AuthorsJust a Dad and his three sons passionate about getting rid of as many ugly stumps as they can. Read as Steve, Tyler, Spencer, and Trevor discuss their family business and why they do what they do. Archives
July 2023
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Family Owned and Locally Operated4/27/2023  The beginning of my second season in the business, my youngest son, Trevor who is an ordained minister was called to pastor a small rural church in northern Indiana. The church board let him know upfront know up front that this was a part-time position and that he would have to have a second job to support his family. With one season under my belt I was convinced that Stump grinding would offer him the best opportunity to work a part-time job to help support his family without taking too much time away from his ministry duties.
He agreed so I invested a second machine. It was a used Vermeer SC372 37 hp diesel machine. The first season he supplemented his income by about $8000 working very part-time. His two older brothers saw this as an opportunity for them as well, So I bought a third machine for my oldest son Tyler who teaches High School in northern Michigan. This third machine was a new Bandit SG40 38 hp gas. powered track machine. My middle son Spencer and I live close enough that he uses my machine on weekends. After one season the 3 of them earned $40K working just a few hours each week. So this year we’ve made it official and formed a family business; O’Dell Odysseys LLC. Our new business has allowed us to expand into more areas. We grind stumps in Jackson, Hillsdale, Branch, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, Eaton, Ingham and Mecosta counties in Michigan as well as Grant, Wells, and Allen County in Indiana. My boys and I have always been close but working together with them in business has been better than I even imagined. Our Mr. Stumpgrinder business venture has allowed them to significantly supplement their incomes without taking too much time away from their growing families. It has also helped supplement my income and the plan is for it to eventually provide a portion of my retirement. In the meantime we continue to look for ways to build the business and dream of starting other businesses together. Steve
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What can I do with a tipped over stump?4/24/2023  As I write this we are recovering from an ice storm that has caused widespread power outages due to falling trees and tree limbs. 4-6 weeks from now after homeowners have had time to call Tree service guys to come cut up downed trees they’ll be calling stump grinders to come get rid of the ugly stumps that are left in their yards. Undoubtedly some of those stumps that are left will be remnants of trees that tipped over in the storm, exposing the root ball and lifting up the ground around the tree. Depending on the size of the tree the root ball can stand 6 ft or higher leaving a large deep cavity. I’ve had customers tell me that Tree service guys have told them that large root balls from tipped over trees are too big to grind and must be removed by an excavator.
Excavating a stump with a hydra-hoe can cost many times more than having it ground out. In addition, excavating a stump typically removes good soil that must be replaced in order to level out the area, plant grass and make it look like the stump was never there. Also excavators are much bigger and heavier than stump grinding machines and tend to do more damage to your yard. The truth is we grind tipped over stumps and root-balls all the time, even big ones. We typically start by grinding the exposed roots. The dirt and grindings from the root ball fill up the cavity that was created when the tree fell. After that we get to work on the stump itself, grinding until it’s completely gone. Grinding a stump from a tree that has tipped over versus one that is left from a tree that’s been cut is a longer process and requires a little more time. The end result however is the same. The stump is completely gone. Once the grindings have been cleaned up, topsoil can be used to level out the area and grass seed planted and watered daily. Within a few weeks grass seeds sprout and before long you have a beautiful lawn again. Steve
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What does stump removal cost?4/17/2023 I recently stopped by a house to bid a stump I saw in the front lawn. When I gave the homeowner my bid he thought about it for a moment, then said "Let me think about it, Money’s been a little tight lately but I might be calling you in a few weeks." I told him “we run a special It’s half off every other Tuesday if you bring your stump to us!” Seriously we get it. Inflation is through the roof! Just putting gas in your car and food on the table can be a financial challenge.
At the same time we do our best to keep our rates reasonable and give you a fair price to grind your stumps. Some homeowners never even call for a quote because they assume getting rid of an ugly stump in the middle of their lawn is too expensive. Those that do call us are often surprised at how reasonable our prices are. Our minimum price since we started the business 3 years ago has been $150. The average job which typically involves grinding multiple stumps costs between $200-$300 dollars. The average time we spend on a job is 30 minutes to an hour. To some customers the amount we charge based on the time that it takes us to grind the stump seems somewhat expensive. We know that even $150 is a lot of money when things are tight. At the same time it’s not cheap to own a business. I recently purchased my fourth machine since I started in business; a 116 hp Bandit 2890T. It’s nearly 15 years old and I still paid $52K. Within a few weeks it had to go into the shop for repairs that cost over $2000. The cutting wheel has more than 30 carbide teeth that have to be changed often at a cost of around $20 per tooth. I had to replace the diesel motor in one of my machines that cost us more than $11,000. The point is owning and maintaining the equipment to do the job right is expensive. Even so we love grinding stumps and we love helping our customers get the gorgeous lawn they desire. So give us a call let us give you a quote and if you think it’s too much let us know. We’ll do everything we can to work within your budget. Steve
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Can you burn a stump?4/10/2023 Looking for an alternative to hiring a professional like us? You may consider burning your stump. I’ve seen many video tutorials on how to do it. I don’t recommend removing a stump this way though. Here’s why.
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Some people understand the cost of quality and professional work. For those who don’t, here’s some of the reasons why it can be so expensive.
Liability Coverage We are proud to be licensed and insured. This means we are covered in the event that we have a mishap on someone else’s premises. If we accidentally shatter a window from flying debris or someone is injured, we have insurance that covers us. This insurance is not cheap. Its several thousand dollars a year. Do not hire someone that does not carry liability insurance. High Start-Up Costs Depending on the type of machine you start with and what you intend to pull it with, stump grinding can cost $70,000 to $100,000 in equipment alone to get started. High Maintenance Costs Aside from routine maintenance, there are things that just tend to break over time. Unlike most heavy machinery, stump grinders take quite a lot of beating. They are built tough for that reason, but they aren’t indestructible. Parts tend to be expensive, and often only specialty shops can work on them when we can’t ourselves. We try to maintain our machines on our own as best as we can, but there are many jobs we simply aren’t equipped for. Another maintenance cost are the cutting teeth. Each tooth costs about $20 and they must be sharpened after only about a week of work. Dull teeth means more wear and tear on the machine, so it’s important they be changed out. They can be sharpened for about $4 a piece. Occupational Hazard As much as we love grinding stumps, it is dangerous. The cutting wheel can rip an appendage off in a split second if you’re not careful. Debris can also fly out of the mound and hit you, which is why we wear protective gear. We are also trained to keep ourselves and others safe. We have learned this trade and are skilled at it. |
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Mr. Stumpgrinder is based in Calhoun County and most of south and west central Michigan as well as northern and central Indiana. If we can line up several jobs in your area outside of that and you’re willing to wait on our travel schedule, we can guarantee you a quality job at a fair price.
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Came today to give an estimate and was prepared to do it then if we wanted. Fast, efficient, affordable and a really nice guy
Posted by Patty OHaver on Thursday, June 3, 2021
I can honestly say Mr. Stumpgrinder was amazing. I messaged him over the weekend and here it is Monday evening and the hideous stump is gone. I can not be happier.
Posted by Cindy McTaggart on Monday, May 10, 2021