Salsco owners speak up!

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I rent one when other rental companies is out or I need a half day. Can't complain have always done what I want it to. I wish the chute would angle up so I could fill chip box top down. I can't remember if feed wheel stops when idle drops to low or not but I do like that feature on a chipper. I haven't used any other brands besides Vermeer or Salsco. I do own a leaf loader made by them and only thing I've replaced is the impeller and it's well over 6 yrs. old. Just my two pennies worth
 
salsco chipper

i had a model 826 pto chipper made by salsco. i felt it was a well built chi pper.but i sold it because it was it was a hassle hauling it around. i have a bandit 250 and a chuck-n-duck now. but i would buy another salsco. i have a account with a golf course and they bought a salsco about 5 months ago and they really like it. they tried several chippers out before buying it. just my opinion.
 
Salsco

I used to work for a company in NC that was a Salsco dealer. I have been in or around the tree business for 10 years, and either worked on or sold equipment for 20. Currently operating a family biz and climbing full time, so I really have no dog in this fight.

I learned a lot about chippers while selling Salsco. I sold a few to municipalities before leaving that job and all were totally satisfied. They are built like tanks and sit on the stoutest frame in the industry. They also utilize 2 bed knives, which makes for some nice chips. There is also a large slot behind the blade pockets on the disc that greatly increases the ability to exhaust chips. I spent many hours with the model 813 and never clogged it. On one demo, we chipped dead, wet, rotten wood mixed with honeysuckle vines. The customer was trying to clog the machine as his Bandit was notorious for this. The Salsco never slowed down. Their speed sensing also runs off the chipper disc, not the engine. No more smoked belts, and a faster "catch up time" with big wood. The machines are hand built, one at a time and the fit and finish is far better than anything else we compared it to. Machine is powder coated before assembly, so no unpainted surfaces mated together or painted hyd hoses. Sal (the owner) builds one hell of a machine.

The down side is, of course, the price, but you definately get what you pay for. Our company currently uses a Vermeer chuck and duck. We looked into buying a 13" Salsco, but just can't justify the price vs the benifet of a large chipper. 90% of our business is wrecking pine trees and we rarely chip anything larger than 6" (log the rest).
 
Thanks Rockfishin. I was impressed with what I saw on the website for their chippers and I am still toying with the idea of making my own chip/dump setup even though the Bandit chipper/chip box trailer setup really has me thinking! I guess it comes down to how hungry I want to be; get the biggest chipper I can and then work my business to grow into it. I have been renting chippers for my jobs and blowing the chips into the bed of my F-350 ( Cab too,when my son opened the rear slider w/out me realizing it :censored: )I got tired of shoveling chips so I got a Load Handler, the commercial one but now I am looking at making a chip box around a Dump-Pro bed insert. Mount a small chipper on the trailer, blow the chips into the box on the back of the truck, put the logs on the back of the trailer behind the chipper with a hydraulic winch powered by the chipper, and get home in time for dinner! I think that the 4" 84 Series with the 25hp Kohler would work perfectly mounted on the front of a 16' dump trailer with some modding. If my part time business outgrows this setup I think it would be an easy item to sell to a Landscaper/Lawn Care outfit.
 
Slvrmple72,

I had somewhat the same thoughts as you have, I got tired of stacking and packing brush in my dump trailer and wanted to get my first chipper. I looked at the smaller chippers, including Salsco. One of the main things you need to look at is the throat dimensions on the chipper. That salsco has 4"X8" throat. Think of all the crotches in the brush and how many are not going to fit through that. I tried a similar model and new it wasn't for me. I found a 94 bandit model 90 with only 300 hrs. on it, the throat is 9"X17" and payed a lot less than that salsco would be. I can now chip into the truck, with the load handler, on smaller jobs; chip into the dump trailer on larger jobs, and chip into the woods whenever the homeowner says to. I may have to make an extra trip or two getting the equipment to the job, but I would rather spend that extra time sitting and driving over breaking my back trying to make the brush fit through that machine. Just food for thought, but I am happy with my choice.
 
I think you and I had talked about exploring chipper/trailer a few years ago... I am also still interested in the idea, but haven't pulled the trigger yet.

I talked to the Salsco guys about this at the CENTS show last month. They said they can ship a unit without the axle/lights/hitch (towing package) and probably save around $1200 (we were looking at the 8625 and 8635 models).
 
I know that this question is from 2007.. but I could not believe that there were no users using the Salsco Wood Chipper. So 14 years later I wanted to post this review.

Dollar for Dollar the Salsco Wood Chipper is your best value. Personally, we cut over 700 trees a year. We are a large commercial contractor. We have owned Vermeer, Bandit and Mobark.. but for simplicity of use, easiest to fix, and performance it is pretty hard to beat Salsco. We own the 810M... a 10" Disc Salsco Wood Chipper with a 50 HP Deutz Diesel Engine, and best of all it uses an automatic clutch transmission. Just like in a car! No other chipper manufacturer offers the automatic transmission. We bought this chipper for 43,000 USD. To get this value in Vermeer, Bandit or Mobark.. you will easily spend twice the money. Additionally, where the other brands make you deal with the dealer in your area.. with Salsco you can call the factory direct.. and even speak with the owner.. Sal. He will always take your call. But lastly and most importantly is that the Salsco Wood Chipper is built like a tank. It is very heavy duty.. and very easy to work on. If you are in the market for a chipper.. do yourself a favour and call Sal at Salsco. I will not buy another brand. For my money.. salsco is the best!
 

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