# Vermeer bc1000xl worth looking at for around 10k?



## 802climber (Jul 6, 2013)

First off I would much rather have a Bandit - a 200 or a 250 would be perfect for my operation. I have not found one in my price range, but I will keep looking.

I am thinking about a 2001 Vermeer bc1000xl with 1800 hours on it, is this worth looking at for around 10k? Original Cummins Turbo Diesel.
Sounds like it's been greased and maintained regularly and had zero problems but not really been at the dealer much.
I would plan on running this chipper as a starter unit for 2-3 years and then buying a Bandit.

I have ran Vermeers for several tree outfits with very little downtime, but I hate all the plastic, lots of electronics, buttons, redundant safety features etc.

Should I consider this or just hold out for a Bandit?
I was thinking I could find a decent 200 or 250 for around 10k but that was before I moved from the Midwest to New England !!!!!!!!!

I will also jump on a little old Morbark 290 with the Cummins 4B if I could find one that is worth buying. I have been looking at them. I wish they had turbo's. I would hope to find a decent one of those for 4-5k

So... please help me decide whether to forget this Vermeer or not, please list reasons not just "Vermeer Sucks"
Thanks!


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## jefflovstrom (Jul 6, 2013)

dieseldirt said:


> 1800 hours, 12 years and well maintained? Hm,,,Could be a really good deal. We got rid of a Morbark 13,,2005, Cummins, about the same hours, (1849),,$4000.00,,, actually a tad more, but this is California and we have whacky tiers. You can get some good deals out here,,CARB is screwing us big time and some nice chippers are out there. Wait till January and see.
> Jeff


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## capetrees (Jul 6, 2013)

Is it from a dealer or private? Look to see if any sevrvice records at the closest dealer. Major repairs are best done there if any were done. 

I have a 2002 with about 1200 hrs on it. Love it. As you mentioned, very little down time. Ease of access to maintenance is great, direct drive friom engine to drum by way of the belt is great (no clutch) and the Cummins is seemingly flawless. My only drawback is that mine is starting to rust and rot in some places on the undersides of the shell. Other than that, I have replaced the drum/bearings due to worn bearings 75 hrs ago and prior to that, they were replaced due to wear 700 hrs prior to the recent change. Smart feed never fails, relatively light weight for towing, (around 4200 lbs) and very modular in that everything is protected by the shell, no hydraulic hoses and wires free to be snagged. Changing/flipping blades is easy, under 45 minutes and the local dealer, although over 2 hrs away, has always been very quick to do any work needed, realizing I need it back to get back to work. I assume you'll be using Albany for repairs as opposed to Hopkinton, MA. One thing I will recommend, (and the dealer does too), regardless of which unit you go with, change your bolts out to new each time you change/flip the blades. For the cost of new bolts (8 bolts for the BC1000), you'll work much safer with new ones as opposed to re-using the old bolts after they have been torqued and stressed due to use. $10K for 1800 hrs? Not bad but look around. There are deals out there. I'm actually very close to trading mine in for new and last I knew, the dealer was offering $10K for mine toward a new one.


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## 802climber (Jul 6, 2013)

Thanks a lot for the info. I have read some negative stuff about them on this site and I was not sure if it is just a Ford/Chevy/Dodge thing, or not so much.

I have been looking around a lot, but only for a few weeks. I have decided to upgrade from hauling brush and it now seems like the season is just flying by. Hard to tell the good deals from the sketchy deals, without spending a whole day checking out each one, I can't afford dealer prices, and honestly I would rather find a privately owned one with a good history.

I am honestly not much good with equipment past basic preventative maintenance. I am good enough with trucks but don't know what all to look for with chippers, other than the obvious.

The chipper is privately owned about an hour north of Hopkinton MA, I wonder if it would be reasonable to have it checked over by the dealer.
I am just a couple hours from Albany NY and glad to hear that the corporate Vermeer dealer here has a good reputation, I'm sure it comes at a high price but it sounds like it would help retain the chipper's value. I have had some serious hit or miss experiences with independent dealers and repair shops in the past, nothing against the good ones of course.

I figure the BC1000 seems like an OK deal, not a great deal. I did not mention it is a package deal and what sweetens the deal for me is I can have the chipper and an old but solid 1 ton diesel w/ pto chip dump all for less than what a legitimate Bandit would cost me at Northeastern prices (15-20k if I am not mistaken). I have had a similar truck for 5 years (just a pickup though not a dump truck candidate) so I am familiar with maintenance and repairs. I don't want to spend so much on a chipper that I have nothing to chip in to until next year.

I am wondering what service should be done on a BC1000XL by 2000 hours (+/-)
I guess that's the nice thing about working with a servicing dealer if I am trying to retain trade-in or re-sale value as long as I am able to keep the relationship going ($$$$)


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## climber32 (Jul 6, 2013)

anything with vermeer stamped on it comes at a high price. We have two bc100xl's at work and a smaller bc600, we are happy with all of them. we just got a new sc802 tier 4i grinder. all good machines but at a high price with high parts cost. we usually cross reference parts and get them cheaper else ware when needed as we do our own maintenance. good luck what ever route you decide.


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## mattfr12 (Jul 6, 2013)

Hold for the 250 and just run that forever. Bc 1000 is less than a 100hp I believe may be wrong.

10 stacks could be a good deal and I'm sure it would work ok.

But a 250xp vs a bc1000 isn't even close it would be more comparable to there 1400 or 1800.


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## capetrees (Jul 7, 2013)

Can't argue that a 250 is a tougher machine than the 1000. I run a 250 on occasion and it does eat bigger wood but the maintenance and cost is what gets me away from the 250. For the starter (as I was when I bought my 1000) and including a truck to haul and dump the chips, this seems like a pretty good deal. What year and make is the truck?


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## imagineero (Jul 7, 2013)

I ran a bc1000xl for about 6 months, and currently own an older 250XP with the 120 turbo. It didn't come with autofeed but had it retrofitted. There's no question the bandit is by far the better machine. The vermeer is really a brush chipper, but you can chip barrels with the bandit. I think of the vermeer as being a 10" chipper, not a 12". The bandit is 12x19 and will genuinely swallow that. 

The issues I had with the vermeer were parts prices (high!), the reasonably frequent issues with the switch that controls forwards/stop/reverse of the roller, the tie rod ends that engage the drive belts by way of the arm sometimes break (carry spares), and the fact that there's no lift on the rollers. Not having lift on the rollers is a major bummer. It makes it really hard to get logs started. There are workarounds. You can try to jam a log in while a branch is going through, because the branch has already lifted the roller somewhat. The best way is to buck all your logs at 45*, so there's a ramp for the roller to ride. and try to continuously feed the logs before the roller closes. If the roller closes on a log as the machine is near stalling, it jambs the machine which is a bummer again. You have to use the jack to lift the rollers and clear the jamb, then go again. Being a drum, the vermeer gets away with having less horsepower to drive it. It's also 1,000lbs lighter than the bandit (!) which makes all the difference if your truck is small. The vermeer is really only slightly better than a 90XP. Those two machines are more directly comparable in capabilities, horsepower and weight. I'd still almost give the nod to the 90xp. The vermeers always seem to command higher prices.

The 250XP is a monster. It's almost twice as fast as the bc1000 on brush, 3 or 4 guys can feed it. The disk puts out a more consistent chip if your blade and anvil are sharp and well adjusted, which makes getting rid of/selling chip easier. The parts are non proprietary, and available easily at low price in most places. It's a more reliable machine also, and easier to repair. Having lift makes feeding logs easy, and 12"x19" means you can dispatch barrels up to 19" by ripping them in half. On the downside, it is heavy. 

In the real world, I'd take a high hour 250XP over a low hour bc1000 at the same price, so long as the bandit had the 120 and wasn't too smokey and had autofeed. There's so little to go wrong on these machines, and if you can work on a truck then you can work on a bandit chipper. Look out for cracked disks, cracked turbos ($$$) and disk bearings that sound scratchy. The clutch is cheap and not hard to replace. Cracks can be welded and the machine can be repainted. If the rollers are very worn, look somewhere else also. If you can't tow a heavy machine then get the vermeer for sure, especially if you only chip brush and firewood your barrels. I'd take whatever machine you can afford in the short term though. You'll get so much more work done in a day, with less labour, which means you'll be making more money and can afford to upgrade sooner. 

Shaun


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## treeclimber101 (Jul 7, 2013)

I hear alot smack talk on the vermeers , I owned a 1800 ran like a monster , lost it however in the divorce ...... Then owned a 1230 non turbo for almost 11 years , sold it with almost 4000k hrs still ran strong , no major repairs .... Now I run morbark .... I won't run bandit I think they are cheaply built with good engines . The machine is only as good as the guy running it .. And I would still be running Vermeer if there parts/service dept. . Was as good as there machines .


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## Trees CT (Jul 7, 2013)

Seems like you answered your own question by listing how terrible the vermeer are. You can look into buying new, financing options are great right now; credit unions and banks are offering some really low interest rates. Buying used only buys someone else's problems. A loan will give you the ability to pay it off over five or more years.


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## imagineero (Jul 7, 2013)

the 1800's a whole different machine, but I'd still take an 1890 over that. I don't like the vertical rollers, they're like those old circus dummys that you punch, then they swing round and punch you back. You sure can get them for cheap though. I see 1800's going for $10k~$15k all the time. 1890's go for $50k in similar condition. That tells you something right there. I'd still grab an 1800 for the money though, can't get a better deal than that. It's just way too much machine for my truck to tow realistically, and the single axle is a terrifying prospect. Plus the quality of chip they throw out is just awful, and it would fill my 10 cube truck up in about 7 minutes.

Shaun


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## 802climber (Jul 7, 2013)

Thanks everyone for the helpful replies.

For right now I am just thinking starter rig, I know I can make enough around here in a couple years to have a CDL truck and 250xp or larger, but there's no way I can afford the good stuff right out of the gate, loans are not an option because we are saving our credit to buy a house. (I am only 25 years old)

The less I spend now and the sooner I start making money, the closer I will be to the "forever" rig which is way out of reach at this point.

Just a little background, I just moved 1000 miles, had a small tree svc back home doing mostly technical pruning. Also did contract climbing and logging. Before that I worked line clearance and then for a few residential tree services. Too much drama, finally got a foreman job but they did not have enough work to keep me there.

I have to start all over now, taking the C.A. exam this month, learned a lot from the first go round. My new business will stay very small and will be 90% pruning/trimming, removals only for good clients. There is a much better market for my business here, plus I will be one of the very few offering technical pruning and the trees around here need it bad (most guys here just do removals and landscraper caliber work)... And, by the way, I already do have a day job to fill in the gaps !!!

I feel like I am losing thousands each week I am not up and running. I want to do it right this time. Like I said with my operation I really only need to chip brush, I will firewood any hardwood 6" +

My options as of today:

$15,000 (a little over-budget) 
For truck and of course the famous bc1000xl it's a 2001 with 1800 hours
Truck is a late 80's 1 ton ford diesel with pto dump, steel chip box, newer clutch, sounds well maintained, i have owned a couple similar rigs, it has the old 7.3 diesel I would rather have this than a powerstroke because it's so simple and cheap to maintain...

$10,000
I am going to go look at another old "12 inch" Morbark, a 25 year old beauty queen with 3400 hours on the 76 HP Cummins 4B (non-turbo of course)
The guy has only had it for a few years of occasional use, says it does not burn oil, does not smoke, good on fuel. Looks a bit rough but not as bad as the other one I looked at. Says he has put new disc bearings in, and that there is a fluid leak around one of the feed rollers and the feed rollers seem "a bit loose"...
I figure I could pick this machine up for 3-4k and then take my pick of the many 1 ton diesel dumps and some plywood for a box (hard to find one with a real forestry body) and at least be making some money this season......


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## deevo (Jul 7, 2013)

dieseldirt said:


> Thanks everyone for the helpful replies.
> 
> For right now I am just thinking starter rig, I know I can make enough around here in a couple years to have a CDL truck and 250xp or larger, but there's no way I can afford the good stuff right out of the gate, loans are not an option because we are saving our credit to buy a house. (I am only 25 years old)
> 
> ...



I have run a 2002 BC1000 the last 3 years, ex hydro unit, was barely broken in when I got it. My first chipper also, its has been great to me. Easy to maintain and work on, pretty straight forward machine. Doesn't have all the new electronic gizmos and gadgets like the newer ones. I just got mine sandblasted and repainted this year, runs and looks like new still. Forgot to mention I have 5 friends who own tree biz's around me that have the BC1000's as well, and they all run strong with the 3.3's in them. One of them just had to change the drum shaft on his with around 2800 hrs. Otherwise all are chugging and chipping along each and every day!


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## 802climber (Jul 7, 2013)

Yes, and they seem to hold their value even if they are not the #1 best. I have had a '94 Ford truck with over 200k for 5 years and it has barely ever let me down and cost very little to keep rolling.

The nice thing about the package deal is it would put me back into business the quickest with the least screwing around. Not my #1 lineup, but probably good enough.

I should mention the chipper is said to have great paint/plastic and the truck has recent paint which is a good sign.


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## imagineero (Jul 7, 2013)

How big is the bin in the truck? Sounds like you should go for it. Like you said, not your preferred lineup but definitely usable and will get you earning. So long as you keep the chipper in good order you should be able to easily sell it later for similar money, so it's an easily reversible decision. The older fibreglass hood bc1000 is a lot lighter than the new metal version. I think the bc1000 is a nice looking machine, but they are harder to work on. Everything's tucked away behind covers.


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## 802climber (Jul 7, 2013)

Says it is a 14 foot chip box, too much for the truck really.

It's a stout looking steel chip box, with barn doors.

I will see about having a couple feet chopped off and then put something like this on there:

View attachment 303599


I would probably get rear air springs for that truck either way.. Probably worth going to see it in person, it sounds like.


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## Seemlessstate (Jul 8, 2013)

the BC1000 might be the worst chipper ive used. and its not because its a Vermeer (we have 5 vermeer 1500's and 3 1400XL's and 1 1000)

Ive used multiple bandit models (200, 250, 1890 etc) and I really like them a little more than the Vermeers (mostly because vertical feed rollers are awful), but the big vermeer chippers are fine chippers, just not the little 1000. 

the single infeed roller is awkward, and its capacity is really too small for the type of work I do. If we had to load everything bigger than 10", we would endlessly be running loads of wood to and fro...

Honestly, I would go with the Bandit. the 250 is a good chipper, but if you can wait and get a drum style rather than disc, I would.


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## 802climber (Jul 8, 2013)

Seemlessstate said:


> the BC1000 might be the worst chipper ive used. and its not because its a Vermeer (we have 5 vermeer 1500's and 3 1400XL's and 1 1000)
> 
> Ive used multiple bandit models (200, 250, 1890 etc) and I really like them a little more than the Vermeers (mostly because vertical feed rollers are awful), but the big vermeer chippers are fine chippers, just not the little 1000.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the reply, as previously stated, I am more focused on the type of work that I do.

Obviously if I had the cash just laying around I would buy a Bandit, but I am hoping this rig will be good enough for a few years of trimming and that's it.

That's great that you have 9 chippers but I am just looking for 1 brush chipper. I am just looking for a starter unit that won't crap out on me, I will be upgrading to the ideal unit in a few years.


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## Seemlessstate (Jul 8, 2013)

dieseldirt said:


> Thanks for the reply, as previously stated, I am more focused on the type of work that I do.
> 
> Obviously if I had the cash just laying around I would buy a Bandit, but I am hoping this rig will be good enough for a few years of trimming and that's it.
> 
> That's great that you have 9 chippers but I am just looking for 1 brush chipper. I am just looking for a starter unit that won't crap out on me, I will be upgrading to the ideal unit in a few years.



Oh lord, they arent all mine. I work for a company with a medium sized fleet of about 10 trucks. 

if you dont chip a lot of big wood, then a 1000 will do fine. it always was pretty decent for trimming. also, if you live in an area where people like fire-wood (i do not) then you wouldnt want to waste that sort of wood anyway. 

t


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## capetrees (Jul 9, 2013)

The 7.3 powerstroke is a great motor. For what you've described as far as your intended work, the 250 is too muck machine. As I've mentioned, I've run one and it's too big for just trimmings and removals. Sounds like you'll never use it to it's full potential where the 1000 would fit in just right. Not too big, not too small, big enough to take the occational big logs and small and light enough to get around easy. 15K? Offer a little less to see if he bites. Can't hurt to ask, right?  opcorn:


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## capetrees (Jul 15, 2013)

The suspense is killing me!:dunno:


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## 802climber (Jul 15, 2013)

capetrees said:


> The suspense is killing me!:dunno:



Haha, me too! Thanks for the advice. I checked it out the other day, I can't figure out why I did not take any pics.

Seems like a good starter rig, best I have seen for the money. I am strongly thinking of buying it next week, I am waiting to see if the bank will help ease the pain.

The chipper seems like a tight machine, I was happy to see that it lacks all the bells and whistles of the newer Vermeers.
Seems like the Autofeed probably is not working but it was hard to tell because I only got to feed some sticks and chunks through.
Around each knife pocket on the drum, there is a pile of recent MIG beads, to fix stress cracks. Machine chips strong and runs smooth. The guy at Vermeer said not to worry about it..

The truck is actually the last year that had the 6.9 but has had an old 7.3 put in. I forgot how the non-turbo ones ROAR. It is truly geared like a tug boat. Cab and frame, nearly rust-free, it really has almost no rust. The chipper box is covered in surface rust, picture the best homemade chipper box you've ever seen, and nothing more.
I was happy about the PTO dump, it dumps good, but not happy to find that it SLAMS back down....???

They are not perfect, but decent looking, probably a money-maker, best I have seen overall since I have been looking, and probably a good enough deal at New England prices, the guy says he paid over 20k two years ago for the pair........

I am still not 100% however......


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## capetrees (Jul 15, 2013)

dieseldirt said:


> .
> 
> The chipper seems like a tight machine, I was happy to see that it lacks all the bells and whistles of the newer Vermeers.
> Seems like the Autofeed probably is not working but it was hard to tell because I only got to feed some sticks and chunks through.
> ...


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## imagineero (Jul 15, 2013)

Yeah I'd be worried about the drum too... If it was repaired by someone who knew what they were doing it should be fine. If it was done by the guy or his mate if be concerned. The drums in vermeers have a bit of a history of letting go at medium hours on the internal baffles/supports. 

As for the bin slamming down, that's an easy fix. Put an adjustable one way valve near the ram. They're adjusted by a screw type mechanism. If the screw is in the centre of the valve it adjusts flow in both directions. If its offset, it adjusts the flow only in one direction. You want the offset one, so the bin goes up at full force/speed, and comes down slower. You adjust the return speed with the screw.


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## 802climber (Jul 16, 2013)

Yeah, it was a red flag to me as well. The stress cracks were not on the drum itself, they were on the welds where each knife pocket is welded to the drum. No way of knowing how bad it had gotten prior to the "repairs" .... His buddy had piled up a bunch of MIG welds around each knife pocket, looked like he just popped the cover and hot glue gunned each stress crack. Definitely not a pro looking job. And it was like this around each knife pocket. Any future repairs to this area would require starting over with a ton of grinding.........

What the guy at Vermeer said is that most of the chippers they see have these same stress cracks, on the welds where the knife pockets meet the drum, and that they go for a very long time with the stress cracks left unattended. Sounds a little nuts to me. He seemed to think it was *good* that the guy attempted the repairs......... He said if it threw the balance of the drum off enough to matter then I should notice excess vibration....... It seemed like the machine ran smooth but I have no direct comparison. Vermeer also probably wouldn't mind if I gave them that 6k you mentioned. :msp_w00t:

Thanks for being critical, I definitely do not want to rush into this. Seems pretty easy to get burned in any price range other than NEW.......Just a matter of HOW burned..


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## 802climber (Jul 18, 2013)

I am now thinking it is not such a good deal for the money. I wonder what causes these stress cracks that I described? Just running really dull knives?

I am also thinking I might want to expand my operation to chipping out roadways in the winter, hurricane season, etc.
I would be chipping everything but the Logs.

Would a Bandit 250 be big enough for some storm work, but "small enough" for pruning during the regular season?
I am also looking at an old F450 instead of a 1 ton.
What on earth is the difference between a 250XP and a 250XL?

What is the big deal between a drum chipper and a disc chipper? Pro's and Con's?

Thanks!!!


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## jefflovstrom (Jul 18, 2013)

I would get a Morbark 15,,good deals in California.
Jeff


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## imagineero (Jul 19, 2013)

dieseldirt said:


> I am now thinking it is not such a good deal for the money. I wonder what causes these stress cracks that I described? Just running really dull knives?
> 
> I am also thinking I might want to expand my operation to chipping out roadways in the winter, hurricane season, etc.
> I would be chipping everything but the Logs.
> ...



Everyone has to make their own decision, but the sooner you get something the sooner you'll be making money. If I had my time over, I'd have got myself any chipper, as soon as possible. It's not that chipping itself makes you much money, it's that it saves you so much time. I have not ever, and would never offer chipping as a service. There's no money in it. But if you've got a chipper, you can punch brush straight into it as you go, which really speeds up a job. Because of that, you can get 2 or 3 jobs done in a day, where as you might get 1 done without a chipper. 

The root cause of the cracks is probably a design issue since most of the vermeers seem to get it eventually. I think the design of having the threads in the drum for the bolts is a poor design. Cracks are not really such a big deal, they're part of life. They just need to be repaired correctly. What that means (to cut it short) is using penetrant die to find the end of the crack, drilling that point out to relieve the stress, grinding the crack out to form a vee, a little bit of pre heat, and then a nice weld with plenty of penetration. A bit of post heat with a slow cool down helps prevent future cracking also. Without doing it properly, you just add additional stress to the crack and it keeps cracking.

The pros and cons of disc vs chip are like asking which is better; husky or stihl? It's a personal choice, but manufacturers all seem to be abandoning disc in favor of drum. I've run both and I prefer disc. With drum, your feed chute is narrow and tall, with disk it's wide and low. To give some sort of comparison on the chute, my 250XP is 12" high x 19" wide. My buddy's 1890 (18" drum) is 18"wide by 30" tall. Drums generally need less horsepower for the same size of chipper, which translates to less fuel usage. My 250xp has a 120 turbo, and my buddys 18" drum has a 140 turbo. That's not a lot more engine. Admittedly my chipper has the largest engine option, and his chipper has the smallest engine option. On brush, my 250XP blows his 1890 out of the water, it's unbelievably fast, and the wide throat is fantastic. 3 or 4 guys feeding it can't keep up with the machine. When it comes to logs however, even with both machines feeding the maximum log they can take, his 1890 has my 250XP for breakfast. Even with only 20 more horsepower, that drum just powers through enormous logs.

The reason why I like the disc is that it puts out a very consistent and nice quality of chip, but to balance that, you need to keep the knives sharper. Having really nice chip makes it easy for me to get rid of chip. The disc also throws the chip out a lot harder, and further. That makes it easy to fill your truck right up to the brim. Because the chip is more consistent and packed tighter in, you fit more chip in the same truck. How much? I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't done it myself, but going form a BC1000 to a 250 XP, on the same truck, I get almost a half tonne extra in the same 12 cube bin! That adds up over time. 

The 150/200/250 class machines are a real industry staple, and for good reason. They're real work horses, work well and last a long time. For the work I do, which sounds similar to what you do, I wouldn't have any machine other than a 250XP. I can do medium removals into my truck easy, without too much ripping. If I was doing a lot of removals or had land I'd buy a second truck and firewood all the barrels up, and just chip the brush. You'd get a huge amount of work done that way! It's still not a massive machine, and works well on pruning jobs. When I do bigger trees I still get my buddy in to contract chip. In the busy season he might chip for me 3 or 4 days a week. I don't have a yard, so I can't do anything with firewood. It still works out great having my medium size truck and chipper though. We chip all the brush as we go which is fast and efficient, then we stack the bigger stuff and he turns up in the afternoon and punches that into his 23 cube truck. 

Shaun


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## 802climber (Jul 28, 2013)

Thanks, I really appreciate the info.

I just got a '97 f350 Powerstroke Dump with L-pack toolboxes.
Matches my pickup.

I am looking at a 2000 150xp from the Bandit Dealer

Clean looking machine with a good history
Fully serviced by dealer
"Low Hours" - (No hour meter)
80HP Cummins 4B, non-turbo .....

Was hoping for a larger machine but I think this one would hold its value at $11500
It would be nice to have the lighter chipper for my 1 ton chip truck...
Seems pretty good for a machine from the Bandit Dealer.


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## imagineero (Jul 29, 2013)

Sounds like a good way to get your foot in the door mate, and as you said, you're not going to lose money on it so long as you look after it. I'd grab it and get yourself going. The 150 obviously isn't going to be chipping logs, but it's a great chipper for brush, right up to some good size branches. Anything that won't fit in the chute is firewood size anyhow, so long as you got room to do firewood it gives you some beer money in the quieter months. The 150 is pretty comparable to the BC1000 in weight and capabilities in my opinion. Be sure and take pics!


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## 802climber (Aug 1, 2013)

Here's the chipper, I have not been there in person yet...
View attachment 307115


My "new" truck...
View attachment 307116


Matches my baby...
View attachment 307117


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## Mikecutstrees (Aug 5, 2013)

My BC1000 has 3K hours still running strong.

Mike


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## mattfr12 (Aug 5, 2013)

Get the bandit. the 250xp is probably the most reliable chipper we have ever owned. Not the biggest chipping but it has had almost zero downtime since purchasing it. Everything is 1/4 inch metal or thicker so if you can weld you can basically make your own parts and weld things that are stressing. We run Max it out to the point where the log just won't fit and I have only ever changed a clutch. Now I have been the only owner and have greased and changed everything daily. We sold one and kept one for smaller work so we don't have to drag a 2400 to prune. We have probably right around 2k hours.


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## 802climber (Aug 13, 2013)

Yeah, I am hoping to find a Bandit 200 w/ Cummins, not sure if that 150 is gonna pan out, but I hope it does.

If I had a bigger truck and more money, I would go for a 250 but I really can't go any bigger than a 200 for now because I am running a 1 ton chip truck in the mountains.

I would have bought that bc1000 if the drum had not been welded on, I also thought the single feed roller kind of sucked.


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## 802climber (Oct 3, 2013)

So I looked at financing higher and higher dollar machines.............

Ended up with a 1993 Woodchuck WC17 (12" disc) with John Deere 80HP non-turbo. 1300 hrs.

Town owned since new with all the records.
Engine and Radiator recently rebuilt by JD dealer because they ran it out of coolant..........

Its pretty rusty but for 3500 cash I'm not complaining. There are chuck+duck's and 6" chippers going for more around here.


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