Opinions please

[ducaticorse]

92 Morbark 290 with 2K hours and the Cummins 110 horse turbo diesel $6500

98 Morbark 13 with 2600 hours JD125 horse turbo diesel $9K

Both seem to be in decent shape sight unseen after speaking with the sellers. The better of the two is certainly the 13, but there is a $2500 price discrepancy.

The 290 does not have the hydraulic up/down of the feed wheel, so it can be a challenge at times feeding larger diameter wood.

I appreciate all your input.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

I've never regreted buying bigger, but I sure have kicked myself for buying smaller a few times. Just my .02

 

[ducaticorse]

I've never regreted buying bigger, but I sure have kicked myself for buying smaller a few times. Just my .02

Well, both chippers have the same diameter capacity. But thank you for stopping by LOL...

 

[mattfr12]

Are you set on Morbark? They are both good chipper and in that size I think a bandit 250 is king you can find them up to 140hp I seen one on Craigslist fir 7-8 ill check when I get home.

You can add your own down pressure later. It can be the difference between a good or bad day sometimes.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Well, both chippers have the same diameter capacity. But thank you for stopping by LOL...

I was talking about 25 more ponies and down pressure.

 

[Blakesmaster]

I have the 110 cummins ( 4bt ) in mine. Eats like crazy, the downfall is the small infeed. Dont know #### about morbarks but both of those engines can handle a large infeed. Pick the bigger one?

 

[ducaticorse]

I have the 110 cummins ( 4bt ) in mine. Eats like crazy, the downfall is the small infeed. Dont know #### about morbarks but both of those engines can handle a large infeed. Pick the bigger one?

Yes, I would go for the 13 if money was of no concern. You are aware of my sitch. I just bought a bucket, bought new saws, have to outfit my whole op with new gear, ropes lines, climbing equipment etc. I am trying to save money where I can without hobbling myself while doing so.

I guess I should be asking if anyone has intricate knowledge of the 290, can I get by a couple seasons doing trims and removals with it as I feel it requires a little bit more "experience" to run properly (new groundie), or should I budget in other places and grab the 13???

 

[ducaticorse]

Are you set on Morbark? They are both good chipper and in that size I think a bandit 250 is king you can find them up to 140hp I seen one on Craigslist fir 7-8 ill check when I get home.

You can add your own down pressure later. It can be the difference between a good or bad day sometimes.

Ive ran and like Bandits, but I havent found any in my price range. I also feel Morbarks are a little more HD in construction.

I have a Bandit 150 gas burner right now that has more aftermarket welds in it than a WW2 Battle ship.

 

[mattfr12]

Ive ran and like Bandits, but I havent found any in my price range. I also feel Morbarks are a little more HD in construction.

I have a Bandit 150 gas burner right now that has more aftermarket welds in it than a WW2 Battle ship.

they are more HD in construction, the only issue i have with them that im not sure applies to those models is when the in feed opens it opens on an arch, bandits goes straight up and down. on our 2400 sometimes smaller branches will slip through and stall the motor because of how the in feed arches up. not a super big issue it just seems to close slower. it isn't something that happens all the time or is a deal breaker i love the chipper it is built heavier. its the heaviest 18" chipper on the market i do believe.

the 250 i recommend because to me it chips like a 15' chipper with a 120-140hp in it. the disk in it is a nice size carries a lot of energy.

this guy is open to motors looks to be diesel try and strike a deal the size of the in feed is another big point on that thing really helpful you can do small crane work with it, we did for along time.
i had a guy bring me a crashed dynamic 18 inch he wanted 7200 for with around 2k hours i was thinking about taking it but dont really have the time for the little TLC it needed it didnt need much ill see if its still around. being an 18" that dynamic didnt weigh much more than a 250xp thats what had me interested.

250 Bandit wood chipper

this guy is open to trades to and ill tell you it is a good machine it was my first chipper. it never cost me a penny its got a ford gasser in it but chips super good i bet he would take 4g's i sold it to him for 3 but he put alot into it.

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/bfs/3651481995.html

 

[mattfr12]

92 Morbark 290 with 2K hours and the Cummins 110 horse turbo diesel $6500

98 Morbark 13 with 2600 hours JD125 horse turbo diesel $9K

Both seem to be in decent shape sight unseen after speaking with the sellers. The better of the two is certainly the 13, but there is a $2500 price discrepancy.

The 290 does not have the hydraulic up/down of the feed wheel, so it can be a challenge at times feeding larger diameter wood.

I appreciate all your input.

on your original question i actually think the 290 is a better machine as far as energy carried in the cutting system and it will throw chips harder getting more in per load. it will hit the material a little harder than the 13 knives are a little easier to change for me and anvil is easy to adjust. Cheaper parts for engine i think they also last a little longer 6-8k hours. the only real down side is the infeed but you can modify it like the jarrod did and make it like a 250 size table. getting tops in that is going to be a PITA.

seriously another thing and i hate to say it because i hate vermeer but in your price range a bc1000 to bc1500. they are a dime a dozen for sale around here and chip pretty well they are like 88hp and a drum, auto feed usually works well on them so you can feed good size stuff. we ran one for a while and just had the button on the side permanently rigged on so you couldn't bump the bar to stop the rollers.

if you can get pictures of it and post them, get some pictures of the inside where the anvil sits that edge of steel right before the disk or drum so we can see if it was ran with dull knives a lot. look at the motor mounts to see how there setup measure the distance or how much thread is sticking out to see if it was ran out of whack some guys adjust that #### by there self and have no idea what is going on and run the belts crooked burning up the bearings. if it has a bottom roller go underneath and push up on it to see if there is a ton of play a lot of guys let chips get in there and never clean it fudging those bearings up.

I've bought a good amount of chippers they have a hard time covering problems up on me anymore something is always going bad on them find it and get it knocked out of the price or at least half of it.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Sometimes you need to raise the roller for more reasons than feeding bigger wood. That Cummins is good, but I would go for the 13.
Jeff

 

[ducaticorse]

on your original question i actually think the 290 is a better machine as far as energy carried in the cutting system and it will throw chips harder getting more in per load. it will hit the material a little harder than the 13 knives are a little easier to change for me and anvil is easy to adjust. Cheaper parts for engine i think they also last a little longer 6-8k hours. the only real down side is the infeed but you can modify it like the jarrod did and make it like a 250 size table. getting tops in that is going to be a PITA.

seriously another thing and i hate to say it because i hate vermeer but in your price range a bc1000 to bc1500. they are a dime a dozen for sale around here and chip pretty well they are like 88hp and a drum, auto feed usually works well on them so you can feed good size stuff. we ran one for a while and just had the button on the side permanently rigged on so you couldn't bump the bar to stop the rollers.

if you can get pictures of it and post them, get some pictures of the inside where the anvil sits that edge of steel right before the disk or drum so we can see if it was ran with dull knives a lot. look at the motor mounts to see how there setup measure the distance or how much thread is sticking out to see if it was ran out of whack some guys adjust that #### by there self and have no idea what is going on and run the belts crooked burning up the bearings. if it has a bottom roller go underneath and push up on it to see if there is a ton of play a lot of guys let chips get in there and never clean it fudging those bearings up.

I've bought a good amount of chippers they have a hard time covering problems up on me anymore something is always going bad on them find it and get it knocked out of the price or at least half of it.

All great input, from everyone. Thank you.

I generally work in an urban area and never use cranes. I am rarely taking tops whole, and generally am piecing down everything. Im not too concerned with having to process brush prior to chipping at this point. Im thinking at this point, I could use the 2500 saved on the 290 and use it towards all my rig and climb gear and maybe a new 346XP. Plus, the 290 is an hour away opposed to the 13 being four hours away. I guess ill start by heading there and looking at it in person.

 

[mattfr12]

All great input, from everyone. Thank you.

I generally work in an urban area and never use cranes. I am rarely taking tops whole, and generally am piecing down everything. Im not too concerned with having to process brush prior to chipping at this point. Im thinking at this point, I could use the 2500 saved on the 290 and use it towards all my rig and climb gear and maybe a new 346XP. Plus, the 290 is an hour away opposed to the 13 being four hours away. I guess ill start by heading there and looking at it in person.

disks are not as efficient chipping as a drum but i actually like them a little better in some ways. they pack trucks better to start we use a 280xp to chip into 40ft containers it puts it in there better than the 2400 or 1990 both drums. this is due to the giant fins they put on the back of the disk you get a lot more air coming out the chute. there are some youtube videos of guys with gauges showing the 280 putting out almost double the air flow of a 2400. that and they carry more inertia when hitting, drums cutting head on with the wood uses a little less fuel to do the same amount of work, but anymore I'm buying 280xp's.

this is my baby man is it an animal. i just eats 18-20 inch oak all day its 220hp if i remember correctly i had to get a new core in the rad thats when i got it back from bandit. it uses the older style thermostat that cracked, not an electronic one so it let it overheat melting the original core.
View attachment 286010View attachment 286011View attachment 286012

 

[mattfr12]

All great input, from everyone. Thank you.

I generally work in an urban area and never use cranes. I am rarely taking tops whole, and generally am piecing down everything. Im not too concerned with having to process brush prior to chipping at this point. Im thinking at this point, I could use the 2500 saved on the 290 and use it towards all my rig and climb gear and maybe a new 346XP. Plus, the 290 is an hour away opposed to the 13 being four hours away. I guess ill start by heading there and looking at it in person.

you had a nice 1890 didn't you? what happened to it i would have like to have that machine i remember seeing a picture of a black one.

 

[ducaticorse]

disks are not as efficient chipping as a drum but i actually like them a little better in some ways. they pack trucks better to start we use a 280xp to chip into 40ft containers it puts it in there better than the 2400 or 1990 both drums. this is due to the giant fins they put on the back of the disk you get a lot more air coming out the chute. there are some youtube videos of guys with gauges showing the 280 putting out almost double the air flow of a 2400. that and they carry more inertia when hitting, drums cutting head on with the wood uses a little less fuel to do the same amount of work, but anymore I'm buying 280xp's.

this is my baby man is it an animal. i just eats 18-20 inch oak all day its 220hp if i remember correctly i had to get a new core in the rad thats when i got it back from bandit. it uses the older style thermostat that cracked, not an electronic one so it let it overheat melting the original core.
View attachment 286010View attachment 286011View attachment 286012

Tell me about it. I had a deposit on (which I lost after the accident) on a 98 Bandit 1890HD intimidator with a 200 horse cummins. It had 300 og hours and was 100% mint. It was beautiful. It was all a humbling experience. What doesnt kill you makes you stronger, and all those other cliches that people use.......

 

[CalTreeEquip]

Tell me about it. I had a deposit on (which I lost after the accident) on a 98 Bandit 1890HD intimidator with a 200 horse cummins. It had 300 og hours and was 100% mint. It was beautiful. It was all a humbling experience. What doesnt kill you makes you stronger, and all those other cliches that people use.......

Like this one?
Used Chippers in California: 1999 Brush Bandit 1890HD Intimidator Drum Chipper in California $39,900

 

[CalTreeEquip]

92 Morbark 290 with 2K hours and the Cummins 110 horse turbo diesel $6500

98 Morbark 13 with 2600 hours JD125 horse turbo diesel $9K

Both seem to be in decent shape sight unseen after speaking with the sellers. The better of the two is certainly the 13, but there is a $2500 price discrepancy.

The 290 does not have the hydraulic up/down of the feed wheel, so it can be a challenge at times feeding larger diameter wood.

I appreciate all your input.

The 13 looks like your best bet. The JD 4045 is a great engine, never had a problem with any of them. Can't say that about the Cummins. 13 is a 15" cap chipper that feeds real well. Easy to tow as well, real well balanced. Problems, they don't through chip real well and when you side shoot they have the tendency to clog when chipping light dry material. There is a fix for this with a modified chip chute and fan fins you'll need to figure out if your has been upgraded. Also they have some much steal in them that they tend to crack so check the frame and feed table. All Morbarks do this I think.
The 280 I have never been impressed with. They have an older design feed roller system that never worked very well, 12" cap with no lift cylinder though you could ad one with a little effort. The Cummins has its merits but I have seen to many smoking ones and a few that were blown. It is the cheaper engine option, the JD is the most expensive option.
The are both price pretty good.

 

[epicklein22]

The 13 looks like your best bet. The JD 4045 is a great engine, never had a problem with any of them. Can't say that about the Cummins. 13 is a 15" cap chipper that feeds real well. Easy to tow as well, real well balanced. Problems, they don't through chip real well and when you side shoot they have the tendency to clog when chipping light dry material. There is a fix for this with a modified chip chute and fan fins you'll need to figure out if your has been upgraded. Also they have some much steal in them that they tend to crack so check the frame and feed table. All Morbarks do this I think.
The 280 I have never been impressed with. They have an older design feed roller system that never worked very well, 12" cap with no lift cylinder though you could ad one with a little effort. The Cummins has its merits but I have seen to many smoking ones and a few that were blown. It is the cheaper engine option, the JD is the most expensive option.
The are both price pretty good.

Good analysis. I use 13's daily and really like them. I own a 250xp with lift cylinder and would take a 13. The 13 is gonna feed so much better than the 290. The 15" capacity will make a big difference too, and the 13 doesn't have a problem chipping that size material. Doing mostly manual/bucket work, you are going to wanna load the feed tray and chip only when you have a good amount of material to chip. Having a chipper run at full throttle and only throw a few branches in at a time is a waste of money concerning fuel. Staging brush and only chipping when needed is the way the way to go. Start a few branches and then just load the feed tray; the 13 will pull everything in really well and you wouldn't have to have the chipper running at full throttle very often.

The only downfall is I believe that 13 doesn't have dual feed rollers, so it may be a pain to chip certain material. Overall, I think the extra money is well worth it.

 

[ducaticorse]

Like this one?
Used Chippers in California: 1999 Brush Bandit 1890HD Intimidator Drum Chipper in California $39,900

It was exactly like that, in black, but I was paying 17K for mine

I cant BELIEVE what guys like you are reselling some of this equipment for. It is just INSANE that people buy this stuff for your asking prices. I am not knocking you in any way shape of form, as I am a huge fan of capitalism, but for christ's sake!!!

I bought my second to last bucket truck roughly two years ago, a 00 INT 4600 with an ALC50-55 from Tamarack for $16K 50K miles fresh sleeve on the DT466 fully updated boom. You guys buy the SAME truck, spray it with white paint, and charge 40K....

What's up with that???

Serious question... How do you justify a triple mark up for a white paint job?


AND,

Thank you very much for your response regarding Morbarks

 

[treeman75]

It was exactly like that, in black, but I was paying 17K for mine

I cant BELIEVE what guys like you are reselling some of this equipment for. It is just INSANE that people buy this stuff for your asking prices. I am not knocking you in any way shape of form, as I am a huge fan of capitalism, but for christ's sake!!!

I bought my second to last bucket truck roughly two years ago, a 00 INT 4600 with an ALC50-55 from Tamarack for $16K 50K miles fresh sleeve on the DT466 fully updated boom. You guys buy the SAME truck, spray it with white paint, and charge 40K....

What's up with that???

Serious question... How do you justify a triple mark up for a white paint job?


AND,

Thank you very much for your response regarding Morbarks

I guess theres people that pay those prices without shopping around and doing their homework. Everything I have bought I did alot of research on and feel I got a fair to great price on.