Project Overview
About This Project
NorthPoint Equipment Rentals provided a stump grinder rental to a homeowner in Wolfeboro, NH following a major tree removal project on their lakefront property. A licensed tree service had removed 14 trees — leaving 14 stumps scattered across the sloped, landscaped yard that needed below-grade removal before lawn restoration.
The homeowner rented NorthPoint’s Bandit SG40 stump grinder — a 38 HP commercial stump grinder with a 29.5-inch wide grinding wheel — and completed all 14 stumps in a single day. Ground chips were spread as mulch across adjacent planting areas. Zero debris was hauled off-site.
The Challenge
What the Job Demanded
The Wolfeboro lakefront property presented stump removal challenges that ruled out hand digging or hiring the original tree service back at their full stump grinding rate:
Volume: 14 stumps of varying sizes — ranging from 8 to 36 inches in diameter — across a half-acre sloped yard. At the tree service’s stump grinding rate of $175–$250 per stump, total contractor cost was $2,450–$3,500. Depth requirement: The homeowner planned to re-seed the entire area — requiring stumps ground at least 10–12 inches below grade for clean lawn establishment. Terrain: Sloped property with established landscaping beds requiring precise machine control around plantings. Debris management: Hauling 14 stump-grindings off the lakefront property would have required multiple truck loads — adding cost and lakefront access complications.
The Solution
Equipment Deployed
NorthPoint supplied the Bandit SG40 — a 38 HP commercial stump grinder built for high-volume residential and light commercial stump removal. The SG40’s 29.5-inch wide cutter head processes stumps up to 40 inches in diameter in a single setup.
Professional-grade self-propelled stump grinder for residential and commercial stump removal. 38 HP Vanguard diesel engine and 29.5-inch wide cutter head processes stumps up to 40 inches in diameter efficiently in a single setup. Grinds to 12+ inches below grade — the depth required for re-seeding, pavement, and hardscape installation over former stump locations. Self-propelled for easy positioning between stumps on residential lots. Ground chips can be used as on-site mulch, eliminating debris hauling cost. The standard NorthPoint stump grinder for residential removal projects.
Implementation Timeline
Single-Day 14-Stump Project
The Bandit SG40 was delivered to the Wolfeboro property at 7:30am. The homeowner worked through all 14 stumps methodically, largest to smallest.
Bandit SG40 delivered from NorthPoint Tilton. Operator walk-through covered machine controls, grinding technique, chip management, and safety — PPE provided with rental. First stump (36-inch oak) tackled first while machine and operator were fresh.
Stumps 1–7 ground through the morning — largest stumps first. All ground to 12-inch below-grade target depth. Chips spread as mulch in adjacent planting beds and around base of remaining trees. Machine navigated sloped terrain without issues.
Stumps 8–14 completed after lunch. Smaller stumps (8–18 inch) processed in 15–25 minutes each. All 14 stump locations ground by 3:30pm. Final site walkthrough confirmed all stumps at or below 12-inch target depth.
Machine cleaned and staged for pickup. NorthPoint collected the SG40 at 4pm. All chips distributed on-site — zero debris hauled. Site ready for topsoil, re-seeding, or lawn restoration.
Results
What Was Achieved
All 14 stumps were ground below grade in a single day at approximately 25% of the contractor quote range — with zero debris hauling cost and all chips distributed as on-site mulch.
I couldn't believe how quickly that machine went through 14 stumps. NorthPoint delivered it at 7:30, walked me through everything, and I was done by 3:30. Saved a couple thousand dollars compared to having the tree service come back.
Tom H. — Homeowner, Wolfeboro, NH
Key Takeaways
What This Project Demonstrates
This project demonstrates the core financial case for renting a commercial stump grinder for multi-stump residential projects — the rental economics become compelling at 5+ stumps.