Chipper bearcat chipper problems

dogday · Jul 18, 2009

I just bought a used, but in great shape bearcat pto chipper. I believe it is model 57334 but I could be wrong. All of the specs say the chipper will take up to a 5" limb but any time a put a limb over 2" into the chipper it really bogs down. I put the limb in, it chips it, then I have to pull the limb out and wait for the chips to clear and the blade to rev back up to speed. Tractor is running great and it just appears that the blade on the chipper gets bogged down. The shredder portion works fine. Does anyone know if there could be a belt adjustment that needs to be done or have any other ideas.
Thanks for the help.

J_J · Jul 18, 2009

dogday,

I have a smaller 4 in Bearcat PTO chipper/shredders. If your belts are tight, and you have the rpm up on the tractor, about the only other thing would be the blades are not sharp enough. Are the chips flowing out with out clogging. I also have the optional blower on mine.

Make sure it is not running, then

Reach inside and rub your finger over the blade. You can tell if it needs sharpening. There might be two blades.

dogday · Jul 18, 2009

Thanks for the help. The chips fly out fine for the first few seconds and then it just bogs down and you have to stop chipping for a few and wait for the blades to get back up to speed. Using a 40hp tractor at about 2200 rpm. The blades felt sharp and I thought the belt was pretty tight but would have to recheck it. I looks like the drivline spins but the belt doesn't turn when it gets bogged down. Would that be an indication of a loose belt?
Thanks

J_J · Jul 18, 2009

Yes. You might also add some grease to the bearings. Take your side cover off and check the pulleys for rust, and tighten up on the tension. Check and see if the belts need replacement.

Scooby074 · Jul 18, 2009

If the belts look good then Id REALLY check the blades. You got lots of HP there. They can feel sharp, but really arent. When sharp they will feel like a good kitchen knife. You should be able to shave the top of your fingernail when theyre really sharp. When i sharpen my chipper, thats how sharp i get mine. Its tool steel and will take a razor edge. Big difference in performance with a well sharpened blade,

ddivinia · Jul 19, 2009

Scooby074 said:
If the belts look good then Id REALLY check the blades. You got lots of HP there. They can feel sharp, but really arent. When sharp they will feel like a good kitchen knife. You should be able to shave the top of your fingernail when theyre really sharp. When i sharpen my chipper, thats how sharp i get mine. Its tool steel and will take a razor edge. Big difference in performance with a well sharpened blade,

Sometimes sharp blades seem to make it bog down quicker because it pulls the log in quickly.

D.

FarmGeek · Jul 19, 2009

I've not used a Bearcat but I did drool over them for a while. My Pequea chipper is sensitive to the adjustment between the anvil and the knives. The book says only 1/32 of an inch between the anvil and the closest blade.

You might want to check that adjustment. It makes a big difference for me.

Jeff

Scooby074 · Jul 19, 2009

ddivinia said:
Sometimes sharp blades seem to make it bog down quicker because it pulls the log in quickly.

D.

I agree. Luckly they dont stay that sharp for long

. On my chipper all i can feed it through the chute is 3" anyways, and it handles it pretty well but you really can notice the performance drop as the blades dull.

In the sawmill we ran a whole log chipper. Around 10 blades. 500hp. It would eat a 12" x8' tree in the blink of an eye. Literally.

Scary machine. Blades were sharp enough to shave with and changed every 4 hours.

Stradbash · Jul 21, 2009

dogday said:
Thanks for the help. The chips fly out fine for the first few seconds and then it just bogs down and you have to stop chipping for a few and wait for the blades to get back up to speed. Using a 40hp tractor at about 2200 rpm.

Is it the tractor motor that is bogging down or just the flywheel and blades?
If it's just the flywheel and blades/knives, then your belts are likely slipping and need to be adjusted (or possibly replaced).
Or as another poster suggested, you might have too much friction in the pully system. Check the bearings etc. I know I can easily turn my 3" chipper by hand when it is not connected to the PTO.
Sounds like power should not be a problem.

Good Luck!