# Choosing a small chipper



## squad143 (Jul 9, 2007)

I'm starting a small tree service company (mainly removals) in cottage country (Ontario Canada). Most, if not all customers want the wood, and if they don't, their neighbours do.

I looking a purchasing a small used chipper for several reasons;

1. Budget (want to spend between $5,000 - $6,000 usd).

2. Tow vehicle is a small SUV. (Chipper should not weigh more than 2200 lbs).
Some of the driveways I go into are tight and long.
Also, with a lighter chipper I could use my ATV to get it into tight spots.

3. I have no need to chip large material. All pieces 3" and larger I cut into firewood length for the customer, so I am only cutting material under 3".

4. Storage space in garage (security) is limited.

I've been looking at the Vermeer bc625a and more recently the Bandit 65.

I would like to know your opinions on these (or any) of the smaller chippers.

Thanks.


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## bushinspector (Jul 9, 2007)

I'm in the same boat and have been looking around for several weeks and have found a lot of info on this site. Go to the search and type in "Chipper question" and the thread discusses several different types of machines. I THINK i'm looking for the woodchuck WC-12. Another thead is drum vs disc.

Hope this helps.


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## hornett22 (Jul 9, 2007)

*i have the vermeer 625.*

i like it.yeah big chippers are great but the cost big money to buy and repair.the 625 is simple to work on.it has a kohler engine which i can get parts for at almost any lawnmower dealer.it uses a lot less gas.i can get it almost anywhere(backyards).i can tow it with a 4 cyl toyota pick up easily.and if you get sucked into it,you aren't losing more than an arm.

sure it takes a little longer than a larger chipper and only does 6 inches but it does it well.anything bigger is firewood most of the time anyway.pros far outway the cons to me.


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## SilentElk (Jul 10, 2007)

Honestly, I have found it is cheaper and faster to have a guy haul branches to the dump than pay them to run a 625. A 9" is an ok machine but 100x quicker than a 625. Just my thoughts. It's not than it cant chip them, infact it does make beautiful chips, it's the 6" opening. Sure you might not run bigger than 3" diameter wood, but if a branch or stick is kinda crooked, has a sharp bend or much of a Y (fork) then it will go through.

Just test one first but compare it to something. Sure a 12" might cost a bit more and it is heavy, but a 9" is good machine and not as big. Always test and compare equipment. I have seen too people buy something they regret because they didnt try it out. 

Best of luck


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## bushinspector (Jul 10, 2007)

SilentElk said:


> Honestly, I have found it is cheaper and faster to have a guy haul branches to the dump than pay them to run a 625. A 9" is an ok machine but 100x quicker than a 625. Just my thoughts. It's not than it cant chip them, infact it does make beautiful chips, it's the 6" opening. Sure you might not run bigger than 3" diameter wood, but if a branch or stick is kinda crooked, has a sharp bend or much of a Y (fork) then it will go through.
> 
> Just test one first but compare it to something. Sure a 12" might cost a bit more and it is heavy, but a 9" is good machine and not as big. Always test and compare equipment. I have seen too people buy something they regret because they didnt try it out.
> 
> Best of luck



SilentElk has an excellent point. In several of the threads it was discussed about the importance of renting several machines to compair them.


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## squad143 (Jul 10, 2007)

Thanks for all the replys.

Trying first (from a rental company) is a great idea, however my local rental company only rents small (625) which I've already tried and large (too big for my vehicle to pull).

I wouldn't mind trying a brush bandit 65 to compare to the vermeer 625, but I don't know of anyone in the Toronto area that rents them. Anyone???

I realize that there is "no replacement for displacement", however even with a 9" chipper, I'll have to get a new (used) truck to haul it. -My company is not there yet.

I'm not paying employees to chip material, I'm a one man company (my wife is my grounds person -occasionally) so even though the smaller chippers take more time to chip than the big guns, I can wait.

Just want to know, out of the small machines, any problems or comments. I've read on the other posts about jamming concerns with the bandit 65. Is that with one particular year or all of them. I know that the bandit has a larger feeding chute, but they are much more difficult to find. 

Thanks again.

"Nobody's called 911 because they did something right"


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## hornett22 (Jul 11, 2007)

*i keep the stihl 192 next to the chipper.*

keep the limbs trimmed up and they go through fast.i never had it hold me up yet.


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## CoreyTMorine (Jul 11, 2007)

+1 Silent Elk,

A chainsaw chipper is more versatile, and affordable; buy a trailer and line the inside with plywood, then you can jump in and start hacking with the chainsaw if it gets filled up. 

The thing about removals around here is that much of the time the wood is junk, so no one wants to burn it. If you have a trailer then disposal will be much easier than with a 6" chipper.

PM treemachine, i think he runs a 9" chipper, but for the same reasons you stated. He seems to have a good system and may offer some good advice. 

Best of luck.


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## Tree Machine (Jul 12, 2007)

CoreyTMorine said:


> PM treemachine, i think he runs a 9" chipper, but for the same reasons you stated. He seems to have a good system and may offer some good advice.



Hi guys.

I did what others have suggested above, and that was to rent a number of chippers first. 

I rented a 4" once, infuriating toy of a piece of crap, spit, spit, oh,.... heh heh, sorry.

Then 6", 9" 12" drum, disc, chuck n duck, gas, diesel. After and during all of this I was looking for _features_ also, things like autofeed, vise stands, engine cover, clutch versions vs clutchless, how easy is it to change the oil, change the knives, sharpen the knives, where are the grease zerks and how many.

Getting a machine is sort of like getting married. You want something that's gonna work well with you, and you want to make th right choice the first time around.

It is all about your company profile. If you have a 4 or 5 man crew, a 6" is just not going to cut it. If it is just you, and you have the ability to get rid of the firewood, and you're considering towing into deep back yards with an ATV, then a 9" is too big.

For my business, which is one-man most of the time, I need the versatility to get in and out of tight areas. I need to be able to hook up the chipper by myself without having to have another person directing me to the coupling. I need to move , swing around and reposition the chipper by hand. Anything bigger than 6" is too heavy to do that. Here's some pics from a couple days ago, boiling an hour job into 12 minutes.


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## SilentElk (Jul 12, 2007)

Interesting photo's for sure tree machine. But you got me curious, where are you taking the tree? Never seen someone haul a tree like that. If I saw that on the road you would get my attention!


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## treesquirrel (Jul 12, 2007)

*Salsco*

Salsco has some decent products in small and mid sized ranges also.

This is a 10 inch chipper they manufacture.

http://www.salsco.com/products/810M 08.06 WEB.pdf


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## CoreyTMorine (Jul 12, 2007)

Tree, you bought a Dodge??? umpkin2: Wait till midnight :biggrinbounce2:


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## DDM (Jul 12, 2007)

LOL How did you get the tree on the Truck? Drop it there?


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## bushinspector (Jul 12, 2007)

I know I am not the sharpest nail in the bag but why pull a chipper when you carry off the whole tree???


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## SmokinDodge (Jul 12, 2007)

DDM said:


> LOL How did you get the tree on the Truck? Drop it there?



WAG but I'd wager since the first pic of the truck shows no chipper hooked to the truck he backed the truck to the tree raised the bed, few tie downs and "drop" the tree.

Of course I was wrong once before.


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## Tree Machine (Jul 13, 2007)

DDM said:


> LOL How did you get the tree on the Truck? Drop it there?





bushinspector said:


> I know I am not the sharpest nail in the bag but why pull a chipper when you carry off the whole tree???



This was an isolated case, the second one in, like, 10 years. See, I had an employee that week and on Friday the boss buys lunch. I sent noobster to a market with $ and I went on to this condominium complex I work with.

I wanted to see if I could do the tree before he arrived with lunch. I shaved the tree up a bit and chipped the brush. That's when I got the bright idea to topple the tree onto the truck-- because we only had to go to the end of the lane we were on, a couple hundred meters away, chip site, firewood site and that day, lunch site.

I connected the chipper back on, with the pine tree on top just because I could. We were amusing ourselves.


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## Tree Machine (Jul 13, 2007)

CoreyTMorine said:


> Tree, you bought a Dodge???


I wanted something with a tight turning radius. I could almost care less about anything else, but the Dodge has power windows but a radio that only gets AM. I can do tight U-turns, and back the chipper into really tight quarters. 4 WD is solid, a must for any tree guy.

The truck just happened to be painted blue, same color as the chipper. I like power windows. I've never had them on a work truck.


The chipper is nice. There's a myth that big chippers chip faster. I'll give them that they chip bigger, but if each's infeed wheel rate is set to 90 feet per minute, they are both eating brush at the same speed. With the 6" you only really want to be chipping stuff the diameter of your forearm, and not much bigger, but as long as you want to go. 

For forky limbs, sometimes the sawman has to forsee a problem limb and create a couple relief cuts so the limb will collapse easily as its being pulled in.


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## Tree Machine (Jul 13, 2007)

*relief cuts*

like so


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## CoreyTMorine (Jul 14, 2007)

It's a great looking truck! Congrats, power windows are the best!


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## Tree Machine (Jul 14, 2007)

A tight turning radius is the best!


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## CoreyTMorine (Jul 14, 2007)

Power Windows!


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## Tree Machine (Jul 14, 2007)

The really nice thing about a small chipper is your ability to get versatile with it. Something as simple as just being able to swing it around 90 degrees so the chute is in the direction of the mess, and you don't then have to step over the ball and tongue when passing between, I've done that hundreds of times. 

I'd miss that ability with a bigger unit.


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## Grace Tree (Jul 14, 2007)

I wouldn't feel comfortable with my infeed against a steep embankment with a plastic tarp to reduce traction and increase trip hazards. Is that set up less hazardous than it looks?
Phil


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## Tekko (Jul 14, 2007)

Is this chipper as old as it looks ?

I agree with previous poster that having the chippers feed table against an embankment with a tarp to reduce drag seem like dangerous practice.


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## bushinspector (Jul 14, 2007)

What if he just has that as a staging area with the chipper turned off and then when he chips he just stands to the side and pulls them off the slick tarp and feeds the chipper???


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## squad143 (Jul 15, 2007)

I don't believe it. 

I called the local rental shop to rent a chipper and I asked if he had anything else other than the vermeer 625 and the 12" chipper he had listed and he told me he had a bandit 65 at his other rental store. To make a long story short the next day I was able to try it out.

I was very impressed with this little machine. The 6" x12" feed wheel made a big difference over the vermeer 625 (6" x 6"). There was no need to cut every fork. 

I don't think this rental model (2000) had the autofeed feature, as the engine would slow down significantly when some of the bigger longer branches would go through.

Apparently this machine is for sale. Its pretty rough looking (as are all rental machines) and the hour meter is broken at 721. The guys boss wants way too much for it. I guess I'll start searching for one.

Thanks for all the posts.


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## Tree Machine (Jul 15, 2007)

bushinspector said:


> What if he just has that as a staging area with the chipper turned off and then when he chips he just stands to the side and pulls them off the slick tarp and feeds the chipper???


Thanks, Bushinspector. That's exactly what it was. I was thinking I could spearchuck the limbs into it from up above, but that theory disproved itself rather quickly. Having the brush up at the same level as the infeed chute worked out on that job, but I don't usually have inclines. This was a pretty isolated case, which, I think, is why I took the picture

Most often, the time I will unhook the chipper is when backing into a driveway with an adjacent fence. I'll unhook, turn the chipper 90 degrees so the chute is facing the gate, and of course, turn the discharge chute 90 degrees the other way toward the back of the truck

Long, narrow driveways with curves, I'll just unhook, push the chipper to where it needs to go, then go and back the truck up to the chipper. Most often, just back it in conventionally, but it's nice to have options.


Squad brings up another plus of the Bandit over the other models, that, yes, it's a 6" capacity model, but that is 6" in the vertical direction. The horizontal direction is 12", meaning if you had a beam 6" X 12", you could actually run it through. Having the infeed wheel 12" wide is really, really nice, it makes the chipper able to handle a lot of material that would prove troublesome to a unit with a square 6 x6 opening. This was one of my biggest draws to the Bandit 6" over other manufacturers. Not needing to cut every fork, that benefit will pay out repeatedly from minute one.

And as Tekko asks, "Is this chipper as old as it looks ?" I say yes, yes it is. I bought it one year before the BigShot was introduced, whenever that was, 6 or 7 years ago. It's had a challenging life. I don't claim to be nice to equipment. I favor performance over looks.

Also, that tarp under the brush isn't to reduce drag or friction while chipping. Brush gets stacked on the tarp, and the tarp then gets dragged to the chipper. I have a winch mounted to the back of the chipper so I can skid, like, a half a ton of brush all at once, see pic below.

I will say two things about maximizing life on a small chipper with an aircooled powerplant: Sharp knives, regular oil changes.


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## Tree Machine (Jul 16, 2007)

Here's a shot of the 6x12 opening. The nice thin here, besides being able to handle forky material is that you can janm a number of limbs in at the same time. Being able to feed in two or three at qa time and jam another two or three in before the first two or three are through is nice. Generally speaking, this machine can gobble brush as fast as you can stuff it in. I've had a number of experienced treemen who've fed it and they all seem to say the same thing, "Wow, impressive."


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## Tree Machine (Jul 16, 2007)

Here's a couple more shots of the chipper opening.


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## ropensaddle (Jul 16, 2007)

just get goats they will chip for ya for nothing and eat good when fattened


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## Tree Machine (Jul 16, 2007)

Ah, if it were that easy, Ropen.

I'm sort of considering buying a new chipper since this one is getting up in years. I'm really quite happy with the versatility and options I have, the maneuverability, economy, ease of maintenence, space requirements and just the ability of being able to handle it easily by myself. The Bandit 6" doesn't have a clutch to engage the chipper disc; it's direct, start it, throttle up and chip, about 13 seconds. This feature will be very appreciated if you're firing the chipper up 10 or 20 times a day. Very fast that way.

If I bought new again, I may very well get the same unit, but with more features. There could be greater benefits from another manufacturer's machine, but I looked hard initially and have kept my eye open at the treeguy trade shows ever since. I also visit the chipper manufacturers' websites and see who's got what. I'm not inclined to rent a chipper when I already have one, but if something looked like it had all the benefits I have, _plus one_, I'd pay out and give it a spin.

I wish I didn't sound so biassed toward this chipper, but I've worked a good many over the years. 

I fed a Vermeer BC1000 a few weeks ago, expecting to be impressed, but the owner said he didn't like to chip material bigger than 6" in diameter, that this 10" capacity chipper didn't do so well on big stuff. Also there was this curtain over the infeed chute, apparently to keep material from being ejected out at the feedguy, an annoyance to say the least. With the clutch engagement, size, fuel costs, general overhead and the inability to move it around by hand, I would almost rather have a goat.

Here's a couple more shots, pointing the chipper at the mess, and using the chipper to jump start a truck with a bad battery (easier than pulling the battery out).


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## Tree Machine (Jul 16, 2007)

Being light really has it's benefits. The other day I was towing a big maple log on the arch and the way the truck was accelerating and braking, I could tell the log weighed more than a full load of chips AND the chipper. 






Part of the reason I got a small chipper was because I thought it would allow me to rationalize getting a quad-runner, to skid brush and such, but also to pull the chipper to deep areas like what our thread opener wants to do.

So badly did I want to do this that when I had the chipper built, I had Bandit create an adjustable frame, so that the unit can be unbolted, slid back or forward, and re-bolted. Look at the picture above, see the holes left and right of the fender? Those are for the adjustment of the frame, to alleviate excess tongue weight when towing with a quad runner.

I have never used those adjustments. I found that you can diminish the tongue weight substantially enough just by swinging the discharge chute around to face backwards. Wish I had know. It was an expensive add-on.

Also, I never got the quad runner.


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## AKChopper (Jul 16, 2007)

Get a bigger ( CHEAP ) truck and don't mess around .... get a 12".


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## Tree Machine (Jul 16, 2007)

That's great for some, AK Chopper. Personally, I don't have the space to park a bigger truck and chipper, would have to go rent space and store my rig remote from my maintenence shop and tripped-out security system. The costs and inconvenience would be huge.

I have a list of people who want firewood, and my main guys who stockpile it over the year and split and sell all Fall. They will show up with two trucks and two guys. I give them 20 bucks a load, deal of the century for me, but they seem to find a lot of benefit in it, too.

I cut firewood professionally, that's what I do. All the rest is chipping, and an occasional saw log, mebbe 4 or 5 a year.

As long as you have a home for the firewood, all that leaves is brush, 6" diameter and down. For this, does one really need a big truck and a big chipper? They cost more to buy, maintain and use. If you are a one/two man crew, like our threadstarter, and you have willing firewood recipients, bigger might just be more expensive.


Now don't get me wrong, there are days I wish I had a 9" or better. But, if I actually had the option to trade up, and lose all the benefits the 6" offers, I'm not sure I would do it. I would only be able to chip slightly bigger material, that is all, fill up the truck faster, use more fuel, have less wood for the firewood guys.

It still all depends on your business model. Most companies would laugh at the idea of having a 6". I can understand this.


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## TimberMcPherson (Jul 16, 2007)

AKChopper said:


> Get a bigger ( CHEAP ) truck and don't mess around .... get a 12".



If you gave me a brand new 12, I would trade it on a good 6 inch the next day. We all work in different environments with different types of work and different needs. Your giving advice based on what you do, if you tried doing treework in Wellington New Zealand, you'd find that you had limited your access to most jobs, while gaining little in time or capacity. 

Different strokes for different folks!!


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## AKChopper (Jul 16, 2007)

I had a really BIG job recently. Thinning out dead Black Spruce ( beetle kill ) trees on a fairly large property. I rented a 6" Rayco that could only handle my small limbs. It was rather pathetic and wasted my whole day of rental 
(customer) costs. The limbs would just "ball up" in the shoot and I had to go one at a time (ggrrrr!). My next rental was a Vermeer 12" that was just the tool for the right job. I had my work completed in no time. I just learned it was better safe than sorry ( bigger the better). Mind you that it would only cost a cool $29k for this bad boy. Shop around.... how about the 9"? 

Basically right tool for the right job goes a long ways. 

I've read much of your responses TreeMachine and I respect you to the fulliest.  It all depends on the kind of work you would be doing.


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## Tree Machine (Jul 16, 2007)

AKChopper said:


> It all depends on the kind of work you would be doing.


That's what I keep saying.



AKChopper said:


> I rented a 6" Rayco that could only handle my small limbs. It was rather pathetic and wasted my whole day of rental
> (customer) costs. The limbs would just "ball up" in the shoot and I had to go one at a time (ggrrrr!).



That was sort of my impression with the rayco. I'd jam 2 or 3 limbs in and it just wouldn't pull em in. Feeding limbs one at a time is just not acceptable in commercial arboriculture, unless they're just big limbs.


How the heck are you, Timber McPherson? It's been awhile, you busy?

I often think about the smaller chippers in really hilly terrain, like Wellington, New Zealand. Bigger chippers mean more wear and strain on transmissions. Bigger trucks means less maneuverability when the going gets tight. If you have to park further away, and drag brush a longer distance, your efficiency plummets, you spend a lot more time walking.


Timber, I miss you, mang. Haven't seen you around much. Got a girl, or what?


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## SilentElk (Jul 16, 2007)

Thats a cute chipper Tree machine. The 6"x12" opening is huge upgrade from the 6"x6" openings. The origninal poster will be much better off with something similiar to what you have than the vermeer 6" machine. My opinion on the vermeer's is they are designed consistently run material 1/2 there rated diameter. The 1800 I had would run up 9" material fantastic. I ran 18" stuff sometimes but a waste. Usually I kept over 6" diameter material for firewood. At $170-$250 a cord, firewood pays way too much to turn it into sawdust around here. 

I would recommend for the original poster to get a machine similiar to Tree Machine's if they really have to have a smaller unit. The biggest issue I see spending all that money on small machine when for not a whole lot more a much more useful machine could be had. But to each their own.


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## bushinspector (Jul 16, 2007)

Great comments that everyone has been chippin in, (all pun intended) about the correct size of machines in their operation. This is not my thread but have the same interest. Like I have always said, that they are many ways to skin a cat!!! opps I don't think that I can say that!

Great imput about cutting relief cuts on larger branches


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## squad143 (Jul 16, 2007)

I just put a deposit on a Bandit 65XL and hope to pick it up this Saturday. I was quite impressed with this little machine. I'm glad I was able to rent (try) one.

As most posters have been saying "to each their own", "depends on the kind of work you would be doing", "Different strokes for different folks", etc. I think that this machine will be the right "fit" for me right now. Presently I have a small car and a small SUV. In the near future I hope to get a 3/4 ton pickup.

As I said earlier, all my customers want the wood, mostly maple, birch and hemlock. I don't even have to remove the chips, just shoot them into the woods or convince the customer to make paths with them to lessen the impact of pedestrian traffic. When I had to haul brush, it was a different matter. I'd have to haul it away to the nearest dump (45 min. drive one-way).

I also plan to do some trees in the city (as I have in the past). I live in a subdivision and commercial vehicles (1 Ton and over) are not allowed to park permanently in residential neighborhoods. Therefore, if I wanted to go with a bigger chipper and truck, I would then have to find a lot (secure) to park it (More $$$). Who knows, I might be there in a year or two, but I doubt it. Like I posted earlier, I'm a one person (plus wife) company and am happy to stay that way.

I appreciate all the posts and advice. They have been quite helpful. -Thanks.

I'll let you know how I make out.

Cheers.


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## Tree Machine (Jul 16, 2007)

SilentElk said:


> =Usually I kept over 6" diameter material for firewood. At $170-$250 a cord, firewood pays way too much to turn it into sawdust around here.



Yea, you don't have to try real hard to get rid of firewood. You just put the word out there. If you buck up anything over 6" in diameter, then 6" chipper is OK. That's what I do, usually 4-5" is where I'll go. The more firewood made, the less to chip, the fewer trips to dump chips. My firewood guys load it all up, so i don't care how much firewood, or how small a diameter..... I don't have to handle the firewood much, and I don't have to haul it away. It is a beautiful thing.



Elk said:


> The biggest issue I see spending all that money on small machine when for not a whole lot more a much more useful machine could be had. But to each their own.



How is a bigger machine more useful? Granted, a bigger machine does chip bigger material, but really, that's all. Does THAT make your mess quicker to cleanup? Usually, yes. But if you have a takedown, and you're blocking the tree into firewood, if you set your intent to cut all diameters 9 inches down to 4 or 5 inches, you no longer need a 12" chipper. What you need is a small chipper with big balls.

Does the bigger chipper have an onboard winch? Quick-couple hydraulics for accessory tools? Tool boxes? For a big chipper to be more useful than a small chipper, it has to do more than just chip bigger material. There are a number of drawbacks to owning a big one over a small one, so the big one should have more useful features to make up for it's sometimes unnecessary largeness. Does it have a vise or two mounted on steel posts?
A small chipper can have this host of features, plus the benefits of smallness. Chippers can be decked out with useful features, big or small, an I think the small ones should be loaded to make up for their lack of bigness, y'know, so the smallness can be celebrated more fully.

A fast firewood saw and a small network of people wanting firewood _and willing to come get it,_ and you can save yourself many thousands of dollars in up-front chipper cost, higher overhead, higher fuel costs, higher gross vehicle weight, possible CDL, higher insurance, higher tow capacity, fewer vehicles that can tow it, higher maintenence costs and upkeep expenses. That much a bigger chipper promises you. Your payoff is you cut less firewood.


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## SilentElk (Jul 17, 2007)

At any rate squad143, glad to see you found a machine your wanted and based on your situation that 65XL is going to be the best machine out there. A 6"x12" is an enormous advantage over a normal 6"x6" machine. I am just glad to hear you didnt end up with the BC625. Everyone I know laughs when they see a new company, tree or landscape, start up and begin pulling one around for a little while until they get rid of it. I wouldnt want to tow more than the weight of the 65XL behind the SUV at all either. A 3/4 ton truck would be nice. Shame a 1 ton isnt possible to park in your area. Still a normal sized truck, but much better for work than a 3/4 ton.

Show us some pics this weekend when you get it! 



Tree Machine said:


> Does the bigger chipper have an onboard winch? Quick-couple hydraulics for accessory tools? Tool boxes? For a big chipper to be more useful than a small chipper, it has to do more than just chip bigger material. There are a number of drawbacks to owning a big one over a small one, so the big one should have more useful features to make up for it's sometimes unnecessary largeness. Does it have a vise or two mounted on steel posts?
> A small chipper can have this host of features, plus the benefits of smallness. Chippers can be decked out with useful features, big or small, an I think the small ones should be loaded to make up for their lack of bigness, y'know, so the smallness can be celebrated more fully..



Nothing that couldnt be mounted on a larger unit. Nothing unique here. Are there options on a little chipper such as these that are not available to a larger machine? Or if the option is custom anyways, why it couldnt be mounted on a larger unit?



Tree Machine said:


> A fast firewood saw and a small network of people wanting firewood _and willing to come get it,_ and you can save yourself many thousands of dollars in up-front chipper cost, higher overhead, higher fuel costs, higher gross vehicle weight, possible CDL, higher insurance, higher tow capacity, fewer vehicles that can tow it, higher maintenence costs and upkeep expenses. That much a bigger chipper promises you. Your payoff is you cut less firewood.



A larger chipper will cost more initially. This fact is obvious in the price. And some states do charge yearly the yearly liscense fees based on weight. I paid $505 a year for a 7200 vermeer 1800. Although, I doubt my insurance was more than $25 a month higher due to the chipper. Unsure of regs in Canada but in the state of Colorado we can be combined trailer and truck weight of 26,000 lbs without a CDL. I had used a 86' Ford F-350 to pull the Vermeer 1800 around. Was a touch slow going when I had a full load of chips in the back otherwise it did fine. A diesel truck would be much better. Chip box was 9' long x 7' wide and 5.5' high. Full weight of truck, chipper and chips or logs was right about 21,000 lbs with some weight to spare. Now, an 1800 is way more chipper than this poster requires. A 9" machine is likely half this weight. A 12" a bit more than a 9" and closer to 4-5000 lbs I would guess. I hauled it for a while with an old 77' ford F-250 but I couldnt get many chips in the truck. Single rear tire stability isnt to good compared to a dually. Dually's can be had cheap too and often equiped with a flatbed and dump already.

Firewood isnt really a point. The original poster had already determined they didnt want to deal with keeping wood anways. Actually, I averaged $15,000 yearly single handedly in Nov and Dec splitting the wood I charged people to haul away. Although the firewood market is better here. Nov and Dec in Colorado arent exactly good time for regular tree work. This is when we get the severe cold spells, wind and snow. Still irrelevent since the original poster isnt going to do firewood nor do they have a place to store it if room for a chipper is already a major consideration.

Firewood if you intend to cut and leave is better I suppose if you can chip instead or cut, but I dont really think a larger machine saves much time on this unless the removal is close to vehicle access. In this event, there is an amazing amount of time savings. Nothing like being on a job clearing or thinning dozens to hundreds of trees and running a 8" diameter tree you charged $20-$30 for in less than 20 seconds once it touches the machine. I used to grin when I watched the machine and figured out at that moment I was making a $1 a second. Overall it was closer to a couple minuites to cut down, drag and chip this size of a tree. Still...

Yesch... A lot to type.


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## Tree Machine (Jul 18, 2007)

Yea, there's absolutely no arguing the utility of a big chipper. It sort of dictates bigger trucks and a crew, which is more the norm for our industry. A tow-behind whole-tree chipper with a grapple would be my choice, maybe a track unit. Coupled with a crane, you'd barely ever have to touch wood.

Right now, Squad is more about the lifestyle and the income follows the quality you put out there. Growing a business, employing people, upgrading to bigger and better, that can all transpire over time. Some guys need to start somewhere. A newer or bigger chipper can be had in the time it takes to decide and buy it.

For starting up a tree service, its far more important to have the right tools for the jobs you do, and be _organized_, be able to fix and maintain anything that goes down and be able to get rid of chips swiftly. As your client base grows, and tree jobs get more involved, your business will dictate when it's time to go bigger.


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## TreeBot (Jul 22, 2007)

I recently got my first chipper. It is a '96 Morbark 2070 with the 35hp Wis. Hydraulic fed drum chipper with no autofeed.

I think it is like an 8". The opening is 10" wide I think. I always wanted the Bandit 65 35hp but there seemed to be limited availabilty of used ones. I had to drive 700 miles to get it but I think I got very lucky, it works better than I ever even expected. The slightly larger size makes a big difference. It can really pull in some brush. It works like a large chipper scaled down rather than a garden chipper scaled up like some of the smaller ones I have tried, if this makes any sense. But I still pull it with and chip into a 1/2 ton with no problem at all. It's a tad over what can be easily moved with one person though, even if I added a castor wheel to the jack. But if a guy stands on the feed table I can grunt it around, and move it easily with yet another person. 

I made myself the promise that I would never come out of retirement unless I bought a chipper, and I sure am glad I kept that promise.

The only problems are the paint is old and ugly, and I think the springs that pull down the infeed roller are a bit worn out. The feedwheel seems to bounce over the real small stuff that doesn't raise it to the point the springs still have pull. But this is only on very small brush and all you have to do is add another layer.

Also I think the discharge chute on this chipper has been chopped, presumably to prevent clogging. The chute is much shorter than pics of other 2070's I have seen.


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## Grace Tree (Jul 22, 2007)

EastKSArborist said:


> The only problems are the paint is old and ugly, and I think the springs that pull down the infeed roller are a bit worn out. The feedwheel seems to bounce over the real small stuff that doesn't raise it to the point the springs still have pull. .


Those springs are only around $9.00 each you can replace them without much cost. There's also some pretension adjustment on the spring holder eye bolts that may help.
Regards,
Phil


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## Thor's Hammer (Jul 22, 2007)

Interesting thread. Jim, you really should see some of the european chippers. Would make the Bandit65 look rather sad...
What is the new price on the 6 and 9 inch units over there?


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## TreeBot (Jul 22, 2007)

Small Wood said:


> Those springs are only around $9.00 each you can replace them without much cost. There's also some pretension adjustment on the spring holder eye bolts that may help.
> Regards,
> Phil



Wow that _is_ cheap. I guess I don't have any excuse then, time for some new springs. 

Thx for the info


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## squad143 (Aug 6, 2007)

Hi guys.

It took me a while, but I finally drove down to Chicago (10 hrs. one way) to pick up the chipper.

It is a 2005 and has 40 hrs. on it. It only has a 25 horse on it but I've found that it will do what I require of it. It has the auto feed, which I find quite useful, just put a branch in and it takes care of itself. Pretty happy with it so far.

Thanks for all the help.


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## squad143 (Aug 6, 2007)

Another couple if shots.

Now to start looking for a 3/4 ton truck.


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## TimberMcPherson (Aug 7, 2007)

Great to see squad, im sure it will make your life easier and more profitable.


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## SilentElk (Aug 7, 2007)

that is a pretty looking unit. How much did you spend on it?


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## squad143 (Aug 7, 2007)

$7,500 USD. It is a 2005 model with 40 hours on it.

I did not have to pay state tax because I am not a resident to the state in which it was purchased. I did have to pay Canadian GST (7%) when I crossed the border with it.

I looked around and thought that was a good price. My local rental company had a used one (7 yrs. old +1000 hrs), which was rough, for sale for $8,000 CDN plus taxes. There were others I found on-line in the $7,000 USD range, but one again they were rentals with around 1,000 hrs on them.


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## SilentElk (Aug 8, 2007)

Actually, for that price I am very impressed. Good find. That unit will work out good for you! Heck, you could put a 1000 hrs on it and might able to get almost what you paid for it!


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## hornett22 (Aug 8, 2007)

*you got a hell of a deal on that*

i wonder what they go for new.


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## computeruser (Aug 8, 2007)

squad143 said:


> Hi guys.
> 
> It took me a while, but I finally drove down to Chicago (10 hrs. one way) to pick up the chipper.
> 
> ...



LUCKY BASTARD!!!! Good score. You will be pleased with that machine, especially if your chipping is limited to smaller material only. I've put a fair number of hours on the rental units in the past couple years - Vermeer 625 and Bandit 65AW - and definitely prefer the Bandit unit.

Happy chipping!


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## nytreeman (Aug 21, 2007)

*feed roll ?*



squad143 said:


> The 6" x12" feed wheel made a big difference over the vermeer 625 (6" x 6"). There was no need to cut every fork.



I was just wondering about the feed roll setup on this machine Squad, is it a single roll or double,I have a small salsco about the same size works great but has trouble with the single feed roll getting jammed by dry brittle wood getting stuck under the roll


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## nytreeman (Aug 21, 2007)

here is the salsco 8630,6",wisconsin 25 horse I have,
I'll have to get a pic of the feed roll setup


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## squad143 (Aug 23, 2007)

I have a single feed wheel on my machine. Occasionally it jams, very occasionally and usually when the material is old and dry. From some of the other threads it appears that the double feed wheel setup is causing quite a jamming issue.

To date I am very pleased with the chipper. For most of my jobs, the customer usually just wants the tree on the ground and they will take it from there. The times I get to chip, it has worked like a charm. I have only fired the chips into the woods so I can not comment on how it fires it into a truck.


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## AKChopper (Aug 24, 2007)

Great topic with great feedbacks all! :chainsawguy: :biggrinbounce2:


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## treesquirrel (Aug 24, 2007)

Thor's Hammer said:


> Interesting thread. Jim, you really should see some of the european chippers. Would make the Bandit65 look rather sad...
> What is the new price on the 6 and 9 inch units over there?



Well.........................how about a picture of these legendary beasts? 

We'll call em "Nessy" til we see the pics


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## Tekko (Aug 24, 2007)

Weird belt transmission on that salsco, look like the chipper unit is geared up to higher speed than the engine, not to lower speed like its usually done. 

Correct me if im wrong.


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## Canyonbc (Sep 20, 2007)

i know this is a little late...i dont think anyone is even looking at this anymore

but your looking at a 6 inch chipper...go bandit with with the wisconsin....i really love that little machine...

best machine on the market...in its class

again just my opinion...best of luck with what ever way you go


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## Tree Machine (Sep 21, 2007)

I really like my 6" Bandit, too. Having a lineup of guys wanting firewood, and a firewood saws that sizzle like there's no tomorrow really allows a commercial arborist to get away with the smaller size chipper.

I'm at a point where I've gotta be thinking about a new chipper. It's a tough decision. If I go bigger, I'll just fill up the box faster, make more trips to spill chips and all my firewood guys will get less firewood. I won't chip any faster, just a bit bigger. The Bandit, once I got all the modifications dialled in, has been beyond satisfactory. I wish I could say that about all my equipment.

If I was running a crew of guys I don't think the 6" would stand for it. It's more a 1-2 man machine. Get a couple guys trying to ram material down it that's too big, they'll either slow production or send the machine to an early death.

I fear hiring a guy who's used to feeding a 12" model. He'll naturally want to go big. A 6" will gobble brush all day long at 90 feet per minute, which is rippin, but you have to stay under 6" diameter. This would be totally foreign to a guy who's run bigger chippers.


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## Tree Machine (Sep 22, 2007)

But getting back to Thor's Hammer.....


> Interesting thread. Jim, you really should see some of the european chippers. Would make the Bandit65 look rather sad...


Well, my brother from Wales, I have little reason to doubt you.

Could you share with us the scoop on the 6" Nessie? I'm willing to put any personal bias aside and listen with wide open ears. I'm all about owning something better and badder. Whatcha got stirring in the pot? I smell something interesting.


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