High-Horsepower Vermeer Stump Cutter Bolsters Productivity
Vermeer's new SC552 stump cutter is a response to market demand for a high-horsepower cutter to help remove mature tree stumps and complete high-volume stump removal jobs. To accomplish this, the SC552 features a 23-inch cutter wheel diameter and a 56 hp Kohler diesel Tier 4 Final engine for a maximum cutter wheel speed of 1,124 rpm.
According to Todd Roorda, tree care, rental and landscape sales manager at Vermeer, the new machine is a bit larger than those typically used in the rental market. However, the company is projecting increased demand by contractors and municipalities who need to handle more stump removal jobs faster fueled, in part, because of the emerald ash borer. This exotic insect has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees in North America. The rapid spread of the insect and the damage it causes has triggered action from agencies in more than 20 states and two Canadian provinces.
With more tree and stump removal projects created because of this pest, “contractors can complete stump removal projects faster with the SC552 than with smaller machines, enabling them to do more jobs per week," Roorda explains.
The SC552 is equipped with an operator presence system. Control handles for the boom swing and boom raise/lower are equipped with an operator presence handle design that provides capacitance-sensing capability. This is intended to help protect the operator and enhance operator safety.
An auxiliary control station is located at the front of the machine, allowing the operator to stand in-line with — instead of beside — the stump cutter for traveling in narrow areas. To further increase efficiency, the SC552 has a four-bar linkage system that runs from the machine to the stump cutter wheel to help keep the cutter shield parallel to the ground during operation.
Vermeer's SmartSweep control system monitors engine load and provides continuous feedback to automatically adjust the cutter wheel speed. This helps increase productivity and efficiency at the stump, while decreasing wear and tear on the machine.
The company's Yellow Jacket cutter system features universal and reversible carbide-tipped teeth with two cutting edges on each tooth and more side pocket clearance, which limits the pocket rubbing that can cause power loss and premature pocket wear.
For increased accessibility, the SC552 has outside dual wheels that can be removed to pass through a 36-inch gate for backyard, and other hard-to-reach, stump grinding projects.
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