Nov 01, 2021 · A stump grinder is a heavyduty machine designed to cut the wood fibers of a tree stump and buttress roots using immense power from a spinning cutter wheel. The idea is to remove all visible traces of the woody tree parts that protrude from the ground after the tree is cut down. Stump grinders are large and expensive, and it would be unwise to assume that an untrained worker can .