Chipper 3pt chippers? give me the low down

[farmerjim]

i've been in the market for a 3pt chipper for awhile and now w/ tax return i'll have some extra cash for a purchase. i have narrowed my choices down to 3. the salsco 4in manual feed model, the jinma, and the bearcat manual feed. i plan to use the chipper for anything less than 3in dia, mainly brush/ fallen limbs, and field edge/ stone wall clearing. for my amount of use i'm thinking the jinma would be sufficient but i'm not sure i want to deal w/ all the "fine tuning". i will be mostly running it off my jd 790, but have a larger older jd gasser available if needed. thanks jim

 

[FortClatsop]

I picked up a Wallenstein BX42, manual feed, in early December after a record setting wind storm. I too had a "kicker" tax refund check arrive the same week. I had never seriously considered one but after spending several months in 2006 piling and burning I was looking for a better way. The local JD dealer had a Stihl Bearcat capable of 4" for 2495. I bought the Wallenstein that will take 4.5" for 2650. Having spent a number of days working it I'm very pleased. The hopper on the Wally is much larger at the mouth and much deeper near the blades. Translation: I can stuff bulkier brushy stuff and the risk of falling in seems impossible. Head/shoulders too big, arms too short. If you look at the bases on each the Wally has more material and has an adjustable exhaust. I don't think that I would have been nearly as happy if I had got the other one. As far as power I'm rated at 24 total and 18 at the PTO. The tractor doesn't even know anything is there. I've fed it 4" and the engine never changes pitch. The Wally cost more than any other implement I own. It is also the most satisfying one. In a very literal way I can see the time that it is saving me.

 

[RalphVa]

If you're only doing up to 3", a DR (made by Mac) or MacKissic would do. The MacKissic is easy to maintain.

Ralph

 

[kossetx]

Unlike a lot of folks here, I've had no problems with my jimna. No problems other than green cedar limbs or green elm limbs stopping it up, that is. It takes oak and mesquite limbs no problems.

I have about 20 true hours on it. 20 hours of chipping is a lot of chips and I still need more mulch. I use it on everything.

 

[Phineas7]

I have one of the Jinma derivatives and a JD790. The chipper has some issues I've had to fiddle with, but having the feed system is nice for the price.
I've had no problem with the 790 taking anything and everything I could stuff in it. I had some large logs, 5 or 6 inches that did load it down. Just stop the feed, let is catch its breath and keep on going.

 

[yankeerider]

Like RalphVA says, don't overlook the DR. It's made here in the good 'ol USA, can easily handle the size stuff you want, and, maybe best of all, they'll let you try one for 6 months and refund your money if you bring it back during that time period. I got mine for under $1700 before Gov. Rell took her cut.

 

[gordon21]

My 790 & Jinma combo will handle oak and other hardwoods up to 4" just fine. Anything over 4" is firewood. I set the RPM at 2600 and it tears through almost everything with only an occasional drop in RPM on large dry trunks. When that happens, grab the roller clutch. That stops the feeding, let the tractor catch up a little bit for 4-5 seconds and then resume chipping. The 790 has about 24 HP at the PTO. That is about the lower end for the Jinma if you chip anything over 3". It would be awesome if I had 30-50 PTO HP

It will tear through pine up to 5.5" without hesitating. Feed it a pine trunk that has been delimbed up to 15' long, step away to go get another piece of wood and when you turn around the pine tree is gone.

Always feed large end first and wear hearing/eye protection at all times.

The only negative on the Jinma is that it is not a shredder. I personally don't understand why anyone needs a shredder. I take limbs and convert them into neat little wood pieces. Oak mulch is very pretty once you spread it and it gets rained on once. Very light colored and clean to walk on. The pieces are large enough where they don't stick to your shoes like cypress mulch does.

If you chip pine, lay that mulch first then top dress with oak chips.

If you have a pickup and pallet forks or a low trailer, pick it up at a freight depot and save a bunch of delivery costs. Easy to assemble without a helper in about 3 hours. Less if you had an extra pair of hands. Half of that time will be taking the steel crate apart and getting the pieces unbolted from the crate. The FEL can lift it out of a pickup if you have forks.


A lot of us here have Jinmas. As you can see from my profile, I am JD person but had no qualms about the Jinma chipper. Just make sure to order yours in the available green & yellow color combo.

 

[b33b]

If you really want the low down, do a search. Over 200 threads on chippers, about one every two weeks.

 

[weldingisfun]

I had a DR Chipper. It was nicely built but not large enough for what I wanted to do with it. It has only one cutting blade that is not reversible.
Sent it back within the 90 days. They took it without question and fully refunded my money, as advertised.
Took the refund and bought a new Jinma chipper, extra set of blades and knuckle from Tommy's Affordable Tractors Home of compact Jinma, Foton, and Koyker Tractors and Parts, Wood Chippers, Backhoes - Affordable Tractor Sales Company in Bellville, Texas. and still had money left over.
The Jinma has two cutting blades and they are reversible.
I have not regretted my decision one time. Have put 25 - 30 cutting hours on it so far. Reversed the original blades once and now have my back up set on.

 

[wkpoor]

I have a large heavy duty 6" chipper. I know they are expensive but the power feed option would be nice. Most sticks are not all that straight and the power feed would really speed up the operation as you wouldn't need to trim them down to where they can be fed in. I don't have it and wish I did. Too many time forked branches won't go down the chute and have to be recut. Otherwise the chipper is great.