# Need a chip truck on a budget



## TreeFeller11 (Aug 18, 2014)

Hello I am semi new here and need some advice. I am in need of a chip truck. Right now I am running an old '82 gmc 3500 death trap dump. Definitely not cutting it as far as brakes and power are concerned when pulling my Vermeer 1220 and a load. I just started in April so my budget is $10,000 or less. I'm a 20 year old with no credit established yet so I have to pay in full. I want something reliable that I know I'll make it back to the shop with that night, and something that's not going to nickle and dime me down the road. And preferably something 1995 and newer. I have been looking at some of the old Asplundh chipper trucks and I feel like they would be the best option as far as functionality goes. Has anybody else bought these? Any comments would be appreciated, thanks!


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## mckeetree (Aug 24, 2014)

Old Asplundh trucks are pretty much junk. That is why Asplundh took them out of service.


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## sac-climber (Aug 24, 2014)

Where you at treefeller?

Ever considered an SBA loan?


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## TreeFeller11 (Aug 24, 2014)

mckeetree said:


> Old Asplundh trucks are pretty much junk. That is why Asplundh took them out of service.


They are junk because they were beat on in service or they are junk because of the setup they used? I just like the idea of having the whole package (high capacity chip body, storage everywhere, hauling capacity) in one package. I take it you feel the same way about the bucket chipper dump combos then, right?


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## TreeFeller11 (Aug 24, 2014)

sac-climber said:


> Where you at treefeller?
> 
> Ever considered an SBA loan?


Cleveland, OH area. And no I haven't looked into it.


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## TreeFeller11 (Aug 24, 2014)

mckeetree said:


> Old Asplundh trucks are pretty much junk. That is why Asplundh took them out of service.


Like this truck on ebay in the link below, what makes these trucks go for so low at auction every week? Are they just garbage? Or does the inspection of the boom really cost that much? I know it's a 1989, but with 45,000 miles and a 50 ft platform height how can you beat that package for that price as a starter truck.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FORD-F-700-...06e5bf&item=221526812095&pt=Commercial_Trucks


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## sac-climber (Aug 24, 2014)

I'm no help in your location....

They go cheap because most people would rather finance a new unit rather than put 12k down on a ragged out 25 year old truck. I know you dont have a choice, thats where you benefit from cheap prices. Forestry equipment is a niche market. 

Hopefully CalTreeEquipment chimes in here and can give you some real insight.


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## TreeFeller11 (Aug 25, 2014)

sac-climber said:


> I'm no help in your location....
> 
> They go cheap because most people would rather finance a new unit rather than put 12k down on a ragged out 25 year old truck. I know you dont have a choice, thats where you benefit from cheap prices. Forestry equipment is a niche market.
> 
> Hopefully CalTreeEquipment chimes in here and can give you some real insight.


Yeah that would make sense if I had credit and the guaranteed work to keep a bucket busy. Thank you for the positive responses though!


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## since16 (Aug 25, 2014)

You might want to go to an up fitter and see what a new hoist and dump bed costs installed. Then make the chip box out of wood when winter hits you can get a pretty decent cab chassis sub cdl for a good price. I don't know what a brand new dump flat bed cost though.


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## TreeFeller11 (Aug 25, 2014)

I put my best offer in on a '99 F-550 7.3 turbo diesel today on eBay and the seller accepted. I low balled a little and thought for sure he would counter though which makes me a little skeptical. It's from Florida and looks like it's rust free all around and underneath. Looks like at least a 10' bed and a crew cab for tools/storage with 173,000 miles. I just asked for a video of it starting/running. I'll post a link below. Tell me what you think.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1999-FORD-F...2Fviw62mA74%2BdovuMiA%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc


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## mckeetree (Aug 25, 2014)

TreeFeller11 said:


> Like this truck on ebay in the link below, what makes these trucks go for so low at auction every week? Are they just garbage? Or does the inspection of the boom really cost that much? I know it's a 1989, but with 45,000 miles and a 50 ft platform height how can you beat that package for that price as a starter truck.
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/FORD-F-700-...06e5bf&item=221526812095&pt=Commercial_Trucks


 I just put $13,000 into boom work on a 2003 truck with a 2003 boom. Old 1989 gas ford with that old boom...looks like problems.


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## sac-climber (Aug 26, 2014)

TreeFeller11 said:


> I put my best offer in on a '99 F-550 7.3 turbo diesel today on eBay and the seller accepted. I low balled a little and thought for sure he would counter though which makes me a little skeptical. It's from Florida and looks like it's rust free all around and underneath. Looks like at least a 10' bed and a crew cab for tools/storage with 173,000 miles. I just asked for a video of it starting/running. I'll post a link below. Tell me what you think.
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/1999-FORD-F-550-DUMP-TRUCK-7-3L-POWERSTROKE-DIESEL-/281394161539?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=rfd349vzw%2Fviw62mA74%2BdovuMiA%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc



That will serve you well. Make a top for the box and you'll really be cooking! The 7.3 was a great engine, take good care of it and you'll get another 100k out of it. By then you'll have some credit built up. 

Look up ways to build credit history safely, it's not just important for for your business but for your whole life. Unfortunately credit makes the world turn. This is a high cost business and most people just don't have the liquid capital to spend $40k on a chipper and $80k on a truck. At least your not in CA, we have built in obsolescence due to emissions standards. Buying used is almost out of the question here for anyone trying to run a legit operation.


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## Griff93 (Aug 27, 2014)

I have a 2001 F550 with a 7.3 6 spd that is our only chip truck. I really like it and it has served me very well so far. Mine is single cab with a 12 ft dump on it. In a lot of ways I like it better than a big chip truck as I can get it in places you wouldn't want to put a larger truck. We do a lot of trim work and some removals. It could be a bit bigger if we did a bunch of large removals but then again so could my chipper at that point. I'd buy mine again in a heartbeat. I kept putting it off because I didn't want to finance anything. I should have bought it much earlier. It wouldn't bother me to have a crewcab or an extended cab though. Thankfully both of my employee's are kinda small guys so all three of us don't have any problem fitting in the cab.


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## blades (Aug 28, 2014)

turbo 7.3 you can plan on rebuilding the turbo( not the rest of the eng.) it right away particularly if it has been tuned higher than stock. Automatic or Stick?


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## TreeFeller11 (Aug 30, 2014)

Good to know griff thank you.

And it's an automatic


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## TreeFeller11 (Sep 8, 2014)

I got the truck up here and besides a new fuel filter everything looks good and is running good. I am currently building a box and I'll post before and after pictures of it later on today. Thanks for all the help!


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## TreeFeller11 (Sep 11, 2014)

Turns out the truck was a crap show after taking it to a mechanic to thoroughly check it out. Anybody in the market for a wooden chip box for a 10ft bed in ohio?


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## sac-climber (Sep 11, 2014)

Bummer! Are you ditching the whole thing?


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## TreeFeller11 (Sep 11, 2014)

Not sure. I might be stuck with it now since the seller won't back anything up or take it back now after he said he would.


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## TreeFeller11 (Sep 11, 2014)

I was scammed big time. Seller listed the truck as a good work truck in good working order, ready to work. 

The dump won't dump under any load and won't go back down. (Wouldn't dump four wheel barrel loads of split firewood)
Needs a new water pump
Has an oil leak
Found out it's been wrecked since the seller posted the wrong VIN on eBay
Cab is rusted out and leaks through the top of the windshield when it rains
Power steering leak
Wiring from hell
Had clogged fuel and air filters


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## Pelorus (Sep 13, 2014)

Have you lodged a complaint with eBay, or just the seller?
That VIN funny business should be enough for you to get the transaction cancelled. 
"Item not as described"
Did you go through PayPal?


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## TreeFeller11 (Sep 18, 2014)

I lodged a complaint with both. The seller would do nothing for me, and neither would eBay. Ebay said they are just a platform and can take no responsibility if I don't meet the buyer protection requirements. And of course I met every requirement other than the truck being 9 years old or newer...


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## TreeFeller11 (Sep 18, 2014)

I have nursed it back to good health though and have taken it on a couple jobs this week. Really the only major problem left is the unknown oil leak which I will get into next week.


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## RobOnBusiness (Nov 20, 2014)

TreeFeller11 said:


> I was scammed big time. Seller listed the truck as a good work truck in good working order, ready to work.
> 
> The dump won't dump under any load and won't go back down. (Wouldn't dump four wheel barrel loads of split firewood)
> Needs a new water pump
> ...


I'm just chomping at the bit to add my two bits here. I'm from Alberta, Canada, and recently bought my first bucket truck this last Spring from an equipment dealer in West Chester, PA. It, as yours, was supposed to be "work ready". Well, it never made it home. It didn't even make it out of the State before it broke down. I limped it to North Dakota, where I had to have it towed to the border, then towed to Regina, Saskatchewan, where it sat for 3 months while getting the necessary repairs done to make it roadworthy, to the tune of an extra $20k. So, like you, my experience with used equipment sellers stateside is not very good. Seems to be a lack of conscience in our cases...
Anyway, next time, I'm not going to make a non-refundable deposit until I actually see the item in person. In my case, it was a situation where I would have had to walk away from a $5k deposit I made over the phone. Hope you made out ok after...


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## TreeFeller11 (Nov 20, 2014)

RobOnBusiness said:


> I'm just chomping at the bit to add my two bits here. I'm from Alberta, Canada, and recently bought my first bucket truck this last Spring from an equipment dealer in West Chester, PA. It, as yours, was supposed to be "work ready". Well, it never made it home. It didn't even make it out of the State before it broke down. I limped it to North Dakota, where I had to have it towed to the border, then towed to Regina, Saskatchewan, where it sat for 3 months while getting the necessary repairs done to make it roadworthy, to the tune of an extra $20k. So, like you, my experience with used equipment sellers stateside is not very good. Seems to be a lack of conscience in our cases...
> Anyway, next time, I'm not going to make a non-refundable deposit until I actually see the item in person. In my case, it was a situation where I would have had to walk away from a $5k deposit I made over the phone. Hope you made out ok after...


Wow that's awful man I feel for you. My investment wasn't quite as high as yours, but getting screwed on any money is never fun. I wish the problems with mine came all at once so I could've just dumped it off and cut my losses right there. It seemed like every week something would go bad on it whether it was some stupid sensor or the starter or whatever. Basically my first 6 weeks with it was like having a $300-$700/week payment in parts. I'm in much deeper than the truck is obviously worth so now my only option is to work for at least a year or two unfortunately. Luckily the engine is solid and the transmission was recently rebuilt. I can't get over the amount of dishonest sellers out there. Just yesterday I finally got the court order for Ohio to sign the title over to me, the guy didn't send me power of attorney with the paperwork so I had to go through a drawn out legal battle for it through the state. So now I get to go pay my sales tax.... yay! I don't think they realize what they are potentially doing to people and their businesses when they lie to get full price rates on a half ass piece of scrap. Oh well, all part of the game I suppose. I figure I probably can't buy a worse vehicle for the rest of my life so at least I got it out of the way early haha.


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## Mikecutstrees (Nov 28, 2014)

Iv'e had good luck buying good used flat bed dumps and building steel chip boxes for them. I would always go look in person though. Too good to be true usually is. Used chip trucks are usually overpriced and beat to hell. I'd rather by a used box truck chassis used to haul potato chips and make it into a chip truck. Chip trucks have a hard life, running fully loaded with a chipper on the back makes for a short life.

Mike


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## TreeFeller11 (Nov 28, 2014)

It wasn't a chip truck before. I bought it like this:




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And now I built a chip box on it:


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## blades (Nov 29, 2014)

Oil leak - typical for 7.3 would be oil pan Rusting out from the inside out- common problem- GM 's had similar problem. 
7.3- 3 ways to attack one is to jack engine up high enough to get clearance for oil pan over crossmember, section out cross member to remove oil pan and then do a fab up to bolt in removed section, find a reall good tig place cut off lower 1/2 of oil pan and tig in a matching replacement. Any of the 3 are proven methods for repair. 
Note: wiring for fuel injectors is contained in ( can't remember if valve cover or head gaskets very pricy) if this a upper level oil leak. 
Go to ford super duty forum tons of info there for the 7.3- it is a a pretty good power plant. As with all units each have their quirks brand name not withstanding. ( my particular favorite was the 6.9 couldn't kill it, everything around it went to orange dust though)


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