ChipZilla !!!!! (Bearcat 73554 Chipper Shredder)

[jeffinsgf]

I thought I would share something I did to my Country Mfg wagon to make it a lot more "chipper friendly". HazMat briefly mentioned the problem in his opening post. That is, getting the chips to stay in the trailer. I am assuming the blower in the Bearcat is as powerful as the one in my Bush Hog, which is to say, pretty dang powerful. He mentioned adding a down pipe, which I tried. I also tried adding a flexible spout and a long hose. Nothing seemed to work just the way I wanted it to.

I ended up building a frame out of 1 x 3's and screwing it to the side wall boards of the trailer. The front and top are sided with some left over barn siding and the sides are lined with metal window screen material. The chips blow in, the air escapes through the window screen and I catch 99% of my chips instead 5% or 10% (with the rest getting blown all over creation). I built it so that the frame could be removed from the trailer, but since this is what I use the dump trailer for most of the time, that hasn't come up yet. Here's a pic of the trailer and my chipper.

 

[hazmat]

Who is the hook up more blades? I can see myself going thru some blades in my 73544. I figure I can have a handful of them and get them all sharpened at once.

D.

Well obviously your dealer is a hook up, but here is a possible aftermarket source Industrial Knives, machine knives; precision sharpening from TSK

Though you might want to contact jeffinsgf for some sharpening equipment (hint check his profile).

 

[hazmat]

I thought I would share something I did to my Country Mfg wagon to make it a lot more "chipper friendly". ...

Jeff,

Nice work. That project was already on my to do list (though with many other things in front of it). I really need to get another tractor to pull the dump trailer around with (I got spoiled owning both my TC18 & B3030 for about 6 weeks while selling the TC18).

So far I'm coping by transporting the brush to the chip pile (usually with the dump trailer). It is not the most time effecient process - you have to handle the limbs twice - load it into trailer, load it into chipper vs. straight to the chipper.

 

[jeffinsgf]

.... I really need to get another tractor to pull the dump trailer around with (I got spoiled owning both my TC18 & B3030 for about 6 weeks while selling the TC18). ...

It amazes me how much I depend on my little 455 in conjunction with my 4410. I can name half a dozen recent projects that would have taken more than twice as long if I were working with only one tractor. All I need now is a pocket sized, off-road unicycle to get me back to which ever one I leave in the field.

BTW, thanks for the plug. I can confirm that a Tormek sharpened chipper blade makes prettier mulch and does it longer.

One more thing, re: the trailer mod. Once you do it, even if you bring your limbs to the pile, I think you'll blow them into your wagon. I get about 30% more usable mulch when I blow into the trailer than if I try to blow onto a pile.

 

[mjncad]

Jeffinsgf:

Is it the picture, or are your 4410's loader mounting posts leaning forward? I have a 4200 with a 420 FEL and mine are straight up when the loader is attached securely.

It just looks like its not securely mounted to the tractor to me.

 

[getindirty]

I thought I would share something I did to my Country Mfg wagon to make it a lot more "chipper friendly". HazMat briefly mentioned the problem in his opening post. That is, getting the chips to stay in the trailer. I am assuming the blower in the Bearcat is as powerful as the one in my Bush Hog, which is to say, pretty dang powerful. He mentioned adding a down pipe, which I tried. I also tried adding a flexible spout and a long hose. Nothing seemed to work just the way I wanted it to.

I ended up building a frame out of 1 x 3's and screwing it to the side wall boards of the trailer. The front and top are sided with some left over barn siding and the sides are lined with metal window screen material. The chips blow in, the air escapes through the window screen and I catch 99% of my chips instead 5% or 10% (with the rest getting blown all over creation). I built it so that the frame could be removed from the trailer, but since this is what I use the dump trailer for most of the time, that hasn't come up yet. Here's a pic of the trailer and my chipper.

Great now I need another tractor! Honey where's the checkbook?

 

[jeffinsgf]

Jeffinsgf:

Is it the picture, or are your 4410's loader mounting posts leaning forward? I have a 4200 with a 420 FEL and mine are straight up when the loader is attached securely.

It just looks like its not securely mounted to the tractor to me.

The 430 on the 4410 leans forward just a little bit. The 420 is due north and south.

 

[jeffinsgf]

Great now I need another tractor! Honey where's the checkbook?

Heck yeah! Can't get anything done with just one!

Hey, it worked for me.

 

[williamemack]

I have owned a Bearcat 73554 for about 4 years now and am only semi happy with it. I bought it to replace a "lesser" Goossen chipper that exhausts out the bottom, but the Goossen is a much better chipper as it doesn't bog the tractor down as readily, and I'm using a 35 pto hp tractor! I am now considering a power feed 4 inch Wallenstein. I rarely use the Bearcat's shredder as it is a bit scarey how fast it sucks material in.

 

[jeffinsgf]

I have owned a Bearcat 73554 for about 4 years now and am only semi happy with it. I bought it to replace a "lesser" Goossen chipper that exhausts out the bottom, but the Goossen is a much better chipper as it doesn't bog the tractor down as readily, and I'm using a 35 pto hp tractor! I am now considering a power feed 4 inch Wallenstein. I rarely use the Bearcat's shredder as it is a bit scarey how fast it sucks material in.

Then you may recognize the Bush Hog in the picture above. Goossen private labeled their chipper for Bush Hog.

Before you traded your Goossen, did you know it had an add-on blower available? I didn't even consider a bottom exhaust. I saw that train wreck headed my way. I would like power feed, but the price tag always scares me away. The Bush Hog / Goossen pulls the material in, as long as the blades are sharp and you do a little steering.