If you own a skid steer and need stumps gone, you have three realistic options — a dedicated grinding attachment, a stump bucket, or a rental. Which one makes sense depends almost entirely on how many stumps you're dealing with and what species they are. Here's the honest breakdown.
Most stump removal on a skid steer comes down to this choice. A stump grinder attachment chews the stump down below grade — clean, efficient, no disruption to surrounding soil. A stump bucket (also called a root grapple with spikes or a stump ripper) grabs and rips the stump out of the ground — faster on soft-rooted species, messier, and leaves a crater you have to deal with.
The r/Skidsteer community's consensus is pretty consistent: for softwood species (poplar, spruce, pine, willow), pulling or ripping is often faster and cheaper. For hardwoods (oak, elm, Manitoba maple, apple), grinding beats fighting the root system.
A stump grinder attachment mounts to your quick-attach plate and runs off your auxiliary hydraulics. A hydraulic motor spins a cutter wheel (typically 18–24 inches in diameter) studded with carbide teeth. You position the cutter over the stump and work it back and forth, progressively grinding down 2–4 inches per pass until you're 6–12 inches below grade.
Unlike walk-behind stump grinders, the skid steer provides the weight and stability — you're not fighting the machine. The result is fine wood chips that decompose quickly and can be used as mulch.
This is one attachment where most skid steers qualify without an upgrade. Standard-flow stump grinders run comfortably on 15–20 GPM at 2,500–3,000 PSI — within the range of virtually any skid steer made in the last 20 years.
| Grinder Size | Typical GPM Requirement | Flow Type |
|---|---|---|
| Small (18" wheel, residential) | 12–18 GPM | Standard flow |
| Medium (20–22" wheel) | 15–22 GPM | Standard flow |
| Large (24"+ wheel, commercial) | 20–30 GPM | Standard or high flow |
High-flow grinders exist and run faster, but they're not necessary for most residential or small-commercial jobs. The standard-flow models from Baumalight, Bobcat, and Fecon handle typical Canadian yard and property work without complaint.
New skid steer stump grinder attachments run roughly $3,500–$8,000 CAD for quality units. Daily rental rates in Canada (through Sunbelt, Renterra, or local dealers) typically run $300–$500/day depending on size and region.
| Scenario | Better Option | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 5 stumps, one-time job | Rent or hire out | Daily rental pays for itself vs. owning |
| 20–50 stumps, clearing a property | Rent for a week | Week rental often $800–1,200 — still cheaper than buying |
| Regular land clearing work, multiple properties | Buy | Pays off after 8–15 uses depending on rate |
| Landscaping contractor doing spring/fall stump jobs | Buy | Billable attachment justifies ownership quickly |
| Farmer doing annual shelter-belt maintenance | Buy or rent annually | Depends on acreage — crunch the numbers per season |
A stump bucket (or root bucket with tines) is essentially a heavy-duty grapple bucket with aggressive tines designed to break apart and remove stumps by ripping rather than grinding. They're cheaper than grinders ($1,500–$3,000 new) and don't require any special hydraulics beyond your bucket circuit.
Larger wheels cover more area per pass and are faster on big stumps. Tooth count and carbide quality matter more for longevity than speed — cheap carbide wears fast in rocky Canadian soil. Baumalight's replaceable tooth system is well-regarded among Canadian operators; Fecon is the commercial-duty benchmark but priced accordingly.
Most attachments grind 10–12 inches below grade — enough to grow grass over. If you're laying pavement or a concrete slab, you may need to go deeper or excavate the remaining root mass. Check manufacturer specs; they vary significantly.
Confirm Bob-Tach, SSL-style universal, or your brand's proprietary plate before purchasing. Most aftermarket grinders use a universal skid steer quick-attach plate that fits 90% of machines, but verify before ordering.
Carbide teeth are a wear item. A grinder that needs parts from the US on a 3-week lead time is a liability mid-job. Baumalight is Canadian-manufactured (BC) with dealer support across the country — a genuine advantage for parts and warranty service.
Related: Land Clearing Attachments → · Mulcher Attachments → · Grapple Attachments →
Looking for specific models available in Canada? Browse the skid steer auger attachment catalog for verified product pages on real models sold through Canadian dealers.