How portable are they? I'm thinking of getting one, but never seen a tractor-mounted chipper in action. I assumed they'd go wherever the tractor goes, but I've been looking at pictures how that'd work. One I saw even has little legs it stands up on, and a long shaft to attach it to the PTO.
I need a chipper, but I need one I can easily get out into the woods where the mess is.
JCA,
A tractor mounted chipper mounts to the 3pt. hitch and runs off the PTO. They can be raised off the ground with the 3pt. so you can move the tractor and then when in use the have to sit on the legs, which should be adjusted to the correct height so the pto shaft is operating as straight as possible. So, if I am understanding your question, they are only as portable as the tractor, because they essentially become part of it once they are hooked up. Mine weighs over 400lbs. and I keep it on a dolly in my shop when I'm not using it.
Thanks, Greg. That's just what I thought, and just what I was hoping. My land is pretty hilly, so up to now, tractorless, I've resisted getting a stand-alone chipper because there was no way to get it where the fallen wood is (and I'm not interested in hauling the fallen wood up out of the valley if I can help it).
So it sounds like a tractor-mounted chipper is just what I need.
My Troy Bilt Tomahawk is on wheels, but not sturdy enough to take it very far, certainly not on the road or very far in the rough. The previous owner rigged a 3 arm hitch, ending in a tongue, so that it can be hitched to the drawbar of a tractor.
I also have a MacKissic shredder that bolts to the front PTO on my Gravely.
Both of these, and any 3pt chipper, are VERY heavy. I'd transport them with the 3pt as low as I dare to carry it and still have ground clearance on hilly land.
There was a thread in here about someone with a Chinese 3pt, another regarding a DR 3pt chipper.
I have a Troy Bilt, 10 HP chipper shredder with a Sears logo. I roll it onto my carryall and take it to the worksite. I usually use it while it is on the carryall but sometimes I wheel it closer to the work. It will take a 3 inch limb plus it has a brush shoot. Works well for me!
busted up New Holland TC 24D hydro :(, Replacment NH TC 24D!
I had a very similar problem, I have lots of trees away from where one could bring in a full size chipper. I also rented the full size chippers but you still need to bring the brush to it, a real drag. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif I went ahead and purchased a 3 point Bearcat and it has done a fine job. Tree projects go much quicker since the chipper is right there with you. I do wish I would have gone with the next higher model but the one I did buy was expensive and the wife was not at all very understanding of the purchase anyway. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif I have attached 2 photos of the chipper on my New Holland TC 24D.
I solved the problem of maneuverablilty by going with a DR 18Hp trailerable chipper. It is electric start and will take up to 4 inch hardwood. In that it is articulated it goes anywhere in the woods I can get with the tractor. I looked at 3pt models but considered them to be much less maneuverable due to their size and rigid connection to the rear of the tractor. Here is a link <font color="blue"> DR Chipper</font>. Additionally, if you do a search on chipper or DR chipper you will find a lot of discussion on the issue over the last year.
Bill
I'll attach a photo of my B7500 with the Bearcat chipper. I've posted this before, but this may help you visualize what you can do with the B7510 you're looking at and a Bearcat.
Greg: How much was that Bearcat? Tell me something about how it performs. What are its limits?
Bill: What you're saying makes sense, but the idea of buying a 20 HP tractor and then using it just to TOW an 18 HP chipper with a gas engine...it's just not very elegant, though you're surely right about the maneuverability.
Cheers,
Jim
Jim,
It depends on what implements you have and what you are trying to accomplish. If you would fill in your profile we could tell more about your situation, what attachments you have, what kind of land etc.
I tow the chipper into the woods, disconnect it and then chip into the bucket of my FEL. When I have a full bucket (9 cu ft) I take the chips to a convenient location for storage or distribute them where the wife wants mulch. I then go back to the woods for another load. It is also nice to be able to use the tractor to bring loads of limbs to the chipper, move the firewood that is larger than what I want to chip, etc., etc. The advantages of a stand alone chipper are that you can get it into places you could not get a 3PH chipper and can use the tractor for other tasks as required or desired. The primary disadvantage is that it gives you another engine to maintain.
Bill
Jim,
The Bearcat 70554 is probably between $2200-$2500. I have really enjoyed mine. I think they are very well engineered and match up well with my B7500. One reason I wanted it was to be able to compost the chips and use them for mulch and landscaping. In a little over a year I have chipped about 4 piles like the one in the picture. The chips are very small and compost quickly. I like that.
It is rated at 5 inches and will handle it (barely). The B7500 has 16pto HP, so it sometimes runs out of ooomph a little before the chipper does. There are 4 chipper blades that are mounted on a 125lb. flywheel. The blades are reversible and easily accessible. I just recently sharpened them for the first time. They are incredibly tough and stay sharp for a long time. There has been a lot of talk about hydraulic feed vs. manual. When the blades are sharp, it self feeds very easily. The shredder literally rips stuff out of your hands, so you have to be careful with that. All top fed shredders are a safety issue. Overall, I've been pleased.
busted up New Holland TC 24D hydro :(, Replacment NH TC 24D!
Bill, I am having a hard time believing that a tow behind unit is more maneuverable that a three point mounted version. Would that say that a tow behind box blade is more maneuverable than one that is mounted to the tractor? My box blade extends out about the same as my chipper. I do not see how one can backup and turn around on narrow or steep trails with a chipper in tow. One area that I agree with you is that it is nice to be able to drop the chipper and continue to work the tractor and FEL but in my case the best maneuverability comes from a tractor mounted chipper.
Talked with one of my fellow master gardeners on Monday. She mentioned that they'd bought a smaller chipper to tow it to where they needed shredding done.
During our tour at her house last year, I noted that they have a monstrous 3 pt chipper of some sort. Guess it's too big for her to consider it easy to transport about the lawn and garden area.
They have 60 acres.
Consider the weight/capability choices. If it's too heavy, I'd be leary of taking it out into the woods. I'd be very careful even towing my 8 hp Troy Bilt into the woods. Fortunately, its towing bars would probably bend before it would take the tractor along with it if it toppled.
George,
Not to start a war, but in my woods of maple and hickory, I have found that I can thread the narrow tow behind version through woods that I couldn't get through with a larger unit that was fixed. I feel that it is similar to the issue with a belly mounted mower or a RMM in an area with a lot of trees. Perhaps your chipper is a lot smaller than the Valby I was considering, but that's what makes horse races, politics, and TBN interesting. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Bill
