Choosing a small chipper

[Tree Machine]

=Usually I kept over 6" diameter material for firewood. At $170-$250 a cord, firewood pays way too much to turn it into sawdust around here.

Yea, you don't have to try real hard to get rid of firewood. You just put the word out there. If you buck up anything over 6" in diameter, then 6" chipper is OK. That's what I do, usually 4-5" is where I'll go. The more firewood made, the less to chip, the fewer trips to dump chips. My firewood guys load it all up, so i don't care how much firewood, or how small a diameter..... I don't have to handle the firewood much, and I don't have to haul it away. It is a beautiful thing.

The biggest issue I see spending all that money on small machine when for not a whole lot more a much more useful machine could be had. But to each their own.

How is a bigger machine more useful? Granted, a bigger machine does chip bigger material, but really, that's all. Does THAT make your mess quicker to cleanup? Usually, yes. But if you have a takedown, and you're blocking the tree into firewood, if you set your intent to cut all diameters 9 inches down to 4 or 5 inches, you no longer need a 12" chipper. What you need is a small chipper with big balls.

Does the bigger chipper have an onboard winch? Quick-couple hydraulics for accessory tools? Tool boxes? For a big chipper to be more useful than a small chipper, it has to do more than just chip bigger material. There are a number of drawbacks to owning a big one over a small one, so the big one should have more useful features to make up for it's sometimes unnecessary largeness. Does it have a vise or two mounted on steel posts?
A small chipper can have this host of features, plus the benefits of smallness. Chippers can be decked out with useful features, big or small, an I think the small ones should be loaded to make up for their lack of bigness, y'know, so the smallness can be celebrated more fully.

A fast firewood saw and a small network of people wanting firewood and willing to come get it, and you can save yourself many thousands of dollars in up-front chipper cost, higher overhead, higher fuel costs, higher gross vehicle weight, possible CDL, higher insurance, higher tow capacity, fewer vehicles that can tow it, higher maintenence costs and upkeep expenses. That much a bigger chipper promises you. Your payoff is you cut less firewood.

 

[SilentElk]

At any rate squad143, glad to see you found a machine your wanted and based on your situation that 65XL is going to be the best machine out there. A 6"x12" is an enormous advantage over a normal 6"x6" machine. I am just glad to hear you didnt end up with the BC625. Everyone I know laughs when they see a new company, tree or landscape, start up and begin pulling one around for a little while until they get rid of it. I wouldnt want to tow more than the weight of the 65XL behind the SUV at all either. A 3/4 ton truck would be nice. Shame a 1 ton isnt possible to park in your area. Still a normal sized truck, but much better for work than a 3/4 ton.

Show us some pics this weekend when you get it!

Does the bigger chipper have an onboard winch? Quick-couple hydraulics for accessory tools? Tool boxes? For a big chipper to be more useful than a small chipper, it has to do more than just chip bigger material. There are a number of drawbacks to owning a big one over a small one, so the big one should have more useful features to make up for it's sometimes unnecessary largeness. Does it have a vise or two mounted on steel posts?
A small chipper can have this host of features, plus the benefits of smallness. Chippers can be decked out with useful features, big or small, an I think the small ones should be loaded to make up for their lack of bigness, y'know, so the smallness can be celebrated more fully..

Nothing that couldnt be mounted on a larger unit. Nothing unique here. Are there options on a little chipper such as these that are not available to a larger machine? Or if the option is custom anyways, why it couldnt be mounted on a larger unit?

A fast firewood saw and a small network of people wanting firewood and willing to come get it, and you can save yourself many thousands of dollars in up-front chipper cost, higher overhead, higher fuel costs, higher gross vehicle weight, possible CDL, higher insurance, higher tow capacity, fewer vehicles that can tow it, higher maintenence costs and upkeep expenses. That much a bigger chipper promises you. Your payoff is you cut less firewood.

A larger chipper will cost more initially. This fact is obvious in the price. And some states do charge yearly the yearly liscense fees based on weight. I paid $505 a year for a 7200 vermeer 1800. Although, I doubt my insurance was more than $25 a month higher due to the chipper. Unsure of regs in Canada but in the state of Colorado we can be combined trailer and truck weight of 26,000 lbs without a CDL. I had used a 86' Ford F-350 to pull the Vermeer 1800 around. Was a touch slow going when I had a full load of chips in the back otherwise it did fine. A diesel truck would be much better. Chip box was 9' long x 7' wide and 5.5' high. Full weight of truck, chipper and chips or logs was right about 21,000 lbs with some weight to spare. Now, an 1800 is way more chipper than this poster requires. A 9" machine is likely half this weight. A 12" a bit more than a 9" and closer to 4-5000 lbs I would guess. I hauled it for a while with an old 77' ford F-250 but I couldnt get many chips in the truck. Single rear tire stability isnt to good compared to a dually. Dually's can be had cheap too and often equiped with a flatbed and dump already.

Firewood isnt really a point. The original poster had already determined they didnt want to deal with keeping wood anways. Actually, I averaged $15,000 yearly single handedly in Nov and Dec splitting the wood I charged people to haul away. Although the firewood market is better here. Nov and Dec in Colorado arent exactly good time for regular tree work. This is when we get the severe cold spells, wind and snow. Still irrelevent since the original poster isnt going to do firewood nor do they have a place to store it if room for a chipper is already a major consideration.

Firewood if you intend to cut and leave is better I suppose if you can chip instead or cut, but I dont really think a larger machine saves much time on this unless the removal is close to vehicle access. In this event, there is an amazing amount of time savings. Nothing like being on a job clearing or thinning dozens to hundreds of trees and running a 8" diameter tree you charged $20-$30 for in less than 20 seconds once it touches the machine. I used to grin when I watched the machine and figured out at that moment I was making a $1 a second. Overall it was closer to a couple minuites to cut down, drag and chip this size of a tree. Still...

Yesch... A lot to type.

 

[Tree Machine]

Yea, there's absolutely no arguing the utility of a big chipper. It sort of dictates bigger trucks and a crew, which is more the norm for our industry. A tow-behind whole-tree chipper with a grapple would be my choice, maybe a track unit. Coupled with a crane, you'd barely ever have to touch wood.

Right now, Squad is more about the lifestyle and the income follows the quality you put out there. Growing a business, employing people, upgrading to bigger and better, that can all transpire over time. Some guys need to start somewhere. A newer or bigger chipper can be had in the time it takes to decide and buy it.

For starting up a tree service, its far more important to have the right tools for the jobs you do, and be organized, be able to fix and maintain anything that goes down and be able to get rid of chips swiftly. As your client base grows, and tree jobs get more involved, your business will dictate when it's time to go bigger.

 

[TreeBot]

I recently got my first chipper. It is a '96 Morbark 2070 with the 35hp Wis. Hydraulic fed drum chipper with no autofeed.

I think it is like an 8". The opening is 10" wide I think. I always wanted the Bandit 65 35hp but there seemed to be limited availabilty of used ones. I had to drive 700 miles to get it but I think I got very lucky, it works better than I ever even expected. The slightly larger size makes a big difference. It can really pull in some brush. It works like a large chipper scaled down rather than a garden chipper scaled up like some of the smaller ones I have tried, if this makes any sense. But I still pull it with and chip into a 1/2 ton with no problem at all. It's a tad over what can be easily moved with one person though, even if I added a castor wheel to the jack. But if a guy stands on the feed table I can grunt it around, and move it easily with yet another person.

I made myself the promise that I would never come out of retirement unless I bought a chipper, and I sure am glad I kept that promise.

The only problems are the paint is old and ugly, and I think the springs that pull down the infeed roller are a bit worn out. The feedwheel seems to bounce over the real small stuff that doesn't raise it to the point the springs still have pull. But this is only on very small brush and all you have to do is add another layer.

Also I think the discharge chute on this chipper has been chopped, presumably to prevent clogging. The chute is much shorter than pics of other 2070's I have seen.

 

[Grace Tree]

The only problems are the paint is old and ugly, and I think the springs that pull down the infeed roller are a bit worn out. The feedwheel seems to bounce over the real small stuff that doesn't raise it to the point the springs still have pull. .

Those springs are only around $9.00 each you can replace them without much cost. There's also some pretension adjustment on the spring holder eye bolts that may help.
Regards,
Phil

 

[Thor's Hammer]

Interesting thread. Jim, you really should see some of the european chippers. Would make the Bandit65 look rather sad...
What is the new price on the 6 and 9 inch units over there?

 

[TreeBot]

Those springs are only around $9.00 each you can replace them without much cost. There's also some pretension adjustment on the spring holder eye bolts that may help.
Regards,
Phil

Wow that is cheap. I guess I don't have any excuse then, time for some new springs.

Thx for the info

 

[squad143]

Hi guys.

It took me a while, but I finally drove down to Chicago (10 hrs. one way) to pick up the chipper.

It is a 2005 and has 40 hrs. on it. It only has a 25 horse on it but I've found that it will do what I require of it. It has the auto feed, which I find quite useful, just put a branch in and it takes care of itself. Pretty happy with it so far.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[squad143]

Another couple if shots.

Now to start looking for a 3/4 ton truck.

 

[TimberMcPherson]

Great to see squad, im sure it will make your life easier and more profitable.

 

[SilentElk]

that is a pretty looking unit. How much did you spend on it?

 

[squad143]

$7,500 USD. It is a 2005 model with 40 hours on it.

I did not have to pay state tax because I am not a resident to the state in which it was purchased. I did have to pay Canadian GST (7%) when I crossed the border with it.

I looked around and thought that was a good price. My local rental company had a used one (7 yrs. old +1000 hrs), which was rough, for sale for $8,000 CDN plus taxes. There were others I found on-line in the $7,000 USD range, but one again they were rentals with around 1,000 hrs on them.

 

[SilentElk]

Actually, for that price I am very impressed. Good find. That unit will work out good for you! Heck, you could put a 1000 hrs on it and might able to get almost what you paid for it!

 

[hornett22]

you got a hell of a deal on that

i wonder what they go for new.

 

[computeruser]

Hi guys.

It took me a while, but I finally drove down to Chicago (10 hrs. one way) to pick up the chipper.

It is a 2005 and has 40 hrs. on it. It only has a 25 horse on it but I've found that it will do what I require of it. It has the auto feed, which I find quite useful, just put a branch in and it takes care of itself. Pretty happy with it so far.

Thanks for all the help.

LUCKY BASTARD!!!! Good score. You will be pleased with that machine, especially if your chipping is limited to smaller material only. I've put a fair number of hours on the rental units in the past couple years - Vermeer 625 and Bandit 65AW - and definitely prefer the Bandit unit.

Happy chipping!

 

[nytreeman]

feed roll ?

The 6" x12" feed wheel made a big difference over the vermeer 625 (6" x 6"). There was no need to cut every fork.

I was just wondering about the feed roll setup on this machine Squad, is it a single roll or double,I have a small salsco about the same size works great but has trouble with the single feed roll getting jammed by dry brittle wood getting stuck under the roll

 

[nytreeman]

here is the salsco 8630,6",wisconsin 25 horse I have,
I'll have to get a pic of the feed roll setup

 

[squad143]

I have a single feed wheel on my machine. Occasionally it jams, very occasionally and usually when the material is old and dry. From some of the other threads it appears that the double feed wheel setup is causing quite a jamming issue.

To date I am very pleased with the chipper. For most of my jobs, the customer usually just wants the tree on the ground and they will take it from there. The times I get to chip, it has worked like a charm. I have only fired the chips into the woods so I can not comment on how it fires it into a truck.

 

[AKChopper]

Great topic with great feedbacks all! :chainsawguy: :biggrinbounce2:

 

[treesquirrel]

Interesting thread. Jim, you really should see some of the european chippers. Would make the Bandit65 look rather sad...
What is the new price on the 6 and 9 inch units over there?

Well.........................how about a picture of these legendary beasts?

We'll call em "Nessy" til we see the pics