Bearcat vs Salsco woodchipper

NHSawyer · Feb 26, 2004

Hi Folks,
I have been thinking of upgrading my woodchipper. With the manual feed unit I have now it takes just too long to feed brush into it.
I have been comparing some PTO driven units made by Bearcat and Salsco.
The Bearcat is the 5" model 74554.
The Salsco is the 4" model 824.
I have a 1710 with 26 HP so I think I could power the chipper ok.
Does anyone own either one of the machines? How do you like them?

Thanks

Deerlope · Feb 26, 2004

I have the Bearcat 74554 and love it. It is a PTO unit and I power it with 38 HP, L-3830. I considered many before I purshased even Salco but the salesman got a little too pushy. The Bearcat has 4 cutter knifes and the Salco only 2.Also the Bearcat has a larger rotor. Get one and you will love it.

ScottAR · Feb 26, 2004

Welcome NHSawyer... glad to have you over here!

MajMac392 · Feb 26, 2004

NH where are you located and what type of chipper do you have now? You didn't fill out your profile. Welcome to TBN!

Chipperman · Feb 26, 2004

NHSawyer
Here is my two cents. First of all they are both good chippers. I am somewhat baisis but I think I have the facts to back it up. The Salsco chipper is a heavier duty unit. The infeed chute is plate not sheet metal as well as the rest of the unit uses thicker gauge material. Chippers are inherently subject to a lot of vibration and shock. With lighter materials over time there is a much higher chance for stress/weld cracks. The Salsco has a chipper opening of 4x8 the Bearcat has a 5x5 opening. If all your chipping was to be straight sticks with out branches you would be able to chip a larger (5”) branch with the Bearcat then with the Salsco. My guess is your material has branches and is not all straight. The extra space on the sides (with the Salsco) leaves room for branches to be folded down and chipped with much less effort then with the 5x5 configuration. Many limbs with branches will pass through a 4x8 opening that will not go through a 5x5 opening. It also allows for crooked branches to pass that may hang up with a 5x5 opening. The feed wheel on the Salco is a straight knife design without teeth. I can’t remember which design the Bearcat is. With serrated teeth feed wheels (not straight knife type) viney or soft material tends to get caught in the crouch of the teeth and wrap around the wheel jamming up the feed system. The Salsco feed system due to its geometry has more gripping and pulling power which translates into more chipping and less pruning. How many blades a chipper has makes no difference in the quality of the unit. Salsco uses ½ inch thick reversible blades which are the same knives used in their 13 inch professional chippers. They stand up excellent. My suggestion is bring some material to both dealers and ask them to let you run it threw the machines. If you demo both units I think you will agree the Salsco is the more capable machine for a variety of material. When are you located in NH?
Good luck with which ever unit you buy.
Chipperman /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

NHSawyer · Feb 27, 2004

Thanks to all for the welcome to the site & the info on the chippers. Looks like I need to fill out my profile. Anyway I'm located in Barrington NH.
Sounds like both the of the chippers are good units and I would not go wrong with either one.
The wider opening on the Salsco sounds like it makes sense. The stuff I want to chip is bushy. Things like hemlock branches.
Thanks again.

GregJ · Feb 27, 2004

NH,
One thing that was important to me was the size of the chips. If you are planning on using the debris as compost or mulch, the smaller the chips, the better. That is one thing I really like about my Bearcat. It makes very small chips that compost very quickly.

Just one more thing to think about.

Greg

tawilson · Feb 27, 2004

I've got a Valby, which has two blades, and the chips are bigger than I expected. I haven't used it much, and maybe slowing down the hydraulic feed will make them smaller, but I don't think so. I think it's a result of having two blades. Also, hemlock branches tend to get wound around the feed auger, until I send some bigger stuff thru. Still, I wouldn't want to give up the hydraulic feed.

Chipperman · Feb 27, 2004

GregJ
You can control the size of the chips with any chipper if the feed rate is adjustable. The faster the feed rate the larger the chips, the slower the feed the smaller. With the Salsco you can easily adjust the chip size by moving the feed bar. The Salsco chipper uses a hydrostat pump instead of a gear pump. When you move the feed bar you are changing the flow rate which will speed up or slow down the feed system. If you move it far enough it will reverse it. Hope that clarifies it.
Chipperman /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Deerlope · Feb 27, 2004

I am glad that I did not buy a Salco if I have to stand there and move the feed bar to and for to control feed rate. With my Bearcat I just set it and forget it. The only thing that I have found that it does not like to chip are grape vines.