Collecting chips?

[pennwalk]

Nooo I'm not going to Atlantic city this weekend /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I have a Bearcat 554 which is now called a 70554. There is a blower option but it is expensive. The stock machine discharges chips low down and makes a pile right next to the machine.Then you can take your shovel and rake and load them into your truck. Seems like there might be a better way. I was wondering if any of you who are using the bearcat or its variants have come up with a good way to collect the chips

Chris /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Chipperman]

pennwalk
What about setting the chipper on a heavy duty tarp and then gather the corners and use your loader (or a couple of strong hands) and lift it to your truck bed. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Good luck
Chipperman

 

[GregJ]

I have a 70554 without a chute. I have been told that they have a problem with clogging easily. I have been experimenting with how to handle the discharge. First of all, I try to do all my chipping in the place where I am going to pile them to be composted, so I haul all the branches to my "work area". Secondly, I know the safety experts will slam me on this one, I prop the discharge door open with a stick so the chips will fly as far from the chipper as possible. If you leave the door in the down position, it fills up in no time. As the pile grows, I have done a couple of things. I used to use a large, lightweight plastic shovel to scoop the chips away from the chipper onto the pile. Lately, I have found that it is a very welcome break from the dragging and feeding process to shut the chipper down, move the tractor and scoop the load with my loader and dump it on the top of my pile. I like to pile it as high as I can to keep the heat in. So, I don't have a real easy trick, other that a mental one, looking at having to get on the tractor and scoop a load of chips as an opportunity for a welcome break.

Greg

 

[Taylortractornut]

Chris, if you have auxhilary hydraulics you could take a small hydraulic motor and an old whole corn/bale conveyor. These wer the ones that had the wide troughs with the chain at each side and a bar across every 12 to 18 inches. They can be bought off old farms cheap and converted to hydraulic drive. I had a friend with a down feed chipper and he towed it to his site and would back his dump truck under it. it runs off his auxhilary and the chips fall on ctrough and go straight to the truck. He also had one for his aloder tractor that had a front tine tiller bolted to the side and had the drive shaft off its gear box as the power source. It sounds complicated but its not too hard and I think he had 100 dollars in both rigs plus they come in handy putting feed or small bales in the loft.

 

[markie61]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Seems like there might be a better way. )</font>

Front end loader /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif?

Actually, I was going to suggest laying a tarp on the ground. We actually have done this with shredded leaves. We then used a couple of double snap hooks and a little chain and dragged them off to the woods with the little garden tractor. We just grabbed the edge of the tarp and rolled them off. I would imagine this would work well for chip, although they would be heavier.

Mark

 

[have_blue]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Nooo I'm not going to Atlantic city )</font>

You should have entitled your post "Let the chips fall where they may"

Do you have another machine with a FEL? I'm sure you would have already thought of that.

 

[Junkman]

when the chips are on the ground, the buffalo is empty!!!!!

 

[pennwalk]

The tarp sounds like the simplest idea. Bearcat shows a Debris bag that "lays on the ground below the discharge chute" looks kind of like a very large canvas carpet bag.

Chris

 

[shoppintractors]

I park a leaf blower next to the chipper, crank it up to full power and have it blow underneath the chipper then lie a tarp on the other side of the chipper to collect the chips.

Don

 

[pennwalk]

I was thinking about some kind of box to fit in my yard trailer so that I could back it up to the discarge chute and have the chips collect in the box. Be nice to have a hitch on the back of the Bearcat to haul the trailer to the site.

Chris