dbotos
ArboristSite Lurker
Can anyone recommend a decent chipper that falls somewhere in between an underpowered homeowner-style unit and a professional tow-behind? I'd like something I could sit on a utility trailer and have it discharge into a chip box that would also be sitting on the trailer. 3" limbs are probably the max I would do with it - anything bigger would be firewood.
I currently have a somewhat laughable MTD homeowner model powered by a 6.5 hp Briggs that I bought used off a coworker before I got into tree work. Looks kind of like this, but green:
The knives are made of the world's worst steel and instantly dull if you look at them wrong. I ended up taking off the "shredder" side funnel, shredder blade, and flails and just blocked that side off with a plate. On the chipper side, I welded an additional lip onto the feed chute in order to decrease the clearance between the chute and the knives (from about 1/4" to maybe 1/16"). It chips somewhat better now and tends not to drag material down in between the chute and knives, but you still have to manually shove material down in there and the chipper chute is somewhat narrow so anything you feed it with side branches has to be flexible or hacked down first. I'd love to make a homebrew one like this guy did, and while I have the tools and skills at my disposal, I just don't have the time:
http://bedair.org/Projects/chipper1.html
I got the DR brochure and DVD and those look like they are a decent design and well-made:
http://www.drpower.com/wood-chippers_engined_features.aspx
I like the fact that they have Briggs and Stratton engines too. Any input on the DRs or other "semi-professional" chippers would be appreciated.
Thanks,
David
I currently have a somewhat laughable MTD homeowner model powered by a 6.5 hp Briggs that I bought used off a coworker before I got into tree work. Looks kind of like this, but green:
The knives are made of the world's worst steel and instantly dull if you look at them wrong. I ended up taking off the "shredder" side funnel, shredder blade, and flails and just blocked that side off with a plate. On the chipper side, I welded an additional lip onto the feed chute in order to decrease the clearance between the chute and the knives (from about 1/4" to maybe 1/16"). It chips somewhat better now and tends not to drag material down in between the chute and knives, but you still have to manually shove material down in there and the chipper chute is somewhat narrow so anything you feed it with side branches has to be flexible or hacked down first. I'd love to make a homebrew one like this guy did, and while I have the tools and skills at my disposal, I just don't have the time:
http://bedair.org/Projects/chipper1.html
I got the DR brochure and DVD and those look like they are a decent design and well-made:
http://www.drpower.com/wood-chippers_engined_features.aspx
I like the fact that they have Briggs and Stratton engines too. Any input on the DRs or other "semi-professional" chippers would be appreciated.
Thanks,
David