PTO Chipper vs Tow Behind Chipper

[Buxus]

I have a Kubota M7060 with 64hp at the PTO. I have 32 acres half of which is wooded, and I would be using the chipper year round but only on my property. Currently I load my trailer and bring out all the wood and burn a huge pile once a year. I have a feeling the burn option is going to be taken away by the county, and even if it isn't I'd rather just chip in place in the woods. I rented a big 90hp Vermeer last fall and loved it. I don't need something this big, though it sure was nice.

My budget is 15k-20k.

I had planned on getting the biggest Bearcat PTO chipper - the CH9940HP. It has some beefed up features that are not present on the CH9940H which is rated up to 60hp. I just learned Bearcat no longer makes the HP version. I contacted the company about being a hair over the PTO limit and even in these legally perilous times where everyone is worried about liability I expected him to tell me not to worry about it. Instead he said there was some risk of damage to the unit and I could expect premature belt failure. Hmm.

Wallenstein's biggest PTO chipper seems like a beast but at 75hp minimum PTO requirement it's too big for my tractor. The next unit down in size in the Wallenstein line is a big drop - only 7 inch capacity with a relatively light 175lb disc (as compared to 275lb on the Bearcat).

Now I'm wondering if I'm better off putting my money toward a used tow behind unit. I wasn't sure how efficient the PTO units were going to be to start with.

Does anyone have any experience with the big PTO units? What do you think of the company's suggestion to avoid going over the PTO? Should I just get a used traditional tow behind?

 

[oldnslo]

Do you need the tractor for moving brush while chipping? If yes then separate tow behind might be an advantage.

I have not used a PTO chipper of that size but see no reason they would be a problem for a tractor unless they require tractor hydraulics for infeed rollers and that causes tractor hydraulics to over heat. Doubful but possible.

PTO in one less engine and drive train to maintain.

Is the larger Wallenstein to heavy for your tractor? Power required is dictated by size and type of wood you are chipping.

 

[oosik]

I chip my pine stands. Every other year or so. 800 to 1000 small ( 1" to 6" on the butt ) pines. I used the Wallenstein BX42S when I had my Ford 1700. In 2009 I upgraded to my Kubota M6040. I upgraded the chipper to a BX62S.

There is one overriding reason that I didn't go to the larger Wally chipper. The bigger one would handle up to 10 inches. When I thin my stands - it ends up looking like a giants game of Pick-Up-Sticks. It's hard enough to drag a 30 foot long pine when it's out in the open. Try dragging a pine tree thru a maze of downed pines. It's all I can do to drag a green pine - six inches on the butt and 25 feet long. I tried - but I simply can not lift a green pine that is ten inches on the butt.

Besides - the rotor on my BX62S weighs 200 pounds. As I remember - the rotor on the ten inch model weighed 240 pounds. Not sufficient difference for all that extra cost.

If you feel the need for a chipper with a VERY heavy rotor - Valby. Their 260 model has a 560 pound rotor. Either my M6040 or your M7060 are big enough to power it. They start at $12.5K.

Both my Wallys do/did not have hydraulic in-feed. No need when all I chip are green pines. The BX62S sucks them in and chips them faster than I can pull a new one off the pile.

 

[sixdogs]

I have a Wallenstein 3pt chipper--5" or 6" and I use it behind my Kubota M7040 to chip mostly spruce branches and sometimes cedars. It's easy to maneuver in tight places and I like it because it works for me.

Before I bought it I rented a Vermeer 7" gas chipper -BC700XL--pull behind unit to chip some cedars and was absolutely wowed by its capacity and capabilities. As fast as I could stuff things in they were chipped and ready for more. Nothing stuck, it had some sort of automatic feed that seemingly reversed itself and then took another bite.

It chipped bigger than the 7" size promised with zero difficulty. Awkward angles or butt end chipped easily.

I don't need a chipper all that much so the Wallenstein is what I want. But if I was serious about chipping and could maneuver a towed unit through odd terrain, I would want seething like that Vermeer. It truly was amazing. Maybe rent one to try before you buy?

 

[oosik]

I bought a PTO chipper because I don't need another engine to maintain. I had a pull behind/self contained log splitter. It was a REAL pain to pull it around my property. I would locate the splitter in a central location and bring chunks of pine tree trunk to this central location.

If I needed firewood now - I'd locate the splitter right at the firewood shed and use the grapple on the M6040 to bring in chunks of pine tree trunk.

I used firewood for ten years. I had to fell, cut to length and split out on the property. Then load the split wood in a large trailer. Drag the loaded trailer to the firewood shed and reload the split wood into the shed. I tried bringing large chunks of pine tree trunk to the firewood shed and split there. The Ford 1700 just wasn't big enough to make this type of operation feasible.

However - all that being said - I sure do miss burning pine for heat. I use electric heat now.

 

[mikester]

Tow behind would be my first choice with your budget

 

[Buxus]

Thanks guys for the responses. Part of the reason I wanted the 3 point unit is that I think it will be easier to maneuver in the woods and I worry about it being too tight with a trailer. Sounds like you had similar concerns.

Rental is tough because it is so far away.

For those of you with Wallenstein 3 point units, a few questions: My day job makes it such that I have more money than time (until retirement soon ), and I'm thinking the biggest unit I can spin would be the best bet given this.

It looks like the Wally 7 inch units come with a 175lb rotor weight are rated for 50-80hp.

The 10 inch Wally comes with a 425lb rotor and is rated for 80-120hp.

I wonder if once I got the big unit spinning if I could get by with my 64hp? What do you guys think?

I had not heard of Valby but will take a look. Anyone with any experience with them?

 

[oosik]

If you get a ten inch Wally - get it with hydraulic feed. This will allow you to slow the in feed down and not overload the tractor. You will pay one Hell of a price - going from the seven inch to ten inch Wallenstein.

Honestly - I don't think the Valby 260 @ $12.5K + is worth it. Unless you really need a chipper with a 560 pound rotor. Wallys have four knives and they are reversible. The Valby knives are not reversible.

My six inch Wally has a 200 pound rotor. Now the seven inch Wally has a 175 pound rotor.

Your M7060 will power a ten inch Wally. It's just not going to chip as fast as if you had a 100 to 120 hp tractor. And - quite honestly - you will not be feeding ten inch trees into that chipper. Not unless you cut them into chunks.

 

[hslogger]

My experience with a Woodmaxx WM 8H has been terrific. They have newer hydrostatic machines now and they are also highly rated by friends of mine. I enjoy my machine with no problems. I send my chipper blades to a shop for sharpening. I have YEARS of experience operating commercial arborist machines and I tellya that my Woodmaxx is a heck of a buy.

 

[Buxus]

Thanks to both of you for the follow up replies. I am going to look more closely at the Woodmaxx.

Regarding the Wallenstein, the regional rep said exactly what you said, oosik. He said my tractor would spin the 10 inch Wallenstein big rotor with no problem, but don't plan on putting a 10 inch log or tree into it (which I didn't plan on). He said get it with the hydraulic feed without the extra electronic control.

I have lots of dead wood to chip, especially eastern red cedar, which is rough on my saws so will likely be rough on the chipper so the more momentum on the rotor the better. I like the bigger hopper for branches. Also, the wisteria, multiflora rose, asian bittersweet, and grape vines are a jumbled mess and will be easier to push into the big hopper as well. However, I'm not sure the 10 inch is worth it for these reasons, and am reconsidering.

I'll keep you posted.