Chipper

[palmersfirewood]

thinking about buying a chipper. Will use it 2-3 times a week. which chipper would meet our needs the best. how big? diesel or gas? features? any thing you can tell me about would be appreciated. THANKS

 

[bottlefed89]

Well, what will you be doing with this chipper?? Mostly trimming, and chipping branches?? Mostly removals and you'll need to chip big wood?? Doing land clearance?? Being realistic with your goals, and what you plan to do should help you decide what you need.

 

[mike385]

I am not sure but I rented a chipper a few times and the rental people told me that if it says 6", then it will take 4" continuously. So don't buy just because it says a large number. I am sure that there are guys on here that know more about chippers than I do. Just my opinion.

 

[palmersfirewood]

I would like to do storm cleanup and some smaller tree work until I go to work trimming ROW and then I want to get out on my own eventually.

 

[SilentElk]

Storm cleanup = volume disposal If you want to remove mass volumes then a machine with the largest opening typically is best although not always. You will need a truck too than can handle the chipper and the volume of woodchips. My personal best for volume is roughly 3000 yards chipped in 7hrs 40 minutes producing 10.5 trucks loads from the vermeer 1800 I used to own. (I miss that machine and cant recall why I sold it...anyways). 3 massive piles ideally piled, and I mean IDEALLY piled, from a 320 acres association. 5 guys working almost nonstop.

If you are more interested in light trimming then a smaller machine would do ok. I am assuming you have done tree work before but I am guessing that the company you work for doesnt have have a chipper since you have no idea. Personally I would want nothing less than a 12" BUT if I was extremely tight budgeted, starting fresh and the price was very right a 9" would suffice. I would never buy a 6" in my life unless the price was so low I could resell it for a good profit to some poor sucker. Assuming an hourish round trip to dumping area I honestly think it is significantly faster to haul a truck load of branches off than chip with a 6". My opinion at least.

Starting off I would pick up a machine that is 10-15 years old and in good reliable condition. Dont care about looks buy just functionality. A Vermeer 1250 can be picked pretty reasonable in that ago range. Bandits are good ones too although I have little experience on machines other than vermeer so cant give advice as to other brands. I do know the Bandits apart pretty well engineered.

 

[gage52]

i went from a 9inch vermeer to a 1800 turbo. cut clean up time in half.

 

[palmersfirewood]

my boss has a new bruch bandit I think it is a 12" not sure, hydraulic winch, top feed roller lift auto feed etc. I want something to do light trimming and smaller ice storm cleanup. i can haul larger wood for firewood but I think chipping is easier than hauling a load of branches

 

[climber1423]

For what your doing I wouldnt exceed a 12" chipper. If you do, you'll probably kill you truck. I would go with a used bandit. They are reliable easy to use and easy to maintain. The vermeers are the same but there harder to maintain because of all there covers and such. Go to www.banditchippers.com and go to used equipment and there are some nice newer or reconditioned ones.

 

[palmersfirewood]

I don't think I need a 12" since i'll be hauling some larger stuff for firewood, but I don't want something that is going to work me to death. I don't want to be doing a lot of maintaince. Which type would be best? What features? etc, etc, etc?

 

[Stumper]

Palmer, You still haven't really told us what you are doing. A one man operation that does mostly pruning can live with a 6 inch capacity machine-but wouldn't necesarily be over gunned with a 12" rated machine. A crew needs a 9" or larger machine. Removals are better dealt with by larger machines rather than smalller. Not every machine in a given size class is equal. I have a machine that is rated as a twelve-it is great on stuff up to 5 or 6 inches in daimeter. Other twelve inch machines will function welll with larger material than that and will also crush and feed bushier branches than mine.---But my 12 inch Olathe disc serves me well. A chuck and duck (drum style chipper without controlled feed) that is only rated for 6 inch material could process material much faster than my 12 inch disc and will in fact keep a 4 man crew hopping. Disc or drum, needed chip quality, crew size, removal or prunings , primarily straight materail or twisted viney stuff....alll those trhings make a difference in what is "best".

 

[clearance]

Asplundh whisper-chuck and duck. Simple, dependable, Ford straight 6, easy to tow with a 1 ton. They are like the energizer bunny, not pretty not nice but they just keep going. Theres someone on this site that is a huge Whisper fan, can't remember who.

 

[stokbridge]

my 2 cents

I run a 1994 brush bandit 90. It is a 9" chipper and I love it, I've had it for 8 years. I do a lot of pruning and quite a few take downs, just me and an employee. I think 9" is a really nice size for this kind of work. Not high production, but efficient for one or two guys to feed. Really nice to tow and park. Keeping the blades sharp is key since mine only has a 37hp wisconsin on it. Good on gas, cheap to run, and affordable to buy.

 

[Newfie]

My personal best for volume is roughly 3000 yards chipped in 7hrs 40 minutes producing 10.5 trucks loads from the vermeer 1800 I used to own.... 5 guys working almost nonstop.

Those musta been some big honkin' trucks!

I bet you meant 300 yards?

 

[climber1423]

Then Id go with a bandit 150 with a 86hp CAT. Its only 1000lbs heavier than the 90xp. And it will give you a little more power when you need it. Bandits are easy to maintain as I said before. And I think the bandit site has a few for a good price!

Dan

 

[SilentElk]

Those musta been some big honkin' trucks!

I bet you meant 300 yards?

Nope, I meant 3000 One pile was 20 yards x 30 yards and to the top of my head. Let's call the top of my head 2 yards (6foot). Thats 1200 yards right there. Pace that out sometime. It sounds bigger than it is. All branches laid perfectly straight and same direction. Basically 2 guy on each side with lift/pull a section out and feed into the chipper that was 10 feet at most away. I could drive to every point and direction I desired. Chip dropping stop was 300 yards away. Basically it was about as perfect as a situation as you could ever hope for. 5 guys doesnt hurt either.

 

[Stumper]

SE, Okay, you meant 3000 yds unchipped -which would make 300 yards of chips (or less). You both know what you are talking about-just not what the other was talking about.

 

[SilentElk]

Yeah, I know. 3000 yards of wood chips would be incredable. I have no idea how long it would take to make 3000 yards of wood chips. A long time!

 

[Koa Man]

I did fill a 10 cubic yard chip box in 7 min. with my Woodsman 18X and 4 guys feeding it.

For a low maintenance machine that makes good chips and if you aren't planning to chip much more than around 6 inch material, the Mitts and Merrill with the swivel discharge chute is a good machine. My friend has one and it kicks butt on the smaller stuff. He did have to hire me and my 18X for 5 days last year when he had a job to clear 2 acres of hale koa. Even though the largest diameter was 10 inches and most was 6 or under, the wood is extremely hard and he said it would have taken him 3 times longer to chip along with a huge log load. We discharged everything on site and he had no log load.

 

[Blackdog]

I've been running a Vermeer BC100XL for 6months or so and couldn't be happier. Found the drum chippers don't clog up when lots of vines and small brush are run through. Seemed to be a problem with every disc chipper I've used.

The machine will take a log 12"x17" and make bubble gum sized chips out of it. Seems to me the safest chipper on the market right now with the new stop bars placed at the thighs and in hand position all around the feed opening. Thigh stop bar seemed like it might be a real pain in the butt, but has two sensitivity positions and rarely trips, unless a crew member is trying to shove themselves along with material into the chipper. Has a new button to continue the autofeed after the bars are tripped. Autofeed seems to monitor itself pretty well when feeding large logs, with three sensitivty levels of feed.

Runs brush through as fast as you can feed it with three man crew, yet large enough to take anything up to 12" Anything largerr than that and I cut it 12' for logging, take to people for firewood.