# Ford V8 Chipper w/ 12" Drum for $1,500. Good or bad?



## ForTheArborist (Apr 6, 2010)

The machine has 2,600 hours on it. Can anybody give me a background on something like this?


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## Biker Dude (Apr 7, 2010)

They are the greatest thing since sliced bread! Well worth $1500.

Seriously though, if you want info you should at least post what brand, model #, year it was made and a couple of pics.


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## Tree Pig (Apr 7, 2010)

Hmmm doesn't sound like it would be a commercially legal machine in California


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## treemandan (Apr 7, 2010)

ForTheAction said:


> The machine has 2,600 hours on it. Can anybody give me a background on something like this?



Backround? Yeah that is where you should be standing.
Seriously bro, don't you claim to own tree care company?


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## lone wolf (Apr 7, 2010)

you should buy it.


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## randyg (Apr 7, 2010)

Yup, sounds like a great price to me. And you can find them Ford V-8 motors all over the place if you ever need to replace it or get an oil filter from Wal-mart or somethin


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## tree MDS (Apr 7, 2010)

I think you would be better to start out with something a little more befitting of your skill set. Perhaps one of them D.R bad boys. lol.


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## ForTheArborist (Apr 7, 2010)

I'm headed back out there to get the specs and throw some wood through it. I'll take a few photos.

If so many people sharpen their chains, why doesn't anybody save the money, and sharpen their own knives? I can see in some cases it would not be good biz to be DIY about upkeep on the chipper, but I can easily see me sharpening my own for a while. For one, just to know how things go together, and two, to save my money if it's possible.

SOM, I've heard of the exhaust laws in CA. I can't recall the exact specs to the T right now. I can't see how anyone couldn't put some cats on an old chipper, and be in the green with it. It's hard to believe that chippers older than a certain year would be outlawed without any wiggle room, sometimes stupidity rolls down hill from legislation I'm sure.


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## treemandan (Apr 7, 2010)

ForTheAction said:


> I'm headed back out there to get the specs and throw some wood through it. I'll take a few photos.
> 
> If so many people sharpen their chains, why doesn't anybody save the money, and sharpen their own knives? I can see in some cases it would not be good biz to be DIY about upkeep on the chipper, but I can easily see me sharpening my own for a while. For one, just to know how things go together, and two, to save my money if it's possible.
> 
> SOM, I've heard of the exhaust laws in CA. I can't recall the exact specs to the T right now. I can't see how anyone couldn't put some cats on an old chipper, and be in the green with it. It's hard to believe that chippers older than a certain year would be outlawed without any wiggle room, sometimes stupidity rolls down hill from legislation I'm sure.



That's a good idea, put them knives on the old bench grinder, that'll do the trick.


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## sawinredneck (Apr 7, 2010)

This just keeps getting better :help::deadhorse:opcorn:opcorn:


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## tree MDS (Apr 7, 2010)

My neighbor was selling one of those chippers on craigslist, along with this POS old bartlett gasser, all faded yellow. We called it "the smokescreen", when we would see it cruising by with a couple dirtballs in it.. He was going for the two crews deal at one point.. just an embarrassingly half assed attempt really though. I think he was asking $5k as a package deal. A few old men stopped by my shop thinking I was him. I pointed them in the right direction. Latter on they must have gone home and posted a "warning, this is scrap, dont even bother going to look at" add on CL. It was sorta funny... but really, what did those old bastards expect for five grand? Talk about low entry level.  

Anyways, good luck with the chipper FTA!


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## treemandan (Apr 7, 2010)

tree MDS said:


> My neighbor was selling one of those chippers on craigslist, along with this POS old bartlett gasser, all faded yellow. We called it "the smokescreen", when we would see it cruising by with a couple dirtballs in it.. He was going for the two crews deal at one point.. just an embarrassingly half assed attempt really though. I think he was asking $5k as a package deal. A few old men stopped by my shop thinking I was him. I pointed them in the right direction. Latter on they must have gone home and posted a "warning, this is scrap, dont even bother going to look at" add on CL. It was sorta funny... but really, what did those old bastards expect for five grand? Talk about low entry level.
> 
> Anyways, good luck with the chipper FTA!



I had bought a half decent whisper years ago for 5 grand. I ran it for a year, never had to fix anything ( hell, I never even changed the blades) but we painted it and used it just fine... fine for a whisper. Of course I had a good idea what I was buying. 
This one guy I am working with has and old Bartlett whisper, I have to say it works ok but makes crappy chips. I was tossing stuff in pretty good but the dead stuff? Yeah, right.
We ended up selling it for 3800 after the year.


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## ForTheArborist (Apr 8, 2010)

What a deal. The guy dropped it to $1,000. Didn't get pics because I was already in the twilight by the time I got started a this house. I could see it's definitely an asplundh, but I don't see how it doesn't do anything but whisper.  It's a cranky, loud thing. It threw me off at first because I've seen and speak of the modern day chippers puuuulling in the branches nice and smoothly without any effort on the workers part. This thing needs either a ratcheting tow lever and steel cable to pull branches in or to just get a kind of running joust at it by a bruin worker. That's fine though. As long as it can shave off two days of work in the average common scenario. 1 day instead of 3 days of hauling - in biz figures that one day chipped and hauled compared to 3 days of loading and driving trees whole AND paying for all of the extra gas as well as extra days that could be spent on other jobs etc etc. Chipper for $1,000, and I'm fast forwarded ahead days, weeks, months. 

I'll have my mechanic tune the carb for $75-100. I want to find two more drive belts because two out of four are missing. The road lights on it are funny, so they need a little attention, and that's why I left it out there last night. I can't afford to be ticketed for trying to pass off funny road lights on drivers. Then grind the knives too.

Just one more fine investment like my dump truck for $1,200. Sprinkle a few hundred dollars on them, and not only are they good for a long time. They are actually worth more than what I buy them for.


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## NCTREE (Apr 8, 2010)

FTA, a shatty old dump truck, and a chuck and duck...hackensaw here he comes!!! Sounds like your set to be a real treeman now. lol!


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## brisawyer (Apr 8, 2010)

> FTA, a shatty old dump truck, and a chuck and duck...hackensaw here he comes!!! Sounds like your set to be a real treeman now. lol!



Quality work comes from a good treeman not the equipment. I agree image is important but we all gotta start somewhere. That either means old stuff or big bank payment.


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## millbilly (Apr 9, 2010)

ForTheAction said:


> What a deal. The guy dropped it to $1,000. Didn't get pics because I was already in the twilight by the time I got started a this house. I could see it's definitely an asplundh, but I don't see how it doesn't do anything but whisper.  It's a cranky, loud thing. It threw me off at first because I've seen and speak of the modern day chippers puuuulling in the branches nice and smoothly without any effort on the workers part. This thing needs either a ratcheting tow lever and steel cable to pull branches in or to just get a kind of running joust at it by a bruin worker. That's fine though. As long as it can shave off two days of work in the average common scenario. 1 day instead of 3 days of hauling - in biz figures that one day chipped and hauled compared to 3 days of loading and driving trees whole AND paying for all of the extra gas as well as extra days that could be spent on other jobs etc etc. Chipper for $1,000, and I'm fast forwarded ahead days, weeks, months.
> 
> I'll have my mechanic tune the carb for $75-100. I want to find two more drive belts because two out of four are missing. The road lights on it are funny, so they need a little attention, and that's why I left it out there last night. I can't afford to be ticketed for trying to pass off funny road lights on drivers. Then grind the knives too.
> 
> Just one more fine investment like my dump truck for $1,200. Sprinkle a few hundred dollars on them, and not only are they good for a long time. They are actually worth more than what I buy them for.



You should replace the belts as a set.they streach.So to adjust them properly you cant just replace the missing ones


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## treesquirrel (Apr 9, 2010)

treemandan said:


> That's a good idea, put them knives on the old bench grinder, that'll do the trick.



I wanna be there with my lawn chair and some lemonade to watch when he fires it up too. Should be a rattling experience...


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## limbwalker54 (Apr 12, 2010)

While I might concur that FTA has not a clue what he is getting into, I will admit I have a jig I made for sharpening chipper knives on my larger of two bench grinders.....complete with liquid cooling line....


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## limbwalker54 (Apr 12, 2010)

Now as for adjusting the cutter bar clearance, I do this with EVERY sharpen......wonder if he knows about doing that.....


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## pdqdl (Apr 13, 2010)

limbwalker54 said:


> While I might concur that FTA has not a clue what he is getting into, I will admit I have a jig I made for sharpening chipper knives on my larger of two bench grinders.....complete with liquid cooling line....



I used to sharpen my Olathe chipper knives in a similar fashion. In some respects I did a better job than the sharpening service 5 blocks from my shop. You must be very careful to grind them all exactly the same!

I can't pull that off on my Bandit knives, they are too short and the metal is too thick, too.


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## gilraine (Apr 14, 2010)

NCTREE said:


> FTA, a shatty old dump truck, and a chuck and duck...hackensaw here he comes!!! Sounds like your set to be a real treeman now. lol!



so new shiny equipment makes you a better arborist, good to know...


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## pdqdl (Apr 14, 2010)

gilraine said:


> so new shiny equipment makes you a better arborist, good to know...



FTA is trying to overcome quite a bit of negative press from his rough start here at AS. As such, quite a few folks are dumping on him. He seems to be able to take the abuse without complaint.


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## ForTheArborist (Apr 15, 2010)

Ah Ghell. The starter literally gave it's last turn at the previous owners home when I was inspecting it. I tried to start it at home - no go. I took off the starter, and saw that the teeth were ground completely off. The teeth on the fly wheel are too short too.

I put another starter on it, and the wire to the relay solenoid from the battery came apart. The nut was rusted on to it, and that popped. I've had to buy 4 solenoids for my truck before I found one that worked in it. I tried two on this chipper, and took it to my mechanic. He can give it a run over, and make sure the carb is tuned up.

I anticipate the improved business - same money - less time spent making it.


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## newsawtooth (Apr 15, 2010)

FTA,
I glanced at the CARB laws, http://www.arb.ca.gov/portable/perp/tier1tableb_12-30-08.pdf. I have some unsolicited advice for you, move. If you are able to register that motor, which looks unlikely, it will cost around $4,000. Then depending on your district, you may have to register the drum because of the dust it creates. What year is the motor? The laws in your neck of the woods are like a parody of bureaucracy. If they weren't real, they'd be funny.


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## ForTheArborist (Apr 15, 2010)

I bought the thing for $1,000, but things are looking worse already. I'm going to look through that sight for the bad news. I was looking all over for any laws about these things after Stihl-O-Matic dropped a word about it. I appreciate that.


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## ForTheArborist (Apr 15, 2010)

I just wrote them for specific info. Their site is vague. 

I think it's stupid to reg tree equipment like chainsaws and chippers. I seriously doubt these can cause much pollution no matter how high performance modified they are. Transportation and manufacturing makes sense, but not otherwise.

Those look like some hefty fees only to look good in the sun light for paying. I'm not scared. I'd like to know who has payed up before.


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## DroppedP51 (Apr 15, 2010)

How bout a photo or two? It shouldnt be to hard to fix? What ford v8 has it got? If its a windsor bang injection onto it off a mustang etc
I saw a post peeler with an international harvester v8 once 
What a machine


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