No chipper?

[MasterBlaster]

An owner I do sub for was telling me how he has almost completely stopped using his 12" Brush Bandit, employing instead his Prentice loader stuffing his LARGE, removable bed. He unloads it with the Prentice, and says its no problem.
He's gonna keep his chipper, but plans on using the loader for most jobs.

I've always been curious about not using a chipper, and everything else associated with it.

I'm also aware that you need an unlimited dump area, which this guy has. He routinely burns it.

He can drive up to the job, TD the tree, stuff the brush and most of the time slap the trunk on it, also. Then, drive away.

IMO, the loader does more overall work than the chipper, pulling double duty with less headaches. The loader part intrigues me.






But then there are always the chippers with loaders on them.
Maybe when dump space is limited - like in the real world?

 

[Stumper]

I worked for years without a chipper-I had dump and burn space. Then I had free dumping-no burning. Then I started having to pay$38 per ton -yuck. Then came 7 per yard -more yuck. I like chipping and giving away mulch=minimal trips to the stinky place.

 

[Koa Man]

I have always felt the most efficient way would be having a 20 ft. long X 6 ft. high dump box with grapple loader. Taking it to where you had a tub grinder. No hassle of towing and backing a chipper. Fast loading of brush and logs. Problem is the cost of a tub grinder and having the necessary real estate.

 

[treeman82]

There is a company up around Rochester. That is how they do their residential tree work. The take down the tree or do the pruning, put the brush where the prentice loader can reach it. Stuff the truck and bring the debris back to their yard where they have 4 tub grinders sitting. Take all that debris and make it into mulch which they push around with a brand new D8. Most of what that company does though is DOT work and clearing.

 

[wildside]

How about this scenario, instead of the tub grinders, build up a pile of brush and maybe once a month on a rainy day rent a chipper and chip it all.

 

[Stumper]

Wildside, In the face of high dump fees that MIGHT make some sense but handing materials again is generally a bad thing. What are you going to rent that will chip a months worth of work in one day? Now we have x hours in loading and unloading. y dollars in chipper rental and q hours feeding the rental. What is the likelyhood that this worked out advantageously?

 

[wildside]

It was just a little suggestion....lol okokok you win. hehe

o yeah, I used to do this when i did landscaping thats why i thought of it, but for tree work there will be way too much brush now that I think of it.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Visualize a months worth of brush to chip....

 

[Bill G]

Now before you jump all over me understand I am talking about a limited area but her brush it not a problem. There are a ton of ditches to fill. The brush stops soil erosion and provides great area for the few rabbits we have to hide from the WORTHLESS coyotes. I go deer hunting just so I can shoot the da'' coyotes. Once again this is a limited area. Somehow I believe in Miami or MYC it probably would not work

Bill

 

[arboles]

I'm planning on buying a loader in the next year or two. For really big jobs I occasionally hire a fellow to pick up the debris. He charges $5 a yard. He has a 40 and a 54 yard truck. We took down a big oak tree at a golf course this summer and we were finished and packing up around three. We would've been there chipping until dark. They charge him $35 to $45 to dump at the mulch yard.

 

[Holmes Tree]

grapple truck

I live in Wa State and know of a few people using 20-30yd end dumps w/grapples. They are all happy with them and say it is way easier then chipping. Less labor and idiots running the chipper is good.

 

[Koa Man]

Less noise by not chipping is also a big plus in some neighborhoods. But since I am too poor to afford a big grapple loading truck and the real estate to set up a processing site, I will continue to chip my brush on site.

 

[Holmes Tree]

Around here I think they are converting self load logging trucks to end dumps. The logging around here seems all but over and I see a lot of the trucks go through auctions pretty cheap considering their value.
Koa man, Do you know of a Todd Robertson or Steve Robertson over there doing tree work? Not sure what island

 

[Koa Man]

I know Todd Robertson very well, I use him on some jobs. I know a Steve Johnson, who Todd used to work for, but no Steve Robertson. Steve Johnson moved to Las Vegas and is doing tree work there now. Todd lives on the same island I do, Oahu.

 

[Holmes Tree]

I grew up w/todd around here in Wa. Steve is his father and used to go over there and work in the winter, very good off a rope and rigging but pretty much out of the game. Give Todd my best.

 

[Yellowdog]

I am a business owner who is trying to grow his chipping business. I specialize in the stuff nobody else wants to mess with (large piles, large logs, etc.) I utilize a highly portable chipper with a loader on it and have become a sub contractor for other tree companies.

It could work in your area too. See, I try not to directly compete with tree companies for take downs, etc. but rather try to offer a service that they need. It is absolutely amazing how much I can chip compared to even a 12- inch chipper because I don't have to cut up large branches like the other guys. I have been working to build a small network of contractors who refer each other and this is benefit to all of us. I am still in the implementing stage but I am working on it. Look around and talk to some guys in your area.

Recycling is the way to go. It doesn't take long before a drought makes dumping brush expensive and it doesn't take long to fill up a dump space when you can't burn. Also, if you have trouble with the amount of chips that are generated, think outside the box and market them to people who use them in boilers, as ground cover, and compost operations. In the area of Texas where I live, chips make a great way to cover rocky outcrops where all the topsoil has eroded way. Just some ideas...

 

[wildside]

I considered doing the same type of work as you. What do you use for the large logs? How do you load them? Do you buck them into smaller logs first. Just wonderin.

 

[SilverBlue]

That’s a fantastic Yellowdog I have hired a company on a few occasions to chip when ours was down or during several takedowns in a day. It worked out great and I’ll do it again soon. Too bad you’re not local.

 

[MasterBlaster]

What happened to yur avatar, Rob?

 

[Yellowdog]

Wildside,

We use a BC2000 with a loader. For the most part, we only have to occasionally cut the crotch on a large oak or other tough hardwood. This chipper does a real good job of taking everything we throw at it. For the small stuff, we just make a big pile and stuff it in with the loader. It took some practice but I have a good system down and have become very proficient with that loader. I often go out alone and chip a weeks worth of cuttings from a 3 man crew in about a day.