3-point Chipper and shredder recommendations?

   / 3-point Chipper and shredder recommendations? #1  

BoneDigger

Bronze Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2011
Messages
94
Location
Tyler, TX
Tractor
2015 New Holland Workmast 35
I need to purchase a chip;per and shredder to take care of some privet I have on my property. I have been looking online at the Walenstein BX42 and the DR PTO wood chipper. The DR is on sale for $2500 with free shipping through the end of May and seems like a pretty good unit. The Walenstein looks pretty good too but I'm unsure of the cost. It appears to be a couple thousand more than the DR. My tractor is a 35 HP New Holland Workmaster 35, with a rear PTO speed of 540, which should work with these. I realize that privet will grow back, but my plans are to cut and mulch then spray as the new growth appears. I have nearly 60 acres and it's over-run with the stuff. Privet is fairly soft wood but fairly "branchy". I don't have anything over 3-4 inches in diameter, and most is probably 1 or 2 inches.

Thoughts on the DR or Walenstein?

Todd
 
   / 3-point Chipper and shredder recommendations? #2  
Check out the woodland mills wc68. Without hydraulic feed you are going to spend a lot of time trimming branches.
 
   / 3-point Chipper and shredder recommendations? #4  
I have a Wallenstein BX62S which is their manual feed chipper with 6" capability. Previously I had the Wallenstein BX42S - manual feed - 4" capability. Wallenstein is an excellent implement and you pay for it.

I've never chipped anything that requires the hydraulic feed system. I chip small( up to 6" ) ponderosa pines whole( limbs still on ). Both chipper did an excellent job.

You may well be into a situation where you will want a chipper with hydraulic feed. If privet has a lot of off-shooting limbs - the hydraulic feed system is probably the way to go.

Don't fool yourself with a cheap product. If you have 60 acres of ANYTHING to chip - its not a small deal. You are going to spend A LOT OF TIME chipping all that is on your acreage.

You have two choices - buy a chipper that will give good service and spend your time chipping OR by a cheap product and spend your time split between chipping and keeping the chipper operational.

The choice is yours.
 
   / 3-point Chipper and shredder recommendations? #5  
Hydraulic feed is worth a lot. I have a manual feed DR chipper that I bought used. My budget was tight and the price was right. It is very useful but has drawbacks. It will clog on green leaves (no shredding functionality). You can sometimes just place wood in the hopper, but often have to stand and hold while feeding. The will vibrate your hands quite a bit and slow you down. I have rented a big stand alone hydraulic feed unit and it is much nicer to run.
 
   / 3-point Chipper and shredder recommendations? #6  
I also have a LOT of "branchy stuff". My first chipper/shredder was a Bearcat. Great, heavy, well built unit - but manual feed. I replaced it last year with a hydraulic feed WoodMax 9900 (their top of the line unit). No more trimming the branchy stuff and I don't miss the "shredder" part a bit.

The other guys that told you to get a hydraulic feed were right on!!
 
   / 3-point Chipper and shredder recommendations? #7  
I bought a woodland mills - as said you need the hydraulic feed - nice unit you wont be sorry
 
   / 3-point Chipper and shredder recommendations? #8  
"self feed" or "chuck n duck" chippers do their best on nice straight trees with angled branches like pine. They don't work so well on irregular or highly branched trees- more cutting or shoving is required to get the material down. That's one of the power feed advantages.

If you don't need the shredder part then you can move up to a power feed unit. I have a MackKissick 4.5" self feed + shredder, and a WoodMaxx 8H hydraulic feed. The only place the MacKissick is better is shredding leaves and other fine material. For actual wood the 8H is far better. And it costs less at current prices.

If you have 60 acres of privet and want to chip it, that's a lot of chipping. I suggest a larger hydraulic feed unit. Even if you're not chipping 8" material, an 8" chipper means less work cutting the privet before chipping, which saves you time. Besides the WoodMaxx there's also a different design but similar price and capacity unit from Woodland Mills. Both companies make 6" and 8" models. Spend the small extra $$ for the 8".

For killing the stumps of tree species that tend to resprount I use 25% Triclopyr in oil.
 
   / 3-point Chipper and shredder recommendations? #9  
Eric - I like that - - "Chuck 'n duck". I will admit - if I chuck a short chunk in the chipper - it more than likely will come back - hard - against the safety rejection flaps. I've never had anything come out beyond the safety flaps - but when I chuck - I do step aside.

There is the advantage to a larger chipper - a bigger feed throat. About 98% of the time - if I can get any part of a tree to begin the chipping - all the remainder - no matter how twisted will be sucked in and chipped. Its when I can't get even a part to being the chipping - got to pull it back out - cut something so it will get to the knives.

I only experience this situation when I chip really old dry pine limbs. They are big, twisted, multi-limbed and forked - can be a real PITA.

The normal stuff I chip - a whole pine tree, green, limbed, soft, limber - schlurp - gone.
 
   / 3-point Chipper and shredder recommendations? #10  
No professional arborist worth their certification would use a drum feed non hydraulic chipper.
The line of very good hydraulic feed chippers now offered to home and ranch owners are testament to the safety and physical advantages they offer the user.

You can always find cheaper. Cheap is cheap when it comes down to safety and operational ease. Hydraulic feed units besides being feeders, also REVERSE that can save you one heck of grief in more ways than one.
 
 
 
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