Chipper DR Chipper Reliability

[MFL]

Hey Guys,

Two weeks ago I rented a tow-behind chipper to get rid of some brush and really liked how well it worked and how easy it was to use. The chips it produced were a little more course than I thought I was going to get, but mostly it was a very useable end product to use as mulch, spreading on pathways, etc. I liked that I had a useable product when I finished instead of a burn pile. Anyway, I'm thinking about buying one, but I would prefer to have a 3pt. mount than a seperate gas engine unit. The one I've been looking at is the DR 3pt Chipper. It lists for about $1800.00, and fits well with the specs of the B7800.

Has anybody had any experience with this brand of chippers? I see DR equipement advertised all over, but I don't know anyone that has any of their gear. I would also be interested in any other brand that would work with my little tractor, if anyone had a different suggestion.

Thanks for your input.

 

[cisco]

There's been a number of posts on DR chippers. I've the pto model, and it has worked fine, for more than 100 hours, with caveats that 4" limbs are too much (despite the advertisement) and I stick with 3" or less. My pto power is 29.5.
Remember the DR is manual feed, and that takes more time than just tossing stuff onto a motorized feed.
Do not buy the unit until on sale (which DR frequently has), sometimes with free or reduced shipping. Most the the DR stuff is good, and I've 3 of their products, but they are overpriced compared to similar quality products unless on sale.

 

[MFL]

Thanks Cisco. The unit I rented was also a manual feed and it went pretty quickly. I guess since I haven't used any other kind, I don't no what I'm missing. I appreciate the tips on using and buying. The guy at the rental yard also warned me about trying to feed the listed size on the rental chipper. He said the same thing...it might be rated for 4 1/2", but don't go above 3.

Glad to hear it's a reliable unit, I'll keep my eye open for a sale.

 

[ADin]

Cisco,

Regarding the limitation/recommendation of staying below 3" on a machine claimed to support 4.5", to what degree is this a function of PTO HP (since you made note in the post) or general limitation of overall machine/cutter design (or both)? I'm curious because I'm also interested in eventually purchasing a chipper and have only ~18 HP pto and I'm trying to extrapolate performance expectations.

 

[RalphVa]

The guy who bought my McKissic I had for my Gravely had a DR on his small JD. I've a McKissic like you can get from Northern Tool for my 4010, which has only about 15-16 PTO hp. Have NEVER bogged it down like I used to on the McKissic on the 12 hp Gravely or my 8 hp TroyBilt. The mac does up to 3". The hp requirement goes up by the square root of the diameter ratio.

The size of the chips is dependent on the screen that you use. My TroyBilt had 3 screens. Could make anything from about 1/2" chips to very fine stuff, depending on which screen I installed.

The MacKissic on the 4010 is a very nice unit. Wish it had through-bolted screws to hold the chipper blade in place like on my TroyBilt. Just get yourself a good socket-handle-driven allen wrench for it and use the right blue thread antiseize. Have yet to have to turn the hammers on it. That was a job on the TroyBilt but will be easier on the MacKissic because the top chute removes; whereas, you had to wallow around on the floor/ground to remove the hammers on the TroyBilt.

Haven't heard from anyone regarding maintenance on the DR units. Most of them are chipper-only. Think you can get one that is a shredder/chipper like the MacKissic, but you'll pay probably about $1,000 more IF they still make them.

MacKissic is a very old American manufacturer. This unit and the one I had for the Gravely both are very quiet. The TroyBilt was a beasty noisey unit.

Ralph

 

[rickmacheske]

I ordered a chipper from Emerybuilt and plan to pick it up on Saturday. I'll post my experiences after I get it put together and working.... This one was very inexpensive and is supposed to handle 6" limbs...

http://www.emerybuilt.com/

 

[VT_Kioti]

I ordered a chipper from Emerybuilt and plan to pick it up on Saturday. I'll post my experiences after I get it put together and working.... This one was very inexpensive and is supposed to handle 6" limbs...

You will like the chipper you bought. Go back through the posts here on setting up the Jinma Chipper and follow the experance of the others who use them. Pay particular attention to the directions on ajusting the feed drive shaft. The best advice I have recieved about lubing the ends of the shaft was...Clean the ends out once a year with spray brake cleaner and then inject new grease with a needle grease gun end. This procedure works very good.
Once you have done the setup it runs great. I have run it on a 30hp machine and put through pieces close to 6" and never slowed the tractor at all. I think that is because of the very heavy flywheel. Green wood chips best.

Enjoy the chipper, it sure beats looking at brush piles.

 

[rickmacheske]

Will do..... I've been following them somewhat. Can't wait to get rid of the brush piles (my wife told me that I must think that way )

 

[rswyan]

If you wipe out the universal joint (one is apparently more prone to it than the other) for the feed roller driveshaft, a fairly easy fix is to weld a 1/2" impact universal joint on to replace it. The square female end is almost a perfect fit for the square drive on the gearbox. I did this recently with a cheapie from Harbor Freight (<$5) and it seems to be holding up pretty well thus far.

 

[MFL]

Thanks for all the feedback, guys. I just went to the emorybuilt site to take a look and it seems really impressive. Saves me about $500 over the DR and it comes with a top load chute. On the DR that would make it even more expensive!!. Rick, please post your experience with the one you ordered. Here, or on a new thread, I'm really interested on how this unit works out! I probably won't buy until the fall so I have some time to evaluate other models before buying. If your Jinma works as good as it looks, it would go to the top of the list.

 

[rickmacheske]

No problem.....BTW, you don't have a lot of time. I ordered mine in March and it is finally at the dealer.

 

[MFL]

WOW! Four months! From the site, I assumed I could order through the 800# and have it shipped. Would do the same with the DR. Is this not possible,or did you have a special circumstance that delayed it this long?

 

[rickmacheske]

They order them from China and have them built and shipped. They do need to wait until they have enough for a cargo container. Call them and find out if they already have an order in with extra chippers.

 

[MFL]

Thanks, I'll give them a call.

 

[kentrodngun]

Last year I bought a PTO powered chipper from Homier(.com) for about $1,300 plus shipping (can't remember the amount). If I remember correctly, I think it is the FarmPro brand and they claims it can chip up to 6" material. It has an automatic feed too. I had it shipped to a terminal location and picked it up using my small utility trailer. It weighed about 1,000 lbs, it wasn't too bad to assemble and hooked right up to my 3PH. I used it to chip 1" to about 5" fresh cut and long dead saplings. I don't doubt that I had a number of 6"s in there too. It worked great and I chipped many hours per day for about three weekends. I am very happy with my purchase.

 

[Tom_H]

I think the DR powerline has a belt or chain link between the PTO driveline and the flywheel, whereas most other chippers have a direct mechanical connection. I think this is partly why the DR is so much more lightweight. I could be wrong on this, bit think it's correct.

Give a look at http://www.salsco.com/woodchippers.htm

 

[greenthumb]

what about this Salsco chipper. how well does it work. what is the price range for their model 600/624 they look like decent equipment on their web page. how fast can you get these or do you have to wait for a cargo boat like the Jimina thanks for the input

 

[MFL]

Wow, those Salsco chippers look pretty HD! Does anyone have a source for prices? I didn't see anything on the site, but by the looks of them, they're not cheap!

 

[rickmacheske]

MFL,
I picked up the chipper yesterday and put it together this morning. I was surprised that it took less than an hour to put it together. I made sure to tighten all the already installed bolts as I was putting it together (air power is great). This thing is really a beast. After lubing and changing the oil I put it to work for a short period. 5-6" limbs are not a problem. The chipper didn't stutter. I am going to make a minor change to the feed linkage. It just doesn't look like it will hold up. I'm going to add a couple set screws to it when I get a chance. Overall, looks like it is a good investment.
Rick

 

[Skaning]

The Homier is the Farmpro ( which is an arm of Homier) and is the Jinma or emorybuilt. I've looked and lusted but I am concerned about the weight. I've got an older Hinomoto E18D(massey 205) It's fine for what I need but I wonder whether the 3ph can deal with 1000 lbs.

skaning1