The mid-size OMEF stump shear for 12-20 tonne carriers, distributed by Randalls.
| Carrier class | 12-20 t |
|---|---|
| Weight | 1,600 kg |
| Opening | 900 mm |
| Cylinder force | up to 70 t |
A stump shear does not grind the stump. It penetrates, splits, loosens, extracts and handles the stump as a whole. For large-scale land conversion this may be commercially superior because the root mass is removed rather than left in place.
It also creates a biomass stream. Stump biomass has value in some markets, and the extracted material is removed from the site rather than left to interfere with subsequent tillage, planting or construction.
The stump shears market in Australia
Stump shears do something grinders cannot: remove the root mass. For large-scale land conversion that is frequently the commercially superior outcome, because the extracted material leaves the site rather than interfering with subsequent tillage, planting or construction.
The category also creates a biomass stream. Where a stump biomass offtake exists, extracted material has value rather than being a disposal cost — which can change the economics of a conversion project entirely.
Units sold locally span roughly 12-20 tonne and 20-35 tonne carrier brackets, with cylinder forces up to 70 and 90 tonnes respectively and openings from 900 mm to 1,400 mm.
Benchmark machines in the Australian market
Indicative published manufacturer and distributor figures. Confirm every specification, lift chart and hydraulic requirement with the manufacturer or authorised dealer before purchase.
The heavy OMEF stump shear for 20-35 tonne carriers, identified for large-scale clearing, biomass and plantation preparation.
| Carrier class | 20-35 t |
|---|---|
| Weight | 2,500 kg |
| Opening | 1,400 mm |
| Cylinder force | up to 90 t |
Specific machines in this class
Full published specifications, commercial fit, and what to verify before signing — for each machine.
How this machine should be judged
These are the numbers that determine whether the purchase works. Specification sheets rarely contain any of them.
Buying criteria
Assemble every one of these before contacting a supplier. Any line you cannot answer is where your commercial risk sits.
Buying traps
Each of these is a documented pattern, not a hypothetical.
Consumables and wear items
Cost drivers
- Tine and jaw wear
- Cylinder and seal service
- Carrier structural loading
- Site rehabilitation after extraction
- Handling and stockpiling extracted material
Cost structure and the variables that move it
Purchase price is the smallest part of most forestry equipment decisions. These are the variables that decide what the machine costs per unit of saleable production.
Stump shear economics are driven by stumps per hour at scale, and by whether the extracted material has a destination. Handling and stockpiling extracted stumps is a real cost that grinding does not incur.
Site rehabilitation is the cost most often omitted. Extraction leaves a void and disturbed soil, and where backfill and levelling are required they belong in the quote.
Model these against your own contracted hours rather than accepting a generic hourly rate — the machine cost calculator works the arithmetic with your figures, and the bottleneck analyser shows whether the machine is the constraint at all.
Three buyers, three different right answers
The same machine class suits very different businesses in very different configurations. These are the situations that recur.
Plantation conversion to agriculture
- Whole-area stump removal ahead of cropping, high stump density, root mass must be gone.
- A heavy shear on a 20-35 tonne carrier. Stumps per hour drives the rate, and the opening must suit the root collar.
- Substantial soil disturbance requiring rehabilitation before cropping.
- Ask the supplier
Stump biomass recovery
- Conversion with a confirmed biomass offtake for extracted stump material.
- Extraction becomes revenue rather than cost. Handling and stockpiling need to be planned into the machine cycle.
- Biomass value depends on contamination limits — soil-laden stumps may be rejected.
- Ask the supplier
Development site clearance
- Construction site requiring complete root removal before earthworks.
- A shear matched to the carrier already on site, avoiding a separate mobilisation.
- Voids must be backfilled and compacted to engineering specification.
- Ask the supplier
Australian considerations
Specification sheets are written for global markets. These are the factors that change the answer here.
Red flags in the sales conversation
None of these are proof of a bad supplier. All of them are reasons to keep asking.
Stump shear buyer checklist
Any line you cannot answer is where your commercial risk sits. Take this to the supplier meeting.
Frequently asked questions
Where this class comes up
The comparisons, buyer profiles and fleet packages that turn on this machine.
Related machine classes
Stump grinders
A specialised removal business, not conventional logging — and never quote it by visible diameter.
Forestry tillers
Works below the soil surface — and should not be confused with an agricultural rotary hoe.
Tree shears
Turns an ordinary excavator into a controlled tree-cutting machine — the fastest-growing attachment category.