A letter I wrote recently, expressing my ultimate chipper wishlist
Dear United States Chipper Industry,
My name is Jerry Rigga and I am writing to you from the small nation of Woodszekistan. Our country is interested in the importation of your 6" capacity chippers. There are a mere thousand or so arborists in our entire country and we, for the most part know each other. We could all benefit, as a whole, from using the same sort of chipper.
Certain specifications on this small industrial chipper are essential, due to our available towing vehicles, landscape geography, and narrow roads.
Please bear with my while I very clearly describe what I know to be the ideal chipper for the country of Woodszekistan:
We need a highly versatile and effective 6" chipper. The chipper must be light and maneuverable by one man. The machine needs to have a swing-down, swivel, pneumatic caster wheel jack mounted off the side of the front tongue 36mm (14"), wide-flotation turf tires to aid in crossing our often-damp earth. To complete the essential tire needs, we see benefit in having a mounted spare tire, a secure mount for a lug wrench, and a simple hand-crank, on-board mounted jack, allowing an arborist to jack the chipper up onsite (or to stabilize the machine while unattached of a vehicle). Jack sites on both sides of the back of the chipper are also necessary.
Since the chipper needs to be light enough that it is easily maneuverable by one man, the ultra-versatile machine needs to have an emergency brake - with the handle mounted atop the front tongue. Easily reached, this 'auto-chock' is essential for operator safety.
Specialized, (though simple) Hydraulics: A dual-spool control, unit; one side for attachment to the infeed bar, the other for any other hydraulic accessory we might want to run, especially the the onboard splitter. Quick-couple hydraulic nipples on the hydraulic's accessory side to allow plugging in the 24-ton vertical log splitter, which is mounted over the left side fender. We’ll need a hydraulic flow limiter adjacent to the control unit to adjust the speed of the infeed wheel from 30 metres (90 feet) per minute, down to near zero. We find necessary, the most powerful infeed wheel motor available.
Sight gauges to monitor the hydraulic level and a sight gauge on the fuel tank.
Mounted on the rear of the chipper's frame will be a 2700 Kg (6000 lb.), on-board electric winch (we would prefer a hydraulic winch, but find the cost prohibitive).
To accessorize, we would wish for four, vertically mounted rear steel 'tool tubes', 5 cm diameter, two mounted to each side of the back, near the infeed pan. These are for the rakes and flat shovel. An aluminum tool box mounted over the right side-fender and a high-end, 12 Volt battery. Lastly we require an engine cover that is adjustable up and down -or removable (for maintenance purposes), over the engine manifold, so as to protect the engine and electrical from weather as well as falling limbs.
As far as the powerplant goes, we use both petrol and diesel here, though diesel is favored by most arborists. We would like a HP rating in the 35-40 HP range. Gauges we require are tachometer and voltmeter.
Lastly, we would like a vertical steel post behind the chipper’s right-side gas tank upon which will be mounted a vise. Also a steel L-post off the front, engine corner of the frame to prevent backup jacknives from crushing the chipper's engine.
Every one of these listed features, I have seen employed on one chipper or another, and all are important. Our arborist community has eliminated any esoteric features not involved strictly in the performance or safety of the machine.
Men and women of the U.S. Chipper Industries, from all of us in our tiny, unknown country, thank you for your kind assistance in this most important project.
Sincerely,
Jerry Rigga
Limb Schleppers, Inc.
Woodszekistan
