# bandit 200+ won't take bigger than 8" material?



## arbor pro (Sep 16, 2008)

I fired up my 'new' 1993 bandit 200+ chipper for the first time last night. I couldn't help but compare it to the 2001 vermeer 1230A that I sold a couple of years ago. I was sorely disappointed. It wouldn't even think about taking a log bigger than 8" in diameter - anything bigger seemed to get stuck. Also, while it chipped smaller branches ok, it seemed to have a hard time grabbing and breaking gnarly stuff.

My vermeer would easily suck the same kind of stuff in and we didn't have to babysit it like we did this brush bandit last night. My hands and shoulders are killing me from having to force everything in.

The feed rollers look fine to me. The blades and anvil are good. Spacing seems right. So, some questions: 1) If this is supposed to be a 12" machine, why doesn't it want to take anything bigger than 8" and 2) is there something wrong with the feed rollers so it just spins on gnarly brush instead of grabbing it and pulling it in? They look fine - is it a tensioning issue? 3) what rpms should I run the cummins 80hp at? I had it set at 2500. Should it be higher?

I have a manual on order from bandit and hope that it contains some of this information that I am asking for but, perhaps, someone with a similar machine can give me some pointers? Thanks.


----------



## arbor pro (Sep 16, 2008)

TreeCo said:


> Lots of improvements were made in chippers between the dates of your two units.



No doubt. The price seemed right on this older bandit so I thought I'd give it a try. At half the cost of my 2001 vermeer (which I sold to downsize but am now upsizing again), I figured it would hold its value. I'm just wondering if I can expect more from this machine or if it's giving all it has to give?

To me, this bandit 200+ is more like a 9" chipper rather than a 12" chipper. I may try tightening the springs before opting to replace them. Also may try sharpening the feed rollers - would that help to dig in and grab branches?

When I bought a brand new vermeer bc1800 back in 1998, I remember demoing both a new vermeer 1250 and a new 12" bandit chipper (not sure if 200 or 250 model). The bandit, equiped with a hydraulic lift cylinder on the horizontal feed rollers still didn't feed any where near as good as the vertical feed rollers on the vermeer; thus, the reason I ended up buying the vermeer 1800. It was an incredible machine.

I am thinking there is another vermeer in my near future. Anyone want to get a good deal on a bandit 200+?


----------



## BC WetCoast (Sep 17, 2008)

You could try greasing the slides for the rollers to make sure they aren't sticking. 

When you are putting in the larger pieces, are the stubs taken off, or is the piece getting caught up on the stubs?

I'm sure you know this, but when you put in large pieces, make sure you cut the end at an angle so the feed rollers will catch it easier.

Sounds like you don't have enough spring tension or the slides are slightly out of square so the upper roller doesn't come down as well.


----------



## Mike Cantolina (Sep 17, 2008)

arbor pro said:


> I am thinking there is another vermeer in my near future. Anyone want to get a good deal on a bandit 200+?



What do you want for it?


----------



## arbor pro (Sep 17, 2008)

How do you measure the tension the feed roller springs to know if they are set right? 

If working properly, should this machine take a full 12" log or is it better suited for 9" and smaller? I don't want to be wasting my time trying to get it to take 12" material if it's not really built to handle that size log. Does anyone else routinely feed 9"+ stuff through their older bandit 200+ or do you have the same problems with the larger stuff?

I have to keep reminding myself that this bandit chipper is almost 10 years older than my vermeer 1230a was and that I paid only half of what I gave for the vermeer so I suppose I'm dreaming to expect it to perform as well as the vermeer but, one can always dream can't he...


----------



## rbtree (Sep 17, 2008)

I've only briefly run the smaller 12 inch Bandits.... the old 100, the 150, 150+, 200, 200+, and 250 are all rated 12 inch, as well, the XP versions since about 1995...... 

The 250XP (mine) has larger feed rollers and hydraulic motors than the other units, therefore, it will chip bigger material with ease. It's been my experience that the others won't.

Spring pressure is key, too much and it will be hard to get larger wood to even go in (if the unit lacks live hydraulics--which allows the feed wheels to be lifted) and too little means the rollers will spin on larger material.

The few times I ran a Vermeer 1250, they chipped well, with those big feed rollers, but I didn't like their vertical orientation, fo the way it whipped material sideways.


----------



## arbor pro (Sep 17, 2008)

Mike Cantolina said:


> What do you want for it?



I 'want' $100k but, I'll negotiate if you think that's too much...  

Seriously, send me a pm if you're interested and leave me your phone # - I'll call you. Pic attached...


----------



## arbor pro (Sep 19, 2008)

*$10,900 and it's yours...*

I just listed the aforementioned 200+ chipper for sale locally. I'm going to try lubing the yoke and tightening the roller springs today to see if that helps it to grab brush and logs better. Anyone interested in it, send me a pm.

Scott


----------



## tree MDS (Sep 26, 2008)

I know these chippers well indeed. I've got my old one sitting in the yard now as a backup/smaller chipper. It should definately take a full 12"- only trick is it has to be in telephone pole form. Unless aided by a tractor loader some. Mine is a 1990 with a slightly newer cummings 76 horse. It truely is a lost art feeding brush into one of these chippers, you just have to do alot of cutting is all, the trick is not too much, knowing just what has to be cut and doing it once properly. Mine has done a ton of work and chipped 12" all day for years. I put a winch on it myself, I dont think I could have dealt with it all those years without it- if yours didnt have a lift cylinder, with the winch you dont need to cut an angle, just get it started with the winch. Winch is key, at least with that I can drag the same size tops as a bigger chipper, just gotta trim the brush off mostly when it gets there. The problem is stupid spoiled workers of today dont have any finess. Thats why I love my 250 with the winch and quad rollers, no more sitting in a tree watching the ground guy run the same top back and forth expecting something differnt or something while finnally I'm like "JUST CUT THE #@##$#@ THING"!! All that said I may have mine for sale if someone wants it, new blades, belts, diverter, winch cable and wide tires (factory option). Chipper is green IMRON, old but still looks good. PM if interested.


----------



## juststumps (Sep 26, 2008)

arbor pro said:


> I fired up my 'new' 1993 bandit 200+ chipper for the first time last night. I couldn't help but compare it to the 2001 vermeer 1230A that I sold a couple of years ago. I was sorely disappointed. It wouldn't even think about taking a log bigger than 8" in diameter - anything bigger seemed to get stuck. Also, while it chipped smaller branches ok, it seemed to have a hard time grabbing and breaking gnarly stuff.
> 
> My vermeer would easily suck the same kind of stuff in and we didn't have to babysit it like we did this brush bandit last night. My hands and shoulders are killing me from having to force everything in.
> 
> ...



do you have the lift option on the upper feed roll ????


----------



## phillytreeking1 (Sep 27, 2008)

i would never buy a chipper without a lift cylinder. my bandits will eat up anything you can fit in.


----------



## juststumps (Sep 28, 2008)

phillytreeking1 said:


> i would never buy a chipper without a lift cylinder. my bandits will eat up anything you can fit in.



i'm thinking he has no lift....feed rollers spinning on the wood,,, having to force large stuff in.....

lift upper wheel to feed large stuff,,, put a little down force on it when it slips...never have to worry about springs, when you can just slap the handle down a few times !!!!


----------

