Looking for opinions on mitts and merrill chippers...

[joninatree]

looking to purchase a 1st chipper very soon and am intrigued by a few (fairly sublte) arguments for the mitts and merrill chippers (over the more commonly found asplundh/altec whisper chippers)...1) slower/steadier feed rate and perhaps better chip quality due to staggered knife pattern, 2) sideways-swiveling chute, and 3) low enough height to fit in a standard garage door.

I currently am thinking seriously about an 86' with a 16" drum with a torque adaptor (as opposed to clutch operated) that's 6 hours away. see pictures attached.

Anyone have any experience with these units, particularly in comparison to Whisper-type chippers?

 

[joninatree]

pics attached...

An interesting thing I've noticed in my search so far has been I've found more M&M chippers in Ohio, which is where I believe they were all built, than in all the rest of the states combined.

 

[prentice110]

1) slower/steadier feed rate and perhaps better chip quality due to staggered knife pattern, 2) sideways-swiveling chute, ----Anyone have any experience with these units, particularly in comparison to Whisper-type chippers?

All I know about them is that the staggered knives make the feed not so violent, which anyone with whippy chippy experience will tell you can be quite painfull if your not carefull. And after owning and running my own Asplund whipper for many years, I can say that the swivel chut will definately come in handy. How much they asking for that thing?

 

[groundsmgr]

Some of the older MM drum chippers had weal frames. Check the frame under the motor for cracks.
Scotty

 

[joninatree]

thx for the responses...

It was listed for $3900...owner for quite a while said 3K was firmly his bottom line....had offer of $2575 rejected...later got him to agree to $2880...it has semi-dull knives, so I had ordered and sent his way a brand new set of knives since I want to see it work at its full potential. it's 6 hours away, so I'd really like to find someone in or near cincinatti who knows M&M chippers, or at least drum chippers in general, who could look at for me this weekend before I committ to the 12+ hour round-trip drive. I made the offer on the large equipment forum last nite of $75 sent to someone willing to go check it out on my behalf. Who should I pm about this?

 

[joninatree]

I say this weekend becasue I have fairly firm plans to leave TN late this Sunday to go look at it and hopefully be driving back with it Monday. It's actually in Loveland, OH.

 

[prentice110]

It was listed for $3900...owner for quite a while said 3K was firmly his bottom line....had offer of $2575 rejected...later got him to agree to $2880..

WAY WAY WAY too much!!!! Run, dont walk away! You can get a 9-10 year old unit for not too much more than that, and you wont have to spend a small fortune on gas to go get it. Look on ebay, there on there all the time. Theres an Altec on there right now that if it wasnt in Cali Id buy. Its got a snapped shaft, but I have a spare drum and infeed hopper. Last I knew it was at 500.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Who should I pm about this?

Try Treevet. But that price is very high! Used chippers are cheap here because of CARB.
Jeff

 

[Slvrmple72]

The Mitts and Merrils were and are still being built by Karl Kuemmerlings, They make a nice chip and as the others have said are not as rough as other chuck and ducks out there.
Here is there website with a link to other chippers including older refurbished ones.
Karl Kuemmerling Inc.
If everything is still nice and tight on that unit and the engine seems as well maintained as the rest of it that doesn't sound too bad of a price. True you may do better at an auction but if you cant recapture that kind of money quickly doing treework....
Anyhow good luck with it!

 

[joninatree]

thanks for y'all's input....I have decided that I'm willing to pay something of a premium for the m&m's side-swiveling chute and slower chip rate. I may also before long buy an altec or asplundh whisper-style chipper too, primarily for comparison purposes but also as a back-up. I just wish I'd known 3 years ago that decent basic powerful chippers like this were available for 1-3k or so (would've saved alot of brush sawing and stompin'!). If and when I buy another similar chipper, it will be a slower purchase process (as I'll already have a chipper), so I'll be the king to get a real bargain on a decent one that's hopefully in the 90's era vintage (perhaps one being auctioned out of CA). Thanks again.

 

[prentice110]

Your gonna buy it???!!?? I picked up a 97' Bandit 250xp with a Cummins 4bt 115hp for 6k last year. If your gonna buy that 86' unit for 3k, I got some property you might wanna look at.....

 

[joninatree]

what's the 4bt stand for?

 

[Slvrmple72]

Your gonna buy it???!!?? I picked up a 97' Bandit 250xp with a Cummins 4bt 115hp for 6k last year. If your gonna buy that 86' unit for 3k, I got some property you might wanna look at.....

Pics or it didn't happen.LOL! My buddy picked up a WC-17 w/JD at Edinburg for $1100.00 last year. Needless to say it needed some engine work and still really needs a good sandblasting and paint job but he really stole it for that price!

Saw this listing yesterday evening..
1999 CHIPPER BANDIT 150 XP