This Attachment Turns Your Chainsaw Into A Full-On Stump Grinder - But It's Pricey

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Trees offer several advantages to a property, including an idyllic wooded aesthetic, additional privacy, and may enhance home efficiency, among other benefits. Unfortunately, while trees can live a long time, they don't last forever. Diseases, severe storm damage, and old age are just a few of the reasons you may have to cut one down.

However, once the tree comes down there is still the matter of the stump, which often features strong roots making it quite a task to remove. Some have attempted to pull a tree stump out with a truck, but there are plenty of reasons that's not advisable. Alternatively, a stump grinder is specially designed for this very task, using a thick rotating disc full of carbide-tipped teeth to chew through the stump all the way to the ground. 

One company out of the U.K. has come to market with another option directed at Stihl chainsaw owners — a stump grinding attachment that bolts right onto the saw. Terminator Stump Grinders offers both the Terminator Pro 500 and Terminator Pro 800. Compatible with select Stihl chainsaw models, the products feature a pivoting grinding wheel that's driven off the chainsaw chain. 

Both products weigh under 60 pounds, and both of them rest on a supporting leg that includes a wheel, allowing you to roll the whole unit to the location you need. According to Terminator Stump Grinders, the Pro 500 and Pro 800 can eat through 14 inches of stump in around 10 minutes.

To utilize the Terminator Pro 500 or Pro 800, you must first attach it to a compatible Stihl chainsaw model, which includes the Stihl 500i, 660, 661 (for the Pro 500), and 880 or 881 (for the Pro 800). Fortunately, this process doesn't require any specialized tools, but will take a few minutes to complete.

Remove the tensioner cover, bumper spikes, sprocket, and original clutch bearing on the chainsaw, and install the modified bearing supplied from Terminator Stump Grinders. The lengthy attachment arm is placed over the sprocket cover and tightened down. The grinding wheel is then affixed at the other end of the attachment bar using a large bolt and Allen wrench. Then, a safety guard with skirt is bolted just behind the grinding wheel. Next, you secure the grinder teeth utilizing an Allen wrench before adding the supporting leg, which includes a wheel. 

The big selling points of this product revolve around portability, with one review outlet, Forestry, noting it easily fit in a car, something other stump grinders can't do. Another advantage that sets the Terminator Stump Grinder attachment apart from stand-alone machines, is its enhanced maneuverability. It's small, lightweight, and able to get into areas too tight for other equipment.

Unfortunately, the Terminator Stump Grinder attachment is much more expensive than you might imagine, listing for over $3,337 (£2,495) before tax. That's more expensive than even the priciest stand-alone stump grinder for sale at Home Depot, the Power King 11-inch Gas Powered Stump Grinder, listed for $2,999. This dedicated, stand-alone stump grinding machine offers 14 horsepower (double the amount of the Stihl 500i chainsaw), more grinding teeth and is self-propelled.

Even worse, the Terminator Stump Grinder product warns that your chainsaw engine may be under greater strain than normal when using the attachment. The compatible Stihl chainsaws aren't exactly cheap either — the MS 881 listed for $2,689.99 on Stihl's website, for instance. Considering you can purchase a more powerful, dedicated stump grinder for cheaper and won't risk damaging your costly Stihl chainsaw, it might make more sense to go with the stand-alone tool. 

Although, even then, you may go years without needing to break out your stump grinder. For many, a stump grinder is an example of a lawn tool that makes more sense to rent instead of own, with rates as low as $189 per day.