what chipper should I buy and why

murphy1244 said:

I found a wallenstein bxm 42 chipper shredder for 4450.00 It weighs 800 lbs and has a 170lb fly wheel.

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Wallenstein has a good reputation and their stuff is well-built.

Think about this; you are buying a machine that will have to endure having wood fed through it and expect it to chip that wood into small pieces - endlessly.

I was recently in the market for a chipper also (started this thread: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...g/251519-gravity-feed-vs-mechanical-feed.html)

My budget dictated either a Chinese unit (and if I got one it would have mechanical or hydraulic feed) or a Wallenstein with gravity feed. The first sentence in this post should tell you which way I decided to go. Lots of previous posters have had good luck with the Chinese units but after modifications. Additionally, lots of posters said the Wallensteins are very well made units and hydraulic is not really needed. I could have gotten a Chinese unit cheaper but I decided I'd rater not have all the down time having to work on it. The other consideration is the availability of parts a few years from now. I'm much more "comfortable" believing Wallenstein will be around to supply any need parts compared to a Chinese manufacturer/vendor.

Another vote for the Wallenstein BX62. Pure satisfaction watching it gobble up 20+ foot long 4-5" branches when clearing my trails. Run it off NH 3045 with 37 HP @ PTO.

murphy1244 said:

Looking for a chipper shredder for my DK-40 SE any help I could use. thanks...

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It would help to know more about your chipping needs and budget. I'm not a big fan of the chipper shredders, as they are a combination machine that will tend to compromise chipping performance and ease. That said, the Wallenstein combo units look better than anything else I've seen and much better than the woods and bearcat combo units. I see shredders as more of tool for suburban settings where twigs and leaves need to be processed. I can feed most anything within reason through a chipper. If you have tons of brambles and vines that absolutely have to be processed, I think you will find it easier to just bushhog the stuff either standing or in small piles that you make. Are you really going to want to grab the stuff, lift it up, and feed it into the top of shredder unit. I'll pass. Also look at what the pros use--chippers only.

As for what chipper, the Wallensteins are nice or you could look for a used Scandinavian unit. I bought a used Patu DC65 years ago and it's been great.

Wallenstein are nice if you have 4-6k to spend & aren't too concerned about value...mainly paying for the name. I was looking at the BX42 bc the website says Made in Canada, but I was pretty disappointed to learn they're assembled there from Chinese parts. They're made out of the same stuff as lot of the Chinese machines, but they cost a lot more. Definitely a nice chipper, just not the best value.

I bought a wallenstein bx42 this spring, love it but I have years of cutting and chipping to do.