chipper sizes

[josh Farris]

hi im hoping that i can get some good advise on what size and style chipper to get i started my tree service about 6 months ago and now its time to get a chipper i been looking at a 93 toro commercial auto feed type it has a 24hp but im not sure if thats going to be big enough. so dose anyone know what would be a good starter chipper dont really want a chuck and duck because my help is pretty new at this. money is kinda tight could get a loan but dont really want to. thanks for any input.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

750hp and nothing smaller!

I used a small Vermer at my house several years ago. Was from the local rental yard and was "rated" as being a 10" chipper.
It did ok with 6-7" stuff, but wasn't too happy with anything much larger. Had a 40hp Kohler.
I forget the model of the machine, maybe DC900?

 

[Trees and beyond]

Go big or go home

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

 

[Conquistador3]

Around here chippers are classified following two parameters: "feeder" diameter (maximum size of the stuff that can be chipped) and hourly production.

Generally speaking tree service chippers start from 13cm feeder diameter (5") and a hourly production of 10 cubic meters (353 cubic feet). They are usually available with both Honda/Vanguard petrol engines and Kubota/Yanmar diesels.

When looking at a used unit, the two first things you should check are the presence of welds and the state of the hammers.
If cheap enough a unit with welds is usually acceptable, but it should be closely checked for rust periodically. If you are handy with a welder and have access to decent gauge steel, or know somebody who does, this isn't much of a deal breaker if looking for a cheap unit.
Hammers need to replaced periodically. On commercial (not industrial) grade they are usually changed every 200-250 hours. Check they aren't worn off. Albeit not impossibly priced, it's an extra expense.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

I've run a couple of BCS 1000s a decent amount. One had a 80ish HP cummins, the other a 49 HP Cat. If money is tight, you could get away with the smaller one, though it's noticeably slower. I wouldn't want anything smaller that that, personally. Having a larger feed opening not only increases your capacity, it makes feeding smaller branchy material much easier.

Oh, by the way, pay no attention to Valley Firewood. As usual, he's full of cr@p. Seriously, THANKS for the recommendation man. 750 HP for a first chipper for a new tree service. Great post...

 

[KenJax Tree]

I have to agree that VF is the biggest lying bullshitter on here. Believe NOTHING he says. Recently he pulled a saw from a shed that sat with fuel in it for 20 year and it fired right up

 

[greengreer]

A solid 6" is about as small as I would go. Look for a bandit 90 or carlton 1790 for a good machine in the 9-10" range.
What do you have for a chip truck?

 

[josh Farris]

A solid 6" is about as small as I would go. Look for a bandit 90 or carlton 1790 for a good machine in the 9-10" range.
What do you have for a chip truck?

i dont have a chip truck i will be shooting the chips into my dump trailer

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Oh, by the way, pay no attention to Valley Firewood. As usual, he's full of cr@p. Seriously, THANKS for the recommendation man. 750 HP for a first chipper for a new tree service. Great post...

It was a joke. Lighten up Francis!

 

[ironpirate]

Chipper selection depends alot on the area you service and the access you have on your jobsites. In alot of urban environments the chip truck and chipper stays parked out at the curb making it easier to haul around a larger chipper. In a rural mountainous area it is much more difficult if not impossible to operate a larger chipper due to restricted access. Ever try backing a large chipper uphill, on a curvy gravel driveway? You might as well leave the big chipper at home because it is useless in this case. I operate in the mountains and for my chipping we use a Bandit 65xp. Techni cally a 6in chipper it has a 12in feed opening and is a very capable chipper. We run it everyday and it keeps two guys busy feeding it. You just have to understand your not gonna throw a 10in log through it. That being said if I operated in an area where it was flat everywhere I would probabbly run a 12in chipper simply for the ability to get rid of some of the larger brush without having to cut it down into smaller pieces with the saw. So, in my opinion a 6in chipper is a good started machine. Light enough to haul around with a small pickup truck but still packs a mean punch when the brush starts hittin the ground. As a side note if you do look into 6in units try to find one with the wider feexer/throat opening. 12in is the minimum i would want. It makes a huge differrence when you have 2 guys feeding it, a 6in throat might only take one limb at a time. Good luck!

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk