What does stump grinding look like in action?

A stump grinding video shows four phases: setup (2–5 minutes of guards, boards, and PPE), main grinding pass (10–40 minutes of sweeping the cutting wheel side to side), finishing pass to 150–300mm below ground, and 5–10 minutes of cleanup. Total run time is usually 15 to 90 minutes.

Pause the clip at each phase. If any phase is missing or jump-cut, the operator is hiding something — usually the depth, the mess, or the lack of protection on the surrounding lawn.

Phase 1 — Setup (00:00–02:00)

Watch for plywood ground-protection boards laid over lawns or paving, a rubber chip-guard staked into the soil around the stump, and the operator in full PPE before the engine starts. A quick walk-around with a metal detector is a bonus — buried wire wrecks teeth and throws shards.

Phase 2 — Main grinding pass (02:00–25:00)

The cutting wheel should sweep slowly side to side, taking 25–50mm bites per pass. Fast plunge cuts overheat the carbide teeth and shower chips outside the guard. The pile of chips should be growing inside the rubber skirt, not across the patio.

Phase 3 — Finishing pass (25:00–35:00)

This is the phase the cowboys skip. The operator should drop the wheel a further 100–150mm to clear the buttress and main lateral roots, leaving a clean basin 150mm below grade (300mm if you are returfing). A good video pauses here to show a tape or spade in the hole.

Phase 4 — Cleanup (35:00–45:00)

Chips raked back into the hole, surplus bagged or wheelbarrowed to the van, boards lifted, lawn brushed. The final frame should be a clean patch you could walk a toddler across barefoot — no splinters, no spoil, no ruts from the machine.

How long does a typical job take on video?

A typical stump grinding job runs 15 to 90 minutes on site. A 12-inch softwood stump grinds in roughly 15–25 minutes. A 24-inch hardwood takes 45–60 minutes. Anything over 36 inches can push past 90 minutes. Honest videos show the full pass, not just the satisfying chips flying.

Beware highly-edited reels under 30 seconds — they almost always crop out the slow finishing pass. If a video runs at real speed for at least 5 minutes per 12 inches of diameter, you are watching a complete job. Pricing scales with that time on site, which is broken down on our stump grinding cost page.

What can you see in a before/after?

Good before/after footage shows the stump at ground level from two angles, the same patch after grinding to 150–300mm below grade, and the chip pile backfilled level. Bad footage cuts straight from a raised stump to a tidy lawn, hiding whether the operator actually went deep enough.

The single most useful frame is a wide shot of the finished basin before backfill. You should be able to see soil and severed root ends 150mm down, not a thin sprinkle of chips over a barely-touched stump. If the camera never goes into the hole, assume the depth never did either.

What are the red flags in a stump grinding video?

Three red flags: no ground protection boards on lawns or paving, no PPE (helmet, visor, ear defenders, chainsaw trousers), and no safety zone — people, pets, or windows within 15 metres of the cutting wheel. Any of these on a public video means corner-cutting on your job too.

• No chip guard. Chips fired at 30+ m/s will crack greenhouse glass and dent car panels at 10 metres. A rubber skirt around the wheel is non-negotiable.
• Bare ground crossing. A 350kg grinder driven across wet turf without boards leaves ruts you will be levelling for a year.
• Stump left proud. If the final shot shows wood still visible at grade, the job stopped at the easy part. You paid for grinding; you got planing.
• Chips left on site without asking. Fine for a flower bed, terrible on a lawn — fresh chips lock up nitrogen and yellow the grass.

Should the video show depth measurement?

Yes. A trustworthy clip pauses mid-job to show a tape or spade lowered into the grind hole, confirming 150mm minimum below ground level (300mm if you plan to replant or lay turf). No depth shot on camera usually means no depth check in person.

If you cannot find a video for the company you are considering, ask for one. Any specialist with nothing to hide will send a 60-second clip from a recent job. Want a fixed price before you commit? Send a photo on the free quote form and we will reply within the hour.