# Wallenstein BX-62 chipper...clog, clog, clog!



## eraforest (Nov 19, 2021)

I'm running a Wallenstein BX-62 PTO chipper behind a Kubota L-4600, so plenty of power. We're doing TSI and fire safe thinning on our woodland in N.W. California. Mostly pushing Tanoak stump sprouts, Ceonothus, and Doug Fir branches (ladder fuels), both green and couple months dry. Fresh machine, new blades (factory). Can't go 5 minutes without a clog at the outlet pipe. One man feeding conservatively, nothing over 3" diameter. Pretty easy to open housing and clear the jam, but...throttle down, turn off PTO, wrench out the holding bolt, tip back the blow pipe, clear jamb...not productive! Thoughts, suggestions, or experiences?


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## northmanlogging (Nov 19, 2021)

run it faster? as in more RPM. (too hell with what the manual says) couple hundred more RiPMs might be enough to shove everything through. 

that and try to aviod stuffing lots of small leafy stuff in at once, follow it up with something chunky to clear it out.


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## eraforest (Nov 20, 2021)

There are definitely some subtleties involved. The tractor is easier to be around at 1900-2000 rpm, but I'd have to crank it up to 2300 to hit the 540 rpm at the PTO. The material is very leafy, but not especially stringy (like Redwood or Cedar bark). Seems like it's the little twigs that start the jamb, the chipper product is very coarse. More importantly, I've concluded it's mostly a function of; 1) how I hold my mouth, 2) proper cussing, 3) trying to finish for the day, 4) and lunar phase! So many emojis, so little time.


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## lone wolf (Nov 20, 2021)

eraforest said:


> I'm running a Wallenstein BX-62 PTO chipper behind a Kubota L-4600, so plenty of power. We're doing TSI and fire safe thinning on our woodland in N.W. California. Mostly pushing Tanoak stump sprouts, Ceonothus, and Doug Fir branches (ladder fuels), both green and couple months dry. Fresh machine, new blades (factory). Can't go 5 minutes without a clog at the outlet pipe. One man feeding conservatively, nothing over 3" diameter. Pretty easy to open housing and clear the jam, but...throttle down, turn off PTO, wrench out the holding bolt, tip back the blow pipe, clear jamb...not productive! Thoughts, suggestions, or experiences?


Cutting bar should be sharpened and adjusted to factory spec so you can get a smaller chip.If that don't help it may just be the nature of the animal.


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## 2dogs (Nov 20, 2021)

Make sure the tractor says 540 rpm on the tach would be my first suggestion. If the machine is throwing long chips then I would reset the bed knife to the proper specs. Of course the blades have to be sharp. They may go a week without sharpening, maybe less, maybe more. Never throw the little stuff that accumulates on the ground behind the chipper into the chipper. Rocks of any sizes damage the blades in short order. You will need a couple sets of sharp blades ready to change out. Same goes for the bolts. Check the bed knife clearance at every knife change.


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## eraforest (Nov 20, 2021)

Definitely going to check/adjust bed knife. The cutting knives are stationary, Easy to pull and sharpen, and I know SHARP is critical. How do you guys sharpen these heavy bevel knives? File? Grinder with a holder? Those are good comments, thank you.


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## lone wolf (Nov 20, 2021)

eraforest said:


> Definitely going to check/adjust bed knife. The cutting knives are stationary, Easy to pull and sharpen, and I know SHARP is critical. How do you guys sharpen these heavy bevel knives? File? Grinder with a holder? Those are good comments, thank you.


A bench sander wheel that has an adjustable table or take it to a machine shop.


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## northmanlogging (Nov 20, 2021)

eraforest said:


> Definitely going to check/adjust bed knife. The cutting knives are stationary, Easy to pull and sharpen, and I know SHARP is critical. How do you guys sharpen these heavy bevel knives? File? Grinder with a holder? Those are good comments, thank you.


machine shop with a proper surface grinder, or you can sometimes find a dealer that offers sharpening. 

I would avoid "free handing" the sharpening, especially if they blades are in rotation... balance can be important. 

Wind that poor tractor up till the PTO speed is actually 540 or better, barring that maybe you have a 2 speed PTO? some tractors do.


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## Bango Skank (Nov 20, 2021)

eraforest said:


> Definitely going to check/adjust bed knife. The cutting knives are stationary, Easy to pull and sharpen, and I know SHARP is critical. How do you guys sharpen these heavy bevel knives? File? Grinder with a holder? Those are good comments, thank you.


I’m confused man, sorry.
Isn’t stationary knife, bed knife, and anvil all different words for the same thing and the cutting knives are rotary?


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## Superduty71 (Nov 20, 2021)

So we have owned a Wallenstein BX62R & run have it on our NH TC40D for around 10yrs... If I'm not mistaken yours is a manual feed & not hydraulic feed? If this is the case (IMHO) it is pulling material in to fast. When this was happening to us we would run the tractor full out at the 540 PTO speed but being our chipper was a hydraulic feed we slowed down the feed rate & it solved all our issues. I know this does not resolve your problems but wanted to let you know what worked to stop the clogging issues with our Wallenstein chipper... oh... I would even think of purchasing a different brand PTO chipper after owning one (& I worked for a tree company for many year in my youth...)


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## dennis066 (Nov 21, 2021)

eraforest said:


> I'm running a Wallenstein BX-62 PTO chipper behind a Kubota L-4600, so plenty of power. We're doing TSI and fire safe thinning on our woodland in N.W. California. Mostly pushing Tanoak stump sprouts, Ceonothus, and Doug Fir branches (ladder fuels), both green and couple months dry. Fresh machine, new blades (factory). Can't go 5 minutes without a clog at the outlet pipe. One man feeding conservatively, nothing over 3" diameter. Pretty easy to open housing and clear the jam, but...throttle down, turn off PTO, wrench out the holding bolt, tip back the blow pipe, clear jamb...not productive! Thoughts, suggestions, or experiences?


Wet, green Doug Fir limbs need to be chased with woody material to flush the green material through the chute. I personally trim off most of the green material before feeding if its fresh cut.


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## 2dogs (Nov 21, 2021)

Bango Skank said:


> I’m confused man, sorry.
> Isn’t stationary knife, bed knife, and anvil all different words for the same thing and the cutting knives are rotary?


Yes Bango Skank you are correct. The chipper knives are on the rotating disc or drum.

You can use the reversing bar to slow the feed rate and reduce clogging.

I neglected to advise you to look inside the chute to make sure there is nothing blocking the flow. We had an older Bandit that had peeled a piece of metal into the air flow, we ended up cutting a large opening to remove it. Then we welded nuts on the inside, having the large opening was really nice.

Dennis066 yep we do the same. 

Re sharpening we use a hand held carbide insert at lunch, the "as seen on tv" type. It helps from having to pull the blades for a day or two.


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## Franny K (Nov 21, 2021)

Where the chute attaches to the base note how the volume or more accurately the cross sectional area increases. This will slow the flow down. There also seems to be a lot of taper to the chute. I would suggest making wood 2"x2"x18" or so filler blocks, a 2x2 ripped on a 45 degree to fill in the corners. That is my next tactic for a sort of similar issue. Mine is hydraulic feed and the rotor is run faster than the pto via belt gearing. At least yours clears easy. I believe it is the leafy stuff or needley stuff if evergreen that makes it clog easier, so winter would likely be better.

Perhaps keep some woody pieces nearby it tell tale signs of an eminent clog can be detected.


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## Bango Skank (Nov 21, 2021)

I’d like to see the anvil on this chipper. If it hasn’t been done already, you can probably take the anvil off, flip it over, and have a new edge. I’m unfamiliar with this machine though.

Then check the gap, and spin the disc or drum to check/ adjust the gap on all the knives. Nominal gap is probably in the manual, but they seem to always suggest a number under .1” , so there’s a ballpark number, you can set your gap to maybe .08” and see how it does.


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## 2dogs (Nov 21, 2021)

Bango Skank said:


> I’d like to see the anvil on this chipper. If it hasn’t been done already, you can probably take the anvil off, flip it over, and have a new edge. I’m unfamiliar with this machine though.
> 
> Then check the gap, and spin the disc or drum to check/ adjust the gap on all the knives. Nominal gap is probably in the manual, but they seem to always suggest a number under .1” , so there’s a ballpark number, you can set your gap to maybe .08” and see how it does.


Once the bed knife, aka the anvil rounds over the machine will lose efficiency. IIRC ours is <3/16" clearance (I could be wrong), with a fresh bed knife and new chipping knives. As the knives are sharpened they are trued up. The bed knife wears at angle that depends on the average size of the material being fed.

Have a couple of sets and knives and bolts to change out. Same with a hydraulic filter if your chipper has one.


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## Big_Eddy (Nov 21, 2021)

I have a similar chipper. Different brand but likely made in the same factory. 
I only run it with the tractor flat out.it likes speed.
Mine has a transition on the chute deflector that occasionally catches twigs that will then slow down the outgoing material and eventually cause blockages. I watch it and knock away the twigs (with a stick) when I see them collecting. Eventually I will redesign it. 
Mine has a twig breaker that fits between a slot in the rotor at the very end of the drum before the chute. The first time I used the chipper, it got mangled and bent. I had to straighten and weld it. Clearly I weld better than that factory guy, as it has not been an issue since. Check yours. If it is missing or broken, then longer twigs will pass through (and clog)

Dense spruce, weeping willow and grapevine have clogged mine. Everything else flows through nicely. I have a hundred hours on it with ~5 clogs. 

Start by running it at PTO speed though. Could be all it takes. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## blades (Nov 22, 2021)

Dull blades and anvil are the number one reason for jamming up


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## eraforest (Nov 22, 2021)

Superduty71 said:


> So we have owned a Wallenstein BX62R & run have it on our NH TC40D for around 10yrs... If I'm not mistaken yours is a manual feed & not hydraulic feed? If this is the case (IMHO) it is pulling material in to fast. When this was happening to us we would run the tractor full out at the 540 PTO speed but being our chipper was a hydraulic feed we slowed down the feed rate & it solved all our issues. I know this does not resolve your problems but wanted to let you know what worked to stop the clogging issues with our Wallenstein chipper... oh... I would even think of purchasing a different brand PTO chipper after owning one (& I worked for a tree company for many year in my youth...)


Yeah, manual feed. I bought it a few years back, new old stock at a dealer here, and put it in storage 'til now. I had a P.T.O. Danhauser chipper w/feed (not hydraulic) that worked great with the controlled feed, but I guess I picked the wrong one to keep (thinking the new Wallenstein would be around longer). So, today I'll run the RPM up and check the bed anvil, consensus being the gap is too great (though factory setting). What I meant by stationary knives was they bolt in directly to the disc, no adjustment. I have too much material to process to allow time to strip the material of foliage.


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## ericm979 (Nov 22, 2021)

Running too slow means it's blowing less air out the chute. It needs the full 540.


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## eraforest (Nov 22, 2021)

2dogs said:


> Make sure the tractor says 540 rpm on the tach would be my first suggestion. If the machine is throwing long chips then I would reset the bed knife to the proper specs. Of course the blades have to be sharp. They may go a week without sharpening, maybe less, maybe more. Never throw the little stuff that accumulates on the ground behind the chipper into the chipper. Rocks of any sizes damage the blades in short order. You will need a couple sets of sharp blades ready to change out. Same goes for the bolts. Check the bed knife clearance at every knife change.


Your comment about not throwing the junk that accumulates underfoot is spot on, it's hard not to resist keeping the work area tidy. A good rake and a warm up fire is our solution.


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## eraforest (Nov 24, 2021)

OKay, we got a partial afternoon of chipping in, running the tractor up to 2300+ rpm, making the PTO 540 rpm. And not one clog! All just cut branches from 2 good sized Doug Fir trees, and misc. green brush. I have not checked the bed knife yet. I guess you just have to have max rpm to throw the product out the blow pipe. What do you think is easier to chip; fresh green, couple months dry, or full dry material? Thanks for the good advise ArborSiters!


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## Bango Skank (Nov 24, 2021)

Maybe this should go without saying, but can’t hurt to mention it. I think I’ve heard a bad tale about this gone wrong before.

The gap between the knives and anvil isn’t going to be the same for each individual knife. When you set that gap, rotate the disc and find the knife that has the smallest gap, set the gap on the knife that will be closest to the anvil. The other knives might have a bit bigger of a gap, so it goes.


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## Hddnis (Nov 29, 2021)

Looks like you have it worked out.

Chippers like RPM's.

Only time our big chippers have ever clogged it's when the autofeed lets it bog too much on leafy material. It's going to be an hour to fix that with the service truck on site, that much HP jams them up real good and fast. Only happened three times in the last five plus years, so not something we really worry about.


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## eraforest (Nov 30, 2021)

Another day of chipping, different outcome. Ran the tractor pto at 540 + rpm, same material; .green oak stumps sprouts, Doug Fir limbs, Ceonothus (wild lilac/tick bush), and we're back to clog, clog, clog every few minutes. Knives still good, though I'll hand dress before next use. Don't see a bed knife/anvil to adjust, and seems like a lot of twigs pass through too big, and are the cause of the clog at the base of the blow pipe. I will communicate with the mfgr (Wallenstein) next.


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## atpchas (Dec 1, 2021)

There should be an anvil that is adjustable and/or replaceable - it is a part that wears in normal usage. It sounds like that part needs attention.

I know that with our Bearcat chipper with 25HP engine we have to listen for dropping RPMs - below a certain point, the chipped material accumulates faster than it can be blown out and the chipper jams. BTDT, many times.


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## Hddnis (Dec 1, 2021)

The knives have to work against something. The bed knife may be part of the housing and not adjustable, I've seen that on homeowner chippers in the really low HP range. Sure seems like a PTO chipper should have an adjustable bed knife. Also it should cut the small stuff too, our chippers cut long pine needles.


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## atpchas (Dec 1, 2021)

Not sure if this is the OP's exact model chipper, but if it is I'm guessing part #5 is the anvil or bedknife.


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## atpchas (Dec 1, 2021)

From the owner's manual:
12. Sharpening Blades:
The rotor and stationary blades need to be sharp for the chipper to perform as expected. It is recommended that the rotor blades be removed from the rotor when sharpening. Always sharpen the blades at a 45° angle to provide the best cutting effect as it meets the stationary blade. Be sure to tighten the blade mounting bolts to their specified torque when re-installing the blades to the rotor.
The stationary blade is designed with 4 sharp corners that can be utilized. When the corner facing the rotor blade rounds over, remove the blade and re-install with a different corner facing the rotor blade. Use the stationary blade to set the clearance to the rotor blade when re-installing. Be sure to tighten mounting bolts to their specified torque.
13. Clearance:
It is recommended that the clearance between the rotor and stationary blades be set and maintained at 1/32 to 1/16 inch to obtain the best performance. Use the stationary blade mounting bolts to set the clearance as required.


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## eraforest (Dec 12, 2021)

Great, very helpful. The model pictured has a feed works (oh I wish), but the #5 "ledger knife" and the clearance (a tight 1/32 to 1/16") is what I need to check. And it appears to have a "twig breaker" (#7) I'll look at.


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## Jeff Lary (Jan 4, 2022)

I have I think? the same chipper mine is red here are a couple things I have found. I too experienced plugging and one day while in my Kubota dealership I mentioned this. A very knowledgeable man at the parts counter told me this. Any attachment that requires rotational energy to do the needed task needs to be run at wide open throttle W.O.T read that and believe it! I kind of winced at that and said boy I hate to harm the engine he said the engine on my tractor an L2950 will run at about 2,400 he reminded me how low that was when I was asking about harming the engine dur to such high rpms. I have since done this to much less plugging.
Next leafy limbs like live maple or green pine are and always will be an issue there just is not enough weight to these pieces to help them fly up and out the chute. Work with trees whenever possible before they "leaf" out either in the winter or after they have been dead long enough for the leaves to have fallen off the cut trees.
Sharp blades are a must of course as are balanced blades but remember this that chipper will NEVER come close to comparing with a controlled feed (feed roll) chipper it is what it is unfortuinately.


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## ericm979 (Feb 1, 2022)

Alternate green stuff with brown stuff. The chips from branches help clear out the leaves or needles.


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## eraforest (Feb 3, 2022)

I haven't been using the chipper for a month or more, on to other tasks, like cleaning up after a heavy wet snow event here on the coast of N. Cal. Our place is at about 2500 ft elevation, very vulnerable to wet snow damage, trees and bldgs. I think ultimately the solution (as inferred by some of you), is replacing this chipper with one that has powered, controlled, infeed. I'm looking at the Woodland 6". Any comments out there? Thanks people for your input!


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## ericm979 (Feb 3, 2022)

I have an 8" Woodmaxx 8H. It's worked pretty well. I had a hard time choosing between that and the Woodland Mills 8". They're totally different designs, each with plusses and minuses. The Woodland Mills has only one roller and in their vids it looked like it was sometimes hard to get that roller to grab. The operator had to put some force into it. Woodmaxx has upper and lower rollers and the upper has a lever to lift it. If the branch is too big I can use the lever to lift the roller up on to it. I can also chip short pieces by chucking them and timing lifting and dropping the roller so it goes in and the roller grabs it. It's easier than it sounds.

The Woodland's clamshell design makes it easier to get to the knives. You get two little doors on the 8H that are just large enough to get a knife though. And if you drop a bolt down there it'll be an adventure to get it out. Yea I did that. The little door they give you to retrieve stuff was on the wrong side. Checking or setting the bed knife clearance by reaching in the chute is a stretch and I'm tall and fit. The slots for the upper roller can sometimes trap a branch and it can be work to get it out.

My 8H would not let me set the feed speed to any speed. The adjustment range is too narrow because they used a 20gpm valve on a 3 gpm system. I replaced it with a 5 gpm valve and it works much better. The Woodland may suffer the same problem as it's also made in China. Supposedly the Woodmaxx made in the US units that are a different design do not have this problem. I use the chipper a lot and if I did it over I'd get one of those, and a tractor with more hp. My tractor's got 32 hp at the PTO and I could use more for chipping larger stuff.

I lived in Humboldt a while back and yea I bet the snow at 2500' was pretty thick. We don't get it often down here but when we do it damages a lot of trees.


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## eraforest (Feb 4, 2022)

The snow is really rough on our trees, the Tanoaks, Madrone, and Pepperwood are all evergreen, so their canopy really collects a bunch of wet snow, crack-boom-bang down they come. And the Doug Fir tops bust out, especially the 10-20 yr old re-gen, making for an ultimately defective tree. And the bear kills...This tree farmin is frustrating! EricM, thank you for that info, I'll check out the WoodMaxx. I like the self contained feed system, my tractors don't have rear remotes. And, Santa Cruz Mtns...yep, grew up in Corralitos. Eureka Canyon, Buzzard Lagoon, Loma Prieta, Mt Madonna...


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