Have you recently cut down a tree on your property, and now you have an ugly stump that you want to get rid of? You can actually rent a stump grinder to get rid of the stump once and for all. Here are some tips for using this piece of equipment to help the job go smoothly. 

Wear Safety Equipment

You should be well protected before you use a stump grinder. This means wearing safety glasses to protect your eyes from flying debris, ear protection, work gloves, and a long sleeve shirt and pants to protect your body. You can never be quite sure where debris will fly when using the stump grinder.

Get The Handle In A Comfortable Position

It's important to make adjustments to the position of the handle while the stump grinder is off and not being used. You'll want to get the handle to the right height so that you can easily push down on the handle to lift the grinder up. Play around with different settings to see what feels comfortable to you. If you have a stump that is really high off the ground, you'll likely need to bring the handle higher up so that you can push down on the handle more to give the grinder the extra height it needs to do its job. 

Be Aware Of The Danger Zone

The area directly in front of the stump grinder is considered the danger zone where debris is likely to go flying. If others are in the yard watching you use the stump grinder, it's important that they stand in an area behind you rather than in front of you to ensure their safety. 

Get The Stump Grinder Into Position

There is going to be a brake on the stump grinder that prevents it from moving around. You'll always want to disengage the brake, get the stump grinder into position, then re-engage the brake. This will prevent the stump grinder's wheels from moving backward after you start the stump grinding process. The brake should only lock one of the wheels though, which gives you the ability to pivot the stump grinder on one of its locked wheels.

You'll want to get the stump grinder situated over the stump, then gradually use a back and forth motion to grind away at the stump. You'll eventually reach a point where you need to unlock the wheels, move the stump grinder forward, and start grinding again. Keep doing this with slow back and forth motions over the stump until it is completely gone.  

Contact a local stump grinder rental service to learn more.