HarleyBob: I hope you don't mind a recycled posting. I entered this a few days ago in response to Duckhunter's query about PTO-driven chippers.
Duckhunter: I spent quite a bit of time researching PTO driven chippers a year or so ago and finally purchased a Valby Model 140 for use with my small tractor. It's a good unit and I'm satisfied with it. I wanted a rugged
chipper (commercial quality) and my short list of possibilities included the following:
Bear Cat
www.crary.com (not as rugged as the next three)
Danuser
www.easternfarmmachinery.com
Patu
www.brushchippers.com
Valby
www.valbysales.com
These chippers are all capable of serious work and long service. The Chinese-built
chipper sold by Bolton (
www.boltonpowerequip.com) seemed like a lot of
chipper for the money, but I guess I've been turned off by the poor quality of some of the Chinese-built tools and things I've seen. The Bush Hog (
www.bushhog.com)
chipper/shredder was impressive, but didn't have as large and heavy a disk as some of the others. I've heard good things about the Woods
chipper as well (
www.woodsonline.com); someone in one of the discussions voiced the opinion that Woods chippers are built by Bear Cat (Crary). There are many other chippers, including Chippit (
www.entectradingltd.co.uk), Ram (
www.rampower.com), Befco (
www.sledmaine.com), Gravley (
www.gravely.com), Vermeer (
www.vermeer.com), Roberge (
www.comsearch-can.com), KwikChip (
www.fletcherstewart.co.uk), Dr.
Chipper, Morbark, Goossen, Brush Bandit, Mighty Mac (made by Mackissic and sold by Northern Tool). Some of these are too big; some are too small. Trying to get information on these will make you dizzy after awhile. By the way, I haven't checked these sites in some time; undoubtedly some will be changed or nonexistent now. And, of course, you need to answer a basic question: Do you need just a
chipper or do you need a
chipper/shredder combination? Other considerations include: ability of your tractor to power a
chipper, diameter/thickness/weight of
chipper disk, number and size of blades, size of shaft, type and ruggedness of bearings, direct drive or belt-driven to increase speed, thickness of sheet metal in housing, location and size of feed chute, availability of fan to aid discharge, ruggedness of stand, availability of mechanical or hydraulic feed, ease of use, ease of maintenance, location of dealer, availability of parts. I've undoubtedly missed some key points here, but it gives you an idea of what to look for. Good chippers are expensive. If you are lucky enough to locate a used one in good repair, grab it! I've done quite a bit of work with my Valby and the only problem with it is that it plugs up easily when I run through leaves, grass and vines--especially if they're damp. My Valby is direct drive and its disk turning at 540 rpm doesn't throw the material with sufficient force to enable the machine to purge itself consistently. Also, I don't have a mechanical or hydraulic drive, so I spend alot of time pushing branches into the chute. Surprisingly, my 18.5 hp tractor handles the
chipper just fine. Chipping brush takes time, patience and motivation. The mulch is worth it's weight in gold, but it's amazing how small a pile you wind up with after chipping a huge brush pile. Good luck on your search.
