Maiden Voyage- Woodland Mills WC88 Chipper

[plowhog]

Got my Woodland Mills WC88 chipper recently. Unit arrived damaged- ugh. It was packed really, really well but dents and scuffed paint here and there. Plus one cracked weld. Factory says it was shipping damage although the outside of carton was unblemished. They are sending replacement parts and some touch up paint-- but I was able to get up and running with it.

Today, I used it for the first time. It digested everything I put through it-- which was nice. I did not stress it with anything real large or real old-- I thought I'd ease my way into learning its capabilities. I did have a large oak limb fall recently, and there were some pretty good sized side limbs from that-- probably up to 4" diameter with maybe a 5" or two.

I was very surprised at how finely it chipped everything. I felt like I put a *lot* through it yet my small trailer only seems to have a light load of chips so far.

 

[TheMan419]

It is amazing how much brush you have to chip to get a yard of chips. Glad it is working well for you.

 

[oosik]

Its AMAZING how much a chipper reduces the volume of small trees. During my spring time project - thinning my stands of pines - I will chip 750 to 900 small (1" to 6") pine trees. The entire amount of chips make only two pickup loads. I work almost two entire months getting this project completed every spring.

Glad to hear you are liking it. It looks good.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

I'd like to hear more about the chipper as you use it some more. I'm thinking about getting one before my brush piles get more out of control than they already are.

 

[plowhog]

I have now used the Woodland Mills chipper extensively. I recently had large oak trees trimmed by a two-man crew (using a large lift) that spent a week doing trimming. This generated HUGE piles of clippings and branches. My trees are 125 feet tall, huge, and maybe 200 years old.

I have a 1 ton truck with a dump bed. Not sure how many yards it holds but my dump trailer holds 2 1/2 yards and it is larger than that. I have filled that truck numerous times now with the chips from the Woodland Mills chipper.

Here are some thoughts:

1. I am very glad I got the 8" WC 88 model. I don't chip anything 8" large, but so many limbs and branches have crooks in them which can cause problems for the chipper that the extra throat size is valuable.
2. The chipper has digested almost everything I've thrown at it. Probably the biggest thing I have chipped is 6" but almost everything is way smaller than that. But I have learned what it likes, and what it will reject.
3. Chipping freshly cut limbs and branches is a breeze. Chipping an old trunk or branch that sat around for a year or more-- different ballgame. Chips it, but not as fast or well.
4. Soft woods chip unbelievably easy. I feed cedar and pine in it and ... no issues.
5. The chipper likes to start with a pretty straight branch, and if you do that it will pull with great force even pulling in a lot of crooked limbs after that.
6. Chipping black oak did very well-- I was surprised and pleased with how efficient it is.
7. The chips are good size, nicely chipped. I have covered many driveways and areas where vehicles drive. And around my biggest oak tree.

The one surprise was trying to chip the debris from a Pin Oak. That thing is TOUGH. I feel like I am putting a jumble of really tough wire and conduit into the chipper-- many branches hang up, side branches seem to go everywhere ... its a challenge. My infeed speed is set at about 4 for everything else-- which is a good speed for me and what I chip. On setting 4 the majority of pin oak branches stall the chipper and get hung up. With Pin Oak, I found I set speed down to 1, and clean up side branches before feeding it. This ... mostly ... works.

btw, I have a DeWalt 20V battery sawzall with wood blade. This is FAR superior to using a chain saw for taking off small limbs before feeding. No pulling, starting, or stopping.

All in all, I've been impressed with the work this machine has done and the chips it has produced.

I *really* like taking something undesirable (debris/clippings) and turning it into something useful/desirable (mulch chips for planters or dirt roads.)

 

[Jstpssng]

It sounds like you really needed the chipper. I always figured they should be rated for about twice the size of the wood that it is going to get a steady diet, so that you don't spend most of your time waiting to feed it.

 

[jemclimber]

Chips are terrible for a driveway. They're great for a walking path and around trees, but as they quickly rot in 2-3 years, the driveway will be soft and "rut up" terribly.

 

[plowhog]

It sounds like you really needed the chipper. I always figured they should be rated for about twice the size of the wood that it is going to get a steady diet, so that you don't spend most of your time waiting to feed it.

Based on my limited experience, I think you have it about right.

I will watch and see how the chips do over time on driving areas. I have quite a bit of gravel plus a gravel compacted driveway. I have not put any chips over gravel and will not. But some of the dirt areas (like where I chip wood) seem to benefit a lot from the chips. No more making ruts through mud when I drive the tractor or a vehicle through. But I guess time will tell.

 

[waendo]

Does your Massey have 35hp at the pto? I'm considering a replacement tractor with the WC88 as a centerpiece implement, but the tractor I'm considering is rated at 33HP at the PTO.