Stump grinder

A stump grinder for attachment with a vehicle, the stump grinder comprises:

• a chassis operably engaged with the vehicle at one of a first end and a second end;
• a body operably engaged with the chassis;
• a front end positioned proximate to the body;
• a rear end positioned proximate to the chassis and opposite to the front end;
• a grinder wheel operably engaged with the body;
• a drive assembly operably engaged with the grinder wheel and the body;
• and
• a push blade assembly operatively engaged with the body;
• wherein the push blade assembly is independently rotatable on the body between the front end of the body and the rear end of the body, the push blade assembly comprises:
• a push blade operably engaged with the body, the push blade having a first end, a second end opposite to the first end, and a longitudinal axis defined therebetween;
• wherein the longitudinal axis of the push blade is orthogonal to the plane of rotation of the grinder wheel.

A method of cutting a stump from a ground surface, comprising steps of:

• engaging a stump grinder with a vehicle by a pair of attachment arms of the stump grinder;
• introducing a grinder wheel of the stump grinder to the stump;
• initiating rotation of the grinder wheel via a drive assembly of the stump grinder, wherein the grinder wheel rotates in a plane that is orthogonal to a longitudinal axis defined by the vehicle;
• cutting the stump from the ground surface;
• and
• rotating a push blade of a push blade assembly between a front end of the stump grinder and a rear end of the stump grinder;
• wherein each attachment arm of the pair of attachment arms extends along an axis that is non-parallel to a plane of rotation of the grinder wheel.