Stump Grinders & Other Essential Tree Management Tools
Tree management is a hard job. There are loads of different types of equipment as well as necessary training and safety standards to follow. Being an arborist is important, but it’s essential to know the hard work that goes into this industry to keep our trees healthy, strong and looking impressive. No matter whether you are cutting down a sapling or one that is a hundred years old, it’s important to have the right equipment and tools for the job. This helps avoid damage to the trees around it or potential vehicles or properties in the vicinity.
In this blog, we’ll outline the various tools you need for tree management, from stump grinders to compact wood chippers, lifting equipment and even petrol wood splitters. Keep reading to learn more.
What is tree management?
Many landowners don’t properly care for the trees on their land. However, with proper care and maintenance, trees can add significant value to your property. If trees are left uncared for, they can be a liability to the property. Pruning or removing large trees is a dangerous job, so it's important to seek a professional to get the job done. Arborists are trained, certified and qualified in all aspects of tree maintenance and care. If you seek tree management, an arborist can offer safe and practical advice as well as the services to complete the task. They will consider where trees are positioned, the surrounding area and how to maximise their health. Arborists can provide the following services:
- Choosing and planting the right trees for the environment
- Pruning trees to keep them healthy and well-structured
- Take care of the pruning, trimming, cutting, lopping, stump grinding and mulching
- Protecting and preserving trees during construction and development projects
- Understand, diagnose and treat pests and diseases
- Assess and manage tree risk and remove trees where necessary
What equipment and tools are needed for these tasks?
Stump grinders
Stump grinders are used to get rid of any leftover stumps from tree removal. When dealing with tree removal, there is often a leftover stump that is hard to get rid of. They can prevent you from being able to reuse the land and cause obstructions for vehicles. If you want to get rid of a stump, you’ll need a stump grinder. This piece of equipment is often the size of a lawn mower but can be as big as a truck. The grinder uses a high-speed disk with teeth to grind the stump and roots into small chips. Usually, stump grinders incorporate a cutter wheel with fixed carbide teeth. The cutter wheel moves by hydraulic cylinders pushing cutter heads laterally through the stump to raise and lower it. Stump grinders are very powerful pieces of equipment that can be dangerous. It is vital that a qualified arborist or landscaper uses them. If you are doing a DIY project yourself, make sure that you know how the equipment works properly and take any necessary safety precautions.
Wood chippers & compact wood chippers
Wood chippers, also called tree chippers, are machines that are used to cut tree limbs, trunks and branches into chips. Clearing vegetation can be a long task, but wood chippers minimise the necessary work. This is because trucks can carry much more vegetation when it has been chipped into small chunks. This allows for less time, manpower and budget to complete a forestry job. Wood chippers are portable and mounted on wheels so they can be towed behind chip trucks, working in tandem. They are powered by an internal combustion engine. The process involves feeding wood into a hopper with a safety collar which slides them into the actual cutting mechanism. The wood is thrown out of the other side as chips and dumped into a container via a chute. You can also find compact wood chippers for smaller domestic tasks.
Chainsaws
Chainsaws are another essential tool for tree management. When a tree needs to be removed, it is commonly cut down using a chainsaw. Chainsaws are made up of two parts, a saw blade built into a chain, wrapped around a long metal guide bar and a small, one-cylinder gasoline engine. The chain works similarly to a bicycle chain, running around sprockets with about 30 sharp teeth mounted at intervals. The teeth move at such a speed that they are able to quickly and smoothly cut through a tree. Larger trees require chainsaws, although smaller ones can be cut down using an axe. If you plan to use a chainsaw, make sure you have a good understanding of how it works and the necessary safety precautions you need to take. You should wear adequate PPE and leave complex felling to a professional.
Tree loppers
Tree loppers are a tool used to remove tree branches. They are helpful for pruning and keeping trees looking tidy. There are two types of tree loppers, bypass loppers and anvil loppers. Bypass loppers work in the same way that a pair of scissors does. The two sharp blades pass each other to create clean cuts. When pruning live vegetation, bypass loppers work best as the cut they create leaves the plant with less surface area - reducing the risk of contamination and infection. Anvil loppers use one sharp blade that presses against the flat ‘anvil’ underneath. In comparison to the scissor action of bypass loppers, an anvil lopper operates like a sharp knife. They slice through a piece of wood, resulting in more of a crushing action. This is great for quickly moving dead branches and other vegetation but doesn’t give the smooth, clean cut that bypass loppers provide.
Log splitters & petrol wood splitters
Log splitters are ideal for splitting logs for hardwood and firewood. They are often used in home wood shops to split firewood to burn in a wood stove. You can find log splitters as petrol wood splitters or electric types, where petrol types work best for smaller jobs with a kill switch and anti-vibration legs. They save you plenty of manual working hours by efficiently splitting logs for various jobs. They can be used in the home as well as in commercial environments with different models available for different tasks. It’s important to use reliable, certified safety-approved log splitters that can perform to a high level regardless of the conditions you’re working in.
Why choose Rock Machinery for your tree management needs
It is essential to opt for quality machinery needed for tree management. When it comes to tree removal or stump grinding, you need to have the right equipment and the expertise to use it right. At Rock Machinery, we want to help all our customers find the highest quality machinery to get tree management tasks done safely. We are specialists in the field of tree management, so it’s important to seek our help when you need to use heavy machinery for big tasks. Whether you need petrol wood splitters, compact wood chippers, stump grinders, ATV tipping trailers or lifting equipment, we’re the professionals to call. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff will be on hand to answer any questions or queries you may have. Whether you’re looking for domestic or professional equipment or advice. We can help you find the ideal product for any task, choosing from a wide range of products we have in stock. We have the most extensive range of log splitters, stump grinders and other heavy-duty garden machinery. Whatever your budget, needs or requirements, get in touch with our team to discuss your requirements.