# chipper info



## 1I'dJak (Mar 8, 2006)

withing the next couple of years i'd like to buy a cheap dependable used chipper...What make, model and size would be appropriate for a small business (me and a buddy)? does anyone know the spot in bc to shop around for these? what should i look out for in a used chipper? I've just worked with one...for the guy a work for its a vermeer ??? and its nice but too big and expensive for my budget....I'm thinking spending more money on the chipper vs. a truck is probable a more productive endeavor...


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## clearance (Mar 8, 2006)

Jak, I would get an old Asplundh-Whisper chipper, the duck and chuck. This is a proven machine, lots of them in BC, now people are using them for a backup because diesel self feeders are the way to go, but $40k. Ford six cylinder engine, all metal construction, exposed wiring like on a fishboat, you can get a shute that angles. When they are sharp, they are awesome, probably find one for under $10k in good shape, and a pickup will easily pull one around to do jobs where you can blow the chips into the bush.


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## 1I'dJak (Mar 8, 2006)

is the whisper a specific make and model or or there different sizes (ie hp, size of limbs etc) are there any comparable models so's i don't necessarily pigeon hole myself into one type in case a good deal on another comes up... i like the idear of just pulling it with a truck... figure on keeping/using it up island on the down times i'm not working mid/south island... and small town types have the yard and need for chips...


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## clearance (Mar 8, 2006)

Not that sure, I know some have inline 6 and 4 cyl. engines, some have v-8s. I think the drum is 12"-14", you can stall them but only with a big top, anything one man can drag to it reasonably will go through it. Its design is pretty simple, can't see you getting pigeonholed into something useless. I worked with one that chipped like hundreds of loads of chips with no problems at all, more than I could say for some of the self feeders I have seen. Sharp knives, lots of grease, change the fluids, keep the rad clean, its all good.


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## Tom Dunlap (Mar 8, 2006)

When Asplundh made chippers one of the marketing geniuses named them "Whisper Chippers" That is the wrongest name for the machine ever 

If you can find a 6 cylinder you'll be happier. The only substitute for cubic inches is cubic dollars...or turbocharging.


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## clearance (Mar 8, 2006)

Tom Dunlap said:


> When Asplundh made chippers one of the marketing geniuses named them "Whisper Chippers" That is the wrongest name for the machine ever
> 
> If you can find a 6 cylinder you'll be happier. The only substitute for cubic inches is cubic dollars...or turbocharging.


Thats a good one Tom, you are right, they just scream. I like ones that are not too beat up, on the chute you can see the rodent with a branch in his hand and his other hand making the Sshhh symbol. I think the 6 cyl is the best one, its the legendary Ford. The v-8s are real thirsty.


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## rebelman (Mar 9, 2006)

Hydraulic feed are much safer(I think), and the chip produced is finer, more marketable. I have a little banditt 65 I bought six or seven years ago, it works it's ass off every day. One feed wheel does fine, though the six by nine opening requires a little more labor. I never send chips into the woods, I haul them all, and get this, unload them manually. It only takes me a few minutes to a unload a long bed pickup stuffed high. And many of my clients have specific areas and shapes they want mulched, so unloading them by fork can often be a good way to place them exactly where they need to be. This translates to landscaping jobs. I've done chuck n' duck. I didn't particularly like it. I've done twelve inch openings, they can be dangerous too. I use inexperienced people at times, my small chipper reduces some danger. My way isn't the norm, but it works well for me. Also these days diesel is smart, cause you can go bio. Just some thoughts.


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## Tom Dunlap (Mar 9, 2006)

rebelman said:


> Hydraulic feed are much safer(I think)



In one sense, you're right. Getting swatted or scratched by a wild branch while using a chuck and duck is more likely than the slower infeed of a power feed chipper. But once a person gets slapped they learn to stand out of the way. 

In all of the years of this topic being discussed I don't ever remember ONE person sharing a story about someone getting sucked into a chuck and duck. The respect for the machine is learned quickly. The damage is evident. With a power feed the brush goes slower, the knives aren't visible and they are easier to operate incorrectly. We have all read too many stories about people getting sucked into power feed chippers.

I know a people who've been slapped silly or injured when using a power feed chipper as the branch shifts or rolls. 

Overall, I think chuck and ducks are safer. But I would never buy another one. just because of that.


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## Newfie (Mar 9, 2006)

Where is Erik when the chuck 'n duck needs defending?:greenchainsaw:


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## Tree Machine (Mar 9, 2006)

Like Rebelman, I have a Bandit 6" and have never, ever regretted the purchase. If I got a 12" I would still keep the 6". I gave it a castered wheel jack on it up front so it can be wheeled around by hand. Anything bigger than a 6" and they get too heavy to be able to be moved by the operator. Sips gas. Ya just can't run logs through.

I lay claim to being the smallest and ugliest operation of any of us, but it's a veneer for being extremely efficient, organized and profitable. Recently moved up from being a one-man operation to now workling as a two-man team, so I may not be the smallest any more. But I am still pretty ugly. Very glad my clients don't hold that against me.

Being able to get my rig into small, tight places, close to the drop zone is a major benefit. Being able to unhook the chipper and swing the infeed chute toward the yard gives a direct straight line to the feed chute, as well as being able, then, to walk between the truck and chipper without having to step over the tongue. The Bandit 6" is easy to work on and maintain, easy to change the oil (exactly 4 Qts) and easy to access and sharpen the knives.

Bigger chippers certainly have their advantages, especially for bigger crews, but then you've got bigger trucks, bigger overhead, bigger fuel costs, etc. 

Rent a few different sizes. That's what I did. It all depends on the type of tree work you do. I'm 80% prunes, so all my material is pretty small. On takedowns, I have guys chompin at the bit to come haul away firewood. I have very little need to chip big material, therefore little need for a big chipper. I just need one that is extremely dependable, easy to maintain, easy and safe to use (even for first-time operators) and willing to eat brush all day long. I'm entering my 7th year with my 6". Just adore it.


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## clearance (Mar 9, 2006)

The Whisper is a lot lighter than a comparable size self feeder, because it doesn't have the hydraulic pumps, motors, feed rollers, etc.. Also a gas engine is lighter than a diesel, a lot cheaper to replace, but it does have disadvantages as well. A 1 ton chip truck will pull a Whisper with a full load of chips. A Whisper will chip faster than a smaller, more expensive self feeder, plus the main factors for Jak, they are common, cheaper to purchase and reliable.


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## Tree Machine (Mar 10, 2006)

I had Bandit mill in a third knife into the disc, as opposed to the standard two. Also, I added a hydraulic flow control later to adjust the speed of the infeed wheel. Combined with the autofeed, I can offer the machine a full-size capacity limb and blow sawdust instead of chips. Quite unnecessary 99% of the time, but I used to have a need for that. Anymore, it's full-speed infeed and stuff the limbs in as fast as you can.

Brand new, with all my bells and whistles, the chipper was around $15,000 US, about ten times the cost of my (exceedingly ugly) truck.


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## clearance (Mar 10, 2006)

I said comparable size machines, I figure that means size of entry 6", 12" type of thing. Two guys can chuck branches into a sharp Whisper, one after the other and it will keep chipping the whole time, no stop, chip, stop type of thing. The BC1000 will chip a bigger branch or a big top, by pausing, but it is a heavy, expensive machine. Tree Machines chipper works well for him because of what he uses it for, trims. When you are doing big removals, you want a chipper that can chip for hours as quick as you feed it.


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## woodchux (Mar 10, 2006)

I picked up an old chuck & duck for $500 a couple years ago.

Rewired it , new battery , changed the oil , added a second radiator fan.

Been using it ever since, no problems.

The best $500 I've ever spent


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## jmack (Mar 11, 2006)

*first machine*



rebelman said:


> Hydraulic feed are much safer(I think), and the chip produced is finer, more marketable. I have a little banditt 65 I bought six or seven years ago, it works it's ass off every day. One feed wheel does fine, though the six by nine opening requires a little more labor. I never send chips into the woods, I haul them all, and get this, unload them manually. It only takes me a few minutes to a unload a long bed pickup stuffed high. And many of my clients have specific areas and shapes they want mulched, so unloading them by fork can often be a good way to place them exactly where they need to be. This translates to landscaping jobs. I've done chuck n' duck. I didn't particularly like it. I've done twelve inch openings, they can be dangerous too. I use inexperienced people at times, my small chipper reduces some danger. My way isn't the norm, but it works well for me. Also these days diesel is smart, cause you can go bio. Just some thoughts.


 man that is good machine 6 in diameter if its just you and a partner this machines got the feed roller sensor and its tiny but it loves wood


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## xtremetrees (Mar 11, 2006)

I rent vermers 6 inch. I like it on most jobs it cost 7 dollars in gas. It will chip 6 inch logs kinda slow but steady. The place that rents them also sells them for about 3000 thats not a bad price. Two guys could drag it to the back yard I suppose.


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## dakota (Mar 11, 2006)

Tree Machine - that second picture is great. I don't usually have such a good chuckle so early on a Saturday morn.

-Andy


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## 1I'dJak (Mar 11, 2006)

thanx alot fellas...good stuff, appreciate it...yeah i'm definelty looking for something cheap...where i figure on setting up half the folks'll probably just burn alot of the trimmings, but i'd like the option...good stuff


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## Tree Machine (Mar 11, 2006)

dakota said:


> Tree Machine - that second picture is great. I don't usually have such a good chuckle so early on a Saturday morn.
> 
> -Andy


http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=31944&d=1141941504.

Thanks Dakota.


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## Tree Machine (Mar 11, 2006)

dakota said:


> Tree Machine - that second picture is great. I don't usually have such a good chuckle so early on a Saturday morn.
> 
> -Andy










Thanks Dakota.


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## Tree Machine (Mar 11, 2006)

I've spent a good long time trying to figger out how to create the ultimate 6" chipper. Not trying to derail the thread into a discussion of only 6", but that's been the focus of mine, to create the ultimate Personal Industrial Chipper.

Can I share it with you?


In the meantime, here's a couple more pictures for Dakota and anyone else who got a kick out of that log on the truck.


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## Tree Machine (Mar 11, 2006)

Tree Machine said:


> I've spent a good long time trying to figger out how to create the ultimate 6" chipper. Not trying to derail the thread into a discussion of only 6", but that's been the focus of mine, to create the ultimate Personal Industrial Chipper.
> 
> Can I share it with you?
> 
> ...



What the _heck_ did I do with those pictures.....?


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## Tree Machine (Mar 11, 2006)

.


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## Tree Machine (Mar 11, 2006)

Ka whump! Heh, heh. I posted these somewhere else. They're really not about noobie chippers.


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## Tree Machine (Mar 11, 2006)

Since this IS Arborist 101 let's discuss a noobie chipper, but just for fun, let's not limit ourself to the cheapest and just plain available



and just because this only ideas thrown out on the table, and nothing is at stake, why not _just for fun_ conceptualize what we collectively could possibly want in a 1-2 man treecare operation. I will start with the most important thing to me is _maneuverability_. I must be able to move the thing around by hand. That means a chipper small enough for me to be able to do that, and a caster-wheel jack up front.

Since we're dreaming big there will be an accessory hydraulic motor to rotate the chipper's tire, or mabe the front jack. The bottom line, the chipper is self-propelled if you need it to be.

Nice, fat turf tires to roll over lawns and terrain in a low-impact manner.

For safety I want an emergency brake handle on the tongue (OR TWO) to be able to brake each tire independently (steering brakes) or both (park, chock).

What other thing, bells and whistles, would you want on this chipper?


And the knives need to be easily accessable and sharpenable with ease.


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## Tree Machine (Mar 11, 2006)

Here's a longer version of that sharpening slideshow:http://treeguy.info/videos/kung-fu-sharpening.mov


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## xtremetrees (Mar 12, 2006)

TM!
Dude! You a genius! This is great finally someone that uses his head, I would of lifted all that log. That is the funny tree pic i ever did see, howd ya get the log off the truck, i bet folks diddnt follow ya home close behind..


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## Tree Machine (Mar 12, 2006)

_"I'm a Genus?"_ I haven't even gotten dug in to the chipper part yet.

But to answer your question, it took 12 men and a horse to get the log off the truck. It was a real beast.







I guess, technically, we're still on-topic because clearly the picture shows a chipper.


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## xtremetrees (Mar 12, 2006)

Is that fer real dude? The balance point seems to be butt heavy.?


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## Tree Machine (Mar 12, 2006)

I soooo wish I'd had the video camera.
It was just one of those moments of, "Huh... I wonder if _this_ would work.

Actually, I was just showing off for the new guy I'm workin with. We were talking physics stuff, force, torque, rotation about points. and our good friend, Gravity. I unhooked the chipper (being that this is a chipper thread), backed up to, _and into_ the tree. Hooked up a fat lifting sling to the top of the truck so she wouldn't slide back or roll off the side. Made my cut. Got in the truck, and you know the rest of the story. McGyver stuff.




Really, this picture Nick got JUST after it slammed me. See the ass end? it' still airborn from the impact.







I just pulled forward, just a touch



and



WHaM !!! I

I chuckled. It went perfect. 

Who'da thunk?


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## treespluscalif (Mar 14, 2006)

*Love the pics*

I once worked for a guy who operated like that, he was very profitable.

Back to chippers. Got laughed at by some Davey guys when I swore the best little chipper was the Promark 210 - for all the reasons you mention - it only weighs 900 lbs, one guy can drop and move behind a customers house/ lot etc and it sips gas (16hp Briggs) and runs all day without complaint. Sure we have to move some logs - but that keeps us young....

Heard its been replaced / resurrected by Powertek - owned by old Promark designer.


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## treespluscalif (Mar 14, 2006)

*Love the pics*

I once worked for a guy who operated like that, he was very profitable.

Back to chippers. Got laughed at by some Davey guys when I swore the best little chipper was the 6" Promark 210 - for all the reasons you mention - it only weighs 900 lbs, one guy can drop and move behind a customers house/ lot etc and it sips gas (16hp Briggs) and runs all day without complaint. Sure we have to move some logs - but that keeps us young....

Heard its been replaced / resurrected by Powertek - owned by old Promark designer.


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## Tree Machine (Mar 17, 2006)

I hope you can open this, 6" chipper in action. It's a really quick video, about 0.75 seconds:

(use your space bar to 'replay' or start/stop)


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## treespluscalif (Mar 17, 2006)

*quick work*

Boy, 

That was the quickest work I've ever seen - 2 seconds or less to reduce a rather large pile of brush. Nice cart by the way.


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## woodchux (Mar 18, 2006)

Tree Machine said:


> I hope you can open this, 6" chipper in action. It's a really quick video, about 0.75 seconds:
> 
> (use your space bar to 'replay' or start/stop)




Looks like the work of solo cat


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## Tree Machine (Mar 19, 2006)

Heh, heh. I haven't seen that cat around in awhile.


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## geofore (Mar 19, 2006)

*chippers*

When you buy that chipper do you get a tax write off on the purchase price like they have in Oregon? www.deq.state.or.us/aq/burning/chipperTC.html


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## Tree Machine (Mar 20, 2006)

:jawdrop: Holy moly! Your state subsidizes chippers. That's brilliant.


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## chippermaster01 (Mar 21, 2006)

*chippermaster01*

go for the asplundh wisper chipper. they get the job done quickly and quietly!


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## SkiTown (Mar 21, 2006)

TM - Dig your set-up, especially your truck, looks like you put some thought into all the modifications. 

I have a few questions:

Does the bed dump or are you shoveling your chips?

Looks like you have some sort of boat winch on the back of the truck, like from a trailer - are you pulling wood with it?

Thanks!


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## chippermaster01 (Mar 21, 2006)

*dr wood chipper.*

hey,what about getting a DR wood chipper? those are realy good. try the top discharge modle!


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## Newfie (Mar 21, 2006)

chippermaster01 said:


> hey,what about getting a DR wood chipper? those are realy good. try the top discharge modle!



Compared to what?


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## chippermaster01 (Mar 21, 2006)

*compared to other chippers*

well,i heard that they are great little chippers. they can handle 4 1/2" material. just a thought!:greenchainsaw:


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## Newfie (Mar 21, 2006)

chippermaster01 said:


> well,i heard that they are great little chippers. they can handle 4 1/2" material. just a thought!:greenchainsaw:



Great for harry homeowner. Not fast or durable.


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## clearance (Mar 21, 2006)

clearance said:


> Jak, I would get an old Asplundh-Whisper chipper, the duck and chuck. This is a proven machine, lots of them in BC, now people are using them for a backup because diesel self feeders are the way to go, but $40k. Ford six cylinder engine, all metal construction, exposed wiring like on a fishboat, you can get a shute that angles. When they are sharp, they are awesome, probably find one for under $10k in good shape, and a pickup will easily pull one around to do jobs where you can blow the chips into the bush.


2nd post in this thread I nailed it, thanks.


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## Newfie (Mar 22, 2006)

clearance said:


> 2nd post in this thread I nailed it, thanks.




   Take a bow sir.


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## jmack (Mar 22, 2006)

*ford*



clearance said:


> Thats a good one Tom, you are right, they just scream. I like ones that are not too beat up, on the chute you can see the rodent with a branch in his hand and his other hand making the Sshhh symbol. I think the 6 cyl is the best one, its the legendary Ford. The v-8s are real thirsty.


omigod those bad boys were screamers even with muffs sick machine fer sure


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## Tree Machine (Mar 23, 2006)

If you're a small operation, there's certain 'must have's' in my opinion, and this is just my opinion.

Discharge chute that swivels at least 270 degrees. This allows you to chip into an area, rather than into the back of a truck. No swivel, no choice.

Light enough at the tongue to be able to handle the tongue, shift the tongue left or right and lift the coupler onto a ball, one man. If you're too heavy up front you must 1) depend on another person to direct you in backing up to get close enough that two men may lift and shift or 2) back up, get out, look, get back in, repeat as many times as it takes to align the coupler and the ball so you can do it yourself.

There are a lot of options I could suggest, but just these two features alone open up a lot of versatility. The chipper is there to help you, and to me, that means not limiting you in certain basic ways, things that affect you daily and repetitively. You chipper shouldn't automatically require you to have two men to deal with it and it shouldn't be a major pain in the butt to couple and uncouple by yourself. Those limitations are for bigger machines. A personal industrial chipper really needs to have versatility and abilities that the bigger chippers can't provide you, otherwise you might as well get a bigger chipper

Just something to think about.


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## maxburton (Mar 25, 2006)

I have a Bandit 65 that works very well for pruning, and very not well for removals. For me, that's the bottom line. I can get it anywhere with my F-150 that, note, has neither four wheel drive or a limited-slip differential. I believe that those features are overrated, as I have only gotten stuck three or four times in the last two years, and every time I knew it was going to happen and went ahead anyway. A rope puller got me out quickly.
Anyway, the main problem I have with the 65 is that logs I could normally chip have to be hauled, and that everything has to be cut up to fit. It can't break crotches very well at all. I do a lot of takedowns and would like a bigger chipper for them.


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## clearance (Mar 25, 2006)

maxburton said:


> I have a Bandit 65 that works very well for pruning, and very not well for removals. For me, that's the bottom line. I can get it anywhere with my F-150 that, note, has neither four wheel drive or a limited-slip differential. I believe that those features are overrated, as I have only gotten stuck three or four times in the last two years, and every time I knew it was going to happen and went ahead anyway. A rope puller got me out quickly.
> Anyway, the main problem I have with the 65 is that logs I could normally chip have to be hauled, and that everything has to be cut up to fit. It can't break crotches very well at all. I do a lot of takedowns and would like a bigger chipper for them.


Get a 3/4 or 1 ton 4x4 and a Whisper, 4 wheel drive is not over rated and 1/2 tons have no place as a work truck.


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## maxburton (Mar 25, 2006)

I respectfully disagree. Here are the numbers:

My F-150 has a towing capacity of over 6,000 lbs, and my chipper is only 2300.
Even when mounded up with chips, the truck is 1,000 lbs under GVWR

When loaded with green logs (and passengers, gas, etc), it is at GVWR.

Of the roughly 600 jobs I've done with the truck, it has only gotten stuck 4 times tops (I can't remember exactly). That's less than one percent! 

I've put in over 50,000 hard, hard miles on this truck and the transmission has held up so far, as well as the engine and all other parts you'd expect to give up under that kind of stress.

Of course, I'd like to have a heavier truck. But right now, what I have works with no problems- except capacity. I can only move 3-4 yards of chips at a time. Oh, and I have to rake the chips out. Which is a pain. Anyway, my main point is that the truck physically can handle this kind of work. And in case anyone is wondering, I weighed all this out on the truck scale at my local quarry.


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## Tree guycnd (Mar 26, 2006)

Man you guys are over thinking this one. 

Who cares about tongue weights and all this crap, it's his first chipper and knowing how partnerships go in this biz probably his last.

Just find any thing that chips wood and you can afford, or be like all the start ups in this city "Vancouver" finance the BC1000 and after two years when you go tits up they will love to take it back for free and re-sell it.


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## Tree Machine (Mar 27, 2006)

Hmmm. 

My very first chipper was a 6 cyl chuck n duck, bought for cheap, thinking I was getting a deal. It did a few jobs, with much encouragement (ether) and eventually it did spit out a few truckloads of chips. But it was no fun to run, big, clunky, heavy, and on this one, undependable. I spent more timne wrenching on it, and bringing others in to help me wrench on it, it just sucked all the joy out of it. It was costing me major time, and hence, my good deal was souring steadily. Finally the stupid thing just fully puked and died. I sold it for $100 to someone who was into changing engines, just glad to get rid of it.


Now, this little story is not about whether a chuck n' duck is a good machine or not, it's more about that the Tree Machine got taken. And the moral here has a story:

Whatever you buy, you live with. "Just anything" isn't good enough if you're banking you business and career on the choice. The chipper is central to an arborist's operation. For me, chipping is fun. Chipping is amazingly swift and piles of brush disappear in mere moments into valuable, tiny landscape chips.

That's what it's about. Enjoying it, whenever there's a choice. Remember, this is your job, so make it as much of an ease as is humanly and mechanically possible, _and get paid for it._

My chipper cooks an excellent double bratwurst.


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## xtremetrees (Mar 27, 2006)

I agree TM.
I'm looking at vermeers 6 inch. Little Honda motor is nice and quiet.

but first I'm getting a dual axel landscape trailer, about $1600, buying it this month.opcorn:


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## Tree Machine (Mar 28, 2006)

Nice, quiet motors are for lawn mowers. Chipping creates a racket, far louder than the motor. I would, and this is a valuable suggestion, focus on getting the most horsepower that can fit on the machine. Replace the muffler if you want more quiet. There's no replacement for displacement, even though having the knives sharp and engine tuned helps. Remember, chipping is a repetitive exercise. If there's something you don't enjoy about the chipper's performance, you're gonna not enjoy it just about every time you use it. There's no joy in that.

Dull knives can be sharpened. Dirty oil can be changed. Air cleaners can be cleaned, however, insufficient horsepower you're stuck with it. Your chipper shouldn't be the thing that limits your rate in the cleanup, otherwise it ends up easier to load the stuff onto a trailer. 6" models are the dividing line between homeowner toys and industrial workhorses. Make sure you're getting into the latter if this is your career.


I know on some of the 6" models they stick little 20 horse gas engines on them, probably for the guys who are more concerned with how much they're spending now, rather than how much money they'll be making later. I've seen these toys in rental yards, and rented one once (ugh!). My Dad has a 4" chipper with a 20-horse Kohler, but about all he does is chip palm fronds, so power is not the major issue there. He owns a lawn service, does palms in the Winter.

My 6" has a 35-horse, air-cooled, Wisconsin gas engine. That's pretty ample, though 40 horsepower would move the chipping performance from 'authoritative' to 'dominating'. Bandit said 'no' to me on putting a 40 horse on there, because around that power you begin needing a radiator and liquid cooling, and then you're into a bigger chipper and then we're not talkin 6" anymore.

Hope this helps define the search.


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## ITPlanB (Apr 2, 2006)

*new site*

I found a site the other day - looks like its new and still being worked on... but looks like once complete will be a great place to compare chippers without having to go to lots of other sites... mostly shows the industrial (little bigger than avg homeowner might need) sized chippers. thought i'd pass on my find tho....

http://www.woodchippers.info


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## trevmcrev (Apr 2, 2006)

[
Whatever you buy, you live with. "Just anything" isn't good enough if you're banking you business and career on the choice. The chipper is central to an arborist's operation. For me, chipping is fun. Chipping is amazingly swift and piles of brush disappear in mere moments into valuable, tiny landscape chips.

Agreed, My first chipper was a big old clunker bought from the auctions. Was probably the first version of a hydr fed disc chipper. It was cheap....to buy.
Expensive to run, lots of downtime. I then bought a bandit 65 with 31hp duetz diesel and it was an awsome little machine. There is no tree too big for it..... just means more firewood. I now have a vermeer bc1800a. yeah its a beast but the costs skyrocket from there. Needed bigger truck, use $200 per week in fuel instead of $20, need more men to feed it, more work to feed the men, i could go on......

I miss my 65 

My chipper cooks an excellent double bratwurst.[/QUOTE]
LOL i always wanted to try that!!!
Though the 1800 is great for drying off your clothes in front of the radiator on a wet day 

Trev


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## Tree Machine (Apr 3, 2006)

trevmcrev said:


> I then bought a bandit 65 with 31hp duetz diesel and it was an awsome little machine. There is no tree too big for it..... just means more firewood.


More firewood, smaller chips. That's the difference. Brush 6" diameter and smaller get chipped, logs and limbs 6" and larger get bucked into firewood. I run a commercial tree service on this premise.

I love cutting firewood, I _love it_. I like cutting it on the ground, but most especially I like cutting it aloft. I can count on that I can climb out to the 4-6" diameter area and make the cut. That part's for the chipper. The rest is firewood (or an occasional saw log).

If you get a chipper in the 6" range, plan on becoming a firewood specialist, unless you have a crane truck to remove loggage.

6" is very economical to run, your operating costs are nil. If you can keep a list of people willing to come and take away the firewood, you and your little, tiny rig are capable of some full-scale tree care and takedowns.

Bigger may be better, but bigger will ALWAYS be more expensive.


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