# chipper trucks



## blackwaterguide (Feb 14, 2004)

any ideas on which trucks make the best all-around commercial/residential trucks? I' d like your ideas on trucks with and without buckets. I prefer diesel. Thanks


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## xander9727 (Feb 14, 2004)

This is a good question. I am getting ready to buy another truck and chipper and am vasilating between an F-550 size truck and a medium duty (Topkick, Loboy) truck.


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## BigJohn (Feb 14, 2004)

The company I work for has all International trucks. They range from a 92 up 04s. We haven't had any real problems with the trucks. They are well maintained. We currently have 4 full size chip trucks one 75 ft ariel lift one 5? ft ariel lift, one with a grapple on it, two with sprayers. Besides Internationals we have a fleet of ford f250s with dump bodies. I have had some experience with the topkicks and kodiaks and they are nothing but problems. They are underpowered and prone to breaking down.


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## treeman82 (Feb 14, 2004)

I have some experience with cab-overs. IMO, they are great for maneuverability. However, they don't have as much power, or as much of a GVW for a similar category Ford.


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## Kneejerk Bombas (Feb 14, 2004)

The Topkick line of trucks is comming out in a four wheel drive this year.


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## John Paul Sanborn (Feb 14, 2004)

I've been in some cabovers that take a heavy load.

I like a cabover for city work. 

If you do a lot of removals then the best I've run are international 4800's


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## ORclimber (Feb 14, 2004)

What major problems have you guys seen with the Topkicks? Asplundh runs thousands of them.

A company I worked for in Portland ran several pre-topkick Asplundh trucks and had drive train problems. Always thought it was from yarding around their big heavy Morbarks.


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## NeTree (Feb 15, 2004)

Apart from bucket trucks, my straight chip-trucks are F350's.

I ditched 2 Int'l 4700's cuz they were in the shop getting "well-maintained" more than they were out working. 

We have an older Ford cabover bucket here, C600, and it's got maneuvarability galore. It'll actually make a U-turn on a decent sized street... in one round.

Also have an F-150 that I beat the hell out of now and then.. we've chipped into it, loaded it down with cordwood, dirt, stumps, logs... and it's survived. (Did have to repair the frame though. (off the topic forum=>how i'm spending my spare time)


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## blackwaterguide (Feb 15, 2004)

*trucks*

I've got an f250 2000 w/7.3 L diesel. Sure itwould work with some sides I can make in 10 minutes. I am a little less sure about whether it will pull a bandit 250 12" with just the standard classIII receiver hitch that's on it. If I go to a pintle hitch I am told that sway bars are out of the question. Another guy said no problem with the class III, but sway bars and 2" or even 2 and 5/16' would be good idea.
Thanks for your candor, I am somewhat new to this equipment business.


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## blackwaterguide (Feb 15, 2004)

*more*

Also, don't want to go to a class V hitch unless absolutely nece
ssary....which is what truck dealers think.


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## blackwaterguide (Feb 15, 2004)

*trucks*

that's what I thought. After all, I think the bandit only weighs not over 6250lb loaded.


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## treeman82 (Feb 15, 2004)

I used to know some people who would tow around a Model 17 Morbark with an F350 pick-up, and on occasion a Chevy? 2500 with the diesel. The trucks both did it. You could definately feel the chipper back there, but the trucks did it. For a while the chipper didn't have any working brakes. But the trucks still did it.


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## NeTree (Feb 15, 2004)

I work now and then with a guy who uses an F350, V-10 Auto. He pulls a Bandit 150 (I think?) (diesel/12") , and all his gear.

He hasn't had any problems that I know of, except for traction in slippery conditions.


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## lync (Feb 15, 2004)

*Best Truck*

IMHO from maintaining a fleet of approx. 60 trucks, chip boxes, Buckets, log loaders and IPM's. International seems to hold up the best. 4700's for the chip boxes and spray rigs, and 4900 for the Buckets. 466 Inline-6 motors, w/ allison 4 speed auto transmissions. 4 wheel hydraulic disc brakes. This set up seems to take the beating day in and day out. Towing is no problem Bandits 200 and 250s. Only concern don't run them hot, and treat the coolant with the prescribed dca additive.

Ford 550's and GMC3500's are constantly rburning up brakes steering componants, and the aluminum boxes made by arbortect and others are constantly breaking spliting or pulling off the frame.

There may be other good combos from GM and Ford but I have seen and made repairs on the above listed models.

Corey


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## dbeck (Feb 15, 2004)

550 setup by southco is what we use...2yrs, not one problem.


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## Greg (Feb 15, 2004)

Monday I took a little trip to the truck shop. About 20 minutes south of here is a place that gets a lot of Asplundh eqipment. They mainly sell chip trucks and bucket trucks, and some chippers. I know of a bunch of guys in town that have bought from them, and I have never heard a bad word. They sell chip trucks with a man cab painted white for 12k, they also cut out the man cab and make 14 and 16 foot chip boxes, the 14 goes for about 16k and the 16 goes for about $18k. 
I bought a new storage box (6 footer) for my loader truck. Not bad for $350. I have a cab over and realy like it, great turning radius, it seems better than my pick up. 
Greg


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## Koa Man (Feb 15, 2004)

*Re: more*



> _Originally posted by blackwaterguide _
> *Also, don't want to go to a class V hitch unless absolutely nece
> ssary....which is what truck dealers think. *



You need to go to a class V hitch towing over 5000 lbs, unless it is a weight distributing hitch, which the chipper would not have. You need to think of legal liability in case of an accident. All states also require working brakes on trailers over 3000 lbs. Get a good controller, like the Jordan Ultima or a Prodigy.


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## blackwaterguide (Feb 15, 2004)

*hitch weight*

thank you...I was unaware of that. You know some of these salesmen will tell you anything when they may or may not know the truth.


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## John Paul Sanborn (Feb 16, 2004)

List of hitch classes.

http://www.putnamhitch.com/Trailer Hitches/hitchclass.htm20Hitches/hitchclass.htm


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## Koa Man (Feb 16, 2004)

I replaced my stock Dodge receiver hitch which started to show some cracks in the welds with a class V hitch. The hitch was only about $170 and a bolt on installation. It took me only 2 hours to take off the old one and replace. 

Hey Rocky,
I guess you will need to come to Hawaii to see a class V hitch on my 1 ton Dodge. If you go to the Turbo Diesel website, you will find a bunch of guys who have class V hitches on their Dodge Rams, both 3/4 and 1 tons.


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## John Paul Sanborn (Feb 16, 2004)

Being over built is better then under built.

I do have to agree with Brian on the swaybars though.

The first time i saw those was when my my Mom made my Dad go from a 25 ft trailer to a 32 ft trailer for "camping".

How many prefer ball to pintle hitch. I've heard people caim that pintle is too hard on the frame, since there is so much slop in the movement.

I like pintle because it is easier to hitch up


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## NeTree (Feb 16, 2004)

I'll stick with my pintle, thank you.


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## Xtra (Feb 16, 2004)

Make sure your hitch receiver is solid and mounted correctly when towing anything heavy. This past summer I was coming back from a job towing a Carlton 4400-4 and some stump cuts on a trailer connected to a F-150. It was pouring rain, the end of the day and we were 5 miles from the shop, so we thought it would be OK just take it slow and easy. Well we were wrong, the back mounts on the hitch ripped from the frame as I was slowing for a light. This caused the trailer to dive and overload the rear end and lift the front end basically leaving me with no front brakes and skidding the rear . . . next thing bang right into the car in front of me.

Class III/IV/V may look the same but their attachment point are designed differently.


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## NeTree (Feb 16, 2004)

Xtra, sounds like the truck was loaded beyong it's rated towing capacity... is this correct?

Also, the frames in the F150's aren't made of much, trust me.


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## Xtra (Feb 16, 2004)

Yes, the truck was overloaded, in my opinion . . . of course not the guy I was working for (an old school hack). Plus upon examination we found that the rear frame had some rot where the bolts ripped thru. A stronger class hitch would have had more and larger attachment points.

Usually I would tow the trailer with a W5 log truck.


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## bushman (Feb 16, 2004)

*topkick*

The company i have been working for just got a topkick gmc with a durmax diesal, seems to pull the chiper and a load of chips .the body is a southco,the cabinets are pretty cool.the other trucks are internatiail'


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## NeTree (Feb 16, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Xtra _
> *Yes, the truck was overloaded, in my opinion . . . of course not the guy I was working for (an old school hack). Plus upon examination we found that the rear frame had some rot where the bolts ripped thru. *



Check out this thread. This is a common problem. But an easy fix, if you're ever inclined:

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=12896


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## John Paul Sanborn (Feb 16, 2004)

> _Originally posted by netree _
> *Xtra, sounds like the truck was loaded beyong it's rated towing capacity... is this correct?
> 
> Also, the frames in the F150's aren't made of much, trust me. *



Sounds like the trailer was not loaded right, or the wrong one for that stumper. Most of the weight should be on the trailer axel, not the toung.


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## Xtra (Feb 16, 2004)

It was a 25' dual axle trailer with no brakes (the brake thing is another story). When the back of the receiver came down the trailer tipped down and the stump cuts slid forward to the tongue. Four white oak logs about 3 ft x 2 ft . . . just too much weight and too old a frame.

NETREE . . . next time you want to kill some more time let me bring over my '86 Bronco surf fishing buggy & snowplowing truck.


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## NeTree (Feb 16, 2004)

'86 Bronco, no sheite! Working on one now, for a neighbor- he's doing most of the other work while I'm handling the welding.

Hey, you supply the materials, the Michelob, and kick in for the light bill, I'd be glad to play around with it. I wasn't kidding about enjoying it!


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## Xtra (Feb 16, 2004)

Well the weather report just said 3-5" of snow here in central NJ . . . looks like the old Bronco will be doing some plowing on Wednesday.

(jeez, talk about getting off subject)


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## NeTree (Feb 16, 2004)

Yeah, but hey... it's YOUR thread, eh?

I have a '78 Bronco over here, man you should see THAT beast go thru snow!


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## ORclimber (Feb 16, 2004)

> _Originally posted by blackwaterguide _
> *any ideas on which trucks make the best all-around commercial/residential trucks? I' d like your ideas on trucks with and without buckets. I prefer diesel. Thanks *



I like the ones with man cabs the best, basically the Asplundh setup. Haven't worked out of any others with proper storage. It's nice to have those 6 hooks for hanging ropes and saddles(especially in the rainy season). And the storage under the seat is great for rigging gear, cableing supplies, and such. You've got the water cooler right by the door and the hooks under the step storage. Arbortech chip box with ladder/pole pruner storage. And the underbody storage for pitchfoks, shovels, and cant hooks. 

I am so sick of cramming saws and climbing gear into inadaquate storage. Also, Loading and unloading gear from a chip box because there is nowhere else to put it. Things end up getting chipped on or dumped. It's hard on the equipment, and inefficient. I wish I would have bought a real truck to start with. Oh well, live and learn.


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## Xtra (Feb 16, 2004)

Actually, I highjacked blackwaterguide's thread about chipper trucks.

That's something I also will need some info on what type of chippers trucks are best? Especially which bucket/chipper combos are best. Topkick, Altec . . . .?


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## MasterBlaster (Feb 16, 2004)

Whose 'lil beauty was this?


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## NeTree (Feb 16, 2004)

*Re: Re: chipper trucks*



> _Originally posted by ORclimber _
> *Also, Loading and unloading gear from a chip box because there is nowhere else to put it. Things end up getting chipped on or dumped. It's hard on the equipment, and inefficient. I wish I would have bought a real truck to start with. Oh well, live and learn. *



I know guys who still do, and I don't understand the mentality of wasting 10 or 15 minutes a day in the process.

Go out to the truck in the morning, get everything out of the shop (cuz you can't lock it up in the truck), put it into the chip-box.

Get to job site. Take everything back out.

Do job, chip brush. Rake up- assuming it didn't get left in the truck and is now sitting at the bottom of a mountain of chips. Put everything back into the chip box.

Go to dump site. Take everything back out. Dump.

Put everything back in. Head back to shop.

Get to shop, take everything back out (AGAIN!!!) and put into the shop so it won't get swiped.

Seems like a coupla hundred for the underbody boxes looks like a DARN good investment to me!


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## NeTree (Feb 16, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Xtra _
> * Especially which bucket/chipper combos are best. Topkick, Altec . . . .? *



"Best" is always subjective to opinion, but I run all Ford chassis.

The 2 Altecs are trouble-free, and have more articulation than the Aerial Lift of Conn in the upper boom, but less in the lower.

The Skyworker is the small lift, and it's all cables... usually not a problem, but sometimes a real PITA when you want to go round the short way, instead you have to go all the way round the other direction.



As for chippers, I'm the dissenter I guess... I prefer the Vermeer 1250's over the Brush Bandits. I like the Vermeer's feed system better, and I like a little higher infeed chute. I've never had any machanical issues with either the Bandits I've had, or the Vermeers.

I also have an Altec Whisper-Chipper (chuck'n'duck/whipper chipper, whatever you want to call it ), and that thing is bullet-proof as far as mechanical problems because it's so PLAIN simple. Drum, motor, belt. Gets alot of use for smaller stuff (if I have to keep the wood, anything over 4" is firewood for me anyways), and it's alot ligher to tow- therefore, better for fuel economy.

Maintain everything, and it will give you a great uselful service life. Abused/neglected equipment won't last no matter WHO makes it.


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## ORclimber (Feb 16, 2004)

*Re: Re: Re: chipper trucks*



> _Originally posted by netree _
> *I know guys who still do, and I don't understand the mentality of wasting 10 or 15 minutes a day in the process.
> *



15 minutes a day X 6 days a week = 1.5 hours X 4 weeks a month = 4.5 hours X $50 an hour = $225 a month plus the equipment lasts longer because it's not getting banged up as much.

$15,000 loan for a refurbed split dump is about $250 month. 

Hmmmm....Not a difficult decision.


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## ORclimber (Feb 16, 2004)

> _Originally posted by MasterBlaster _
> *Whose 'lil beauty was this?
> 
> That was Tom D.'s creation.
> ...


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## murphy4trees (Feb 17, 2004)

I like to keep saws, ropes and gear ina seperate van.... Ladder racks with 4-5 different sized ladders.... Gutter cleaning and repair gear and hardware(2-5 hand held blowers)... spare climbing gear, backpack blower, power broom, power pruner, pulleys , blocks slings , loppers, poles, pole saw/clip heads, gas, oil, ropes, more ropes... PPE.... Its all there... though actually gettin kinda crowded...
DON't Leave home without it...


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## MasterBlaster (Feb 17, 2004)

I'm saving up to get this rig!


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## Lumberjack (Feb 17, 2004)

Big Pimpin there, is that one of Mike's rigs?


I would use them for my tree service needs (If I wasn't doing it), their rig says "I will do anything for cheap!!" 

Takes all types to appreciate the best.


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## Matt Follett (Feb 17, 2004)

HINO! HINO! HINO!

Man that was the best investment ever! I would have a fleet of them... if I had a fleet! 

Hino FB, 3.5 L turbo diesel, Hiab crane, 11' dump box with removeable top (load logs) 

Truck has 500K on it... last cert it need some rubber bushing thing under the cab!

In 3 years we put a new clutch in it (throw out bering ceased, failed and took out the fingers on the pressure plate), new tires and some misc. lights!

16500 GVW, truck with crane only weighs 9600 Lbs will out turn anything (even a 1/2 ton pick up) and use less fuel loaded then my F250 super duty diesel empty. 

It's no speed demon, but that's fine, it'll cruise at 110 Km loaded with the chipper so that's fast enough. 

Get tool boxes though! that's our problem, like mentioned earlier in post, too much stuff has to be loaded in and out of back, the guys are great and we haven't lost anything yet but it's still a pain. The Hiab took up the space behind the cab, so we've only got underneath the box to work with


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## NeTree (Feb 17, 2004)

I've heard alot of guys are having good luck with the Isuzu NPR's, too.


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## Toddppm (Feb 17, 2004)

Gotta go NQR if you want an Isuzu, the NPR is too light.
Mine's been working out great, I'm thinking of getting another one this year with the Arbortech smooth side chipper dump. Or maybe a GMC 4500 or 5500?


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## Toddppm (Feb 17, 2004)

+


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## jamie (Feb 17, 2004)

*Mogs*

we use unimogs for our work, a big un with a crane on the top with either a timber boogie or massive traier with a chipper mounted on it, 

the smaller mog has a farmi chipper, 13", (not to sure of the vehicle or chipper specs, they go by the 'big mog' and 'wee mog')

ive never touched a self propelled chipper but PTO driven chippers rock, and from what ive been told are loads better than your average tow behind

oh but the wee mog is knackered today....it happened while i was driving it......whoops.....seems like it is stuck in 2nd gear, and its stuck 60miles from home

jamie


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## NeTree (Feb 17, 2004)

Thanks for the clarification, Todd.

I didn't realize there was a distinction between the GVWR's.


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## Erwin (Feb 25, 2004)

*I'm happy to get a F350 dump bed*

I'm a happy man today! I just got a Ford 95 F350 4x4 1 ton dump truck, stick shift with a 7.5L V8 Turbo Diesel engine. it has full size crew cab which can easily take all my tree gears or my entire family of 6. It has less than 120K miles and I paid $8500. Now, I feel the little Vermeer 620 chipper is too small for this truck, haaa. look at the pic and be happy for the little me just getting started. Thanks. Erwin


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## Lumberjack (Feb 25, 2004)

Hey! I am happy for ya! Looks like it will haul alot. Does it have a dump bed?


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## Erwin (Feb 25, 2004)

YES, Carl. It has a sigle cylinder hoist and has been used very little. The bed measures 7'x8.5' with removable 1' stake wall. Front and rear fuel tanks. Erwin



__________________


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## Lumberjack (Feb 25, 2004)

Well, add a set of helper springs, 8' walls, and another cylinder, and you could hold more chips than ever. Actually dont worry abou the helper springs, rather reinforce the bumbstops, cause thats where it would stay.

Should suit you well. Good Buy!


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## Erwin (Feb 25, 2004)

Thanks for your input, Carl.


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## topnotchtree (Feb 27, 2004)

Congrats on the new truck! I know the feeling. I bought my chipper two years ago and have been chipping into a half ton pickup. Unloading chips was easy at first,but old quickly.I just picked up an old F350 myself.I am anxiuos to try it out!


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