Suggestions for entry level chip truck ?

[pondnstream]

Hi

I’m helping a young tree climber get established with his own equipment so he doesn’t have to use rentals and become more established as a tree service operator. We recently got a good, used 12” chipper (Olath 986) . He has a dump trailer but without a chip truck he has to make two trips to the job site and two trips home, very inefficient.

Does anyone have a suggestion(s) for a first chip truck configuration. I’m thinking that any chip truck pretty much has to have a dump bed but maybe there are clever solutions that a non-dump truck could work. What’s a reasonable used truck we should look that can handle pulling the chipper and a load of chips.

Thanks.

 

[lone wolf]

Hi

I’m helping a young tree climber get established with his own equipment so he doesn’t have to use rentals and become more established as a tree service operator. We recently got a good, used 12” chipper (Olath 986) . He has a dump trailer but without a chip truck he has to make two trips to the job site and two trips home, very inefficient.

Does anyone have a suggestion(s) for a first chip truck configuration. I’m thinking that any chip truck pretty much has to have a dump bed but maybe there are clever solutions that a non-dump truck could work. What’s a reasonable used truck we should look that can handle pulling the chipper and a load of chips.

Thanks.

I would get a 3500 series mason dump with 4wd and build a box .

 

[Tigwelder83]

I use a 2wd chevy dump with a built box.

 

[erictree]

Hi

I’m helping a young tree climber get established with his own equipment so he doesn’t have to use rentals and become more established as a tree service operator. We recently got a good, used 12” chipper (Olath 986) . He has a dump trailer but without a chip truck he has to make two trips to the job site and two trips home, very inefficient.

Does anyone have a suggestion(s) for a first chip truck configuration. I’m thinking that any chip truck pretty much has to have a dump bed but maybe there are clever solutions that a non-dump truck could work. What’s a reasonable used truck we should look that can handle pulling the chipper and a load of chips.

Thanks.

1 ton dump truck with a wooden chipbox is the most cost effective. but save your money and get a higher capacity truck fast because dumping 8 times a day isnt fun at all

 

[mikewhite85]

You can get a decent 1 ton dump for 10k. f350, chev 3500, etc.

This one has worked well for us for years. I actually bought it for under 3k. Needed quite a lot of work at the time.

 

[mikewhite85]

Oh and this one I bought a long time ago. 87 f350. Prepowerstroke 7.3 diesel. Somehow I only paid 1800 for this.



Later added a fancy shmancy chip top.



Eventually the truck died and I put the chip body on an f550

This truck is still rolling the streets of Los Angeles since I sold the original company.

 

[pondnstream]

Thanks everyone for the helpful suggestions.