# Bandit 60 chipper/box combo



## joezilla11 (Sep 3, 2013)

Been looking at 6-9" chippers because it works for me right now. I'm pretty well read up on bandits 65 and 90 models but I came across an older 94 bandit chipper trailer combo and it looks like a model 60, all he can say is its a mighty bandit with a 9" opening. I can't find much info on the model 60 so anything u guys can tell me would be appreciated. The guy said it had about 800+ hrs on the machine and they just put a new Kohler motor in it. He said it works great and is in good condition so that's all I really have to go off of as its about 12 hours away. Seems like this setup would work well for me right now I just don't have much info on that model. For 6k I'd hate to pass it up if its worth considering. Thanks


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## ducaticorse (Sep 3, 2013)

joezilla11 said:


> Been looking at 6-9" chippers because it works for me right now. I'm pretty well read up on bandits 65 and 90 models but I came across an older 94 bandit chipper trailer combo and it looks like a model 60, all he can say is its a mighty bandit with a 9" opening. I can't find much info on the model 60 so anything u guys can tell me would be appreciated. The guy said it had about 800+ hrs on the machine and they just put a new Kohler motor in it. He said it works great and is in good condition so that's all I really have to go off of as its about 12 hours away. Seems like this setup would work well for me right now I just don't have much info on that model. For 6k I'd hate to pass it up if its worth considering. Thanks



Someone once told me those were custom made for a large tree outfit. They aren't produced in that fashion any longer. If you have 6K to spend, You should look into a decent used 12 inch chipper. I got a great deal on my Morbark Model 13 with a shy over 2K hours for a couple of thousand dollars more. There are guys here who do trims only, and they might tell you a 60 or 90 is all you need, but if it was me, I wouldn't waste my money unless trimming is the only thing you plan on doing in the near future. I know a local guy who bought a Bandit 65 and all he's done since he purchased it is trey to sell it. They really suck for anything over 3-4 inches. 6 inch hardwood is laughable.


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## Pelorus (Sep 3, 2013)

ducaticorse said:


> I know a local guy who bought a Bandit 65 and all he's done since he purchased it is trey to sell it. They really suck for anything over 3-4 inches. 6 inch hardwood is laughable.



6 inch hardwood is firewood! And there are no shortage of folks looking for firewood.
Sharp knives, square anvil, and with a Diesel engine, the Bandit 65 does ok. Where it excels is getting into tight access areas - cottage roads, etc, that a larger truck / chipper combo can't negotiate.


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## ducaticorse (Sep 3, 2013)

Pelorus said:


> 6 inch hardwood is firewood! And there are no shortage of folks looking for firewood.
> Sharp knives, square anvil, and with a Diesel engine, the Bandit 65 does ok. Where it excels is getting into tight access areas - cottage roads, etc, that a larger truck / chipper combo can't negotiate.



All good points, and of course all specific situations dictate. But I cannot be taking the time to cut up and haul "firewood" home from jobsites, prematurely filling my chip boxes with material. I need speed and chipping power on my jobs, this is especially true when you are running a multi man crew. I have found that most 6 inch bandits are coming with the cheapo kholer gas motors now not diesels, and yes, a nice fresh set of knives will help in all situations . Maneuverability doesn't mean a dang thing with a chipper unless you're blowing the chips on site. Other than that, a chipper is useless without the dump truck to chip into. Of course, all this is MHO, but I would no way dump 6K into a 6 inch chipper.

BTW, just noticed the op wrote that the motor was just replaced with a gas kholer. Those motors are terrible at holding up. You will replace it again in another 800 hours.


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## Pelorus (Sep 3, 2013)

I bought my 65XL (35hp Hatz diesel) back in 2005 to replace a gas chuck&duck. 
Also paid more than 3X the $6K (when you include taxes). Well worth it.
And to date it has been a terrific little workhorse. Doesn't eat much $ hay either.
The one and only thing that I'm not fond of is the direct drive starter, which isn't great when it is -15 in the winter, and it has an air cooled engine with no thermostat. Takes awhile to warm up.

I bet a lot of you guys running big chippers go to plenty of smaller jobs where your mongo machines are pure overkill. You save 5 or 10 minutes chipping time...big deal! And yeah, sometimes I would like to have a 12" machine. sigh.


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## ducaticorse (Sep 3, 2013)

Pelorus said:


> I bought my 65XL (35hp Hatz diesel) back in 2005 to replace a gas chuck&duck.
> Also paid more than 3X the $6K (when you include taxes). Well worth it.
> And to date it has been a terrific little workhorse. Doesn't eat much $ hay either.
> The one and only thing that I'm not fond of is the direct drive starter, which isn't great when it is -15 in the winter, and it has an air cooled engine with no thermostat. Takes awhile to warm up.
> ...



There are times when I just leave the chipper at home all together and just stack brush in the f600. Far and few between though. I get your point entirely, I just couldn't be competitive in my market with a 6 inch. Not even close.


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## Pelorus (Sep 3, 2013)

ducaticorse said:


> I just couldn't be competitive in my market with a 6 inch. Not even close.



I understand where you are coming from ( I think). I'm in cottage country; anything over 4-5" is "firewood" with no disposal problems, and lotsa smaller jobs (removals) that can get knocked out pretty quick. Chips / wood remains on clients sites at least probably 60- 75% of the time. Curious how the OP's operation is structured whereby he figures a small chipper best suits his requirements. Most of the tree co's around here are running 12" or larger machines. I dunno if they are really any more efficient or profitable, cause I have outlasted a number of them.


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## ducaticorse (Sep 3, 2013)

Pelorus said:


> I understand where you are coming from ( I think). I'm in cottage country; anything over 4-5" is "firewood" with no disposal problems, and lotsa smaller jobs (removals) that can get knocked out pretty quick. Chips / wood remains on clients sites at least probably 60- 75% of the time. Curious how the OP's operation is structured whereby he figures a small chipper best suits his requirements. Most of the tree co's around here are running 12" or larger machines. I dunno if they are really any more efficient or profitable, cause I have outlasted a number of them.



Most people with a brain can do tree work. Not somuch with running a profitable tree service. 

None of my jobs this year we're chip onto property. I handle mostly removals, and I find my 13 to be less than what I need on a regular basis. If I hauled 6inch pieces and greater, I'd need a fleet of flat beds on most of my job sites. Pine tree alone I did last week I sent out 24 yards of chips. If I tied doing that with a six inch I'd still be there working.


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## joezilla11 (Sep 3, 2013)

Its easier for me to get rid of firewood than it is all that brush. A 12 chipper would be great but I don't have the big chip truck to go with it or the volume of work coming in to get the benefit of a faster chipper. I read somewhere that someone said "a" chipper is better than no chipper and that's kinda where I'm at. The versatility of the smaller chipper seems to fit my bill right now atleast to get the ball rolling a little faster. There's alot of wood lines to chip into here and alot of people who want to keep the wood. Atleast that's what I've been getting.


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## ducaticorse (Sep 3, 2013)

In closing, if a six works for you, then so be it. I will however protest buying anything with a Kohler motor. I am constantly seeing them burn out with under or close to 1000 hours. From dingo loaders to chippers. No thank you.


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## joezilla11 (Sep 3, 2013)

i agree I don't think they put that motor in it with the intent to keep it so that kina makes me wonder if they just did what they needed to make it sell. youd think they would've upgraded the motor if they thought it was worth it for that piece of gear but then again I don't know much about that model or if it was built to handle anything bigger like the 65 or 90. seems like a lot of the chippers ive found with new motors are something small 20-25hp like a Honda or the kohler.


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## Pelorus (Sep 3, 2013)

A local tree service is running a 15" Vermeer, chipping into an F550. (can prolly fill it in 15 minutes, lol). Saw him a few weeks ago, and I sez "Terry, you need a bigger truck for that monster". And he replied that he is tired of all his $$$ going into equipment payments. The chipper alone cost him $64K (Canadian).

Joezilla, you can make a decent living without getting into a lotta debt buying big shiny expensive stuff. I somehow managed to get by the last six years (after selling the bucket truck) by chipping into a dump trailer. A bit of a PITA. Got a little GMC3500 chip dump last month, and my little Bandit suits it just fine. Life is good. Not setting the world on fire, but I see the growing pains some other outfits are going through (employee turnover), and I'd rather have less headaches and less overhead.


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## joezilla11 (Sep 3, 2013)

and thanks for the advice, thinking out loud like this helps. its hard to say what my structure is but I can tell you that's the kind of work I have been getting so far and I bring out equipment accordingly. where im at is a little more rural and west is more compact residential. I have what gear and saws I need but trucks and equipment is what im working towards and all I can go off of is the type of jobs that I have been getting so far. I can roll out to a job with a dump and a skidsteer, a rented chipper, trailer or nothing at all. I have a friend I bring out that was an experienced climber, and two groundies I bring out as needed also. the dump and skidsteer come with a price to that same friend but I have it whenever I need it and it works out fine on a bigger job or a removal. its the smaller trim jobs that id like to get set up for by being able to roll out with my own equipment and make out fairly without having to subtract my fees for equipment. work is still probably slow to some of your standards but nonetheless its picking up steadily and im doing more and more estimates and getting more work, I just don't seem to be nailing the smaller residential jobs and im not surprised because im not self sufficient as far as equipment goes. so my goal right now is the chipper to keep the ball rolling. I can see that combo unit being a benefit right now but with intent to grow a little down the road I can see a regular chipper as being more versatile and ill just work toward getting a dedicated chip truck or my own dump. I don't have enough work to justify financing equipment but I have enough to need an upgrade so I can keep up. but I guess Its not an upgrade but maybe more of a standard necessity but either way im happy to have gotten his far.


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## joezilla11 (Sep 3, 2013)

Ive managed so far without getting into debt so id prefer it to stay that way! id like to just get what I need and stay efficient so id be just fine if I never spent 64k on a chipper! good for him but that's still crazy! I imagine that a dry spell or unusually slow season could put him out of business if he cant support the cost of all his equipment. big sounds great to some people but I doesn't seem to be so secure.


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## ducaticorse (Sep 4, 2013)

I have not one payment due at the end of the month besides my insurance bills. I'm not saying go into debt. I've managed to do just fine buying equipment outright in cash by looking around, knowing what I'm looking at, and negotiating properly. I paid 8 grand for my model 13 I could turn around in the dead of winter and get 13 grand for it. My bucket, paid 14, could sell it by this weekend for 25. All I'm saying is try looking at the big picture business wise, and don't be fooled by the seemingly astronomical prices some people have their equipment listed for. Especially that jack wagon in west chester pa. My lord......


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## Pelorus (Sep 4, 2013)

The big picture has to result in a higher net income and a more efficient, less labour intensive operation. Otherwise, as a company owner all you are gonna end up doing is running around like a beheaded chicken...trying to line up enough work, babysitting, fixing mistakes, terminating & hiring minions, etc.

My net income didn't drop much in the years following getting rid of my bucket, but I was certainly less productive &a tad more ornery. The one and only time I ever got to use a 12" chipper, (years ago) we were dragging and feeding it by hand, and I didn't / couldn't see the value in it back then. Nowadays, with having a miniskid to feed it I would feel different, for sure.


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## derwoodii (Sep 5, 2013)

my bandit 65 does all as require and will fit the needs as described by the OP. Yes the Kohler pony is not so great as a bit weak & can go sad less than 1000 hours but diesel donk drives up purchase price 

The auto feed is a electronic weak bit in some and the hyrdo hoses may need change over at 1000 hours all else is bolt on off or weld it to fix


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## joezilla11 (Sep 9, 2013)

I think I found one I might go pick up later today. seems to be in pretty good condition and serviced, greased etc. its a 90's model 65 w/ a Wisconsin motor. it has a last chance cable so it makes me think it may be a late 90's model as the current owner doesn't know what year it is exactly. the only issues are that the hour meter stopped working at about 1800hrs and the auto feed does not work. would these be fairly easy fixes I could do? I am pretty mechanical and good at figuring out fixes but im not experienced at it. although I have replaced an engine once and a transmission, these being my biggest fixes but I wouldn't be able to explain how I did it or what everything was called. for 3700 im interested tho if its only a few hundred $ in fixes if I can find parts or even someone to do it.


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## ducaticorse (Sep 9, 2013)

joezilla11 said:


> I think I found one I might go pick up later today. seems to be in pretty good condition and serviced, greased etc. its a 90's model 65 w/ a Wisconsin motor. it has a last chance cable so it makes me think it may be a late 90's model as the current owner doesn't know what year it is exactly. the only issues are that the hour meter stopped working at about 1800hrs and the auto feed does not work. would these be fairly easy fixes I could do? I am pretty mechanical and good at figuring out fixes but im not experienced at it. although I have replaced an engine once and a transmission, these being my biggest fixes but I wouldn't be able to explain how I did it or what everything was called. for 3700 im interested tho if its only a few hundred $ in fixes if I can find parts or even someone to do it.



Too bad you don't live closer, Id sell you a bandit 150 with a ford gas motor for 4500. Wisco motors suck. And 3700 for that pig is way too high btw.


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## BC WetCoast (Sep 10, 2013)

I understand what you are saying about the smaller machines. What drives me crazy using a smaller chipper is having to remove the side branches because the throat is so small. For the sake of my sanity, I would get a larger chipper.


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## joezilla11 (Sep 12, 2013)

whats the size weight difference between the 150 and the 90? my workhorse is my f250. the steals seem harder to find than I thought and im looking 12 hours away on some which sounds crazy but the idea of a good deal and a mini road trip/vaca kind of appeals to me at this point. I think the price/distance got me on that 65 until I realized how much id be putting into it and im right back up there.


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## rarefish383 (Sep 12, 2013)

Kinda been following the thread. It all depends on "your" needs. When Dad retired and I let the business go, we sold all of our F600 dumps and Asplundh 16" chippers. I kept all the gear I needed to do side work. I was still licensed and insured. I also had an F250 4X4 as my main truck, and I thought about buying one of those chipper/dump trailer combo's because it was perfect for my needs at the time. When Dad was still in business we didn't want a real big chipper because we wholesaled out most of our wood to a local vegetable stand. He was on the way home and we got $50 bucks for an F600 load. That was in the 80's and I think $50 covered the fuel for a crew for a week. Our goal was to make as few trips back to our wood lot per day as possible. When you chip brush it makes the brush more compact, so fewer trips to the shop. When you start chipping wood it takes a very compact load and makes it much, much more bulky, so more trips to the shop. Now, another local company was based on a big farm and had a top soil business also. He got the biggest towable chippers made and chipped virtually everything. Took it back to the farm and let it rot, then mixed it in with the top soil, for organic matter. My uncles business was a lot like ours and he tried a couple of the real big chippers and found they beat his trucks up so bad he went back to smaller units, smaller was 10 to 12 inch units. 

I rented a Dosco and a Vermeer 6" once each, worthless, I could stack brush faster. Then I found a rental place that had 2 Morbarks that had 10 inch feeds, with a 25 horse, air cooled diesel. Those things were fantastic. They would fold side branches in and towed behind a pick up easy. After about 20 years he got rid of them and went to Vermeer BC1000's. They were a bit heavier on a pick up but did well. So, you need to work out what's the best plan for your needs, Joe.


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## greg storms (Sep 12, 2013)

*chipper*



joezilla11 said:


> I think I found one I might go pick up later today. seems to be in pretty good condition and serviced, greased etc. its a 90's model 65 w/ a Wisconsin motor. it has a last chance cable so it makes me think it may be a late 90's model as the current owner doesn't know what year it is exactly. the only issues are that the hour meter stopped working at about 1800hrs and the auto feed does not work. would these be fairly easy fixes I could do? I am pretty mechanical and good at figuring out fixes but im not experienced at it. although I have replaced an engine once and a transmission, these being my biggest fixes but I wouldn't be able to explain how I did it or what everything was called. for 3700 im interested tho if its only a few hundred $ in fixes if I can find parts or even someone to do it.



3700$ seems way high for one needing that much work. I bought one off flea bay for 2450$ but got screwed by the seller & never got the machine. Flea bay's epp ins (another scam) repaid me 2000$. Anyway, check out iron planet & the other auction sites. I've seen them go for under 2500$, but wasn't positioned properly in the auction to get it. Be patient & call the factory for info on parts & literature before shelling out lotsa $ for something needing repairs. I called bandit about an older one & the rep @ factory was reAL helpful & said they had records going waaay back in time & replacement parts were readily available. Good Luck!


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## joezilla11 (Sep 20, 2013)

I found a 97 90xp- unknown hours, 4 cyl gm motor. guy says he bought it from a small city and it looks to be gently used. he replaced the fuel pump when he got it. the pictures look like its in good condition and clean. my only concern is that the engine cover sits slightly higher on the motor and he said its because it has a larger radiator put on it. hes asking 6k obo. I cant find much info on the gm motor except that they don't make it anymore. I called bandit and they said they can still get parts for it. anyone have any experience or opinions on this?


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## joezilla11 (Sep 21, 2013)

Another I found is a 93 90, reconditioned by bandit in 2002 with a new deutz diesel. Has height adjustable discharge chute, new shaft and bearings this year along with all fluids belts filters. All service done thru bandit and their company mechanic. Sounds like a nice machine but their dealer recommended they list it for 8700.


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## Goose IBEW (Sep 21, 2013)

I keep most wood over 4" for firewood. Myself and another family member heat exclusively with wood so its a good commodity for us. That being said, I watch what my 12" chipper can gobble up and am very grateful that it does so. I'd say I save hours per tree with a 3 man crew versus cutting the branches into smaller pieces for a smaller chipper. I have an old Badger TM400 and it really doesn't seem out of place on a one ton, I have used my F350 to tow it around but chip into a C70 Dump truck. A Bandit 150 is less than 6,000 pounds.


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## greg storms (Oct 6, 2014)

greg storms said:


> *chipper*
> 
> 
> 
> 3700$ seems way high for one needing that much work. I bought one off flea bay for 2450$ but got screwed by the seller & never got the machine. Flea bay's epp ins (another scam) repaid me 2000$. Anyway, check out iron planet & the other auction sites. I've seen them go for under 2500$, but wasn't positioned properly in the auction to get it. Be patient & call the factory for info on parts & literature before shelling out lotsa $ for something needing repairs. I called bandit about an older one & the rep @ factory was reAL helpful & said they had records going waaay back in time & replacement parts were readily available. Good Luck!


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## tidy (Oct 6, 2014)

I'm in a similar situation to the OP-I have a tipping trailer and a small chipper (4in) , the chipper (if I can really call it a chipper) is a Greenmech CS 100. One thing that has me a bit uncertain is that at the moment I do very nicely in the small job market: good conversion rate, good margin & being small jobs all the risks are small too. I'm assuming that when I step up to a 12inch machine I will be leaving the small job market behind..... some food for thought.


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