The SC850 Pro is the production Dipperfox: 850 mm stump capacity, 900 mm drilling depth and 43,000 Nm of first-gear torque on 13 to 30 tonne excavators. It is built for the forestry block, the highway and rail corridor and the large development site where stumps are counted in thousands and the carrier is a 20 tonne machine already on the earthworks.
Where the SC850 Pro sits in the range
The SC850 Pro sits alone at the top of the range. The SC600 covers 6 to 12 tonne carriers at 600 mm and 16,900 Nm; the SC400 covers minis at 400 mm and 13,700 Nm. The SC850 Pro’s torque is more than two and a half times the SC600’s, which is the clearest signal that it is a different class of tool rather than a larger version of the same one. Its real alternative is a Trevi Benne WE15 root cutter on the same carrier where the roots must leave the ground. The stump grinder buying guide and the three-way comparison cover the range logic.
What the published figures mean on site
The 850 mm maximum diameter covers mature plantation stumps and most remnant hardwood in a single position; larger butts are worked from two. The 900 mm drilling depth is what makes the SC850 Pro a re-establishment tool as well as a clearing tool, because a stump processed to that depth is out of the way of ripping, mounding and planting lines rather than merely out of sight. The 43,000 Nm figure is the reason to pay for the Pro: through the two-speed planetary transmission, that torque keeps the screw turning in dense heartwood and root intersections where a smaller drive would stall and back out. The 580 kg weight is modest on a 20 tonne machine, but on a 13 tonne carrier at full reach it should still be checked.
Carrier matching
The 13 to 30 tonne band is where the SC850 Pro will fit; the hydraulics decide where it will produce. The envelope is 110 to 230 L/min at 180 to 350 bar on a 74 to 130 kW carrier, and the flow has to be delivered under load at working temperature. A 20 tonne excavator typically sits comfortably inside that band on its main auxiliary circuit; a 13 or 14 tonne machine at the bottom will run the head but at reduced pace in hard stumps. Illustratively, a carrier near the top of the band averaging four minutes per large hardwood stump against a marginal one at eight minutes is more than 130 machine hours over a 2,000 stump plantation block. Confirm continuous auxiliary flow, relief pressure, return restriction, coupler and hose size and oil temperature after an hour of repetitive drilling with the hydraulic matching guide and the hydraulic power calculator. Check lift at reach on the smaller carriers with the lift chart guide, since down-pressure on the screw adds to the boom load.
Typical work and production considerations
The SC850 Pro belongs on plantation re-establishment, road corridor and rail corridor clearing, transmission easements and large subdivision or solar sites. The cycle is track, align, drill, move, and on a felled block with stumps on a grid the travel between stumps becomes a large share of the day, which favours planning the drilling pattern before the first stump. Production is governed by stump difficulty class: clean softwood in loam, mixed conditions, dense hardwood with heavy root flare, and rocky or contaminated ground each give a different cycle, and a plantation block of the first class is nothing like a remnant eucalypt block of the third. Dipperfox has published an infrastructure case study on the Rail Baltica project reporting roughly two hectares a day of de-stumping in suitable conditions; it is a manufacturer-published European example rather than an Australian rate, but it illustrates the scale the machine is aimed at. On corridors, possession windows and traffic control make the eliminated hauling and reinstatement steps as valuable as the drilling. Locate services before every stump, and in fire season treat carrier housekeeping as part of the job.
Limitations and when to step up or down a size
There is no step up. Where roots must leave the ground for footings or trenches, or where stump biomass has a market, the answer is a root cutter rather than a bigger drill; the stump grinder versus stump cutter comparison sets out the site outcomes. Step down to the SC600 when the fleet is under 13 tonnes, when stumps rarely exceed 600 mm or when the work is urban and access-limited. The SC850 Pro is the wrong purchase for a fleet that cannot keep it busy; its capital is justified by volume.
Options and configuration to settle at quotation
Settle the bracket and hitch for each carrier it may move between, hose and coupler package sized for the flow, any auxiliary circuit adjustment, installation and commissioning and the current technical sheet with the exact carrier description. Ask what spares package the distributor recommends for remote corridor and plantation work.
Wear parts and support
On production work the blades, centre screw, gearbox oil and seals stop being occasional purchases and become budget lines, and they should be costed per stump or per hectare rather than per set. Price them at quotation, confirm Australian stock and lead time, carry spare sets on remote projects and add a rock allowance for stony ground.
Confirm before ordering
- Current SC850 Pro technical sheet with the exact carrier description
- Your carrier's auxiliary flow and pressure under load against 110 to 230 L/min and 180 to 350 bar
- Carrier engine power within the 74 to 130 kW range
- Bracket and hitch for every carrier the head may move between, with hoses and coupler sized for the flow
- Blade and centre screw pricing, Australian stock, lead time and a recommended spares package for remote work
- Gearbox oil specification and service interval at production duty
- A timed trial on representative Australian stumps, recorded by difficulty class, before per-hectare rates are set
- Service-location procedure and fire-season housekeeping plan for the sites you work
- Whether a root cutter is the required tool for any part of the contract
Frequently asked questions
Why is the torque figure so much higher than the SC600's?
The SC850 Pro is built for continuous production in large, dense stumps. 43,000 Nm in first gear keeps the screw turning through heartwood and root intersections where a smaller drive would stall.
Will a 13 tonne excavator run it?
It is the bottom of the band. It will operate the head, but production depends on the flow and pressure delivered under load, and a 20 tonne class machine will drill faster in hard stumps.
Is two hectares a day realistic here?
That is a manufacturer-published European figure from the Rail Baltica project in suitable conditions. Australian hardwood, dry soil and rock change the answer. Time your own trial.
Does 900 mm depth mean the roots are gone?
No. The stump and root crown are processed to depth; lateral roots remain to decompose. Where roots must be removed, use a root cutter such as the WE15.
Can it move between carriers?
Yes, with a bracket and hoses for each. Confirm each carrier's hydraulics separately; the head will produce differently on a 14 tonne machine and a 28 tonne one.
Other stump grinders to compare
Dipperfox SC400 stump grinder
The compact Dipperfox for mini excavators: 190 kg, a 400 mm stump capacity and 590 mm drilling depth, built to put stump removal on a carrier that already fits through the gate.
Dipperfox SC600 stump grinder
The mid-range and arguably most versatile Dipperfox: a 600 mm stump capacity on the 6 to 12 tonne excavators that civil, utility and landscaping contractors mobilise most often.
Get a recommendation, not just a price
Send us your excavator model, hydraulic figures, tree species and typical diameters. We will come back with a carrier-matched configuration and a written specification you can compare against any other quote.