Chipper Plugged Up BX 42

[kcender]

I have been using my Wallenstein BX 42 woodchipper lately and it started jamming the chute.The first bunch of brush had set for awhile and went through the chipper fine with only the occassional plug up in the chute.I figure this is because it had dried out a bit.When I tried to chip some freshly cut limbs,the chute started plugging on a regular basis almost to the point of every limb.The type of limbs were elm and thorn trees.When I opened the chipper the chute was completely jammed with small limbs and what I would call mush.After completly clearing the chute and trying it again the chute would plug again after only one or two branches.I have the PTO running at 540 and reversed the cutting blades so the new cutting edge was being used.The chipper is less than one year old and seemed to work alright last year.I got so frustrated that I took the chipper off and found something else to do.Just wondering if anyboby else has encountered this problem and what they did about it.Maybe the brush has to be dry for it to go through the chipper but this doesn't seem right to me.I know the chipper has a limb breaker in it but it doesn't seem to work well on the small green limbs.Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.Thanks.

 

[jbarker855]

I suspect that you need to adjust the clearance between the blades. That is, the clearance between the stationary blade (fixed to the bottom of the machine) and the rotating blades on the flywheel. I have not yet had to so this, but I believe the stationary blade is adjustable and recommended clearance is 1/32". Other than dull blades or major mechanical failure (both of which you have probably ruled out), I'm not aware of any other potential causes of your problem.
-Jay

 

[DelSc]

I agree that you should check the clearance. The manual tells you how to set it. Its pretty easy, and the unit will clog much more if the clearance is set too open.

I have a sheet of plastic that is 1/32 thick that i use as sort of a feeler gage when checking the clearance. On my chipper, there is a little variation blade to blade, and since only the one single stationary blade is adjustable, I set it up so the minimum clearance on the closest of the four blades is 1/32.

 

[kcender]

Thanks for the input.I will get the manual out and have a look at it.Hopefully it is just an adjustment problem that can be fixed.

 

[2fast2]

Run the RPMs as high as you can (as high as your tractor will safely allow.) The Wallenstein is built to handle much higher RPMs than my tractor will make, but that will also help keep material flowing. I've only jammed my BX62 twice, and both times were because I was shoving through too much vine and not enough woody branches to help carry the leafy vegetation and vines through. But it isn't a shreader, it is a chipper although I use it for both.
Getting it un-jammed is a royal PITA and takes quite a bit of time. It definitely motivates you to try to avoid jams in the first place.
Hope for you its just the blade gap out of adjustment.

 

[ChuckinNH]

I agree with the cutter knife clearance adjustment. I had a problem with mine before adjusting it. From the factory it was over .100, and is supposed to be .032. What happens is that viney branches don't get completely cut, and are just bent. When they hit the chute, they open back up, and stop all the other chips from coming through..... doesn't take long! I have run my chipper at 960 rpm, and that works great for weeds, and smaller stuff, but lacks torque for the larger stuff. It sure spits that small stuff out at that rpm though!

BTW, it's pretty easy to see what is going on with the knives if you fold the loading chute up.

 

[FxdGrMind]

I've not had mine long enough to clog with the little stuff....

I have clogged it with "BIG" stuff. I bogged down my tractor and it stalled in the middle of a cut on a 4+" limb... yea 4"x5+" squeezed in side ways in the shoot. HUGE chips!

I have to blame myself... took me 45 min to get it un-clogged. 5lb hammer and a wood dowel helped bang it through...

I tried again and tried to "Hold" the log back to keep RPM up... PULLED right out of my hands and jammed again.... That log BEAT ME UP!

As long as I keep it to reasonable size material my 30hp Kubota just powers through it all.

Now I just do 3"minus limbs anything bigger and I cut off the section for fire wood.

 

[ChuckinNH]

"Huge" chips probably means that the rotating knives are set too far from the fixed knife too.......... just a thought.

 

[ayelvington]

I do most of my chipping in the fall and winter when there is no folliage on the stuff. Twigs and branches loaded with leaves are the worst. Another angle is to do your cutting when the branches are bare, and chip later on. That worked well for us this week when we got to chipping a grove of shrubbery that I cut while there was still snow on the ground.

If you feel compelled to do your chipping now, I recommend that you alternate between thick stuff and the leafy stuff to let the larger chips clear the throat of the exhaust chute.

Like I said, I try to chip when there are no leaves on the wood...

 

[kcender]

I finally got around to trying out the chipper again after checking the clearance on the fixed blade.It works fine now so apparently that was the problem.Can't blame the chipper,it was a lack of knowledge and maintenance on my part.I should have paid more attention to the owner's manual when I read it.Now that I am aware of it,I will check the clearance on a regular basis.Thanks to the users of TBN for the help.