Pequia Chipper. Buy or don't buy?

[WoodChuckDad]

I came a Pequia 551 PTO chipper. 5x8 hydraulic feed. This is the same as a Frontier 1205 chipper. The price is good. Ideally I would prefer a 9 inch or larger chipper, but I'm sure I would get tired of picking up things that were 9 inches around. Any hardwood larger than 5 inches will be turned into firewood. any pine larger will will go into burn Piles to be burned along with stumps. And if I ever get thru the massive amount amounts of small stuff that I have to chip, I can rent a beast machine, or hire someone to come deal with the cuttofs I have left from when we had the place logged.

I have found very little user review info on the pequia chippers so I don't know if it's a winner or a loser.

 

[oosik]

Maybe this means something, maybe it doesn't. I've never heard of that brand. I have a Wallenstein BX62S. It's manual feed. I chip around 900 small pines that are thinned out of all my pine stands, every spring. They range in size from 1" to 6", on the butt. They can get as long as 26'.

Believe me - if all 900, or so, were 6" on the butt - I would definitely find some other method. A green pine that is 6" x 26' = a real PITA to drag, pile & chip.

There is NO WAY I would even consider dragging, piling and chipping a tree that is 9" on the butt. I trip/fall often enough just handling 6" trees.

When I'm finished thinning all the little pines in one stand - it looks like that game "Pick Up Sticks". They are lying is all directions, over and under each other and the branches are all tangled together.

Dragging to a pile is far & away the most difficult part on my annual thinning project.

 

[oosik]

Added thoughts. Will this be purchased from a dealer that can provide product support. If not, is there a dealer that you can get support/parts from, in your general area.

 

[TheMadOne]

Pequea is a local brand, makes everything from hay tools to manure spreaders to trailers.

I don't, and have never, owned any of their products. I just haven't had a need. The people I know that do own their products have very little bad to say. They're not fancy, but they're made in USA.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

It would probably help if i had spelled it correctly. Pequea cx551. It is used and would be less than half of New cost. They will hook it up and demo it for me. I would bring some stout branches to make sure it worked as expected, open it up and visually check disk and blades and the belts.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

It is identical to the John Deere Frontier WC1205 chipper

 

[ericm979]

Even if you're not chipping large material a large throat means less trimming.

Half of new price on a good condition used machine is a good deal.

 

[oosik]

Well - if the manufacturer is local then that's half the battle.

What do I like about my Wally that you should look for in the Pequea?

Large throat - means less binding of crooked limbs and my pines that I feed in whole

Heavy rotor - easier to chip larger material

reversible blades - less time spent sharpening

rotatable discharge chute - gets the chips the heck out of the way

adequate air flow - blows out even the heaviest chips - also less clogging

Pulls material in to chipping area without the need for hydraulic in-feed system

Easy maintenance

rotates without any noticeable vibration

has a "kick back" flap to keep smaller chunks contained within the chipping area

check to ensure that the attachment collars on both ends of the PTO shaft function easily & properly

A note of caution - the PTO shaft will have been cut to match the previous owners tractor. Be VERY CAREFUL that the shaft is neither too long nor too short for your tractor.