# 2 chuck and duck chippers.... Which one?



## rack (Sep 17, 2014)

Like the title says, there are 2 Asplundh 12" drum chuck and duck chippers i'm looking at. One has a john Deere motor has a White motor both are four cylinder engines. Both are 2500 and im not sure of the age. 

I know to make sure that there are no sized or broken bolts that holds the knives. Also to check the bearings on the drum but what else should i look for? And which engine would you chose?
thanks 
Nick


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## TheJollyLogger (Sep 17, 2014)

Personally, I hope to never be within a mile if of one of those deathtraps again.

Having said that, You'll probably have better dealer support with the Deere.


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## rack (Sep 17, 2014)

Yeah im not really sold on buying one.... frankly they look terrifying. Do alot of companies still use them?


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## TheJollyLogger (Sep 17, 2014)

They're getting fewer and farther between. Asplundh's phasing them out, so they're a dime a dozen. If you do get one, train the hell out of your crew, and throw some roadkill through it to scare the piss out of 'em. I know it can be tight starting out, but I really hate those suckers.


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## rack (Sep 17, 2014)

lol thanks for the advice.... if I buy one i will be the only one feeding it. Im an extremely careful person and wouldn't trust anyone else to run it


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## greengreer (Sep 17, 2014)

I've got a chuck and duck. Its definately a fast way to get rid of brush. The biggest thing is feeding it properly. You can cut your brush so it just flies through and our not forcing it. I think thats where most injuries occur is trying too hard to get piece to feed.


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## TC262 (Sep 18, 2014)

I worry less worried about my crew running a chuck and duck than a hyd feed unit. Guys seem to get complaciant around the hydro feeds and new guys just don't seem to process how dangerous they really are. A chuck and duck kinda scares the crew and they keep their distance. In my opinion if used properly a chuck and duck isn't anymore dangerous than any other chipper.


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## TheJollyLogger (Sep 18, 2014)

I don't think the statistics would agree with you on that.


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## Toddppm (Sep 18, 2014)

TheJollyLogger said:


> I don't think the statistics would agree with you on that.




I would bet 95% of chipper fatalities are from hydro units. Have still never heard of anybody going through a whipper chipper without some help.


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## rack (Sep 18, 2014)

I Just talked to a guy who has a drum chipper with a ford motor and it hasn't been run in 6 years.... He said that it will only take stuff 1" and bigger because it will just spit branches out without chipping them.... any ideas on how hard that would be to fix?
also he dosnt know the model or year or knife lenghth
heres the link
http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/hvo/4656026336.html


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## jomoco (Sep 18, 2014)

Toddppm said:


> I would bet 95% of chipper fatalities are from hydro units. Have still never heard of anybody going through a whipper chipper without some help.



More like 99.5% Todd.

Hydraulically fed disk and drum chippers are the man eaters.

Chuck n ducks will beat the hell out of an unwary operator no doubt. Break your arm, knock out your teeth, blind you, stab you, knock you unconscious and bleeding on the ground. But I've yet to hear tale of a chuck n duck ever eating an operator whole.

An experienced crew feeding a well maintained 16 inch chuck n duck can out produce the same number of men feeding a BC1800.

jomoco


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## yarightdawg (Sep 18, 2014)

TheJollyLogger said:


> I don't think the statistics would agree with you on that.


Can you post or point us in direction of these statistics


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## yarightdawg (Sep 18, 2014)

rack said:


> I Just talked to a guy who has a drum chipper with a ford motor and it hasn't been run in 6 years.... He said that it will only take stuff 1" and bigger because it will just spit branches out without chipping them.... any ideas on how hard that would be to fix?
> also he dosnt know the model or year or knife lenghth
> heres the link
> http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/hvo/4656026336.html


Dull blades.... is 90 % knife anvil gap 10 % maybe


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## yarightdawg (Sep 18, 2014)

jomoco said:


> More like 99.5% Todd.
> 
> 
> An experienced crew feeding a well maintained 16 inch chuck n duck can out produce the same number of men feeding a BC1800.
> ...



Not as enjoyable


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## greengreer (Sep 18, 2014)

Thats too much imo for a chuck and duck that doesnt run. That being said hard to beat the ford six. If the price was right could be a good unit.


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## jomoco (Sep 18, 2014)

I'm constantly amazed by guys doin tree biz for years, yet still not having a clue about how to keep a chipper or a chainsaw in good aggressive operating condition. 

Both chuck n ducks and hydro fed chippers all have bed knives that must be adjusted to within a whisker of the 4 mandrel knives to give the best performance and fuel economy. The pros that run lots of crews buy 3 sets of knives at a time for each chipper. This allows you to change blades 3 times without messin with a bed knife adj until 3 blade changes. Sharpen all 3 dull sets to the same exact length, and only one bed knife adjustment is needed for 6 or twelve blade changes depending on whether it's a C n D or a BC1800 WTC.

There's an unrelenting science to it that flies over far too many tree service owners head's resulting in unnecessary trauma, IMO.

jomoco


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## yeahbuddy24 (Sep 19, 2014)

i use our Mitts n Merril chuck and duck all the time. it has a ford 292 v8 engine and has been pounded hard for years! keeping knives sharp and adusted properly along with oil changes and greased bearings wil keep the unit running for years!


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## CalTreeEquip (Sep 20, 2014)

Go for the JD over the White (which are obsolete). JD's are the best.
I ran drums for 20 year, never had a problem. They are limited but very affective and pound for pound and $ for $ they are more efficient then any other chipper.
The gas unit needs blades and bed knife. You'll probably need to drain the fuel tank and maybe even rebuild the carb ($250).
The blade bolts could be stuck as well. That would be your biggest problem.


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## rack (Sep 20, 2014)

The 2 chippers that were being sold for 2500 a piece were absolute junk..... the one with the tarp covering the guy got running but and I made an offer just need to wait to see if he takes it. He also told me he ran the motor at a little over idle when chipping stuff which I though they were sposed to be run wide open


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## CalTreeEquip (Sep 20, 2014)

Yes, you run them at 2000 to 2500 rpms.


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## rack (Sep 21, 2014)

Would i be an idiot to think about a bandit model 65 with a 20 horse Honda engine? Are they good machines and do they hold up well?


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## CalTreeEquip (Sep 21, 2014)

The 65/20 is a good machine just under powered. The 65 with a 35hp engine is better, good enough for 1 guy to feed it consistently.
Still nothing like a drum chipper.


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## rack (Sep 22, 2014)

Caltreeequpment what are your thoughts on a Vermeer 1250 with Perkins deisle engine? And what should I look for when inspecting one?


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## CalTreeEquip (Sep 22, 2014)

They are good units in my opinion. Some guys love them others hate. Vertical feed rollers that take brushy stuff well but tend to jam on big crotches. It has curb side feed which can be pretty handy. They are well build, long lasting chippers that tend to be under valued because of the feed roller system. 
Are you in Texas? You might want to call me.


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## rack (Sep 22, 2014)

No i live in michigan...... I am going to look at the chipper what was under the tarp that wont chip anything under an inch..... we agreed at 2500 and am going to run some materiel throw it tomorrow, at that price would it be a good deal? Its a really clean machine.


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## TheShanks (Sep 27, 2014)

I spend a good part of my day throwing old brush and logs into an old Asplundh chuck and duck. If you have common sense and think about where you're hands are constantly you'll be fine. Took me a while to learn how to feed brush and branches in without them being pulled from my arms cutting me up. If you do end up with one get the one with the Deere engine. Its reliable and starts even after sitting in the cold for ages. 

The only time the old chuck and duck gets me is after spending a few days working with one of the bigger Vermeers the company uses on some trucks. You get used to it doing the work for you, other than the dragging part. Go back to the chuck and duck and you feel your hands being pulled off your arms 

The one nice thing about a chuck and duck is they're simple. We end up working in some pretty remote places and having equipment we can fix fast if it brakes down is handy as all hell. There is alot less parts to fail or deal with in a chuck and duck than an automatic feed. Yes they can be a bit dodgy and dangerous if you're careless, but the simplicity can be nice.


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