# Disk or Drum chipper?????



## Fairbanks Stump (Sep 8, 2013)

I have a brush bandit 200xp and wand to buy another chipper bigger higher capacity. Do any of you have some helpful opinions on what works well and or which is better? I am not brand specific but Id be happy to hear what you have to say.


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## outdoorsman0490 (Sep 8, 2013)

I really like my 990, chips like an animal, yet still not too big or heavy for getting into/through yards down here; the 85cat runs great and gets pretty impressive gallons to the hour. Biggest plus I have noticed over disc is the throat never gets clogged with small stuff, the drum is so close to the feed wheels.


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## 250R (Oct 10, 2013)

My 280HD has a disk. Works great for whole trees. I has less chance of losing rpms like a drum does.


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## TRISTATEFORESTRYEQUIPMENT (Oct 12, 2013)

the only difference between a disk and a drum is a disk chipper will throw the chips farther , thats if you need to fill a 40 foot chip trailer. other then that theres no difference



hope that helps

joe
TriState Forestry Equipment


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## CalTreeEquip (Oct 12, 2013)

TRISTATEFORESTRYEQUIPMENT said:


> the only difference between a disk and a drum is a disk chipper will throw the chips farther , thats if you need to fill a 40 foot chip trailer. other then that theres no difference
> 
> 
> 
> ...



There plenty of difference. A disc won't break or warp, a drum will. Disc maintain momentum better but vibrate more. The are also harder on bearing then the drum. Pound for pound a drum will handle larger capacity then a disc and they are more expensive.


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## lone wolf (Oct 12, 2013)

Drum will handle Evergreens and vines better than a Disc and don't clog up as much with them. Also big large leafy stuff like Maple when wet.


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## 2treeornot2tree (Oct 12, 2013)

For most tree service you wont really notice a huge difference. 

Drums are better for some stuff and discs are better for others. Drum chippers seem to be alot louder. I have a disc now but someday when I upgrade to a 15" chipper I will probably go with a drum.


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## 250R (Oct 12, 2013)

The disk weighs about 3 to 4 times more than a drum. Once the disk is up to speed the solid mass (inertia) will keep the disk spinning under load without losing as much rpm's as a drum will. This will not tax the engine and transmission as much and you will use less diesel. Works especially well when chipping hard wood. The only problem we encounter is when chipping 3-4 foot pieces. It is not the disk that jams it is the way the intake chute is designed. Thats why we use it to chip whole trees.


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## 250R (Oct 12, 2013)

lone wolf said:


> Drum will handle Evergreens and vines better than a Disc and don't clog up as much with them. Also big large leafy stuff like Maple when wet.



The 280 we have has a hydraulic feature where when we press a button it will apply more pressure to the top feed roller and will be able to "grab" better when chipping Egreens. Real nice option


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## lone wolf (Oct 12, 2013)

250R said:


> The 280 we have has a hydraulic feature where when we press a button it will apply more pressure to the top feed roller and will be able to "grab" better when chipping Egreens. Real nice option



I know I meant clogging after it gets in.:msp_rolleyes:


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## TRISTATEFORESTRYEQUIPMENT (Nov 7, 2013)

lone wolf said:


> I know I meant clogging after it gets in.:msp_rolleyes:



if your anvil is adjusted correctly you will almost ever be able to clog a 280

joe

www.tristateforestryequipment.com


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## 2treeornot2tree (Nov 8, 2013)

Hey joe, I see you got another dis satified customer that is now suing you over on the buzzz.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk


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## JohnH (Nov 9, 2013)

Few questions who's your closest dealer for support, what's your budget, how big do you want to go, do you do more pruning or removals. Disk or drum they both have pros and cons. We run 200 bandits up to 1990s and 1850s with loaders mounted on them. Drum chippers tend to have wider opening and you don't have to do as much trimming. Drums are also easier to unclog if you get into trouble. Disk chippers through chips a lot better and fill bigger trucks better. I will say if I was buying a chipper and a one crew opp I would get a get a 1590 Bandit or a M15 Morbark. Good all around machines. Big enough for removals and crane work and small enough pruning. they are big enough for light land clearing too. They are under CDL and move around well.
Hope this helps


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## AshTree (Nov 14, 2013)

Have big disc chipper, awesome machine to work with, Morbark 2100D 15" disc. MASSIVE machine to tow, but fills big truck very well, easy and inexpensive to maintain and it is very simple to sort out knives and work on despite its shear girth, chips big tops well and has 'crush/lift' feature meantioned above to help material through. Its very important to keep a close eye on anvil sharpness and adjustment, makes a big difference on a disc. Drum has its place but the bearings are very expensive to replace and if your unfortunate enough to own a bc1000 and try to chip wood with it you will find your drum is also very expensive to replace. I have heard very good things about the 990 however and the Morbark 15 and even 13 were good drums for sure.


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