Chipper Opinions on small PTO chippers? Good or waste of time?

[Finnster]

I was looking at a used Mighty Mac chipper locally.
The actual unit is a bit older model, but seems mostly the same.

Its a small chipper/shredder upto 3.5". 40lb flywheel. My tractor has 19hp PTO.

Does anyone have some good experiences with these small chippers? I borrowed my FIL's MTD chipper/shredder with a 9hp briggs gas engine. It was completely useless imo. I had to really shove material down the chutes, and much of the material seemed to get caught up some way or another.

Spent about 30mins working at it and barely made a dent in my pile. I just shut it off.

The unit was cheap and light duty, but would a somewhat bigger unit on a PTO be a big improvement? I've seen a few Utube vids with it, but
Other choices is to burn or to trailer down to the recycler for mulching. Both are a bit of a pain too. Biggest concern is wasting my time fooling around with undersized junk.

Material is assorted landscape waste/trimmings and various tree branches not worth using as firewood. Leaves. Have a lot of vine waste from clearing/cleaning, but that should go away soon.

 

[lostcreekranch]

Have you looked at the DR Power PTO Chippers?

http://www.drpower.com/Content.aspx/Chippers-Rapid-Feed-Chippers?N=va

 

[jeff9366]

A bit pricey but Wallenstein is the PTO powered chipper or chipper/shredder of choice.

I bought my BX42s from Iowa Farm Supply.

Simple design, heavy steel, great build quality, trouble-free.

There is a Wallenstein distributor in Pennsylvania that has had excellent reviews on T-B-N.

BX Wood Chippers - Wallenstein

 

[Finnster]

Have you looked at the DR Power PTO Chippers?

DR Rapid Feed Wood Chippers | DR Power Equipment

Thing is I was looking at a used one locally. $500 in good condition. The other chippers are nice looking, but well above what I would want to spend. $500 is ok as long as it was worth the effort. The chipper is ~$ 1700-2000 new.

 

[jeff9366]

Every piece of gear requires some kind of maintenance/repair.

Do not complicate your life with a SMALL chipper, just burn small amounts of debris.

With a larger, heavier chipper you can be efficient and create enough chips to mulch.

I had a 13-hp stand-alone gasoline powered chipper/shredder and it frustrated me no end.

The Wallenstein PTO chipper is trouble free and really produces chips.

"Light duty" and "tractor" do not usually co-exist very well nor very long.

Do you expect to use the Mighty-Mac chipper/shredder regularly?

 

[Finnster]

Every piece of gear requires some kind of maintenance/repair.

Do not complicate your life with a SMALL chipper, just burn small amounts of debris.

With a larger, heavier chipper you can be efficient and create enough chips to mulch.

I had a 13-hp stand-alone gasoline powered chipper/shredder and it frustrated me no end.

The Wallenstein PTO chipper is trouble free and really produces chips.

"Light duty" and "tractor" do not usually co-exist very well nor very long.

Do you expect to use the Mighty-Mac chipper/shredder regularly?

I would estimate use to be occasionally. Landscaping waste in spring and fall, leaves in fall, and fallen branches and other debris as they come and I get to them. ~2ac residential, so not a massive amount of woods to maintain. A number of big trees (maples mostly) that seem to drop enough limbs and branches.

The unit looks about on par with the small (3-4") Wallenstein(BXM32)/DR/Bear Cat and other chippers. Slightly smaller than the others, but not by much. The Wallenstein & DR look nicer, big chute and heavier flywheel, but enough to make a big ($2000 worth) difference? Saw a few UT vids with it, but one guy was just chopping up bamboo, which may not be much of a test.

 

[jeff9366]

You know what a pain hooking up PTOs can be, for small jobs.

$500 is a reasonable price.

Summer is certainly the time of year to BUY, Fall being the worst.

 

[MtHam]

IMHO, small lightweight chipper/shredders are a waste of time and money. Get the Wallenstein or it's equivalent. Woodward Crossings is the place to get it.

 

[Finnster]

IMHO, small lightweight chipper/shredders are a waste of time and money. Get the Wallenstein or it's equivalent. Woodward Crossings is the place to get it.

Prolly right

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Woodmaxx has a very nice chipper. Check it out. By the way, graduated from DVC, Bucks County is amazingly beautiful.