Chipper Newbee needs Chipper Assistance

[SCRich]

I have 27.5 acres that just got logged, 3 acres clear cut 40% thinning of the rest. Heck I think the 40% was just the darn trails the CAT325 had to cut to get to the places, 3+ miles worth of trails by my GPS when I walked it. Needless to say loggers left a mess, going to cost me more in equipment to clean it than what I made and it would be too expensive to have done or rent the equipment.

So I was going to buy an ATV with a DR Chipper, the chipper is about $3200 plus the ATV that is about $10K. The Kubota I will eventually need is about $17K with a FEL grapple and I can buy a cheap or used ATV for later. Only thing I need is a storage container ($2000) for tractor storage since the home is not ready to move in till' August.

So back to the chipper, PTO chippers from DR are about $1200 but what else is out there ? The chipper will get heavy use the first few months maybe 6 months then just a bit of use afterwards every year. Trees are SC Pines, I am mostly concerned about branches and pine needles, the 6-7ft tree tops left behind I will cut and split for firewood. There are a few cedar trees but that is about it. The tractor will have no more than 25-29hp at the PTO so what can I expect to do with that power?

Any suggestions would be appreciated. I am new to owning more than an acre and I am spending about 6-7 hours a night on the internet learning everything from fireplaces, grading, seeding, etc etc. from 0-60 in no time to spare. Not to mention I am trying to keep a close eye on the construction of the home. We are only at the basement portion of it now but it will get hairy fast, the home is 5200sq ft modular and will arrive in about 3 weeks!

 

[joes_427_vette]

Hey Rich;
Sounds like we have the same mess in common. I purchased 30 acres about 4 years ago that had been " terrorized " by loggers. They left a huge mess and cut trees on my existing property also. ( what jerks ) Needless to say I had a contractor with a 1150 case dozer blade the trails so they can be walked safely. I dragged them with my tractor and have them in fair shape. Now I would like to get a chipper and remove some of the dead trees along with the trash piles they left behind. I have research some brands and at a minimum I want to purchase a 6" pto unit. Renting is out because there will be work every year due to falling trees, branches ect. There is also a stream running through it so a couple bridges are in the plans. It is beautiful property very close to the city so it deserves a first class cleanup. A feature I would like to have is a hydraulic feed system. Working alone I feel this can be a huge back saver. The local dealer handles woods brand which is quite expensive. I'm trying to get a retail price on a BX 62 Walenstein and view one. From what I read they seem to be a well built unit ( four knifes and a 180# flywheel ) with the specs I have in mind.

 

[weldingisfun]

Here you go SCRich, start reading:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...rn-new-jimna-chipper.html?highlight=stop+burn
You will get lots of good info as well as the answer to your questions.

 

[Todd_C]

SCRich,

I have been working on a 30 acre tract that was logged. Sometimes I feel like I would be better off P*&*^%$ in a blowing fan. A friend hired someone with a deforester machine last fall to clear 4 acres on his property. He spent $2,000, but the machine shredded everything in it's path. If you want immediate results and can afford it, then I would hire someone.

I've been clearing my land wih the use of my 40hp tractor with a fel and it has been a slow process. In my opinion, the ATV and chipper will take forever. The ATV would be nice so you can ride on all the trails but it isn't designed to haul/move a lot of heavy timber. A tractor with a grappel/fel, and a chipper would be superior to the ATV & chipper.

 

[SOS]

I say go with the tractor now and definately get a grapple. Also I just bought a canopy garage for mine to keep it out of the weather for a year or so while I build up capital for a little barn. It cost me 175 at costco. Its does the job and has held up very good this winter.

 

[SCRich]

SCRich,

A friend hired someone with a deforester machine last fall to clear 4 acres on his property. He spent $2,000, but the machine shredded everything in it's path. If you want immediate results and can afford it, then I would hire someone.

I looked into that, it's called Gyro-Trac and it's made just south of me near Charleston SC. Those babies are cool AND expensive!! So expensive that hardly anyone can afford one. I found 2 manufacturers of the unit and called them direct, got 1 lead each for owners of their product (mostly in the South End of the state) and neither wanted to head up to the NC/SC border where I live. Both gave me 1 other lead due to the distance involved and job. Both expect it to be a 1 day job to clean up and they will only travel for 3 day jobs. $2200 a day. Heck... that is 25-50% of the cost of a tractor, can't do that and sleep at night. I'd rather buy a tractor and do it the hard way.

Rich

 

[Greg - Kioti CK20 TLB]

Hi Rich,

I bought a 9hp Dr Chipper two years ago when that had a 6-month "try it and if you don't like it return it for a full refund" deal. I returned it.

I have nothing against the Dr Chipper and I don't mean to bad-mouth them. It worked fine and would be nice for the occasional spring cleanup around a small yard. But I am clearing a driveway and homesite on 3.5 acres and it was much to small. I would have destroyed it in no time. With 27 acres like yours...forget about it.

If you're going to get a tractor, I would recommend a PTO-driven chipper. I have a Wallenstein BX42. See my response to "joes_427_vette" for more info and pictures.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/97520-anyone-own-walenstein-bx62-chipper.html

 

[SCRich]

Thanks for the input, I was afraid of that and glad that someone who actually has done it was able to back up my thoughts. I'll check into that other thread and ask around. With so many tractor places about here I have never seen a PTO chipper for sale, kind of surprised me.

 

[dillo99]

I have 27 acres and bought the DR PTO chipper last fall. I like it a lot. It works well and will handle some pretty big stuff. I considered the Jimna Chipper but it was a little big for my tractor.

I would definitely go with a PTO driven one especially for the later, occasional use.

 

[SCRich]

Well the tractor is a done deal L3400, WRLong Root Grapple, Boxblade,FEL, and probably I'll get a rake too. Just dropped off a check for $650 for the container, 6 months for $650 delivered, don't matter if I have it for 5 or 7 he has a bunch and they do things "different" here in the south. Seems to be a nice guy can probably keep it longer for the same price. The tractor should be ready by Friday but not the grapple, that needs to be made and shipped.

Still looking at the DR chipper but the reviews are mixed, looked at some of the other posts and it looks like a good PTO chipper would be about $4K. Anyone have one in the $2K range other than the DR that they can recomend ? I hate to part with $4K for a chipper since it's 1/2 of the backhoe that I really want/need.