PTO Chipper Advice -- maneuverability and center of gravity concerns

[oosik]

I've had two Wallenstein chippers. BX42S on a 26hp Ford 1700 and now - BX62S on my 64hp Kubota M6040.

Both are manual feed. Excellent chippers. The ONLY trees here on my property - Ponderosa pines.

There are slopes on my property where NOTHING would prevent tractor rollover. It's a very simple solution.

I stay away from those areas.

You seem to know the dangerous areas on your property. My suggestion - don't look for solutions for areas where you wouldn't normally go. Sooner or later - it will come back to bite you.

These "dangerous areas" may require manual solutions - be satisfied with these answers.

 

[newbury]

I've a (now 10 yr old) Jinma 8" chipper, no rotating chute..
I know it's a "bottom of the line" chipper but I bought it new for a very good price (?$1500?) and it was cheaper than taking what I was clearing to the dump, plus we needed the chips.
Anyways - Concerning the rotating chute problem.
@rswyan was in the process of modifying his for a rotating chute, so that might not be very difficult to do for the WoodMaxx MX-8500G+.
massive thread here

 

[outdoorben]

Your chipping sticks small enough that you where mowing them with a brush hog?

I cut off everything that is bigger than 2.5 inches and that's what I hit with the brush hog. Everything else is either cut up for firewood or piled up for when we rent a chipper. I have way too much firewood already and we need to stay on top of fire mitigation, so it's time to upgrade.

 

[Whitbread]

While I'll agree that the Vermeer is a better unit, you're the first person I've heard that called the 8M (or 8H) units a 'tin can'. The 8H weighs in at over 900 lbs.

Plus, I think the Vermeer requires at least 28hp....

How many other people have upgraded to a vermeer 606/906 from any of the other pto units? The woodmaxx is absolutely a tin can vs the vermeer. The 8h might be 900lbs, but the 906 is 2150lbs and a 606 is 1400lbs. The folding part of the feed chute is 3/16" thick alone. I'd be happy to add some comparison photos on my 906 thread of the build differences if you're genuinely curious.

You could absolutely run a 606 with 24hp, just slow feed on big stuff or pause it for a moment. That's the beauty of a hydraulic infeed chipper.

 

[outdoorben]

A HUGE thank you to everyone who responded. Very appreciated! My conclusions so far:

1. Wheel spacers are a must-have

2. A power feed is a must-have

3. A fully rotating chute is a must-have

4. A flat intake is a really nice-to-have

5. Since no one has said it will be a problem, I'm assuming a PTO chipper won't make the tractor more tippy (I hope ). Again, I'm not interested in going to new or more dangerous places; I just don't want the places I already go to be more dangerous with a heavy chipper on the back

So.... I'm still researching and will call a couple of companies tomorrow. My current top picks are now powered models from WoodMaxx and Woodland Mills. I'm leaning towards WoodMaxx pretty heavily, but they are a way pricey compared to the Woodland Mills.

 

[oldballs]

I'm repeating myself...........but....... the heavy rear PTO chippers make the front end really light when moving from place to place.........Thus some kind of ballast on the front end such a FEL makes the tractor more stable when moving from place to place. This is especially noticeable on the smaller CUTs....as to the OP's original question as to stability, manueverability and center of gravity. ....... in my experience.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[cmyoung2]

I have the Woodmaxx WM-8H. haven't used it much yet, just got it, but it does work well. My tractor is a 38hp, L3600 Kubota with a loader. I really like the hydraulic feed and the feed chute. I can't image not having a rotating discharge chute. I have been blowing it in my truck bed to haul where the wife wants it. The unit is heavy and fairly long, I have to watch to make sure I don't drag in uneven spots.It does have good skids for feed, unit is very stable when using it set on the ground. WIll be using it for white pine limbs and slabs from the sawmill, with some hardwood in the mix. I have steep hills, don't think it made the tractor more tippy. With smaller tractors I really recommend wheel spacers, weights and loaded tires, make a big difference on my BX2230.

 

[outdoorben]

I'm repeating myself...........but....... the heavy rear PTO chippers make the front end really light when moving from place to place.........Thus some kind of ballast on the front end such a FEL makes the tractor more stable when moving from place to place. This is especially noticeable on the smaller CUTs....as to the OP's original question as to stability, manueverability and center of gravity. ....... in my experience.

Cheers,
Mike

The extra weight on the back makes for a good point on stability. I've definitely had problems in the reverse with a full load of dirt -- bounce and side-to-side which I'm hoping spacers will help with. I think it's a 1/2 yard bucket (?) and I always have the brush hog on the back (about 400lbs). Even with the FEL at the lowest height I can get away with and still go over bumps, side to side going across even a really tiny grade can be dicey, so I limit dirt to a 1/2 load in bad spots. As for weight in just the rear, no problems so far with the 400lbs and an empty FEL. But, the MX-8800 chipper, for example, would up the rear weight to 770lbs, so front end ballast could very well come into play.

 

[bflank]

I have a Bearcat SC5540B on my Kubota L2550 & have no stability issues although I have not taken it on any really steep inclines. It works like a champ.

 

[Shady oak]

I have a Woodland Mills 8” on a 955 JD. The tractor weighs around 2000, and the chipper around 1000. So, it’s a load. If you have a tractor in the 25 hp area a 6” chipper might be enough, as my 33hp Deere has its hands full. Weight wise it’s tippy, but can be handled with CARE. Meaning no driving across side hills, and making sure you go slow. Regardless o a chipper on the back of a tractor that size is going to be "tippy".