Equipment
Stump grinder
A stump grinder is a machine with a spinning wheel fitted with cutting teeth that chews a tree stump into chips, working down from the top of the stump.
A stump grinder is the machine used for stump grinding. A large wheel spins with cutting teeth around its edge. The operator swings the wheel back and forth across the stump and lowers it a little with each pass.
Grinders come in several sizes. Small walk-behind units fit through a backyard gate. Large units sit on tracks or tires and handle big stumps. Iowa State Extension says these large machines chew away the stump and any large lateral roots, typically down 8 to 12 inches.
The cutter wheel does the cutting. Chips and soil fly off the wheel, so people and pets should stay well back while the machine runs.