I have an 08, BC1500 that I just purchased. I am having issues with the auto feed in relation to stopping the branch before the Rpms drop too low. When I feed a branch 6” or more, the engine bogs itself down significantly before it stops and builds the rpms up. I notice though that it doesn’t allow the rpms to build all the way back up before it feeds again.
a friend of mine, who works for Vermeer in sales, said it may be that the belt needs tightening. That was the issue he had with his, although his is a 1250. He told me the handle that engages the drum should be pretty stiff to engage, whereas mine is very easy.
I am new to owning a chipper. I used this model once by rental and now I own it and used it once and this is the issue.
Thank You!
Been there with my BC1000
the autofeed has a number of factors that make it work. First, the engine RPMs have to be at their high end working speed, nothing in the feed. Once the branch feeds in, the engine will bog down due to the work load , the feed will stop if the RPMs drop to the low end, the engine revs back up and the process repeats. Keep in mind whats bogging down the engine other than the log.
Blades need to be sharp. They don't have to have a factory razor edge to work but the duller the blades are, the more stress the system has on it to do the work. Think of the work you would need to do to cut a tough steak with a dull knife as opposed to a sharp one. Duller blades, more stress on the engine, the RPMs drop.
Belt tension is probably where you are though. Even with sharp blades, if the belt is loose, it's not reacting to the slower engine/drum RPMs and thus the autofeed doesn't kick in at the proper RPM drop. Initially, you don't need to replace the belt. The posted video is instructive but there's more to it. Check your manual first for the proper tensions of the belt once adjusted. On the BC1000, as shown on the video, the cover comes off the machine to access the components. Look at the mechanism while you adjust the tensioner lever above to see what your trying to fix. There's a link between the tensioner arm and the drive shaft for the lower pulley of the belt. That's what you're going to adjust. Loosen the upper and lower lock nuts. Remember, they loosen opposite ways to each other, don't strip them. (been there too) With the tensioning lever in the slack position, turn the turnbuckle making it shorter thus increasing the tension. Engage the tensioner lever and check your tension using a torque wrench, mines 1'2" drive, inserted into the butt end of the tensioner lever bolt. You'll see it, square 1/2" hole. Check your manual for the tension you need. If you need to adjust the tension more, let the lever back to slack, adjust the turnbuckle, and repeat the process with the torque wrench. Once you're at the prescribed tension, loosen the lever back to slack, tighten the lock nuts without turning the turnbuckle, check again with the torque wrench, and replace outside cover to the components.
If you still have problems, you may have an electrical issue which I have no clue on.
Good luck
