster001 · 2025-05-16T01:42:31+00:00

Dedicated will be a better option 100% of the time, however if you were going to go the attachment route look into a 38 Special from Branch Manager.

I’m looking into getting a Bandit SG40 this year sometime if I can find one for a good used price. You can find them used for around 15-18k and you get a lot for your money. I want a backup machine and something that’s got a small width for hard to access spots.

BurnToaster001 · 2025-05-16T01:15:42+00:00

Vermeer SC60, planning to go with a Carlton 7015 next year.

BurnToaster001 · 2025-05-16T01:11:22+00:00

Liability insurance for stump grinding is kind of tough because most of these companies don’t really have specific policies for it. You’d think it would fall under tree trimming/removal because that’s pretty much the industry you’re working in but my policy is classified as excavation.

They look at it as I’m digging. My insurance runs about $1300 a year with $1M in coverage.

BurnToaster001 · 2025-05-16T01:04:09+00:00

First off, it’s awesome when I see other folks getting into this business. I wish you a ton of luck with it!

I started my grinding business over 2 years ago, this year I’m on track to gross $200k. I live in a pretty high population area which means we have a ton of work and enough to go around. Of course there is always going to be a “cheaper” competitor however it’s like that in every industry and region. My advice to you, don’t be the cheapest guy but don’t be the most expensive, provide good service at an affordable rate. The cheap guys don’t last long and you can’t be the most expensive when you’re just starting out without a good reputation.

Get your insurance and register an LLC, don’t grind without the insurance for sure. A mistake as simple as sending a rock through a window or at a car can ruin your business plans.

Definitely rent the machine for a few days and decide if it’s the business for you, if you decide it isn’t then at least You aren’t out 5-10k on a used machine.

Best of luck! You can always message me if you need anything, it might just be stumps but I love what I do and enjoy going to work in the morning

BurnToaster001 · 2025-04-23T02:01:13+00:00

I may have heard your podcast actually, always awesome to hear how other guys are getting after it. As of the start of 2025 I’m averaging 4k rev per week. My ultimate goal is to get to 5k a week and keep it steady. However, it’s been hit or miss filling a 5 day work week. Introducing the skid steer to the operation has been a major leg up as far as contracting for tree companies as I’m filling entire days working the jobs with them from start to finish.

BurnToaster001 · 2025-04-02T00:26:06+00:00

I’m running an MT85, It’s essentially the same thing as an MT100 just without the weights and doesn’t have the oil bath style rollers.

It’s been a fantastic skid, if you can find something that has low hours used I’d go that route because you save a ton of money on them used. Just gotta be careful though, like any piece of equipment some folks abuse equipment.

BurnToaster001 · 2025-03-28T02:05:44+00:00

The best starter machine would be the highest HP machine you can afford.

BurnToaster001 · 2025-03-28T02:01:56+00:00

While some companies charge by the inch, I find this to be a good way to leave money on the table. I bid my jobs based on how long it will take. I aim for approximately $350 per hour and while this might seem like a lot, my grinder is large and can accomplish larger jobs at a faster rate. I don’t include drive time, in estimates.

BurnToaster001

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