Mr Chips: try these tips

1. Mr Chips likes smart pockets and premium teeth for maximum performance and the least cost.
   <--- Smart pockets
2. When you change pockets, be sure that you balance them.
3. About every 3 months, bring your stump grinder in for a service, checkup and tuning. Northland Chipper Sales Ltd. services most makes of stump grinders. Contact us for details.

Mr Chips: used stump grinders are hard to find. Most people love their machines and hang on to them. We have a waiting list of buyers who we notify when used stump grinders come on the market.

Currently the exchange rate has made the prices for new machines more attractive for a new stump grinder. Check out the Carlton and Dosko models on our web site.

It is important to think about how much you might be saving when you buy a used stump grinder. You could save maybe 3-4K Cdn $ on a handlebar machine. But a used stump grinder has no warranty, as opposed to a new one.

Also consider the costs of lost opportunities. The months you spend waiting for a used stump grinder would more than outweigh the savings you are trying for.

Rather than the cost of the machine, think about how much you will be earning. The business of stump grinding can be very lucrative, so the sooner you get a stump grinder and get busy, the more money you will make.

Contact us to order your new stump grinder.

Mr Chips: As always, the first thing is a wise operator that knows his machine and can recognize the potential danger. The next is to work in such a way to minimize that danger. The third is protection.

I suggest that you get a couple of sheets of 3/8" to 1/2" plywood, cut them in half so you have 4 pieces 4' by 4' then put hinges in the middle so that you are back to 2 sheets of plywood with a hinge in the middle. These can be placed relatively close to the cutter to contain the debris or they can be placed to protect something vulnerable. I suggest that you professionally paint your name and phone no. on these screens so passers by and neighbors can contact you.

If it is windy where you work you may have to make some provision to anchor the screens.

Finally, maintain a clean safe work site. If you keep the chips cleared away from under the machine, the chips themselves can help form a barrier.

Mr Chips: the increased speed is likely the cause of the problem as you described. Mr Chips recommends you change the pulleys to compensate for the difference in speed. The dealer who sold you the engine can probably supply you with replacement pulleys, and install them if needed.

If you still get more than the usual number of broken teeth, Mr Chips would also suggest you check with your supplier in case there is a problem with the teeth. If that is the case, you should expect to get the defective teeth replaced at no charge.