---
title: "What Is Stump grinder? Stump Grinding Glossary | Cincinnati Stump Grinding"
description: "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."
url: https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/stump-grinder
publisher: Cincinnati Stump Grinding
phone: +1-513-587-6772
quote: https://cincystump.multisites.ai/contact
---

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](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/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](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/tracked-vs-wheeled-stump-grinder) 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](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/cutter-wheel) does the cutting. Chips and soil fly off the wheel, so people and pets should stay well back while the machine runs.

[From Cincinnati Stump GrindingStump grinding](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/services/stump-grinding)

## Related terms

-   [Stump grinding](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/stump-grinding)
-   [Cutter wheel](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/cutter-wheel)
-   [Carbide teeth](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/carbide-teeth)
-   [Tracked stump grinder](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/tracked-vs-wheeled-stump-grinder)
-   [Stump grinder rental](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/stump-grinder-rental)

## Sources

1.  [Iowa State University Extension, Yard and Garden: How to Remove Tree Stumps](https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/how-remove-tree-stumps)
2.  [Iowa State University Extension, Yard and Garden: How to Remove Tree Stumps](https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/how-remove-tree-stumps)