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bulldoglover

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Hey guys, just bought a new to me Brush Bandit 200xp. It needs a bit of body work and some paint. My question is... the drop down feed table seems very low(below knee high), any thoughts on cutting the thing off and just having the open feed area? It needs some metal work, but i do not want to spend money to fix it up do decide later that I want it off.
 
All the ones I worked with have low tables as well. I'm not sure if they are designed that way or just beat that way by guys dropping stuff on it. Anyways it's lower to lift debris onto the table.

I wouldn't cut the table off if I were you. If nothing else, its a safety feature, that could get you in major trouble from worker's comp if there was to be an accident (removing factory installed guards). Cutting off the table puts your guys' hands way too close to the rollers.
 
They get all bent up from throwing big chunks of wood on there and also reversing them into the lip. Keep it on there, helps more than you think. Beat the bent up metal back into place with an 8lb maul if/when it needs it. :hmm3grin2orange:
 
The table is low, even when the unit is new. Mine has never bent down on ours, regardless of the size of log dropped onto it. Shucks, it won't take anything bigger than 12", so that shouldn't hurt it. The table is low for several reasons:

1. It's a lot less work to lift a heavy branch onto the feed table when it isn't too high.

2. The low feed table points somewhat to the ground, where the rest of the branch is laying. This allows the butt to rest heavier on the bottom feed roller, assisting the spring tensioners to pull the log in.

3. Pointing the feed path to the ground also reduces the tendency for forks and irregularities to hang up as the branch is dragged into the chipper.

4. A mild downslope is good to have when you are trying to prevent something bad from rolling/sliding/vibrating further towards the feed rollers.


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Leave it on. Without it, somebody will get mulched by being too close to the feed rollers, and you will loose everything you own to lawsuits for removing the factory equipment.

Besides, that feed table is a good tailgate, and you can store the last of the tools in there when every other component of the truck is stuffed. We routinely finish blowing off the street, set the handheld blower in the chipper, and drive off. Besides, without it, you will have a sharp edge that will hang up on every branch that you try to feed.
 
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Thanks for the input guys, definitely going to leave it on there. Has anyone ever mounted a small winch to their chipper(not the factory winch)? I was thinking about making a setup on the back for an ATV winch or one of those two inch receiver winches that go on the back of your truck for those uphill pulls. I'd rather have my fab guy weld a flat bracket or a 2 inch receiver on now, before I repaint this thing. Just trying to think for the next few years and were and what I might be doing.
 
Bandit makes a retrofit winch kit for that model.

Unless I am mistaken, you will prefer to have the winch mounted high, well above the feed table. This allows the winch to pull the log up a hill onto the feed table. Mounted low, you will be required to pick up the butt manually while activating the winch at the same time. That could get tricky.

You could build your own of course, but you have hydraulics on the machine available to run a winch. An electric ATV winch isn't made for the continuous use that tree chipping will require; so it will probably not last as long as you want. I'd pursue a hydraulic winch at a bit higher expense.
 
winch

I checked into that retrofit winch from BB for my 250+ and it was very expensive. I too have wondered about mounting an electric winch on mine, I can get one for next to nothing. Anyone out there ever done it?
 
I welded a metal pipe under the lip of mine to keep itfrom getting bent up loading logs onto it.
 

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