Drum or disk 10-14" chippers

[elliotttree]

I've always favored drum but hear that disk can be better. Everyone selling is trying to convince me of feed size and area for blade to hit wood. Is anyone clear on this argument?

 

[Thillmaine]

chippers

I find that drum has more consistent chip size. We have two bandit 1590's and both spit out small chips (anvil being adjusted correctly, and newish blades). The only issue we have is the velocity ofg the chips. The trucks dont ever really get packed full, and when we are just discharging on site the distance is poor.
I used to work out your way, in Needham, MA and we had all bandit 200/250 disk. Chip size wanst consistent, but they shoot (chips) much farther.
I have used a vermeer drum, and bandits of both type. All in all I prefer the disk. A bandit 200/250 is about the best residential chipper you can buy IMOP.

 

[limbwalker54]

Drum all the way.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

The consistent chip size is the only argument that I was able to get salesmen to really stick to with disks, that and they can be made more compact.

Drums are lighter and cheaper because they do not have that huge billet of steel that has to be precision milled for balance.

Infeed chute size is important, because that is what allows wide crotch angles to get broken. So infeed and HP are the two biggest concerns. Most confuse infeed with log size, but it pile size and crotch angel that get you the most. If you do more trims and sell the wood, you do not need the horse power someone doing oak removals would. Same if you are in the highlands and have mostly pine and poplar.


If you do a lot of hardwoods then you will want more hp so that you do not bog down often. Being under powered here will cost more in the long run, wear and tear wise, then paying up for the extra ponies.

 

[elliotttree]

Thanks

Thanks for your insight on chippers seems like all the dealers spin it there way and guys that have one or the other stick to what they have. I have a 2002 BC1000 and think I'm switching to a 2005 Bandit 250 with a winch. Its going to cost me another 10k. Do you think thats the right move?

 

[Slvrmple72]

The winch will be nice! Like John Paul Sanborn said it is going to depend a lot on what you are chipping. I have an old chuck n duck drum with about 100hp (Ford 300 straight 6) I feed her branches 4" and under. The larger stuff is firewood except pine and that I haul to the dump where they turn it into mulch! If you haven't you gotta land a big job where you can rent or try out a larger chipper. Crane the piece over 8" butt into the chipper and chew it up! Those large Morbarks can eat! When it comes to HP get the biggest you can afford for what you will be using it for! Diesel is a plus too!

 

[ropensaddle]

Either tub grinder or grapple fed drum if I am spending huge bucks I
want the labor gone.

 

[brushbandit]

Thanks for your insight on chippers seems like all the dealers spin it there way and guys that have one or the other stick to what they have. I have a 2002 BC1000 and think I'm switching to a 2005 Bandit 250 with a winch. Its going to cost me another 10k. Do you think thats the right move?

The 250 is a good choice, you'll be happy with it. I have a 1996 Bandit 200XP I bought new and it's been a great dependable machine. I recently purchased a Bandit 1890 Drum. I like the drum as well. Nice chips, I really like that it feeds everything straight unlike the disc that takes evrything to one side.

 

[treeman82]

We ran 2 machines pretty much back to back on a job about a month ago. A BC1000, and a 250XP. The job was just big removals though, the 250 was used for the oaks, maples, and ash. That sucker filled my chip truck without delay. Packed it pretty tight too. When we tried to use the BC1000 for the poplar removal, it took a lot longer to chip similar sized material, and didn't fill the truck anywhere near as full.

That being said, if I was in a trim only business, I'd probably go with the BC1000 if I was faced with only those 2 choices due to lighter weight, and less fuel consumption.

 

[PurdueJoe]

We ran my bandit 150 side by side with a vermeer 1400 and I might be a little biased (the 150 is mine) but my 150 did just as much and as fast or faster then 1400 on material under 12". Plus the 150 also filled the trucks way tighter. Just my 2 cents.

 

[TreeTopKid]

Anyone here ever heard of or used Greenmech chippers (disc) . Myself, and my fathers company used to run them in the UK where they are very popular. They don't have conventional knives. They have rows of three disc blades that can be rotated as they get dull.

I know that they are exported here as I used to be at the factory quite a lot, but I have yet to see one.

They were designed by Tony Turner (of Bomford Turner fame). The 12" machine was a ripper.

 

[capetrees]

Drum all the way.

 

[Grace Tree]

Spam

Spam

 

[outofmytree]

Spam reported.

 

[outofmytree]

Ok back to chippers.

I just traded in a morbark 12" twister on a Bandit 1590. I road tested a number of different brands and machines and selected the 1590 for the following reasons.

1. It eats anything. I mean anything. Over 90% of our work is domestic, small drop zone work for HO's and R/E. In the same day we can be removing cactus, palms, soft woods and hardwoods and the 1590 eats it all with ease.

2.Outstanding power on dead wood and big logs. Most of the chippers I have tested lose interest when u feed logs over 80% of their given capacity. The 1590 has a horizontal maximum width of 17" but I have fed logs up to 19" wide and it chews the bark off em and sucks em through.

3. Nice wide chute. When your chute blocks it is often because it is too narrow. With a wider chute it stays free for longer and if you keep a hoe (not a ho) with a long handle close to hand you can scrape out the gluggy stuff like cactus mush before it becomes an issue.

4. Good chip production. Where we work you cannot give firewood away but mulch is hard to find. So we chip everything and sell it by the truckload. Well except for crappy palms, those go to green waste.

5. Presentation. I can now honestly tell people we are going green.

JPS said it really well. You need to define your work before you define the tool required for the job.

For me, its drum over disc so long as the drum diameter is more then double the log diameter and the drum mass exceeds 500kg. Small light drums are just not in the race.

 

[wahlturfcare]

i have a asplundh chuck and duck drum and love it. it will take anything up to 12'' without bogging down a bit.

I have rented vermeers disc chippers with 20hp to 50hp motors and didnt like how leafy or gumy would would clog up the disc all the time and would have to be cleaned out periodically.

 

[TDunk]

I have a c-n-d that does a good job, but when it bogs down it barely has enough velocity to get the chips in the truck. But for smaller limbs(4" and under), especially pine and spruce, it chews them up so quick it unreal. I just bought a 12" disc that definitely throws alot farther and seems to throw the chips with more authority , if that makes any sense.

 

[thejdman04]

The company I used to work for had a bandit 6", 6" gas Vermeer, a Vermeer 9" and a 12" BC1000 XL. I forget all the numbers on the other units but do remember the 12" Vermeer we had was a BC1000. The Vermeer 12" always always was clogging and burning belts. Vermeer had it back many times (as it was under warranty) and they never got it right, would clog many times a day, even with the slowest feed speed. The plate on the bottom that has the strike off plate(that the drum shears the wood against), also cracked and fell off. The plate has a inspection and clean out door and then the strike off plate, that whole plate broke off one day (the welds cracked), when a branch was fed in the chipper. We put new belts (3 rib belts are not cheap) on that chipper at least once every 2 weeks. Even if they didnt break, if the groundman was feeding it and walked away to get more brush, itd clog, smoke and glaze the belts and they were worthless then.

 

[tree MDS]

Thanks for your insight on chippers seems like all the dealers spin it there way and guys that have one or the other stick to what they have. I have a 2002 BC1000 and think I'm switching to a 2005 Bandit 250 with a winch. Its going to cost me another 10k. Do you think thats the right move?

Yep, the 250 is a good all around choice. I picked up a used one last year with all the options: winch, quad rollers, supersized infeed, hyd chute, autofeed and JD 125. I just got lucky finding a good deal from a friend so the options were what it had. But now I wouldnt want to live without them. The infeed on mine is 12 x 24" so it eats a 24" log (pine) ripped in half. With the SS infeed the amount of bushy stuff this thing will take is pretty cool. Look for John Deere power, I think those are the best/least vibration from years of looking at and talking about chippers with dealers. I hear good things about the 1590 but personally like disk better because its a more proven design, and yes its cool to crank the chute all the way up and broadcast chips, amazing how far they go. Wood will feed faster with a disk also, I think its because of the angle (plus more wieght with a disk), I always said take a pair of handpruners to a good sized branch straight across, then try it at a 45.

 

[Mikecutstrees]

My BC 1000 has been great. Iv'e put over 1000 hours on it without any major problems. (I had one pulley crap out) and vermeer only charged me for labor. Service has been excellent. Chips very well. I bought it used with about 1200 hours on it. Mike