# best chipper size with bmg grapple?



## defensiblespace (Oct 13, 2011)

I'm looking to purchase my first chipper and am wondering what size chipper is most efficient when using a bmg grapple on a mini loader. My grapple is the newest 53" model. I don't want a chipper that is too small forcing me to break up my grapple loads before sending them through the chipper. I was thinking of an 18" chipper, but is this too big? Will a 12" chipper handle these loads fairly well?


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## superjunior (Oct 13, 2011)

an 18 in chipper is going to be a lot more efficient then a 12 in if your using a grapple. it will pull the material in much easier and the feed table is going to be that much bigger. I've run mostly vermeers and used to have a 1250 years ago. since then have run 1800's and the difference is night and day when using a loader. of course an 18 in is going to weigh a lot more but if your going to be using the grapple a lot its worth it


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## defensiblespace (Oct 13, 2011)

Bandit 1890 vs Vermeer 1800. Any thoughts? I found a year 2001 1800 with the 115 horse Perkins diesel and 1500 hours for $11000. Sounds like a smoking deal. My thoughts are 1, is this machine underpowered at 115 hp and 2, will this engine be carb compliant in CA? I don't want to buy a machine I can't use.


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## superjunior (Oct 13, 2011)

defensiblespace said:


> Bandit 1890 vs Vermeer 1800. Any thoughts? I found a year 2001 1800 with the 115 horse Perkins diesel and 1500 hours for $11000. Sounds like a smoking deal. My thoughts are 1, is this machine underpowered at 115 hp and 2, will this engine be carb compliant in CA? I don't want to buy a machine I can't use.


 
Haven't used the 1890 so I can't comment on that. I have a 2000 1800 with the perkins 115 and it has plenty of balls. I swear I've put wood in there bigger then 18 inch and it doesn't miss a beat.The auto feed does its job well and its very fuel efficient. Heavy as hell though, almost 9000 lbs. not sure about the emissions laws in cali so can't comment on that either.


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## ducaticorse (Oct 13, 2011)

defensiblespace said:


> I'm looking to purchase my first chipper and am wondering what size chipper is most efficient when using a bmg grapple on a mini loader. My grapple is the newest 53" model. I don't want a chipper that is too small forcing me to break up my grapple loads before sending them through the chipper. I was thinking of an 18" chipper, but is this too big? Will a 12" chipper handle these loads fairly well?


 
18 is balls for machine loading. I wouldn't do it with a 12 inch, although it can be done, really has more to do with HP, roller speed and mouth opening. There are several diff engine packages in bandits, my 1890 has a 200hp turbo diesel.

If you can get that 01 vermin 1800 with 1500 hrs for 9 grand, check the local police dept to see if it has been stolen lol. Go for it! It is kinda strange that it has only a 115 in it though.


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## treeclimber101 (Oct 13, 2011)

defensiblespace said:


> Bandit 1890 vs Vermeer 1800. Any thoughts? I found a year 2001 1800 with the 115 horse Perkins diesel and 1500 hours for $11000. Sounds like a smoking deal. My thoughts are 1, is this machine underpowered at 115 hp and 2, will this engine be carb compliant in CA? I don't want to buy a machine I can't use.


 
NO the 115hp 1800 does just fine , it will walk through soft wood but hard wood seems to make it work a bit , the plus is that 115 is a perkapillar and the parts are at any Cat or Perkins dealer ... I had one with 3800 hrs on it with a bit a blowby but still running like a top 11,000 honestly sounds cheap though they are ranging between 13,000 to 16.000 for what you described


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## mattfr12 (Oct 13, 2011)

ducaticorse said:


> 18 is balls for machine loading. I wouldn't do it with a 12 inch, although it can be done, really has more to do with HP, roller speed and mouth opening. There are several diff engine packages in bandits, my 1890 has a 200hp turbo diesel.
> 
> If you can get that 01 vermin 1800 with 1500 hrs for 9 grand, check the local police dept to see if it has been stolen lol. Go for it! It is kinda strange that it has only a 115 in it though.


 
115 does seem kinda low on the hp end our bandit 250 12" is 140 JD i do believe and i would have put more in it if i could have. we use a morbark 2400 with 230-240 hp and when you get into the hardwoods the auto feed still kicks in. at 115 hp with 18" oak logs seems like it would be auto feeding all day.

but then again it all depends on your aplication if it doesnt matter if it takes it a couple of minutes to eat a log go for it.


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## Scottscape (Oct 14, 2011)

I've got an 1800 with a 115hp cummins 4bt. Eats the wood! Our vermeer dealer is awesome here too


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## superjunior (Oct 14, 2011)

ducaticorse said:


> 18 is balls for machine loading. I wouldn't do it with a 12 inch, although it can be done, really has more to do with HP, roller speed and mouth opening. There are several diff engine packages in bandits, my 1890 has a 200hp turbo diesel.
> 
> If you can get that 01 vermin 1800 with 1500 hrs for 9 grand, check the local police dept to see if it has been stolen lol. Go for it! It is kinda strange that it has only a 115 in it though.


 
what does the 1890 weigh in at?


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## ducaticorse (Oct 14, 2011)

superjunior said:


> what does the 1890 weigh in at?


 
99 bandit HD1890 with the 200hp mill weighs roughly 11K wet, but it's reg'd @9K. F a class A


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## Rholmes (Oct 14, 2011)

feeding a 12 inch capacity chipper with a machine will most likely shorten the life of the chipper,but it also depends on the person who is feeding it. i have seen far bigger chippers with thrown bearings,broken infeed chains and piston pins sheared right in two. all because of operator error. with that engine the vermeer sounds like it was built for chipping high volumes of brush/tops...thats why its high capacity but low horsepower.


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## superjunior (Oct 14, 2011)

ducaticorse said:


> 99 bandit HD1890 with the 200hp mill weighs roughly 11K wet, but it's reg'd @9K. F a class A


 
I know the tandem axle adds some weight. is that a disc chipper?


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## mattfr12 (Oct 14, 2011)

superjunior said:


> I know the tandem axle adds some weight. is that a disc chipper?


 
1890 is a drum


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## ducaticorse (Oct 14, 2011)

mattfr12 said:


> 1890 is a drum


 
And mine is a side by side tire set up, not dual axel

View attachment 202896
View attachment 202897
View attachment 202898


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## mattfr12 (Oct 14, 2011)

ducaticorse said:


> And mine is a side by side tire set up, not dual axel
> 
> View attachment 202896
> View attachment 202897
> View attachment 202898


 
thats a nice machine have you had any real trouble with it i want an 1890 with the dual tires like that. im considering trading a bandit 250 in on one.


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## ducaticorse (Oct 14, 2011)

mattfr12 said:


> thats a nice machine have you had any real trouble with it i want an 1890 with the dual tires like that. im considering trading a bandit 250 in on one.


 
LOL, I'll let you know end of the month.... long story, but I bought it months ago, and due to an injury, haven't gone and picked it up yet. It's about 10 hours away from me. 

It's an original 300 (three hundred) hour machine, virtually brand new. I'm seeing a much larger chip box in my future because of it lol.


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## ihatevines (Oct 14, 2011)

We run a S600tx with a BMG and have a the 60'' boss grapple from Dave at top notch too. Had a vermeer 1400xl and have demoed an 1800 with 115hp and a 170hp. The 1800 was much better suited for the grapple loading. 

We own and run a Woodsman 18x with a 140hp JD and a Morbark 2400 with a 140hp Cat/Perk. The woodsman and the morbark are both far superior in my opionion. And the 18x is a large up grade from the morbark too. I think some of the difference between the morbark and the woodsman is the engine option. The JD recovers RPMs much faster and uses around 15-20% less fuel. Vermeers feed wheels are just too weak. They kick out really easily. A woodsmans feed wheel doesn't know the meaning of the work stop.

Vermeers are very well suited for hand loading though. They handload the easiest by far because of the vertical feed wheels. With the vertical feed wheels you don't have to get the butt of the branch down to the bottom of the feed table. 

If you haven't bought yet I would just recommend looking at a woodsman.


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## mattfr12 (Oct 14, 2011)

ducaticorse said:


> LOL, I'll let you know end of the month.... long story, but I bought it months ago, and due to an injury, haven't gone and picked it up yet. It's about 10 hours away from me.
> 
> It's an original 300 (three hundred) hour machine, virtually brand new. I'm seeing a much larger chip box in my future because of it lol.


 
if you dont want it ill take it. you can never have enough chip box 16 foot a 14 and 8 are the 3 trucks i chip into and still wind up going to the dump on large removals. bandits are tough i feed my 140 hp 250 with a crane i know its overworked it just takes it day in and day out. only ever changed knives on them and 1 clutch. i would compare it to a vermeer 1800 but not a 1890.


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## mattfr12 (Oct 14, 2011)

ihatevines said:


> We run a S600tx with a BMG and have a the 60'' boss grapple from Dave at top notch too. Had a vermeer 1400xl and have demoed an 1800 with 115hp and a 170hp. The 1800 was much better suited for the grapple loading.
> 
> We own and run a Woodsman 18x with a 140hp JD and a Morbark 2400 with a 140hp Cat/Perk. The woodsman and the morbark are both far superior in my opionion. And the 18x is a large up grade from the morbark too. I think some of the difference between the morbark and the woodsman is the engine option. The JD recovers RPMs much faster and uses around 15-20% less fuel. Vermeers feed wheels are just too weak. They kick out really easily. A woodsmans feed wheel doesn't know the meaning of the work stop.
> 
> ...


 
i wish i could demo a woodsman i hear good things.


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## treevet (Oct 14, 2011)

our baby, very capable but at 15k lbs. 200 hp cummins. 2900 hrs will take anything you stuff into it. hyd. chute and bonnet movement, 16' chip box great set up. Like said you better get a bigger box if you don't have one you waste chipper's capacity saving time by always running to dump.


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## mattfr12 (Oct 14, 2011)

treevet said:


> our baby, very capable but at 15k lbs. 200 hp cummins. 2900 hrs will take anything you stuff into it. hyd. chute and bonnet movement, 16' chip box great set up. Like said you better get a bigger box if you don't have one you waste chipper's capacity saving time by always running to dump.


 

i actually like the bc2000 only one they seem to put thr hp in. i wish the still made them with the loader arm.between the 1800 and 2000 it has to be night and day difference 85 hp is alot for only 2" compacity difference. like a ferrari vs a power wheels.


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## tree MDS (Oct 15, 2011)

ducaticorse said:


> And mine is a side by side tire set up, not dual axel
> 
> View attachment 202896
> View attachment 202897
> View attachment 202898



Damn dude, that's a nice chipper! Too bad it does't have a winch though (you could always put one on). 

300 hours? what year is it? How much$$?


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## ducaticorse (Oct 15, 2011)

tree MDS said:


> Damn dude, that's a nice chipper! Too bad it does't have a winch though (you could always put one on).
> 
> 300 hours? what year is it? How much$$?


 
Thanks I can't wait to go pick it up. i'll be putting a factory winch on it to to the tune of close to $3K give or take....:msp_w00t:

It is a 99 left over on the certificate of origin, (never registered), originaly bought and owned by a heavy construction company. They used it for one large project, and basically shelved it afterwards. I bought it from the owner of the company for $17500. The pics shown are the ones I took, it's in spectacular shape. Just needs a good cleaning. ITS HUGE.


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## mattfr12 (Oct 15, 2011)

ducaticorse said:


> Thanks I can't wait to go pick it up. i'll be putting a factory winch on it to to the tune of close to $3K give or take....:msp_w00t:
> 
> It is a 99 left over on the certificate of origin, (never registered), originaly bought and owned by a heavy construction company. They used it for one large project, and basically shelved it afterwards. I bought it from the owner of the company for $17500. The pics shown are the ones I took, it's in spectacular shape. Just needs a good cleaning. ITS HUGE.


 
ya it cost me 3k to put a winch on my bandit. if you can do the hydralics yourself you can save a few $$.


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## tree MDS (Oct 15, 2011)

ducaticorse said:


> Thanks I can't wait to go pick it up. i'll be putting a factory winch on it to to the tune of close to $3K give or take....:msp_w00t:
> 
> It is a 99 left over on the certificate of origin, (never registered), originaly bought and owned by a heavy construction company. They used it for one large project, and basically shelved it afterwards. I bought it from the owner of the company for $17500. The pics shown are the ones I took, it's in spectacular shape. Just needs a good cleaning. ITS HUGE.



Nice. Are the older 1890's a little smaller than the new ones? I know the 1590's are bigger now than they were back then.

What kind of motor is that beast running? 

That one has the winch mount already on it?


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## ducaticorse (Oct 15, 2011)

tree MDS said:


> Nice. Are the older 1890's a little smaller than the new ones? I know the 1590's are bigger now than they were back then.
> 
> What kind of motor is that beast running?
> 
> That one has the winch mount already on it?



I don't know off hand the specs for a comparible new 1890HD with my motor package, but I know they are similar in regard to performance.. I think my particular unit is actually a tad better built, (steel was much cheaper 10 years ago) and it also is the HD package. I do know in 2011 they are close to $70K optioned out. I think the selling price for my machine in 1999 was just under $50K) They are all "tiered" now. A 200HP tier now is about $20K + for the motor alone. My machine has the 200HP JD turbo diesel. This unit I picked up, is bsically new. I called "cleeves co" in Needham MA and asked what the machine was worth in the condition it is in, they said between 24-26K. 

The winch mount plate is not on the machine.


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## tree MDS (Oct 15, 2011)

ducaticorse said:


> I don't know off hand the specs for a comparible new 1890HD with my motor package, but I know they are similar in regard to performance.. I think my particular unit is actually a tad better built, (steel was much cheaper 10 years ago) and it also is the HD package. I do know in 2011 they are close to $70K optioned out. I think the selling price for my machine in 1999 was just under $50K) They are all "tiered" now. A 200HP tier now is about $20K + for the motor alone. My machine has the 200HP JD turbo diesel. This unit I picked up, is bsically new. I called "cleeves co" in Needham MA and asked what the machine was worth in the condition it is in, they said between 24-26K.
> 
> The winch mount plate is not on the machine.


 
You stole that thing for sure! Especially with the JD. I know a 140hp deere engine was over 13k like six or seven years ago. Couldn't ask for a better deal. 

Winch plate is no big deal to have fabbed up, I'm sure.


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## mattfr12 (Oct 15, 2011)

john deere is what i put in all mine you cant go wrong ive never had to replace anything yet on any of them some are close to 3k in hours. only thing i put in any of them is a clutch and oil. other than that they will take abuse. i run 12" or bigger through my 250 alot and it takes it like a champ. the 1890 is exactly what im going after. i cant find a woodsman to look at or even demo. no way would i buy before i try. vermeer wouldnt even show me an 1800 or 2000 i tried to rent an 1800 to try it no can do they say.

bandit let me use it for almost a week.


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## ducaticorse (Oct 15, 2011)

mattfr12 said:


> john deere is what i put in all mine you cant go wrong ive never had to replace anything yet on any of them some are close to 3k in hours. only thing i put in any of them is a clutch and oil. other than that they will take abuse. i run 12" or bigger through my 250 alot and it takes it like a champ. the 1890 is exactly what im going after. i cant find a woodsman to look at or even demo. no way would i buy before i try. vermeer wouldnt even show me an 1800 or 2000 i tried to rent an 1800 to try it no can do they say.
> 
> bandit let me use it for almost a week.


 
It is of my opinion that woodsmans are pretty close in comparison to bandits. Marqui and Mayer have big ones where I'm from with the loader arms. 

I'm pumped for the upgrade, and production power. I got a "new to me" bobcat 453 a few weeks ago, and am looking forward to seeing how much faster I can clear a job site now.... $$$$$$$$$$


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## Rholmes (Oct 15, 2011)

when it comes to chipping its hard to beat woodsman,those things rip.make sure you own a welder haha they tend to beat themselves apart...at least the older ones,maybe they worked the kinks out.but they have less moving parts.they have a single massive feed wheel that basically acts as a crushing mechanism more than anything.they also put the feed wheel closer to the drum for more efficient chipping,(it doesnt give the material a chance to get bound up or go into the knives at a akward angle,the feed wheel crushes the material and then moves iit directly into the drum). morbark and bandit are about the same nowaday..morbark is built a little heavier duty than bandit in my opinion.cant go wrong with a deere though. we got a old bandit 250 that doesnt get used much anymore but it has the jd 140 in it with over 
6k hours on it. water pump and a radiator over the past ten years...not bad.


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## Toddppm (Oct 15, 2011)

mattfr12 said:


> vermeer wouldnt even show me an 1800 or 2000 i tried to rent an 1800 to try it no can do they say.
> 
> bandit let me use it for almost a week.



Funny isn't it? They did the same thing to me, made the decision easy to buy another Bandit.


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## ducaticorse (Oct 15, 2011)

Rholmes said:


> when it comes to chipping its hard to beat woodsman,those things rip.make sure you own a welder haha they tend to beat themselves apart...at least the older ones,maybe they worked the kinks out.but they have less moving parts.they have a single massive feed wheel that basically acts as a crushing mechanism more than anything.they also put the feed wheel closer to the drum for more efficient chipping,(it doesnt give the material a chance to get bound up or go into the knives at a akward angle,the feed wheel crushes the material and then moves iit directly into the drum). morbark and bandit are about the same nowaday..morbark is built a little heavier duty than bandit in my opinion.cant go wrong with a deere though. we got a old bandit 250 that doesnt get used much anymore but it has the jd 140 in it with over
> 6k hours on it. water pump and a radiator over the past ten years...not bad.


 
The only thing I'm not too fond of in the woodsman is the single roller wheel, although I've never done a side by side comparison. I think all chippers over time tend to bust welds, kinda par for the course. My B150 has welds all over it lol. Do you have a repair shop? You seem to have a good working knowledge on equipment in general.


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## oldirty (Oct 15, 2011)

ducaticorse said:


> It is of my opinion that woodsmans are pretty close in comparison to bandits. Marqui and Mayer have big ones where I'm from with the loader arms.
> 
> I'm pumped for the upgrade, and production power. I got a "new to me" bobcat 453 a few weeks ago, and am looking forward to seeing how much faster I can clear a job site now.... $$$$$$$$$$


 
there is no comparison.

i've used and fed a bandit grapple and everyday work with the woodsman. the woodsman grapple machine has a better setup for the operator station and grapple storage. the woodsman may not throw chips through the chip truck but it does fill it....

overall the woodsman is a better machine but i wouldn't kick the bandit out of bed. 

that said you boys never seen at the business end of a machine do what the woodsman does. unreal.


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## ducaticorse (Oct 15, 2011)

oldirty said:


> there is no comparison.
> 
> i've used and fed a bandit grapple and everyday work with the woodsman. the woodsman grapple machine has a better setup for the operator station and grapple storage. the woodsman may not throw chips through the chip truck but it does fill it....
> 
> ...


 
I've never used either company's grapple set ups, so I wouldn't be able to comment. But I will take your word for it. I know you've used the woodsman at least.


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## oldirty (Oct 15, 2011)

ducaticorse said:


> The only thing I'm not too fond of in the woodsman is the single roller wheel.


 
this is the reason why the woodsman is a far superior chipping machine to any other model out there.


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## ducaticorse (Oct 15, 2011)

oldirty said:


> this is the reason why the woodsman is a far superior chipping machine to any other model out there.


 
Why is that?


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## TreEmergencyB (Oct 15, 2011)

oldirty said:


> this is the reason why the woodsman is a far superior chipping machine to any other model out there.


 
really?

Ive never used grapple fed chippers but, the 4 companies i worked for 2 had vermeer 935's and 2 had bandit 250xp, for a hand fed chipper i hate the single wheel. I could see when being forced by the grapple the single wheel might roll over logs better.


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## ducaticorse (Oct 15, 2011)

TreEmergencyB said:


> really?
> 
> Ive never used grapple fed chippers but, the 4 companies i worked for 2 had vermeer 935's and 2 had bandit 250xp, for a hand fed chipper i hate the single wheel. I could see when being forced by the grapple the single wheel might roll over logs better.


 
I was just going to make the same point, hand fed vs machine fed. I believe a dual wheel set up is superior when hand feeding as well, especially in the wet.


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## cory nicols (Oct 15, 2011)

I have a bandit 250x and also a woodsman 18x. Love my bandit, good and reliable. I upgraded because my bandit has a winch which is GREAT but half the time it would not eat what i would winch into it. The feed rollers like to spin on spruce branches or any wide crotches, other than that a great chipping machine. A friend of mine bought an 18x and when i saw it pull a 17 inch 30ft full spruce top in i said WOW i need one! The large aggressive feed wheel rolls over branches better because of the larger diameter, and the feed table is short and wide, it's like BAM theres the feed wheel. On the negative... my 18x has 1200 hrs and needs a little tlc from some poor build quality. Customer service is not as strong as what i've had at bandit also. That being said though, I wanted a chipper that would pull in what it was capable of eating, the Bandit struggles, Woodsman does great.


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## ducaticorse (Oct 15, 2011)

cory nicols said:


> I have a bandit 250x and also a woodsman 18x. Love my bandit, good and reliable. I upgraded because my bandit has a winch which is GREAT but half the time it would not eat what i would winch into it. The feed rollers like to spin on spruce branches or any wide crotches, other than that a great chipping machine. A friend of mine bought an 18x and when i saw it pull a 17 inch 30ft full spruce top in i said WOW i need one! The large aggressive feed wheel rolls over branches better because of the larger diameter, and the feed table is short and wide, it's like BAM theres the feed wheel. On the negative... my 18x has 1200 hrs and needs a little tlc from some poor build quality. Customer service is not as strong as what i've had at bandit also. That being said though, I wanted a chipper that would pull in what it was capable of eating, the Bandit struggles, Woodsman does great.


 
Good info, but you're comparing a 12 inch Bandit chipper to a 18 inch Woodsman chipper, or did I miss something?


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## ducaticorse (Oct 15, 2011)

And here's a pic of the roller set up on the 1890. I don't see how a flat, non-live floor would be advantageous in anyway in comparison to this setup. How much bigger of a feed wheel can woodsman fit in there LOL? Plus, ALL the crush force one could ever want is sitting right there on top of that upper wheel, and is fully adjustable..

View attachment 203046


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## oldirty (Oct 15, 2011)

ducaticorse said:


> And here's a pic of the roller set up on the 1890. I don't see how a flat, non-live floor would be advantageous in anyway in comparison to this setup. How much bigger of a feed wheel can woodsman fit in there LOL? Plus, ALL the crush force one could ever want is sitting right there on top of that upper wheel, and is fully adjustable..


 
thats a small opening....


you in the neighborhood. take a day off and go find anyone of our crews out working and watch the chippers do their job.

sure you got a nice machine, i'll give you that but it can't chip with a woodsman.

we got a brand new 1890 brute at the shop too and it goes out with d crew. i'd take the 9k houred woodsman 20xx out before that machine if we eating alot of trees. 

i wouldn't lie to ya.


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## ducaticorse (Oct 15, 2011)

oldirty said:


> thats a small opening....
> 
> 
> you in the neighborhood. take a day off and go find anyone of our crews out working and watch the chippers do their job.
> ...


 
Nope, not saying you would lie. This is all for info purposes anyway, not a swinging #### length argument LOL. When I start getting into regular crane work, I'll probably take the pepsi challenge with a newer machine with a loader. I'm up at Mayer often, I've seen Tim wrenching on their Woodsman, it's an impressive sight indeed. Has yours suffered any "premature wear" as the others have stated above? What is your impression on build quality?


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## Rholmes (Oct 16, 2011)

you are all missing the point of the single feed wheel systen that woodsman runs.morbark,bandit or any other chipper uses two feed wheels,also uses two different feed motors,which equals less hydraulic horsepower especially under a heavy load,like chipping whole trees.woodsman deletes the extra feed wheel and extra drive motor and concentrates all of its hyrdraulic hp on CRUSHING.think about it,what jams your chipper up when you feed it? its not the large diameter logs...its the brush and tops. it depends on what your company is geared for. if you do 80% pruning and plant health care then chances are you dont need to worry about chip throw distance and what capacity log your machine takes..find the best deal on a 15 inch chipper with low hours and go with that . if you are in the rat race of removals like i am,get the biggest equipment you can get your hands on and prey to god it holds together lol.


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## ducaticorse (Oct 16, 2011)

Rholmes said:


> you are all missing the point of the single feed wheel systen that woodsman runs.morbark,bandit or any other chipper uses two feed wheels,also uses two different feed motors,which equals less hydraulic horsepower especially under a heavy load,like chipping whole trees.woodsman deletes the extra feed wheel and extra drive motor and concentrates all of its hyrdraulic hp on CRUSHING.think about it,what jams your chipper up when you feed it? its not the large diameter logs...its the brush and tops. it depends on what your company is geared for. if you do 80% pruning and plant health care then chances are you dont need to worry about chip throw distance and what capacity log your machine takes..find the best deal on a 15 inch chipper with low hours and go with that . if you are in the rat race of removals like i am,get the biggest equipment you can get your hands on and prey to god it holds together lol.


 
Can't you offset the difference in lost hydraulic HP with a higher HP motor in the machine? I'm trying to get the facts, not being argumentive. I doubt woodsman "reinvented" the wheel here by producing a chipper that outclasses the others by miles.. The other three, by far more widely used chipper manufacturers are using two wheels, which obviously costs more to produce, and thus costs more to the consumer. Strategically, it would make zero sense to not go with a single wheel set up in regard to production costs, especially if it made a better machine. I don't know which one is better by any means, but it's difficult to make an accurate guess unless evrything is compared apples to apples.


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## Rholmes (Oct 16, 2011)

oh yeah and DUCATICORSE the only shop i have is the woodchips that are underneath me....haha but seriously,i am lucky enough to be good friends with our landlords shop manager. we rent from a massive excavation company and becasue of my relationship with the the guy that runs there shop, i have free reign over there gigantic shop with things like a 50 ton lift and heated garage floors...haha i know i am spoiled now right? just last week i had to take out a tranny in one truck(it was stuck inbetween gears......####ing spicer,dont get me started.),went to pick up the tranny with our log truck to put it in the pickup and wouldnt ya know the internal locking mechanism broke on the clutch adjuster....luckily my "shop" with the heated floors and all was filled with there own problems so those two problems were fixed at our own site on our backs in the woodchips. do what you gotta do right?


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## ducaticorse (Oct 16, 2011)

Rholmes said:


> oh yeah and DUCATICORSE the only shop i have is the woodchips that are underneath me....haha but seriously,i am lucky enough to be good friends with our landlords shop manager. we rent from a massive excavation company and becasue of my relationship with the the guy that runs there shop, i have free reign over there gigantic shop with things like a 50 ton lift and heated garage floors...haha i know i am spoiled now right? just last week i had to take out a tranny in one truck(it was stuck inbetween gears......####ing spicer,dont get me started.),went to pick up the tranny with our log truck to put it in the pickup and wouldnt ya know the internal locking mechanism broke on the clutch adjuster....luckily my "shop" with the heated floors and all was filled with there own problems so those two problems were fixed at our own site on our backs in the woodchips. do what you gotta do right?



Heated garage floors..... Makes me think of the time last year I rebuilt my MM1 pump in the middle of a vicious storm IN A STOP AND SHOP PARKING LOT. My hands were frozen solid, AND stained blue...


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## mattfr12 (Oct 16, 2011)

ducaticorse said:


> Can't you offset the difference in lost hydraulic HP with a higher HP motor in the machine? I'm trying to get the facts, not being argumentive. I doubt woodsman "reinvented" the wheel here by producing a chipper that outclasses the others by miles.. The other three, by far more widely used chipper manufacturers are using two wheels, which obviously costs more to produce, and thus costs more to the consumer. Strategically, it would make zero sense to not go with a single wheel set up in regard to production costs, especially if it made a better machine. I don't know which one is better by any means, but it's difficult to make an accurate guess unless evrything is compared apples to apples.


 
a single feed wheel chipper does good with large material like straight logs but say you put a large branch with a large crotch or bend in it it might struggle to pull it through were a machine like yours can get it from top and bottom will eat limbs with crotches more efficiently. as far as the hydralic output it all depends on the pump on the motor you could probably look at the specs and compare. i definetly wouldnt say a single feed wheel has an advantage i would say its actually less engineered. bandit puts the trap door in thier to let alot of garbage that plugs machines up fall out.

me personally im going with what you have the woodsman sounds good but seems to have issues. and im also not real crazy about the single feed wheel also. the opening on like marquis woodsman is alot larger than an 1890 i would say almost double.

i got tired of fighting stuff through chippers so now when something comes down on a crane if thiers a large lateral limb we just cut it half way with a saw real quick before putting it in the chipper to avoid having to fight it.

an 1890 and a 790 woodsman is not really comparing apples to apples tho a 790 is significantly larger 12,000 pounds and 275 hp on the large models its closer to the 1990 bandit. if you put those two up against each other im sure you would be looking at about the same thing. the feed wheel is around 36" long on a 790.


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## mattfr12 (Oct 16, 2011)

keep em coming ducati im up waiting for my 5 day old son to wake up so i can feed him again i got lots of time to kill.


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## ducaticorse (Oct 16, 2011)

mattfr12 said:


> keep em coming ducati im up waiting for my 5 day old son to wake up so i can feed him again i got lots of time to kill.


 
LOL...

Doesn't really matter which one is better to me, I just rather make decisions off of factual stats rather than opinions. Of course if a monster has a 30 percent power increase over the model it's being compared to, I would sure a shyte hope it could chip stronger and faster. I bought the one I bought because it is good, virtually new AND I got a great deal on it. For the money I paid, I'll take it all day and every day over a newer whatever @ well over twice the cost, unless of course that whatever is priced the same as my piece.

Congrats on the newborn Matt!


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## Rholmes (Oct 16, 2011)

and as far as grapple fed chipper goes,the only advantage to having a chipper with its own grapple is a space saver. currently i run a 2005 morbark 18 heavy duty.(250 hp,rear hydraulic stabalizers etc. winch,no grapple) and i feed that ##### with a log truck every godamn day. with that being said, i have run a bandit 2090 with a grapple and a woodsman 20xx with a grapple and there is no difference between the three being able to chip while being loader fed...excpet for maybe a inch or two on the actual size of wood being stuffed in, and the woodsman needing less process cutting...DUE TO ITS FEED SYSTEM


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## Rholmes (Oct 16, 2011)

ducati, you got a great deal on that chipper by the way.congrats. used to run one just like that and i loved it.went out with a 22 ton crane every day.


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## mattfr12 (Oct 16, 2011)

ducaticorse said:


> LOL...
> 
> Doesn't really matter which one is better to me, I just rather make decisions off of factual stats rather than opinions. Of course if a monster has a 30 percent power increase over the model it's being compared to, I would sure a shyte hope it could chip stronger and faster. I bought the one I bought because it is good, virtually new AND I got a great deal on it. For the money I paid, I'll take it all day and every day over a newer whatever @ well over twice the cost, unless of course that whatever is priced the same as my piece.
> 
> Congrats on the newborn Matt!


 
id take that 1890 the only reason i dont have one yet is i built the kboom this year and it hit the wallet hard im going to wait till the spring and either do the 1890 or the 1990 if i can swing it.

i orderded that kboom in june and it just arrived in viginia two days ago takes forever so i should have that in less than 2 weeks.


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## ducaticorse (Oct 16, 2011)

Rholmes said:


> and as far as grapple fed chipper goes,the only advantage to having a chipper with its own grapple is a space saver. currently i run a 2005 morbark 18 heavy duty.(250 hp,rear hydraulic stabalizers etc. winch,no grapple) and i feed that ##### with a log truck every godamn day. with that being said, i have run a bandit 2090 with a grapple and a woodsman 20xx with a grapple and there is no difference between the three being able to chip while being loader fed...excpet for maybe a inch or two on the actual size of wood being stuffed in, and the woodsman needing less process cutting...DUE TO ITS FEED SYSTEM


 
So in other words, if I wanted to fit an entire tree into a chipper I'd be better off with a woodsman. 

And btw, where the hell are you finding these huge trees down on the cape LOL.........

Just kidding, kind of


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## Rholmes (Oct 16, 2011)

haha youre right,kind of. they hide....BUT WE FIND THEM hahaha. we travel..A LOT...one of the downsides to working down in this ####hole. do a good amout of work in norwood and walpole,westwood areas like that,we cover from new bedford to plymouth and anything inbetween. trucks take a beating but we do what we have to. you wouldnt beleive the competiton down here,its insane.


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## cory nicols (Oct 16, 2011)

ducaticorse said:


> Good info, but you're comparing a 12 inch Bandit chipper to a 18 inch Woodsman chipper, or did I miss something?


 
Yes bigger capacity with the woodsman, but my point is that i winched a 8 inch spruce top into my bandit last week thinking this will be easy on my back. All i ended up doing was fighting the thing as now i had the top crammed in the shute but it would just spin. Cut a few branches go a few feet spin and so on. I did not really need an 18 inch chipper with the woodsman it's just that it was the right price. It was not so much the capacity i was after just the infeed ability. Remember the 18 inch woodsman ate the 17 inch spruce top reall nice, my 12 inch bandit spins on 8 inch spruce. I feel in my experience is it's not so much about pulling power, as i've never had my bandit not have the power to pull, but more about lack of traction! And it does have the crush feature but it's bitter sweet, because yes it crushes, but as you do it takes nearly all of the feed wheel hydraulics away. In other words your basically either pulling or crushing but not really at the same time.


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## tree MDS (Oct 16, 2011)

Cool thread. Too bad everytime I try and post it says the server is too busy! grr..


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## ducaticorse (Oct 16, 2011)

tree MDS said:


> Cool thread. Too bad everytime I try and post it says the server is too busy! grr..


 
My BB was doing that too this AM.


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## tree MDS (Oct 16, 2011)

ducaticorse said:


> My BB was doing that too this AM.



Its the site. had troubles on the droid and laptop.


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## ducaticorse (Oct 16, 2011)

cory nicols said:


> Yes bigger capacity with the woodsman, but my point is that i winched a 8 inch spruce top into my bandit last week thinking this will be easy on my back. All i ended up doing was fighting the thing as now i had the top crammed in the shute but it would just spin. Cut a few branches go a few feet spin and so on. I did not really need an 18 inch chipper with the woodsman it's just that it was the right price. It was not so much the capacity i was after just the infeed ability. Remember the 18 inch woodsman ate the 17 inch spruce top reall nice, my 12 inch bandit spins on 8 inch spruce. I feel in my experience is it's not so much about pulling power, as i've never had my bandit not have the power to pull, but more about lack of traction! And it does have the crush feature but it's bitter sweet, because yes it crushes, but as you do it takes nearly all of the feed wheel hydraulics away. In other words your basically either pulling or crushing but not really at the same time.


 
My 150 spins spruce or conifers a lot, but it's mainly due to the size of the outer opening, and the fact that my bottom wheel is pretty much bald. And the fact that the entire machine is pretty much an abortion at this point in it's life.


What Engine/HP package is in your 250?


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## oldirty (Oct 16, 2011)

mattfr12 said:


> a single feed wheel chipper does good with large material like straight logs but say you put a large branch with a large crotch or bend in it it might struggle to pull it through were a machine like yours can get it from top and bottom will eat limbs with crotches more efficiently. as far as the hydralic output it all depends on the pump on the motor you could probably look at the specs and compare. i definetly wouldnt say a single feed wheel has an advantage i would say its actually less engineered. bandit puts the trap door in thier to let alot of garbage that plugs machines up fall out.
> 
> me personally im going with what you have the woodsman sounds good but seems to have issues. and im also not real crazy about the single feed wheel also. the opening on like marquis woodsman is alot larger than an 1890 i would say almost double.
> 
> ...


 

you gotta get the facts straight, matty. 

the woodsman eats crotches like nothing you have ever seen. it crushes and pulls and doesn't let any spin happen because right after that single feed wheel is the drum. there is no need for the trap door. if you want to compare apples. the 18x woodsman will still pound the 1890 in every chipping endeavor you can find.

if you really want to add some power to your takedown set up you'd go with the woodsman along with your new kboom.

the vermeer got nothing on the bandit and the bandito got nothing on the woodsman. there is a reason the only vermeer (bc1800) we got is on the line clearance crew.


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## tree MDS (Oct 16, 2011)

Right. isn't there something about the knives not being staggered that makes the woodsman chippers vibrate more, and that's why they get more cracks?

Everything said about the feed systems on the woodsman seems to jive with the research I did though, gotta admit that (I shopped those chippers for quite a while).


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## oldirty (Oct 16, 2011)

the 790 has a 375 hp JD in it. the opeing is like 25x37 now that its been stretched open a bit.

the 18xx grapple has 275 hp JD in it. it is a 22in chipper.

the 18xx and the 18x have 200's in it. (i actually think its 225 for the 18xx)


regarding the problems it has, they are rather minimal for what you are asking it to do. a machine that big is going to try to rattle itself apart so yes you are going to need to have a solid mechanical background to stay ahead of it but if you act like a tard on the controls or have tards running it for you then of course it will chit its pants alot faster than if you got someone to keep a keen eye on its operations. (hence the reason you see timmy working on them all the time)


now if you pruning or trimming alot then sure you can argue what might be a better setup because you not asking all that much from your chipper when that is your game.

i've been in the removal game for quite some time now and i've seen nothing but impressive work being done by the woodsman. the next best thing to that 790 or the 18xxg or even the 18xx is a tub or horizontal feed grinder but it wouldn't make much sense hauling on of them around to residential gigs.


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## oldirty (Oct 16, 2011)

tree MDS said:


> Right. isn't there something about the knives not being staggered that makes the woodsman chippers vibrate more, and that's why they get more cracks?


 
if the knives were staggered on the 790 then it would be the most unstoppable chipping machine in the world. hands down. it takes huge bites now with the 2 rows of knives. i couldn't imagine its potential if the whole drum was eating every rotation.


cracks you say? i don't think nasa could build something that does that kind of work that won't rattle itslef apart. look at them big tub grinders... hell they put welding machines onto them things just to have it be able to be worked on in the woods!!


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## treeclimber101 (Oct 16, 2011)

oldirty said:


> if the knives were staggered on the 790 then it would be the most unstoppable chipping machine in the world. hands down. it takes huge bites now with the 2 rows of teeth. i couldn't imagine its potential if the whole drum was eating every rotation.
> 
> 
> cracks you say? i don't think nasa could build something that does that kind of work that won't rattle itslef apart. look at them big tub grinders... hell they put welding machines onto them things just to have it be able to be worked on in the woods!!


 
My only question is if they are so ####ing great why aren't there more of them out there ? There is something to be said for Bandit and Vermeer they are commonly used , ITS AS COMMON TO SEE A WOODSMAN HOOKED TO A TRUCK AS A RAYCO


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## oldirty (Oct 16, 2011)

treeclimber101 said:


> My only question is if they are so ####ing great why aren't there more of them out there ? There is something to be said for Bandit and Vermeer they are commonly used , ITS AS COMMON TO SEE A WOODSMAN HOOKED TO A TRUCK AS A RAYCO


 
didn't woodsman just get bought out by terex or something? you'll be seeing more of them once people realize that for chipping they can't be beat.

the vermeer and bandito been around alot longer than woodsman. didn't bob engle work for morbark before he took his own show on the road building his chippers out a barn. the first couple years i think it was just a couple farmers with a welder going by what they see. they've come along way and now that they getting some serious backing they gonna be top dawg soon enough. you'll see.

eddie. you and your company are the rayco of the tree care industry if you throwing that comparison around. actually more like the DR homeowner brand.


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## treeclimber101 (Oct 16, 2011)

Ya know what Justin I am sorry you guys like them and that is all that matters , I see a chipper as a tool no different than a shovel or rake and everyone uses what they like and are comfortable , and truthfully I could give a #### what brand or color they as long as it does what I ask of it and doesn't bleed me in the process , all this macho chest beating #### over machines makes is stupid I doubt the guys who sell them to us do any of it they just sit back and count there money and love it


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## treeclimber101 (Oct 16, 2011)

oldirty said:


> didn't woodsman just get bought out by terex or something? you'll be seeing more of them once people realize that for chipping they can't be beat.
> 
> the vermeer and bandito been around alot longer than woodsman. didn't bob engle work for morbark before he took his own show on the road building his chippers out a barn. the first couple years i think it was just a couple farmers with a welder going by what they see. they've come along way and now that they getting some serious backing they gonna be top dawg soon enough. you'll see.
> 
> eddie. you and your company are the rayco of the tree care industry if you throwing that comparison around. actually more like the DR homeowner brand.


 
I do Like the Altec machines alot .. And that wasn't very nice what ya said about the DR either , but who cares that you said it because your company or lack there of isn't even a DR its nothing at least we got commercial ..... So #### off and enjoy your Sunday lol


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## oldirty (Oct 16, 2011)

lol.

go pats! 

even though its gonna be a tough day cause i skipped out on church and the ol lady slammed the door on the way out..... maybe i should hop on the mower and do the yard before she gets back..... nah.

i think i'll throw in another copenhagen and sit here waiting for her return. should be a good one today boys. lol

how your eagles doing, eddie?


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## treeclimber101 (Oct 16, 2011)

oldirty said:


> lol.
> 
> go pats!
> 
> ...


 
You know how the #### there doing smart### , they are a sore subject here along with the phils I am sure you saw there meltdown lol


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## treeclimber101 (Oct 16, 2011)

oldirty said:


> lol.
> 
> go pats!
> 
> ...


 
This is the only Eagle that I could give a #### about , they are 3 and 2 View attachment 203107


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## tree MDS (Oct 16, 2011)

treeclimber101 said:


> This is the only Eagle that I could give a #### about , they are 3 and 2 View attachment 203107



Aww, how sweet!

Lets try and get back on the subject of the wheeled thingys that grind up trees now..


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## treevet (Oct 16, 2011)

treeclimber101 said:


> This is the only Eagle that I could give a #### about , they are 3 and 2 View attachment 203107


 
wild as s lookin cat. those long hairs are good mousers.


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## ducaticorse (Oct 16, 2011)

oldirty said:


> didn't woodsman just get bought out by terex or something? you'll be seeing more of them once people realize that for chipping they can't be beat.
> 
> the vermeer and bandito been around alot longer than woodsman. didn't bob engle work for morbark before he took his own show on the road building his chippers out a barn. the first couple years i think it was just a couple farmers with a welder going by what they see. they've come along way and now that they getting some serious backing they gonna be top dawg soon enough. you'll see.
> 
> eddie. you and your company are the rayco of the tree care industry if you throwing that comparison around. actually more like the DR homeowner brand.


 
Yeah Terrex bought Woodsman. Lets not turn this into a shyte slinging thread.


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## tree MDS (Oct 16, 2011)

cory nicols said:


> I have a bandit 250x and also a woodsman 18x. Love my bandit, good and reliable. I upgraded because my bandit has a winch which is GREAT but half the time it would not eat what i would winch into it. The feed rollers like to spin on spruce branches or any wide crotches, other than that a great chipping machine. A friend of mine bought an 18x and when i saw it pull a 17 inch 30ft full spruce top in i said WOW i need one! The large aggressive feed wheel rolls over branches better because of the larger diameter, and the feed table is short and wide, it's like BAM theres the feed wheel. On the negative... my 18x has 1200 hrs and needs a little tlc from some poor build quality. Customer service is not as strong as what i've had at bandit also. That being said though, I wanted a chipper that would pull in what it was capable of eating, the Bandit struggles, Woodsman does great.



Good point about the larger diameter feed wheels rolling over the branches. I can see that. Spruce tops are probably the worst thing you can try and chip with a 250. My 250 with quad rollers and super-sized infeed probably does a little better than a standard 250 on spruce tops, but the rollers are even smaller on that chipper, so they dig right in before the limbs even more. I find it dealable though. The trick is you just can't get too greedy (like you were doing), gotta do some trimming, can't just winch in a 12" top all the way in.. that's where the sweating starts! lol.


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## ducaticorse (Oct 16, 2011)

tree MDS said:


> Good point about the larger diameter feed wheels rolling over the branches. I can see that. Spruce tops are probably the worst thing you can try and chip with a 250. My 250 with quad rollers and super-sized infeed probably does a little better than a standard 250 on spruce tops, but the rollers are even smaller on that chipper, so they dig right in before the limbs even more. I find it dealable though. The trick is you just can't get too greedy (like you were doing), gotta do some trimming, can't just winch in a 12" top all the way in.. that's where the sweating starts! lol.


 
Ah, yeah. Did you miss the part where he's comparing the 12 inch bandit with the 18 inch woodsman though? He already clarified, but I wanted to make sure you recognized that lol.... That's like comparing apples to bananas, forget about oranges!


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## tree MDS (Oct 16, 2011)

ducaticorse said:


> Ah, yeah. Did you miss the part where he's comparing the 12 inch bandit with the 18 inch woodsman though? He already clarified, but I wanted to make sure you recognized that lol.... That's like comparing apples to bananas, forget about oranges!



Yeah, I caught that part. The feed system is similar (same?) on their smaller chippers though, so I let it go for the sake of the conversation. mmmkay? lol.

Actually, I take that back. The 12" woodsman looks pretty lame. Back when I shopped them I was looking at what was the 15x.


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## mattfr12 (Oct 16, 2011)

oldirty said:


> you gotta get the facts straight, matty.
> 
> the woodsman eats crotches like nothing you have ever seen. it crushes and pulls and doesn't let any spin happen because right after that single feed wheel is the drum. there is no need for the trap door. if you want to compare apples. the 18x woodsman will still pound the 1890 in every chipping endeavor you can find.
> 
> ...


 
i definetly believe you ive never seen anything chip the size of the stuff i see going through a woodsman but ive only ever seen them on the net and have no clue where to even go look at one yet im trying to find a dealer close to me. so i dont have to go three states across to get it worked on. if i could use one for like a day and its that good i wouldnt mind the price tag but 100k is alot to put down for something you cant even see and hope its what i want it to be.

what really keeps me looking at the woodsman is the loader also and the short feed table. we use a morbark 2400xl with a loader alot and ive been impressed with that so with a woodsman i would probably be in heaven.

i was gonna give you guys a call before we go the crane route the other guy on here posting from you company seemed to have alot of insight and ive been leaning twards altec. 

we got two huge contracts this year that caused us to upgrade alot in one year. 

the kboom arives in 6 days i can lift 14,000 with that and can reach around 70 feet. if i need some more you can add a fly jib and get out over 100 feet.

all the way stuck out it will outpick a 25-30 ton altec in close tho no comparison the crane wins. flat out horizontal like 6 foot of the ground i can still lift over a ton with it at 70 foot.

but it was actually cheaper to get two trucks than to build just one big kboom.

a mid sized kboom like i built will exceeed 200k in a hurry a large one like allmark 350-375k so its gonna be more like a log truck once the crane arrives.

so when we did the math we could do the crane and the kboom for almost the same money and have the extra stick hieght with the crane.

instead of building a log truck for 150-160 then a 300k crane.


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## treeclimber101 (Oct 16, 2011)

treevet said:


> wild as s lookin cat. those long hairs are good mousers.


 
she's 12 years old and can still handle herself with the dogs , I had 3 of the same litter and family 2 males and a female she is the last of the 3 alive I have put down 1 and 1 died when my daughter was 3 ... I don't care for cats much myself but after 10 years she is part of family ...http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hpho...98507267817_1395716170_31744875_6152373_n.jpg


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## oldirty (Oct 16, 2011)

tree MDS said:


> Yeah, I caught that part. The feed system is similar (same?) on their smaller chippers though, so I let it go for the sake of the conversation. mmmkay? lol.
> 
> Actually, I take that back. The 12" woodsman looks pretty lame. Back when I shopped them I was looking at what was the 15x.


 
that 15x (i think 750 is the number) is actually a very nice little machine. my buddy has one on his crew that they just got and he really likes it. their other crew just got the vermeer 15in machine and side by side they like the woodsman more.


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## treeclimber101 (Oct 16, 2011)

oldirty said:


> that 15x (i think 750 is the number) is actually a very nice little machine. my buddy has one on his crew that they just got and he really likes it. their other crew just got the vermeer 15in machine and side by side they like the woodsman more.


 
I agree the vermeer 15 is a turd , I am seriously looking at the Altec 18 disc machine .. I don't feed crane tops into mine at all and anything bigger would be waste for me and a handfed machine seems to do us fine ..


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## ihatevines (Oct 16, 2011)

To the people that think a single feedwheel can't take large and wide brush well... Welll your way off. The woodsman will pull in and crush branches that are huge. Its built to have alot more downpressure all the time. The feedwheel is rear pivoting and so the yoke and feedwheel are always putting over 300lbs down. You hardly ever have to use the extra hydrolic down pressure. Our morbark 2400 needs downpressure at least 90% more/

And if it can't break it off at first your know what happens???? The fing feedwheel with its huge teeth and two hydralic motors just keeps on spining until it cuts the unions itself. The teeth on the feedwheel just rip right through live oak. Looks like a huge ass grizzly is ripping at the unions until it can go through. 

If you can look at woodsman just do it. Just make sure the hydrolic breakout is turned up to maximum. If you buy a woodsman used they will get you a manual if you call them. This explains how to do this. 

The only negative of a woodsman is. With the single feedwheel and the heavy downpressure you have to lift the feedwheel on anything over about 8in if you are hand feeding. Machine loading it will run up it. But the feedwheel is insanly fast. Less than 2 seconds to all the way up. Our morbark takes about 10 seconds to fully open but its not needed nearly as much.


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## ducaticorse (Oct 16, 2011)

ihatevines said:


> To the people that think a single feedwheel can't take large and wide brush well... Welll your way off. The woodsman will pull in and crush branches that are huge. Its built to have alot more downpressure all the time. The feedwheel is rear pivoting and so the yoke and feedwheel are always putting over 300lbs down. You hardly ever have to use the extra hydrolic down pressure. Our morbark 2400 needs downpressure at least 90% more/
> 
> And if it can't break it off at first your know what happens???? The fing feedwheel with its huge teeth and two hydralic motors just keeps on spining until it cuts the unions itself. The teeth on the feedwheel just rip right through live oak. Looks like a huge ass grizzly is ripping at the unions until it can go through.
> 
> ...


 
I think we've come to the realization that it is more of a mission specific piece of equipment. If you're machine loading, the woodsman may be the way to go. If you are hand loading, then a dual roller set up may be more appropriate. Either way, when comparing a 100K chipper to a 70K chipper, the 100K unit better work better lol..... Even then, I am not entirely sure about the woodsman, because every one here that is familiar with the machine aggrees that it blows welds and cracks early on in it's service life. Yes, if one takes into consideration to what the machine is asked to do, yeah, it is given a beating. I'm not so sure that should justify the thing breaking on a regular basis, and employing an in house mechanic just to keep it running.


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## mattfr12 (Oct 16, 2011)

ducaticorse said:


> I think we've come to the realization that it is more of a mission specific piece of equipment. If you're machine loading, the woodsman may be the way to go. If you are hand loading, then a dual roller set up may be more appropriate. Either way, when comparing a 100K chipper to a 70K chipper, the 100K unit better work better lol..... Even then, I am not entirely sure about the woodsman, because every one here that is familiar with the machine aggrees that it blows welds and cracks early on in it's service life. Yes, if one takes into consideration to what the machine is asked to do, yeah, it is given a beating. I'm not so sure that should justify the thing breaking on a regular basis, and employing an in house mechanic just to keep it running.


 
the cracking does sound kinda bad i been jamming stuff in my chippers with bobcats from day one and never had to weld anything yet. you would think they could engineer it so this wouldnt happen. im assuming it just hasnt been on the market long enough to be a well oiled machine yet.

im sure it does chip like no bodys buisness but for 100 g's it should be a pretty durable machine.


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## ducaticorse (Oct 16, 2011)

mattfr12 said:


> the cracking does sound kinda bad i been jamming stuff in my chippers with bobcats from day one and never had to weld anything yet. you would think they could engineer it so this wouldnt happen. im assuming it just hasnt been on the market long enough to be a well oiled machine yet.
> 
> im sure it does chip like no bodys buisness but for 100 g's it should be a pretty durable machine.


 
The way it's been described so far reminds me of a race built funny car motor. it's a bad MF for sure, but it's got to be ripped down and rebuilt every 10 runs. And again, at a cost of (an unverified by me) 100K, I'm all set.....


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## ihatevines (Oct 17, 2011)

My woodsman is an 18x which is comparable to a 770. A 770 runs for about 50,000 with a 140hp motor. Iam comparing apples to apples. Also I completly agree that each brand of chipper has its place. I have run the piss out of my woodsman for 400 hours now. (and we treat it rough its almost always machine feed) Have had to do 2 small welds that i paid $20.00 for. Also I had to replace the seals to the gears on the feedwheel. Those were $20.00 a piece but it was alot of labor to fix them. Since i replaced them they have made a new guard that I installed that protects the seals.

My 2005 1400xl vermeer was a maintence disastor. But it was excellent for handfeeding. Our guys and me included like the Morbark the least so far. But Morbark build quality is excellent.


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## defensiblespace (Oct 23, 2011)

Well, I've gotten a little bit of experience since I posted this thread. I tried feeding a bandit 250xp with my grapple a while ago and it was like trying to stuff a marshmallow into a keyhole. Yesterday I fed a Bandit 1890 all day and it took it like a charm. That 1890 is one hell of a machine. I fed whole trees and piles of brush into it and the chipper took it all with no hesitation.


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