Chipper PTO chipper/shredder

[DB Pilot]

Well I have had the Wallenstein BX42 chipper about 3 years now. :thumbsup: I would stick with Wall. company if I wanted the brush chopper unit. Just have nothing bad to say about the unit. I keep a factory looking edge on the blades by never letting them round over like mower blades. That means a light sharpening every 2-5 hours of use. It's not that difficult and so much easier than letting them get really bad. :2cents:

 

[oosik]

I've had the Wallenstein BX42 and now have the BX62. Never had a moments problems with either. I found that with the '42 I had to take preventative measures to keep the smaller diameter chute from plugging when chipping green pine trees. Its easy - just keep dry limbs/trees handy and feed them thru every so often to clean out all the pitch. If it does plug - its easy to open and clean.

 

[Spindifferent]

I own the BearCat and it is rock-solid. 80/20 chipper/shredder for my use. Easy to maintain. I don't have the shoot, and that is OK for my use.

 

[bigtiller]

What I find strange is that the Bear Cat site says that 25-45 PTO hp is recommended for their SC5540, but Woods recommends 15-30 for the same machine just in a different color...hmmmm...that's some special paint...I'd be using it at the lower end of the capacity anyway, so maybe it doesn't matter much....

Back in the '80's I had the 5540 with a 14 hp motor mounted on a trailer. I did wish it had a little more power, but at the same time, it would take everything 2 men could give it. So I wouldn't worry about your 18 hp running it.

I watched craigs list for a long time waiting for a Wallenstein but never seen one so I settled for another 5540 bearcat

 

[Cord]

I have a Mackissic chipper shredder that my dad bought when I was a kid. It has to be 40 years old and I'm still able to get parts for it. For the small amount of brush that you produce, this would be a good choice for you. It's not a toy, but it's also a homeowner sized machine. We used to run it on a 12hp gravely just fine so you'll be Ok with 18hp diesel. The hammer mill doesn't like vines and such, but it does a decent job of shredding leaves and corn stalks. Plus it has changeable screens so you can grade the size of material coming out.

 

[Fiziksgeek]

Thats for all the feedback. I am still leaning toward the Wally. I had my dealer quote it, $3690+tax+~$100 shipping. No way I am paying that. I contacted Woodward Crossings, $3199, no tax, shipping is $250 or I can pick it up (~4.5 hour drive), and a free set of extra chipper blades!

I think the Bear-cat would be my first choice, if the blower kit was included.

 

[mark02tj]

Fiziksgeek - don't rule out buying used. There are several websites that allow you to search CraigsList on a nationwide basis. I generally use SearchTempest.com. A few months ago I was looking for a chipper/shredder as well. I found a new Bearcat like RoyJackson's Woods 5000 somewhere in Virginia for $1925. They were going to ship it for an additional $200. I also found a similar machine in South Carolina for a little more. Finally I found a BearCat 73554 (5" chipper / shredder w/ blower) that looked like new in Wisconsin for $2400. Shipping to a local terminal was $265. I found the identical used machine locally at a Deere dealer for $3500. So I saved $835 buying over the net and have a machine that is pretty much like new. It was actually in much nicer shape than the used machine locally. All of these Craigslist finds were at equipment/implement dealers and not individuals. I was able to confirm their phone numbers, etc. by doing some research online. In the case of the dealer in Wisconsin, they were a small Mom & Pop and were a pleasure to deal with. The first two dealers had enough experience shipping equipment that they were going to handle the shipping. The folks that I bought from were going to handle it as well, but I ended up making a few phone calls to some of the trucking companies that have terminals close to me and ended up arranging the shipping myself.

I do realize that I took a chance on this - I sent a cashiers check for $2400 to someone I'd never met. But before I did it, I got a good gut feel for the folks I was dealing with and found a couple on-line reviews as well. I also found their storefront shown on Google maps so I had a pretty good idea that they were legit. I did the same thing with the other dealers that I talked to.

Good luck!!

 

[errfoil]

I've had the Wallenstein BX42 and now have the BX62. Never had a moments problems with either. I found that with the '42 I had to take preventative measures to keep the smaller diameter chute from plugging when chipping green pine trees. Its easy - just keep dry limbs/trees handy and feed them thru every so often to clean out all the pitch. If it does plug - its easy to open and clean.

Oosik,
Yours is the first post I've seen from my neck of the woods. I have 20 acres of pine forest to clean up. What is your opinion of the chipper vs chipper/shredder? I'm worried about all these fir and spruce crowns feeding well in the BX-42.

Also, if I buy the BX-42 I'll be feeding a lot of 4" material since that is still a bit small to burn. How does the BX-42 handle a solid 4" log? I've got 35hp at the PTO.

Thx,
Brett

 

[PhysAssist]

2nd to buying out of local area.

Not quite the same price point level, but when we bought our [new on mfr pallet] Gannon Earthcavator RO Box Blade, it came to us from Bingham's in Mesa Az and paying for the $200 in shipping was actually a great bargain because no similar RO-BB was otherwise available ANYwhere.

Again, knowing that you are dealing with an established business is key to avoiding risk of rip offs.

Good luck!
Thomas

Fiziksgeek - don't rule out buying used. There are several websites that allow you to search CraigsList on a nationwide basis. I generally use SearchTempest.com. A few months ago I was looking for a chipper/shredder as well. I found a new Bearcat like RoyJackson's Woods 5000 somewhere in Virginia for $1925. They were going to ship it for an additional $200. I also found a similar machine in South Carolina for a little more. Finally I found a BearCat 73554 (5" chipper / shredder w/ blower) that looked like new in Wisconsin for $2400. Shipping to a local terminal was $265. I found the identical used machine locally at a Deere dealer for $3500. So I saved $835 buying over the net and have a machine that is pretty much like new. It was actually in much nicer shape than the used machine locally. All of these Craigslist finds were at equipment/implement dealers and not individuals. I was able to confirm their phone numbers, etc. by doing some research online. In the case of the dealer in Wisconsin, they were a small Mom & Pop and were a pleasure to deal with. The first two dealers had enough experience shipping equipment that they were going to handle the shipping. The folks that I bought from were going to handle it as well, but I ended up making a few phone calls to some of the trucking companies that have terminals close to me and ended up arranging the shipping myself.

I do realize that I took a chance on this - I sent a cashiers check for $2400 to someone I'd never met. But before I did it, I got a good gut feel for the folks I was dealing with and found a couple on-line reviews as well. I also found their storefront shown on Google maps so I had a pretty good idea that they were legit. I did the same thing with the other dealers that I talked to.

Good luck!!

 

[DMW]

You will not be disappointed with a BXM32. The chipper feeds easily, and when they no longer feed, just place what's left over in the shredder. Hard oak is tough on the GC, but other hard and soft woods chip easily. My shredder is always run with WOT. It takes a bit more power to operate. Thick palm gloves and a forestry helmet are your best friends. You learn quickly not to turn away from branches, as it exposes your neck.
I've had it over 4 years and no regrets. Chipped great out of the crate with no adjustments. I actually still look forward to using it.
It my not be a fast or as much capacity as the bigger units, but matches quite well with the GC series. I was in a rush and didn't order it to match the tractor paint, but then, neither did the farmer that was trimming back the tree line on the fields beside our property:laughing: