Chipper Woods 5000 chipper/shredder advice

[rdrawdy]

I looked at a used Woods 5000 chipper shredder today. It was made in year 2000. One owner - says it is in good working condition, but has been sitting for almost a year now outdoors. Anyone know what to look for that could be a problem or to help me decide if it is a good deal? Any suggestions to a reasonable price to offer if it is in good working condition?

 

[RoyJackson]

I looked at a used Woods 5000 chipper shredder today. It was made in year 2000. One owner - says it is in good working condition, but has been sitting for almost a year now outdoors. Anyone know what to look for that could be a problem or to help me decide if it is a good deal? Any suggestions to a reasonable price to offer if it is in good working condition?

Got a Woods 5000 chipper/shredder. Very nice machines actually manufactured by Bearcat for Woods, BTW.
After setting outside, I would not be surprised if the chipper and shredder blades are pretty rusty. That might not be a problem if the rust is just on the surface (first time chipping and shredding would remove the rust). Quite unlikely the flywheel has any rust though.
Another thing to watch is the spline on the flywheel (where the PTO drive hooks up). The PTO drive line is held on the flywheel spline by two set screws. They can be a real bear to remove (which you need to do to replace the belts).

I'm suggesting you ask the seller to hook it up to his tractor and run some branches through it and see how it does. There will be a bit if vibration initially (3-5 seconds). As long as it chips and shreds OK, it's probably worth buying.

I've attached the Operator's Manual (downloadable from the Woods website) for your review.

Price...I paid $1000 for mine two years ago. It is in excellent condition (other then some faded paint...all the stickers are there and quite legible). I'm figuring $800-$1000 would be a realistic price.
Also, if you are serious, don't hesitate. Used PTO chippers sell extremely fast if they're in decent condition and priced realistically.

 

[Gordon Gould]

I have an older 5" BearCat 554 with a blower that I paid $1200 for used about 5 years ago. It has single edged blades. It was in good shape and has served me well. I bought a second blade set for $110. It is about $40 for me to get them sharpened at a machine shop.

Like Roy said the shaft set screws are frozen. I did not try very hard to free them because I can still change the belts and grease the bearings by sliding the pto drive shaft apart and then removing the bell shaped plastic guard ( forget proper name ) on the chipper end of the shaft. The metal belt cover can then be removed by removing the bolts and sliding it over the drive line. You may not be able to do this with the newer models - I don't know.

 

[rdrawdy]

Thanks for the info and manual. This gives me some good guidelines. I think I'll see if I can get a demo of it running and then make an offer if it works okay. thanks guys!