decent small chipper?

[miko0618]

I am looking for a small chipper that can be moved by hand. even a couple guys. my question is, do they make one that will work fast? a 3 or 4" would be fine. I've looked online but without seeing them in action, its hard to say if they would keep up. I have some jobs where I cannot get a tow behind within 100 yards of the tree. although a small tow behind that could be removed and wheeled would be ok. I am looking for someone that has experience with using one and the rate of work they will do. I don't really have a budget but around $1000 would be great!

thanks!

 

[timberland ts]

There is alot of places that rent 6" chippers Lowes being one. Rent one and try it. Ihave alot of jobs you cant get a chipper to you just have to bid for it and drag it out. If those little machines dont have sharp knives they are worthless. Good luck in that price range. Even a six inch is heavy. Where are you blowing the chips if your not hooked to a truck? Anything under six inch is a waste of time and money.

 

[CalTreeEquip]

The Bandit 65 is the best 6" chipper around. Find one with a 25 hp Kohler, that would be you lightest option.
Anything else just isn't productive enough to bother with. $1000 isn't nearly enough though, more like 3 to 6K.
2004 Brush Bandit model 65AW Chipper demo Chipper King - YouTube

 

[AshTree]

Chipper

My 4" salsco has a 7" x 8" feed roller and is hands down a better chipper than the Vermeer 6" lighter too, tows behing at exactly 500kg (1200) can be pushed around by 2 guys has a 20hp kohler and chips fine. it is well built.

Opening is 5" by 8" and it does the job fine, got mine for 3k.

 

[Naked Arborist]

My 4" salsco has a 7" x 8" feed roller and is hands down a better chipper than the Vermeer 6" lighter too, tows behing at exactly 500kg (1200) can be pushed around by 2 guys has a 20hp kohler and chips fine. it is well built.

Opening is 5" by 8" and it does the job fine, got mine for 3k.

That's the best thing I heard about small chippers in a long time.

 

[TimberMcPherson]

The Bandit 65 is the best 6" chipper around. Find one with a 25 hp Kohler, that would be you lightest option.
Anything else just isn't productive enough to bother with. $1000 isn't nearly enough though, more like 3 to 6K.
2004 Brush Bandit model 65AW Chipper demo Chipper King - YouTube

I agree that the bandit is a good chipper.

When did you last drag brush 100 yards from a big job by hand? Unless your able to use a force multiplier such as a skid steer or arbor trolley, a small chipper can be the way to go

I would rather have a 3 inch chipper under the tree than a fleet of 12 inch chippers 100 yards away. We had a 200 yard drag a couple weeks ago which would have just taken days. We can normally "sell" the client the idea of a pile of mulch in there back garden and firewood length wood left, its far easier to bring a 80kg chipper in than carry 700kgs of material out. (less clean up, less damage to property and less overall costs as theres no mulch to dump or time lost dragging.)
Dont get me wrong, little chippers suck to feed but a $1000 chipper can make you as much money per hour as a 12 inch in the right cirumstances.

 

[old_soul]

I agree that the bandit is a good chipper.

When did you last drag brush 100 yards from a big job by hand? Unless your able to use a force multiplier such as a skid steer or arbor trolley, a small chipper can be the way to go

I would rather have a 3 inch chipper under the tree than a fleet of 12 inch chippers 100 yards away. We had a 200 yard drag a couple weeks ago which would have just taken days. We can normally "sell" the client the idea of a pile of mulch in there back garden and firewood length wood left, its far easier to bring a 80kg chipper in than carry 700kgs of material out. (less clean up, less damage to property and less overall costs as theres no mulch to dump or time lost dragging.)
Dont get me wrong, little chippers suck to feed but a $1000 chipper can make you as much money per hour as a 12 inch in the right cirumstances.

Around here we get a drag like that once a week. Work in city lots, back yards, up steps, around the garage, etc. Sometimes you can find a way to get equip back there. Sometimes you've got to suck it up and drag it out to the street.

I'm always amazed on here, reading about how things are done, in other parts of the country, and world.

In 13 years i've never been able to leave a "pile of mulch" in a customers yard. Our clients expect a full clean up; wood, chips, rake up, clean off the driveway. Its up to us to figure out how to remove the material. If we have to hire a crane, than so be it. Thats why they hire a tree service company.


Personally I'd rather stack brush on a trailer than feed it into those tiny chippers. But to each his own I guess.......

 

[miko0618]

I really don't know which is worse, loading a small chipper or dragging it out. I guess the question is, could you chip the same branch you drug 100 yds in the same time? as far as the mulch, a lot of our jobs are near woods, not roads. so it could be disposed of. even still, a couple carts of mulch wouldn't be to bad. I know this probly sounds lame but harbor freight has a chipper for $350 (after coupon). I thought fabricating a larger chipper chute and giving it a try. if it doesn't work, sell it. if it does, buy a decent one.

 

[CalTreeEquip]

Self-Propelled Bandit

Any under 20 hp simply isn't worth the effort. It takes a few horses to reduce wood to chips in an efficient manner. A 25 hp, 6" Bandit will easily keep one groundman busy at about the same rate it takes to stack the brush for dragging. I twice had a self-propelled 6" Bandit with a 35 hp Wisconsin, that thing was way cool. YOu simply drove it to the middle of your work area and chipped away. One of them even had a chip chute that allow you to chip strait down into a recycle ben, even cooler.
View attachment 286173

 

[CalTreeEquip]

Just remembered a movie of made of it.
Self Propelled Brush Bandit Chipper - YouTube

 

[Pelorus]

Just remembered a movie of made of it.
Self Propelled Brush Bandit Chipper - YouTube

That is The Bomb!
The only other self propelled Bandits I've seen had tracked undercarriages.
I've debated putting a hydraulic motor on a castor wheel, but probably not enough tongue weight to give it decent traction.

 

[john Kawamoto jr]

Chipper

My 4" salsco has a 7" x 8" feed roller and is hands down a better chipper than the Vermeer 6" lighter too, tows behing at exactly 500kg (1200) can be pushed around by 2 guys has a 20hp kohler and chips fine. it is well built.

Opening is 5" by 8" and it does the job fine, got mine for 3k.

Dang 3k for a salsco 4 inch i want to find a deal like that