Chipper low end chipper on smaller tractor

   / low end chipper on smaller tractor #1  

jima1

Bronze Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2000
Messages
64
Location
Virginia
Tractor
Kubota B7200 HSTD (sold); MF GC1723E
Any experiences using a smaller PTO chipper/shredder (eg Woods 5000) on a smaller (<15 PTO HP) tractor?

My need is for something to manage 2 acres of trees, leaves and accumulated brush/branch piles. Have B7200HST (14 PTO HP) which is not strong enough for some of the nicer units that have been recommended (e.g. Danuser) on this board or for the units at the rental shop. Also noticed the Woods web page mentions an optional blower, would this work decently for major leaf blowing? More uses would make the $$ easier to justify. What's a reasonable price to expect? Thanks for your input.
 
   / low end chipper on smaller tractor #2  
I looked at them this summer for my 24hp Ford. They are an expensive implement--at least the 2-section ones with chipping knives and a shredding hammermill. Two used Apatche models were $1,800 and $1,600 CAN. New ones were over $3. Anything with hydraulic feed is more, but many smaller chippers don't have a power feed option.

I guess I figured that I would only use one a few times a year. For the same money, I could make trips to the dump with a utility trailer for many years. Of course, in my case, there isn't a lot of bush and the dumps are close and free. My story likely would be different if I wanted to use the shredder to make material for composting.

My dealer did suggest an alternative. Get a rotary cutter. Put brush in small piles and then sit the cutter down on top of them. Seems like that would chew it up quite a bit. That's probably what I'll do this spring. A rotary cutter would get more all around use, and one should chew up the stuff enough to cut down on the number of trailer loads required.

One thing though. If you get one, I'd check the feed rate for the largest rated material. I think the ratings mean that you won't break the cutter, but they don't mean that you'll be happy standing around most of the day feeding large stuff into the hopper.
 
   / low end chipper on smaller tractor #3  
jimal,
Kinda sounds what I went thru mid year.
I to was looking for a chipper for my B7100 and when I found one,$$$ /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gifso between the $$$ and how much real use during the year plus,also the wear and tear on the Kubota it wasn't worth it./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Maybe this will help,for if theres a will theres a way.
The Sears store in my area was having a fall sale on 5,8,10hp chipper& shredder,and by the mid October the two 10hp C&S weren't sold and the store mark the price down so in I went./w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif
I bought a 10hp C&S for $795.oo which works great on 2 to 3 inch limbs also leaves, /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gifbut a pain to pull around by hand so the tractor FEL transported to the site.

After watching the classifieds I purchase a new little trailer on sale for $100.oo complete {4'x5'} than fasten the 10hp C&S onto the trailer and made a dump box.
It all works great,and the best part about it I'm able to scoot around my land..no wear and tear on the tractor..less than $1.000.oo. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Down side is that I have another piece of equipment to stumble over. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gifguess one can't have it all. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif


Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif
 
   / low end chipper on smaller tractor #4  
Thomas, sounds like a neat little setup. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Started me thinking about a 3-point mount for my Bolens chipper/shredder to haul it around./w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif
 
   / low end chipper on smaller tractor #5  
DFB,
I also thought as you are of making something that I could mount on my 3pt hitch,but after taking measurements and the design of the 10hp C&S than setting down with my crayons and trying to figure something out,I figure this would be a better setup.

The 10hp C&S has a shout at each end and the motor pull rope plus putting branches & leaves didn't leave much room to feed the C&S being so close to the tractor...and no dump box plus to much weight on the rear w/ the unit also loaded dump box.

Ahhh that good ole yankee engineering./w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif
 
   / low end chipper on smaller tractor #6  
Thomas, sounds like you have everything you need (including the crayons). /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I had a stick to draw in the dirt with, but found the ground was frozen. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif Strapping the unit on my carryall will have to do for now. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
 
   / low end chipper on smaller tractor
  • Thread Starter
#7  
Thomas and TomG,

Thanks for your suggestions. I've considered a separate chipper, but I'm not particularly worried about putting a few more hrs on my tractor, it doesn't get that much use. Having another engine to maintain would be a bigger hassle at this point.

The rotary cutter idea is interesting and probably the lowest cost. Maybe with a set a of sharpened blades, it could shred a lot of the leaves, too, are various types of blades available? It does sound dangerous, though, running the cutter over loose brush piles, isn't that just asking for stuff to come flying out in all directions?

Jim
 
   / low end chipper on smaller tractor #8  
I didn't think of the cutter thing too much as safety issue, although I will now. However, I did think that a cutter would scatter the brush piles. I figured that clean up times would be a trade off with feeding a chipper. Who knows.

Anyway, my wife likes the idea of composting things. A chipper is the only implement she has ever had an interest in. She actually said it would be a good idea. Maybe I'll get a chipper.
 
   / low end chipper on smaller tractor
  • Thread Starter
#9  
TomG, sounds like your decision is made /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Jim
 
   / low end chipper on smaller tractor #10  
idiot government (long rant)

Used to be you just piled it and lit a match, using a chipper is a noisy pain in the you know what. Especially those ones that you have to feed the branches in to. (can you say carpel tunnel syndrome?)

My state (WA) just moved the "no burn" line down to include me. I think it's time to move to eastern Montana and wait for the FBI.

The idiots in my state feel that because of the fact that some morons burn leaves in their yard and gas everybody out in their neighborhood, that people that have acreage that can't bother anyone with smoke should just eat their debris./w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif

I've been told I have a viable alternative!!!! I can haul it to the dump for $80 ton? plus hauling charges. Wow that sounds like a cost effective method compared to 1 match.

The idiots want people to leave forest land as it is, if I knew this beforehand I would have cleared a lot of acreage. Great incentive to us damn fools that did.

My understanding is that the fire departments are on the outside of this, they get called to enforce it and end up having people hate THEM. Hmm, which makes more sense...small controlled fires with water and a tractor? Or just leave the slash in piles for kids to light or when their is a fire you've got lots of fuel sitting around to help the fire stay UNCONTROLLABLE.

Reminds me of the do gooders that have made it so difficult to get rid of old auto hulks that you see them routinely dumped on backroads. They do this to "help" with the car stealing problem. Washington outranks almost all (maybe all) states in car theft records. Anybody stealing cars doesn't worry about disposition, only the poor slob with an old parts car or hobbyist. State pencil pushers don't understand that parts cars get passed around regardless of "title".

Hmmm, let's see, make a dump trailer, load a stump or two, drive farther out into the boonies and put the stumps next to an abandoned car!

At least my dumping is biodegradeable! (eventually!)

I guess I can pile the brush and after it dries out drive into it now and then munching it until it is just short sticks.

Those tractor chippers seem more expensive then the ones with the engine! I think I'd probably rent a nice one rather then own a lesser one. The idea of using a brush cutter seems like a lot of work, unless you could get one of those big tractor mounted brush-hogs-on-a-stick units the county uses to "mow" the right-of-way!

And the stumps? When you bury them they come back to haunt you as you inevitably need to put a water line etc where they are! Or on a small piece of property like this, two 5-acre pieces, you'd probably have to disclose what you've done to a prospective buyer.

Has anyone near a city had to resort to having someone bring one of those trailer mounted stump grinders out like the developers do?

My property in the boondocks in another part of the state is fortunate to be under the care of a county who hired a bunch of people to make sure no one sticks a shovel in the ground without calling them. It's on the water and we have to be careful to not do anything to lessen the salmon, so the Indians can net fish them all out so they can build more fireworks stands and have more upside down cars in all the yards around the casinos.

I see the government doing it's best to make criminals out of people, I know that's where I'm headed. After reading the Draconian burning regulations that have been inacted, I'm ready to give those worthless toads a run for their money./w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif I think I'll start tomorrow, with about a 15 x 30 foot sign up on the road. "The Only Good Government Employee is an Unemployed One!"

Good News Though!!!! The rabbits that have been scaring my cats (WOW THAT'S A BIG RAT!) are looking forward to some new stump piles (condominiums)/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
 
 
 
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