Chipper/shredder advice

[jshwhite]

I've got a question for all you chipper shredder owners out there. I'm looking to buy a used pto driven chipper to run off my L3710. I don't have any experience with pto driven chippers, so I'm just looking for any advice. I don't have the $$ to get new, so it's just whatever I can find used, but are there particular brands that are good, or others to stay away from? Features/type of construction to look for/stay away from?

Any advice welcome!

Thanks

 

[bellweather]

It appears that your tractor has about 35 HP, not sure what the HP rating is at the PTO. I Have a BX22 and bought a Salsco Model 600 chipper (3 1/2") which I am pretty happy with, but your tractor could handle a bigger chipper. From my research, you probably want a chipper well matched to your tractor that will handle the largest diameter material comfortably possible. As you can imagine, the larger the chipper the more the $$$$.

I tried to buy a used one, but at the time none were available that were worth buying or that were nearby, so I bought a new one.

Another thing to consider is whether you want /need a wood chipper or a combination chipper / shredder. Lots of folks here seem to think the shredder is very worthwhile. My Salsco only chips. There are a number of threads on this subject with lots of useful information, plus many here who can offer you good advice.

 

[jshwhite]

bellweather, thanks for the info. The tractor is 37hp with 32 pto hp. I agree that I want as big as possible, but the bigger ones get really expensive I would like a shredding option since we do a lot of gardening and we want to be able to make grass/leaf mulch.

I found a Woods W5000 used for a good price, but it's only rated for a 15-30hp tractor and will only do 5 inch. I'd like something bigger - I think I could probably run a 6 or 7 inch capacity.

Thanks again, and any more help is appreciated!

 

[farmeratheart]

I bought the Wallenstein BXM32 chipper/shredder a few months back. It is really nice to have the shredder option for the little stuff. I run off a much smaller tractor than you (18 pto HP) so I'm probably about as big as I can get. Right now though, anything the BXM won't handle I've probably already set aside for firewood.

 

[cmhyland]

bellweather, thanks for the info. The tractor is 37hp with 32 pto hp. I agree that I want as big as possible, but the bigger ones get really expensive I would like a shredding option since we do a lot of gardening and we want to be able to make grass/leaf mulch.

I found a Woods W5000 used for a good price, but it's only rated for a 15-30hp tractor and will only do 5 inch. I'd like something bigger - I think I could probably run a 6 or 7 inch capacity.

Thanks again, and any more help is appreciated!

I suspect you will not find a chipper/shredder with a larger capacity than 5 or 6 in for anything reasonable price wise... Chipper hardware in a 8in chipper starts to get pretty big and heavy duty.... 5in wood is firewood... on our property 3in wood is firewood.

I also own the Salsco 600. it works very well but has no shredder... I think a shredder world great to have, they really handle brambles and twiggy brush far better than the chipper....

 

[jshwhite]

I suspect you will not find a chipper/shredder with a larger capacity than 5 or 6 in for anything reasonable price wise... Chipper hardware in a 8in chipper starts to get pretty big and heavy duty...

Yep, I'm finding that out I think I'll settle for 5 inch.

I found a Bear Cat 5 inch for $1600. He says it's been used maybe 10-15 hours. Seems like a decent deal to me. Any thoughts? Good price? Are the Bear Cats good chippers?

 

[cmhyland]

Yep, I'm finding that out I think I'll settle for 5 inch.

I found a Bear Cat 5 inch for $1600. He says it's been used maybe 10-15 hours. Seems like a decent deal to me. Any thoughts? Good price? Are the Bear Cats good chippers?

First and foremost, the Bearcat machine is very good... I'd say 1600 was a very good price as that unit was most likely 1K or more over that new. Does it have a blower unit on it?
I know some of the units just blow the chips out the bottom and you'll get tired of that quickly... you'll be shoveling chips or moving the machine often.

can the seller provide a few pics?

Regards,
Chris

 

[tractchores]

I run a wallenstein bx42 and like it a lot. They make a 6" one that would probably fit your tractor well. They last a long time and there are dedinitely some used ones out there. One of the really nice features is they seem to self feed very well without the hydro feed and have a discharge shoot standard.

 

[Not Retired Yet]

I too have the wally bx42. Works great and simple, low maintenance design.

 

[rtd]

I also have a BearCat with blower unit. It's one of the older models, weighing in at about 600#. The current version has better setup for the vertical discharge chute, but this unit works very well, the shredder for twigs and smaller (up to about 1") branches, and the chipper has a 5" capacity.

One thing to be aware of - the chipper is not self-feeding, it's gravity only and be slow, requiring a lot of physical force for feeding. The latest units have an option for a hydraulic feed but that's an expensive add-on to an already fairly expensive machine.

I've used mine with a 20 hp tractor and a 50 hp tractor and have had no problems. If you're planning 'serious' work, 20 hp may be a little light as it is possible to stall the tractor.

 

[Gordon Gould]

I have a BearCat 5" unit with a blower which is the same as the Woods W5000 I think. I would not be afraid to run it with your tractor. I think it would be a good match. You don't have to much power. If you jam it the worst that will happen is the belts will slip. I like the belt drive. It helps protect your pto. And if you keep the baldes sharp it self feeds just fine. I think a 7" unit would be a reach with your tractor.
If you have found a good unit at a reasonable price don't wait to long. They are generally hard to find and go quick. I waited a couple years to find mine.

 

[studor]

I also have the Bearcat and it is the Woods brand as well. As someone has said without the blower it gets to be a drag . I put a tarp under it if we want to move the chips -- otherwise I just chip and move. I bought mine for $1000 or so used with good blades paint etc -- I have been very happy with it and if I were buying new I would look at the Jinma or Wallensteins but the shredder is good for twigs and leaves

 

[jshwhite]

Hey guys, sorry, for some reason my email wasn't letting me know that there were all these new posts. Anyway, thanks for all the help.

The unit does not have a blower, but I'm pretty handy with making things out of steel, so I'm thinking I'll make a sort of "chute" to throw the chips out of the way. What do you guys think? We'll be using the chips for gardening, so I'd like the chips in a pile, just not in a pile under the chipper! Has anyone tried it making something to throw them out of the way?

Here are the pics from the seller. I'm going to look at it tomorrow morning and I'm thinking I'll probably get it.

 

[Dead Horse]

I run a Valby 150 HF on my 3710 and it is a perfect match.

I bought it used along with a stout 30" American TPH splitter that I run on the same tractor.

I am glad I bought both when I did as the price I paid was less than the chipper went for new, back then.

Re recommendation........ unless you do not have use for firewood, you will not find yourself running any thing bigger than 5" through a chipper, except for perhaps real punky stuff that you wouldn't want to burn anyway.

I chip a lot of beech and I can tell you the 3710 / Valby 150 combo needs attention to the feed bar when asking it to plow through anything over say 6 inches in diameter. It will do it just fine,but, to keep the rpms up one needs pay attention to the feed pace.

The Valby is a very well built and durable unit. I use it a LOT on my farm and would not advise buying a unit this big without a hydraulic feed.

And you are gonna need a good pair of ears" too!

Re blower, I use the chips also and i just blow them into the FEL of my big tractor, or if doing a LOT of chipping, blow them into a big pile and pick them up later with the fel.

 

[tractchores]

Hey guys, sorry, for some reason my email wasn't letting me know that there were all these new posts. Anyway, thanks for all the help.

The unit does not have a blower, but I'm pretty handy with making things out of steel, so I'm thinking I'll make a sort of "chute" to throw the chips out of the way. What do you guys think? We'll be using the chips for gardening, so I'd like the chips in a pile, just not in a pile under the chipper! Has anyone tried it making something to throw them out of the way?

Here are the pics from the seller. I'm going to look at it tomorrow morning and I'm thinking I'll probably get it.

I'm not sure if the blower unit consists of more than the chute (maybe some kind of fan as well?). I looked at a similar used machine when I was buying a chipper and ultimately decided against it because of the lack of blower and the feed speed required constant tending. I ended up with the wallenstein based on other's reviews and the fact that it had a blower type of setup out of the box, was direct drive (less parts to worry about) and the main deciding factor was that even without the hydro feed it sucks stuff in pretty reliably, so on most materials you can throw something in and go back for more while it feeds. The extra wide chute is also a big plus if you have branchy material, I seldom need to trim things before stuffing them in. I saw a lightly used 6" model (bx 62) going for a bit over 2k, and got my lightly used 4" model for 2k. They do seem to sell pretty much immediately so if you see one you like grab it quick! I'm sure you'll be happy with any of the brands you mentioned and even though I didn't like the setup of the woods / bearcat, it was still a nice heavy duty well built unit.

 

[gwdixon]

I believe I have the same chipper as you intend to buy. Crary BearCat 70554.

If you keep the blades sharp it is almost self-feeding - very impressive and little to no effort. You can get spare blades for a reasonable price at Tennessee Saw & Knife. Then you just change out the blades while the other set is being sharpened.

Tennessee Saw and Knife - Brush Chipper Knives - Carey Bear Cat*New Style Double Edge 70554 New 73554-70080

The chute is a weak point. The OEM blower clogs way too quickly and often from my research so I didn't buy one. However a rake and a shovel work well to move the chips out of the way.

I've run that chipper off of BX2200 and L3650 with no problems whatsoever. Oh, and that is a good price.

 

[daveinnh]

We have a Salsco 6" with hydraulic feed. I've been happy. Be sure to mix limited old dry branches with fresh green; all dry will clog any chipper (makes dust).

RE: other brands: Patu, Valby, Wallenstein

RE: Features:
1. Look at feed angle - i.e. Salsco tray is realatively low and you don't have to pick heavy branches up high.

2. Try opening unit up; you'll need to remove jambs and eventually sharpen blades.

3. Try lowering tray and raising. Wallenstein was very heavy on their 6" model.

BTW, I saw all sorts of used chippers last fall on CL and NH Market Bulletin flyer. Might be a seasonal - clear out your barn now?

 

[jshwhite]

Well, plans changed so I was able to go look at the chipper this afternoon. It looked good to me so I bought it - gulp It's got a little rust but no big deal. I'll do some chipping with it in the next couple days and let you know how it goes.

Thanks again to everyone for all the suggestions. I learned a lot!

- Can't wait to start chipping!

 

[jshwhite]

I believe I have the same chipper as you intend to buy. Crary BearCat 70554.

If you keep the blades sharp it is almost self-feeding - very impressive and little to no effort. You can get spare blades for a reasonable price at Tennessee Saw & Knife. Then you just change out the blades while the other set is being sharpened.

Tennessee Saw and Knife - Brush Chipper Knives - Carey Bear Cat*New Style Double Edge 70554 New 73554-70080

The chute is a weak point. The OEM blower clogs way too quickly and often from my research so I didn't buy one. However a rake and a shovel work well to move the chips out of the way.

I've run that chipper off of BX2200 and L3650 with no problems whatsoever. Oh, and that is a good price.

Wow, that's a mountain of chips! Thanks for the info.

 

[tractchores]

Well, plans changed so I was able to go look at the chipper this afternoon. It looked good to me so I bought it - gulp It's got a little rust but no big deal. I'll do some chipping with it in the next couple days and let you know how it goes.

Thanks again to everyone for all the suggestions. I learned a lot!

- Can't wait to start chipping!

Congrats! Have fun and take some pics.