Anybody have trouble with plugged up chutes on their chipper?

[woodchuckcanuck]

I was reading this thread (among others) Wish List: Chipper/shredder

I've been looking around the forum for Bearcat owners who have blowers attached. I have this one 3" Chipper/Shredder - Model SC3305E (70085) and it will eat anything I can fit in it. But I don't have the blower unit, which was a $800 option at the time I bought it. I'm trying to figure out if its now worth the investment since its quite a bit more work, and more mess to clean up, at this point.

I only have the mesh screen that came with the unit, which has 1.5 inch holes. Currently what I experience is a number of small sticks a little smaller than pencils that don't get chopped up by the hammermill and pass through. I'm just wondering what effect this will have on plugging up the blower chute.

Actually, I'm shopping for my first tractor and I might just sell this chipper and get one that run off the PTO with a self feed. Sure would make it easier feeding in the fir branches.

This is our current setup. Strapped down to a utility trailer on the back of the quad.

 

[Scooby074]

I have a Troybuilt chipper with the same issues. A blower option would be perfect, but as you said 800.

Personally if your getting a tractor, id sell the Bearcat and put what you get with the 800 youd spend on a blower and get a Wallenstein. They have a built in blower.

About the only way id keep a Bearcat/Troybuilt style would be if i was using the shredder section to mulch fine waste like little sticks or garden waste.

Wallenstein also makes a new model that has a shredder section, but i understand its a fair bit more money

 

[woodchuckcanuck]

That's about what I'm thinking. Wait to upgrade they sell what I have here. Maybe the dealer will take trade ins. The shedder/hammermill is not that important since we have about 15 or so acres of Christmas balsam fir trees that need thinning etc. I'm figuring as long as the butt of the tree can fit in the chipper, a hyd feed machine should be able to take care of it.

 

[ragkar]

I have a dr.chipper four inch standalone that has a clogging exit chute problem. I just have to watch that the chipped pile doesn't build too big.
I don't use it as much as I expected. Dry wood goes in a burn pit and I only chip green.
I read the threads about the advantages/disadvantages of stand-alone vs pto chippers and I decided that hooking up the pto was too much trouble. I need the 3ph too often for a bh, rake and ballast.

 

[Scooby074]

That's about what I'm thinking. Wait to upgrade they sell what I have here. Maybe the dealer will take trade ins. The shedder/hammermill is not that important since we have about 15 or so acres of Christmas balsam fir trees that need thinning etc. I'm figuring as long as the butt of the tree can fit in the chipper, a hyd feed machine should be able to take care of it.

Hyd feed is nice but spendy. Some say you dont need it if the blades are sharp. Im not so sure. if i everr buy a 3 pt chipper i think ill be sure it has hyd feed. It will help with branches on the trunk and it will work to force the tree thru when the blades get dull.

Another option would be a tow behind chipper, like a brush bandit. They come up for sale all the time. THeres a dealer in Halifax that gets lots of stuff from the HRM and resells it.

 

[jinman]

I have a Bush Hog CS-100 chipper-shredder with a blower chute. I get the small pencil sized shreds when I feed small cedar limbs through the shredder, but I don't get them from chipping. There is no clogging of the blower. The only clog I have ever had was in the shredder when I "vacuumed" up a big pile of leaves and they overwhelmed the shredder because I didn't have the correct shredding screen installed for leaves. I've never clogged the blower. Frankly, most stuff exits the blower so fast it is dangerous and you would not want to make the mistake of walking in front of it. It might fill you full of splinters.