How the Dipperfox Stump Crusher reduces total maintenance costs for power lines

This is because Dipperfox delivers the most extensive performance for this job type, crushing up to ¼ of a hectare or 180 stumps per hour.

Most professional users are unaware that the Dipperfox Stump Crushers are working on deforestation areas and landscape maintenance projects, like creating mowing zones under the power lines and pipelines, nearby transport corridors, or safety areas, or infrastructure objects.

The immediate impact that the Dipperfox Stump Crusher has is on the total cost of ownership (TCO).

More importantly, the owners of infrastructure projects are driven by efficiency. And the Dipperfox Stump Crusher is the tool to provide it. 

There is a vast difference between the service costs of mowing safety areas using an agricultural wheel tractor and a tracked excavator. It starts with transportation – operators can drive tractors to job sites, but excavators require trailer transport. 

Plus, the cost of working hours is different, and you have to factor in fuel consumption. 

But the trick is that if the stumps are not removed during construction, fast-growing green bushes will obscure the mower operator's view. Thus, it becomes practically impossible to avoid contact with the stump. And the outcome will likely be damaged equipment. 

Leaving the stumps to the ground is cheaper than the initial investment, but it won’t pay off in the long term.

Mowing areas are created by mulchers or, in rare cases, with stump grinders, and they work amazingly for smaller bushes. But crushing a bigger stump with mulchers is time-consuming. 

The second issue is the rocks in the ground. If your fast-moving mulcher blade hits a rock, it needs to be replaced. And this means downtime for excavators and extra costs.

The cost-efficient way to create meadow areas is to use Dipperfox Stump Crusher and a stump grinder or mulcher as a team. So Dipperfox Stump Crusher goes in front to smash the larger stumps, and the mulcher follows, producing fine material. Such a workaround allows crushing not only the top part of the stump but also the part below ground level. It avoids stumps rising due to frost in the wintertime. And the result will be a clean, smooth surface that can be maintained by mowing with agricultural tractors afterward.

The most cost-efficient way to clear areas is to use the Dipperfox Stump Crusher in tandem with either a stump grinder or a mulcher. 

First, the Dipperfox Stump Crusher crushes the larger stumps, and the mulcher then handles the smaller ones. Such a workaround allows crushing the top part of the stump and its roots below the ground level. 

It prevents stumps from rising due to frost in the wintertime. And the result will be a clean, smooth surface that can be maintained afterward by mowing with agricultural tractors.

Looks nice on paper, but does it actually work?

The described methods have been tested in Estonia during the construction of a new 330/110 kilovolt power line. It is a remarkable project spanning 170 km from Sindi to Harku. During this project, more than 200 hectares of forest, swamp, and other landscapes were made into meadow areas.

Feedback from operators was positive. The mulching process of fining the bush took only half the time once the larger stumps had been drilled out using this method. This boosted mulching performance by up to 1 hectare per day, roughly 3-4 times faster than when no stump removal was performed.

Stump mulcher

Pros: 

• Effective with fine bushes.
• Leaves a flat, smooth outcome.
• No waste left behind (chipped material can be used as fertilizer for the ground).

Cons: 

• Grinding bigger stumps is time-consuming.
• Requires a safety area for working blades when spinning at high speeds.
• Bigger rocks will demolish the blades.
• Limited ability to work below the ground level.

Dipperfox Stump Crusher

Pros: 

• super effective with stumps (average stump takes about 20 seconds)
• minimum risk of throwing material around (max speed is only 60 RPM)
• can be used below the ground level (operators can use blades over rocks)
• no waste left behind (chipped material can be used as fertilizer for the ground)

Cons: 

• can't be used on fine bushes

Before