whadja do today?

[treevet]

I also have this little guy for a drive around if far away...and a beemer x3....

 

[mike515]

I bought a little Ford Ranger a year or two back to just drive around and put miles on so I wouldn't put the miles on my GMC. I drove it a few times and then one of our guys had some car issues and he lives about 20 miles away. So I let him use it to get to work. Never got it back.

 

[treevet]

I had to do the same thing with my beloved toyota 4x4. Hence the Nissan Frontier.

 

[tree MDS]

The Ash wars are still raging on. Really liking the combination or the giant and the kenworth. I just keep piling wood up and at the end come grab it while the guys are raking, or whatever.

 

[woodchuckcanuck]

Split and stacked 2 cord today for the kiln.

 

[treevet]

Did any of your help after plywood nightmare jobs say to you "up your ash"?

 

[mike515]

I was looking for something today. I opened the fender-mounted tool box on one of the chippers and found this. I have no idea what's going on here. Sometimes I think they do stuff like this just to mess with me. I just closed the tool box and walked away.

 

[treevet]

a weeks supply of chocks

 

[Jester3775]

I suppose the engine hps and torque have a lot to do with it as well. Mine has a 200 hp turbo diesel that is well known as an outstanding bulletproof engine. Never shut the engine down but maybe once a month get the chute clogged with birch twigs or stuff that will do that.

I had trouble with chute clogging as well. I did some modifications where I added 3/8" plate on both sides of cutter wheel with tapered edge towards feed. This helped significantly by taking up the excess space on either side but still not perfect. My next mod will include some small angle iron on either side ahead of cutter wheel to direct debris inward. Hopefully take care of occasional clog from "twigs" getting thru now smaller gap, but still a gap. Also thinking of re-routing exhaust into chute at severe angle to aid in velocity of exiting chips. I had previously had disc style chipper and that sure blew the chips better, but I love the drum style other than that.

 

[Jester3775]

What engine do you have in it? 3000 seems kind of high to me for a diesel. The one we got yesterday should run at about 2200. They were showing me that you can manually run it up to 2600 but it you do that and then walk away, it will gradually lower itself back down to 2200. Our other Morbark is bigger and runs at about 2350ish. The feed wheel won't even start turning until you get it up to 2200 or so. Not sure what our Vermeers run at but I think all of us are pretty over those chippers at this point.

It is a John Deere 5030 3.0L 5 cylinder turbo charged engine. I had heard it was a good engine ? I was told mine is rated at 84 hp. Apparently they come as 75 hp, 84 hp & 99 hp arrangements.

 

[gorman]

It has been a while but I remember reading about the guy that supposedly invented the latest auto feed "thing" but some company supposedly kind of "stole" the design. I remember reading about how to program it, change the settings ? Mine stops the auto feed and reverses it a little at 2600 rpm and I can run the motor up to 3000 rpm. When I run it at 3000 rpm and then run some big stuff in it seems like it would end up bogging way down before it would recover. Then I started running it closer to the 2600 rpm and it seemed to react much faster. I had redone the mounts to tension the belt and had to readjust it, part of me thinks maybe the belt needs to be tighter ? I think maybe the cutter wheel was slowing down but the engine would not slow down in direct relation fast enough ? Problem with that theory to me is that I am nervous to tighten the belt anymore and running it closer to 2600 rpm sure seems to take care of the problem ?

Ours runs at 2600 rpm topped out. The autofeed is set at 2400 to kick in. I might raise it to 2450. It sometimes just doesn’t work when chipping a big top from a crane pick or from a loader. We replaced the LOR computer and that didn’t work. The clutch is properly adjusted and the drive belt is tight like tiger. The only thing I could think is bad is the solonoids near the feed tray that are in charge of reversing the feed.

 

[treebilly]

@treevet I haven’t bought brand new truck since 99. Always have been buying used since then. I’ve got someone buying my 2500 crew cab hopefully this week. Really debating buying a new 3500 CC, daully I need something that I can work with and load up the kids while towing a camper.

 

[treevet]

@treevet I haven’t bought brand new truck since 99. Always have been buying used since then. I’ve got someone buying my 2500 crew cab hopefully this week. Really debating buying a new 3500 CC, daully I need something that I can work with and load up the kids while towing a camper.

Treebilly...just something about buying new that is addictive imo. I buy all my work trucks used but the feel of a new truck and you know no one else heaved up or farted all day in it means something too lol. Fresh start and nobody abused it and the dealer warrants any flaws. My 15 3500 Silverado at 44k miles is as good as new and not a rattle. Not spent a dime on it outside of bigger tires...and I plowed in it and worked it hard towing stumper chipper sprayer, comm. trailer, dumptrailer...

 

[Jester3775]

Ours runs at 2600 rpm topped out. The autofeed is set at 2400 to kick in. I might raise it to 2450. It sometimes just doesn’t work when chipping a big top from a crane pick or from a loader. We replaced the LOR computer and that didn’t work. The clutch is properly adjusted and the drive belt is tight like tiger. The only thing I could think is bad is the solonoids near the feed tray that are in charge of reversing the feed.

Things that make you go hmmm...

 

[epicklein22]

I was gonna go 9' to be similar size to a pick up for a drive around. I have a 20' dump log truck and a 12' dump trailer and my Mack 17' dump chip truck has a removable top. But you're right...much more versatile. Is the F550 cab the same as the F350?

Cabs should be the same; frame, axles, brakes are all different. I have an 11’ on my f450 and a 10’ bed on my Chevy c4500. Definitely like the extra length of the 11’, but these trucks are hauling logs/chips every time we work. So a 9’ might be your best bet for your setup. A lot easier to find a truck with a 9’/10’ bed though, pretty standard at any truck dealer. Probably have to custom order anything longer.

 

[gorman]

I found two alturnamats on the side of the road today!

 

[mike515]

All of our guys went out this morning but none of us lasted all day. Major snow storm that we knew was coming. White-out conditions. We got done what we could. Days like this.....sometimes I'm pretty happy and relieved to know that equipment is parked, people are safe and the day is over as the storm is bearing down on us. Let's watch this from inside unless we get an emergency call.

 

[WmTreeCo.]

Today I signed some petitions to stop changes that would change Arboriculture in Ontario, Canada.
Tree workers and Certified Arborist would no longer be able to prescribe or carry out tree work without the consent and supervision of a Ontario Professional Forrester.
This change will make ISA certification obsolete and add costs to business owners and property owners.

http://chng.it/jdrQMywz82
https://isaontario.com/urgent-notice-the-future-of-arboriculture-in-ontario/
Any fellow Ontarians out there?

 

[treevet]

Today I signed some petitions to stop changes that would change Arboriculture in Ontario, Canada.
Tree workers and Certified Arborist would no longer be able to prescribe or carry out tree work without the consent and supervision of a Ontario Professional Forrester.
This change will make ISA certification obsolete and add costs to business owners and property owners.

http://chng.it/jdrQMywz82
https://isaontario.com/urgent-notice-the-future-of-arboriculture-in-ontario/
Any fellow Ontarians out there?

I can see "tree workers" being supervised but a CA shouldn't have to be under them. Be a good idea to contact the ISA about this power grab and likely money grab.

 

[mike515]

Moved into my new office here at the house this afternoon. It's actually my wife's old office but my old space was really too small and she's been wanting to do something else with that room for a while and bugging me about changing rooms. I actually like better here already. It's more mellow and out of the way of the rest of the house. And I have a lot more room. And I milled the wood this desk is built from myself a number of years ago.