Chipper Valby CH140 Chipper?

[Anonymous Poster]

Anyone have any experience with this model? I have some serious cleanup to do, on a one time basis. After that, my need for a chipper would be much less. I thought this model would work with my JD 2210 subcompact. This chipper seems to have a much heavier rotor(?) than the other chippers in this size/price range (about $3.3K). I have considered renting, but at $100+ per day, and scheduling issues, I will probably end up close to $1,200 in rental fees. When I'm finished with it, could I sell the Valby and get back the difference? Are there other models which might be better choices? Thanks.

 

[RoyJackson]

There's a TBNer named GlennT who has a Valby 140...runs it on a Deere 670.

I hope he sees this thread so he can respond . He has said he likes it, and since I also own a 670, the 140 or 150 would be my choice.
But, you're looking at over two thousand bucks to buy one...that's a lot of rentals.
So far, I can't justify that kind of money for an implement I'll use two or three times a year. Aways keep my eye open for a used unit or at an auction.
Also, with the PTO HP your 2210 puts out, you're at the bottom of the required power (as I am).
If Glenn doesn't see this thread, do a ssearch for his nick...he's posted comments about his chipper.

 

[Chipperman]

cbh30
With a subcompact I think you my find renting to be a better choice. If you have "some serious clean up to do" your subcompact will have a hard time living up to the task. great tractor but it will only run a 4" gravity feed chipper at best. You will find any of the hydraulic feed chippers will be to heavy. With the gravity feed units you need to trim most of the branches off which is time consuming. Then you will have to feed the chipper one stick at a time. If time is of no value you my be OK. Other wise I believe you will be dispointed. What does every one else think?
Chipperman

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Chipperman, I think I understand what you are saying about gravity feed. I should have added that with a rental unit, I am limited to 1,000 lb. weight limit due to my tow vehicle when transporting a rental unit. This may eliminate the kind of power feed rental units you are referring to. After doing more searching of the TBN archives, I found a reference to another PTO model, Danuser 18P, which has a mechanical feed. Maybe this would be more productive than the manual feed Valby while still being usable on my tractor?

 

[pennwalk]

I have a Yanmar 186D and a bearcat 554 chipper/shredder. I got the chipper/shredder used for a little more than $1000. This combo has done a ton of work for me. There is no doubt that it has its limitations. The tractor is at the low end of the scale for hp. I have to watch what I feed so not to bog down the engine. I do keep a lopper at hand to trim off the branches that won't fit in the chute. I cut the stuff that is 3 or 4 inches into logs. Luckily most of the stuff around here is soft wood. Beach really slows it down. Manual feed chipping is hard work even with sharp blades. I'm sure that renting a much bigger chipping machine would be quicker and easier but it is real handy to own so you can work whenever you have the time.

Chris

 

[dmccarty]

cbh30,

Can you just burn the wood? I went through this decsion
process a few years ago and for us it just was not worth
spending the dollars on something I can burn in a few hours.
The brush/trees that I could handle with my tractor only
take a day to burn, and I'm talking piles 10+ feet wide, 6 or
so feet tall and maybe 20 feet long. If it is small stuff up to
4 or so inches in diameter must of the wood will be burned up
in two or three hours.

Later,
Dan

 

[B7500]

I wanted a Valby also but most guys in this group talked me into dragging and burning or renting a chipper. If you still want your own this outfit quoted me a price of $2800 for the CH 140 which is $500 off list.
Let us know what you do.
http://www.hud-son.com/chippers.htm
-Terry

 

[GlennT]

Sorry it took me so long to pick up on this. I've been involved with some volunteer work away from home. I've had a Valby Model 140 for a few years and it serves my needs well. It's very well designed and built--thick metal shroud, excellent assembly and welding, excellent primer and paint, massive flywheel (220 lbs.), huge roller bearings, large knives, etc. The chipper weighs somewhere between 450 and 500 pounds. For me, it was a good choice. When I prune trees or remove some of the junipers (called cedars here) I can immediately get rid of the brush without hauling it off or scaring the bejabers out of the neighbors with a roaring brush fire. It was expensive--a little under $3,000--but it will certainly outlast me by many years. However, there are other considerations. Chipping with my Valby 140 is a slow, dirty, noisy process. I don't have a hydraulic feed so everything must be fed by hand. This works well with my JD Model 670 with 18 PTO HP; the tractor has adequate power. But his means that you have to stand and patiently feed in the brush. The Valby 140 is a direct drive; the flywheel rotates at 540 RPM. The huge flywheel has plenty of momentum; however, there is not enough speed to properly eject the chips. Leaves, vines and such plug up the chute and it is a real pain to stop the tractor, wait for the flywheel to stop, open the top of the shroud (I have replaced the bolts with a big ViseGrip) and clean out the mess. Bear in mind that the Valby is not a shredder--it's a chipper--and it does a great job of doing what it's intended to do. I can feed in quite large live oak branches--4 or 5 inches in diameter--and does a good job with them. But of course this means feeding them in SLOWLY. The chute is nice and large and it feeds into the bottom of the flywheel and this is safer than having the brush fed into the top of the flywheel and closer to the operator's face. The blades are larger than those in many other chippers and they are easily removed for sharpening. If I had a larger tractor I would have considered the Valby 160 because it has a belt drive which approximately doubles the speed of the flywheel and should take care of the problem with plugging up the chute. Also, a hydraulic or mechanical drive would certainly speed up the process; the operator could be retrieving another branch while the chipper is chewing away on one. The weight is a bit of a problem; the front end of the tractor is rather light--even with 200 lbs. of suitcase weights. I have purchased some small wheels and plan to add them to the back of the chippper (removable when the chipper is in place). In summary, I am satisfied with my machine. For my small acreage and my occasional needs, it was a good choice. Hey, I really like the orange color, too.

 

[B7500]

GlennT,
Thank you for one of the best in depth critiques on the Valby Chipper I've read to date. It is nice to hear both the pros and cons to help the rest of us to decide on purchasing or not. You were very helpful.
-Terry