Need 3" BearCat chipper advice

[Roger Dodger]

Hi Everyone, first time poster here. I've been lurking for a while, especially regarding chippers, and I have a few questions regarding specifically the 3" chippers from Echo-BearCat.

First off, I've just cleared approximately 1 1/2 acres of brush and probably a few thousand small saplings measuring under 3" cross-section. (mostly under 2"-2 1/2" sumac) I've probably got 5 large piles scattered across the acreage, and some of those piles measure 30 feet across, and five feet high. My goal is simply to get rid of these brush-piles, and I'm not looking to keep any material for composting, etc.

I'm fully aware that renting a larger 5" chipper with hydraulic feed and a built-in blower is the preferred option, since that would be the quickest method, but,,,,, I have no way of getting that chipper anywhere near the brush-piles. (no road) I need a mobile chipper, that one man can wheel to the brush-piles, and a decent 3" chipper appears to be my only option at the moment. (aside from burning). I realize that I'll be stuck with cutting branches off those trees in order to feed them properly into the machine, but I have no real choice in the matter.

I have an Echo-BearCat nearby who offers great service, and I'm thinking of buying the most powerful of the 3" chippers in BearCats' range. BearCat has four models of 3" chippers, and the one I'm considering is the SC3342 with a 342cc Briggs and Stratton engine. (16.5 ft/lbs gross torque/ 11-12HP). This particular unit swings a 27 lb rotor with 2 knives at 3600 rpm, and it has 12 serrated knives for shredding. (I don't really plan on using the shredder)

http://www.bearcatproducts.com/data/upfiles/media/Chipper-Shredder Page 3 - 5_2.pdf

My question for you is this; Is it more desirable to get the highest horsepower-rating possible? On the surface, the answer would seem obvious, but, my dealer only has the slightly smaller SC3305 in stock. (8-9HP I believe, and same rotor-weight, same number of knives). Mind you, he's willing to order the larger unit for me, and it's a few hundred $$$ more. For me, performance is more important than price, so the extra money isn't a factor here. That said, BearCat also has a 265cc Subaru engine version available, and it also has the same 27 lb 2-knife rotor, turning at a slightly higher 3800 rpm. Apparently, that unit develops something like 9HP. Is that 265cc Subaru engine any better than the Briggs and Stratton 345cc.? BTW, Echo is currently throwing in a free 31cc chainsaw (cs310) with the purchase of any of their 3" chippers.

Thank you in advance. This forum is a wonderful resource, ans was very handy when I researched and bought my chainsaw last week. (Echo CS590 TimberWolf).

 

[treebilly]

I would recomend renting a small chipper like a Vermeer bc625. They are light enough that a big 4-wheeler or small compact tractor can tow off road

 

[Roger Dodger]

Hi Treebilly, That would be a great solution if only I could get it there, but there's no road (or off-road) access to get a vehicle down to where the chipper is needed. This river-side property is situated on three levels, with very steep drop-offs between levels, and only a very narrow pathway down to the newly cleared area where the brush is piled. I can wheel a 3" chipper down there, and that's why I'm specifically looking at one of the 3" BearCats. The question there is,,, which one? (see link above)

 

[BC WetCoast]

Is the pathway narrower than a 36" mini loader? If you can get a mini loader down there, you would be better to drag the material up to where you can chip it. Chipping piles that size with that machine will get old fast. Burning will start to look good.

Second question, can you get a machine from the river side (ie using a raft)?

What I'm afraid of here, is that these machines aren't really designed for the size of job you have planned. If I'm imagining these piles properly, you have a couple of months of work with that toy versus a couple of days with a bigger machine.

Could you get someone in with a small excavator to build a larger road?

 

[Roger Dodger]

Yeah,,, burning is looking VERY good at the moment.

Access from the river is a no-go, and the mini-loader would require that I re-cut the trees to fit the bucket, so that's not an option either. This property is in a rural location, and the only rental chipper I could find within a 40 km radius, is a 6" unit, with hydraulic feed. Great unit,,,, but useless for this particular application, because I can't get it to where I need it. Another issue,,,, I don't have a truck, nor a hitch on the car, so I can't tow a machine to the site. The rental place would deliver and pick-up for $50. each way (per machine), and I'd be ok with that, but it still doesn't solve my particular problem of no access.

Back to the 12HP 3" BearCat for a moment; is it really THAT bad??? Probably 80-90% of the trees I'd be running through it were cut with a 2" hand-lopper, and it's mostly very soft Sumac. Most of it is still relatively green. (cut less than three weeks ago) For anything harder or larger, I'd just cut the bottoms off those trees and stack 'em for burning at a later date. It's very rough land down there, with plenty of dips and rises, so I'm not trying to make this area look "pretty". I'm just trying to get some sort of control over a severely overgrown area. It was so thick down there, that you couldn't see between the trees, let alone walk through them. It was a veritable "wall" of weeds, vines, and 4' tall thorny brush, mixed in with endless clusters of skinny Sumac saplings, ranging up to 10-12 feet tall. There was some larger stuff too,,,20'-30' maples, poplars, etc, but they don't need to go right now. Anything larger than 3" could stay dropped and stacked 'til next Spring, then burned. (snow is coming in a few weeks)

 

[TC262]

It's the small size of the infeed shoot that would be a real pain with that little chipper. You can probably find a little used chipper like that or just slightly smaller on craigslist for around 100 bucks. You'll probably use it for an hour or two and say screw it this isn't going to work. The other suggestion about the mini is a good idea. You wouldn't cut the stuff to fit in the bucket tho. You would bundle large piles and drag them with a rope or chain. To bad you don't have access to a small compact tractor. There are some reasonably priced pto driven chippers that are just big enough to get some work done but won't break the bank either. You can get them into just about anywhere as well. Woodmaxx and others sell them for around $1,800.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Yes, I'm afraid to say they're that bad. From your description of the piles, months of work may be an exaggeration, weeks is not.
One of the things we see a lot on this site are homeowners with preconceived notions asking a very narrow question. It seems to me you've convinced yourself that there's no way to get any other piece of equipment in there. Personally, I'm having a hard time picturing a trail that a mini-skid can't get up and down, but a fellow can haul a 230# 25" wide chipper up and down by hand.
Honestly, my best advice is to have a couple companies come out and bid it. They may see options you don't, and you may be surprised at the prices.

 

[treecutterjr]

He said the mini WILL fit but the brush won't fit in the bucket. Solution: get a grapple for the mini and ¡viola! Or get a rope/chain and tie little bundles and pull them out with the mini. Problem solved!

 

[Roger Dodger]

Yeah TC262, I'm aware of the feed-rate problems with those smaller machines,,,having to trim branches before feeding into the machine, etc. Believe me, I've scoured the local internet ads, and I've found nothing within a 100 kilometer radius. All I find is over-priced and under-powered Home Depot crap, or, larger commercial units that require at the very least, a trailer.

Now, I may have found a solution for getting the 6" chipper in there, via the neighbours' driveway. I'll go have a look sometime later this week. We're getting rain for the next 4 days.

I'm in south-western Quebec by the way,,, about 1 hour west of Montreal, and 90 minutes east of Ottawa. The property I'm clearing is situated along the Ottawa river, in Cushing Quebec. This job is a one-shot deal by the way. I'm retired, 66 years old, and have no intention of doing more of this kind of work. I'm basically helping out the daughter of the property-owner, who passed away in June.(he was 94). The daughter lives out of province.

 

[Zale]

Why can't you burn the piles?

 

[sac-climber]

You need one of these....

 

[Roger Dodger]

Why can't you burn the piles?

Yep, I'm thinking about that, and I've already called about a burning permit. Problem is, that takes time. I'd be burning for days, let alone dragging all the piles to the fire-pit. A lot of it is still green too, so I'd probably just leave it 'til Spring (to dry), and burn it then.

 

[Zale]

From what you describe, I would go that route vs. feeding a 3" chipper.

 

[sac-climber]

Trust Zale, you will be out there much longer stuffing twigs down the Bearcat.

 

[BC WetCoast]

Hire the local high school football/soccer/rugby/hockey team for a day to drag the material up the hill. Have the coach call it dry land training.

 

[Roger Dodger]

Hire the local high school football/soccer/rugby/hockey team for a day to drag the material up the hill. Have the coach call it dry land training.

I've already called them. They said they'd come on three conditions;
1. I buy the BearCat.
2. I fill the shredder-hopper with ice and beer. and,,,,
3. I re-name it "The Beer-Cat"

 

[old_soul]

Don't do it! my neighbor rented one of those years ago to chip up a fence row. maybe 12 trees 30 foot tall plus brush/overgrowth. he worked at it all Saturday/sunday and then gave up and burned the rest. I think he had to push the limbs through, it did not have any way to feed brush in.

this was before I had any equipment to help him.

Maybe rent a skid loader with grapple and track the brush up to a level spot where you can park a 12 inch chipper?

 

[Roger Dodger]

I may have found a lead for a guy who has a commercial chipper. I'll give him a call and see if he can quote me a price for the job.

 

[BuckmasterStumpGrinding]

Use the money you would spend on the 3" chipper for kindling. It will be more useful that way.

 

[Roger Dodger]

I've been checking out some of the small Wallenstein and Salsco chippers.

Whaddaya think of this lil' guy? Remember, 90% of what I've cut so far, was with a 2" lopper.

http://www.salsco.com/products/comm...en-gravity-feed-chipper/models-608---616.html