Broken chipper= No money!

[Local # 17 T.T.]

Hey, I've got an older whiper chipper and lately it won't start unless it's jumped. Yesterday, I had the battery checked and they told me the generator was bad and I could see about getting it re-built for around $200-$250, the shop also said to get the voltage regulator checked out as well. Does anybody know much about generators? if a re-built is $200-$250, how much, if not to old is a brand new one? Any info would be most helpful. thanks......Mike

 

[begleytree]

how old is it? the JEX and JEY chippers can use the ac/delco one-wire alternator. just swap pulleys. rebuilt one-wires here at napa are $35 + tax and core.
-Ralph

 

[Local # 17 T.T.]

how old is it? the JEX and JEY chippers can use the ac/delco one-wire alternator. just swap pulleys. rebuilt one-wires here at napa are $35 + tax and core.
-Ralph

well, I'm not really sure how old it is, but I can tell you the feed table were you put the bush in is a one whole piece of steel the doesn't fold closed and the motor is a straight 6 that came out of a 1950's car

 

[Dadatwins]

If it is a straight 6 it is probably a ford industrial engine. They were very popular and still are on many chippers. I would work on converting the charging system to an alternater and lose the older generator also. Change the pulley and get the right belt, and get the mounting brackets and you should be fine to mount. Probably need a regulater, although some of the newer alternater have them built in. I am assuming this is a 12 volt system. Simple 12 volt system consists of battery, alternator, regulater and key switch. All of this should cost less than $200.00 and be easier to maintain. Good luck.

 

[jazak]

Not to put you down in any way but, I would NEVER run a chipper thats more then 7yr.s old max. If thats what gets you by all the power to you just saying after a while it becomes a moneypit instead of a moneymaker.

 

[Dadatwins]

Not to put you down in any way but, I would NEVER run a chipper thats more then 7yr.s old max. If thats what gets you by all the power to you just saying after a while it becomes a moneypit instead of a moneymaker.

Its an old whisper chipper, not a lot of moving parts on them, basic engine, clutch, belt, blade system. No hydraulics, simple design. My dad has one that is nearly 30 years old, back when asplundh was still labeling them. Not a lot to go wrong with them thats why they are still around. Mitts and merrill still manufacture one that looks exactly the same as it did 30+ years ago.

 

[infomet]

Chipper Charging

The "one wire" alternator mentioned above has a built in regulator. That's why it needs only one wire...no external regulator. For chipper service, you only need a very small one. There's a John Deere at about 18 amps that's popular for airplanes, but may be more costly than a car one. Check the parts store. You don't care what car it's for, so ask for one that already has a v belt pulley, with internal regulator.

If you can't work it out with the store, find a local shop and see if they have something they can rig up. They may well have a used one or be able to fix something appropriate from their inventory.

 

[BigUglySquirrel]

take off the unit, take it to a GOOD parts counter and let them match up the numbers. All of ours have been the 1-wire GM type mentioned above. If you are on an antiquated system the mention conversion is a VERY good idea, easy to do and cheap to get parts. Everything is very readily available.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Being as the original poster did say he didn't have any money...he could just swap the battery in the chipper with the battery in the truck every so often. That should get him through to payday. Then in the mean while, he might want to try to ID the generator, take it apart, figure out what is wrong, and just buy those parts needed to get it charging again. He might be able to pull the generator and still use the chipper, provided the belt isn't running something else.
This situation is a little different, but I recently had an electric motor go out, and the replacement was $200, I tore it apart and found the parts for a small fraction of the price of a rebuilt motor.
Good luck!

 

[Hoosier]

I wonder if a guy could just use power from the trailer lights to charge that battery? I mean the dam thing is hooked up to the truck anyway, and that is how you charge a battery in a smaller camper?

 

[Coastalcpm]

Vermeer BC1400

:bang:
has anyone had any experiance with the Vermeer BC1400
i bought a new one this year, a 2005 left over, i have had nothing but problems with it.
it has been in the shop 5 times, throttle switch solonoid, roller valves and micro switches, 2 recalls (motor mounts and winch system)

 

[TimberMcPherson]

:bang:
has anyone had any experiance with the Vermeer BC1400
i bought a new one this year, a 2005 left over, i have had nothing but problems with it.
it has been in the shop 5 times, throttle switch solonoid, roller valves and micro switches, 2 recalls (motor mounts and winch system)

Seems like you have to get a chipper over 7 years old, then almost anyone can fix it.
If its been that much trouble I would try to get the stealership to keep it next time its in for work. How many hours has it done?

 

[Local # 17 T.T.]

Got it fixed, but back in the same hole again!

okay:

Since I last posted, I have had the generator re-built by a local starter/alternator shop for roughly 125.00 + tax. Had a buddie's uncle help me put it back in and used it to chip some bush, last weekend. Went to use it today and motor wont turn over at all, so I took the battery to a local auto parts store, they tested the battery and tell me that it's bad. I buy a new battery and still nothing. I also noticed that the negative terminal, on the prong that connects to the battery, one prong was cracked, so I bought both positive/negative new connectors. But I don't if that wiil solve my problem. Bad voltage regulator would that do it. Help me, help me. help me. Much appreciated, thanks Mike

 

[Local # 17 T.T.]

okay:

Since I last posted, I have had the generator re-built by a local starter/alternator shop for roughly 125.00 + tax. Had a buddie's uncle help me put it back in and used it to chip some bush, last weekend. Went to use it today and motor wont turn over at all, so I took the battery to a local auto parts store, they tested the battery and tell me that it's bad. I buy a new battery and still nothing. I also noticed that the negative terminal, on the prong that connects to the battery, one prong was cracked, so I bought both positive/negative new connectors. But I don't if that wiil solve my problem. Bad voltage regulator would that do it. Help me, help me. help me. Much appreciated, thanks Mike

Oh and it's not that I have no money, I can't make very much money with out the chipper!

 

[begleytree]

if it won't turn over, forget the generator for now. you have 2 problems.
no start, check switch, relay, selenoid, and starter. check your battery connections, all 4 ends. test the battery for charge level regardless of its being new.
I going to say your problems are related. you forgot to hook a wire up somewhere. BTW, did you polarize the fields in your new/rebuilt generator? if not, it will not charge.
-Ralph

 

[Local # 17 T.T.]

How do I go about checking that stuff??

 

[begleytree]

6 or 12 volt system?

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

:bang:
has anyone had any experiance with the Vermeer BC1400
i bought a new one this year, a 2005 left over, i have had nothing but problems with it.
it has been in the shop 5 times, throttle switch solonoid, roller valves and micro switches, 2 recalls (motor mounts and winch system)

It's funny you ask.
The 1400 is the best chipper...when it works, the other 6.9 days of the week, on average, it's a broken down down hunk of $$$ sucking metal.

 

[Local # 17 T.T.]

6 or 12 volt system?

12 volt system