PTO chippers- self feed vs hydraulic feed?

[moriboy]

I bought a Wallenstein BX52 a few months ago and have about 10 hrs. on it. It is a self feed model. I does work well, in fact in some cases it pulls the material in too fast and snatches it out of your hands. The only thing that doesn't feed well is oak logs that have been laying around for a few years. They are so hard, they tend to bounce around and not feed smoothly. In this case, a hydraulic feed would be nice. Fortunately I don't have much oak to contend with. Overall, I'm very happy with the chipper.

 

[ericm979]

I don't know about Plowhog but in my part of California it's difficult to get a burn permit, except when it's impossible.

 

[newbury]

<snip>

I had 2 other guys and myself feeding the chipper on a job last year, we couldn't keep up with it. <snip>.

And that's an important point. If it's a business and you can write off your equipment a hydraulic unit may pay for itself quickly. If it's an out of pocket expense that may only be used 20 to 40 hours per year I find it hard to justify the extra expense.

 

[hslogger]

This topic has been beat to death on the forum. Get a hydraulic feed unit. Choice is yours but it is the difference between day and night.

 

[plowhog]

I obtained a burn permit yesterday. So I am covered on burning now, but have no chipper. Yet.

My use is to chip on non-burn-days, and burn on burn days. Probably a lot of use of a chipper for two seasons, then occasional use thereafter. I could accomplish everything with no chipper if I had the time. But I also want to blow the chips into my dump trailer, then spread the chips in desirable locations. So, I have a use for the chips, and being able to chip keeps me productive on non-burn days.

 

[oosik]

I've had two self-feed chippers. Wallenstein BX-42s and now BX-62s. The move up to the larger chipper was because I now have a bigger tractor and a 6" tree, in the round, is all I can manhandle. I chip 100% Ponderosa pine and never remove any of the limbs(in the round). Every spring I will thin my pine stands and chip from 750-900 trees - 6" or less. The self-feed units work perfectly - its ME that is the weak link. Its a real chore lugging a green - 6" tree that 30 feet long - out of the stand and into a pile for later chipping. I really enjoy this spring time project - my back, not so much.

Anyhow - Wallenstein chippers have been an excellent choice for what I do and they have not yet required a moments repair. And as has been noted previously - a 30' tree will feed so fast and chip so ferociously - you need to stand back or you DO run the risk of getting whipped by the upper portion of the tree.

I didn't get a hydraulic feed unit because - I don't have twisted trees or limbs and cost.

 

[mcfarmall]

If the self feeding units were so great, all the professional tree service and forestry contractors would be using them.

 

[Rustyiron]

I'm using the term "self feed" as machine fed hydraulically, that is all the "pro's" use that I've ever seen.
I can see where "self" is you, or yourself feeding manually. :confused3:

 

[plowhog]

The terminology used is misleading, IMO. So the marketing guys are doing their job. More accurately, I think "self-feeding" should be "gravity fed." The hydraulic feed is pretty self explanatory. Without understanding the difference, it is easy to presume self-feeding and hydraulic fed are similar, although they are not.

 

[aczlan]

I'm using the term "self feed" as machine fed hydraulically, that is all the "pro's" use that I've ever seen.
I can see where "self" is you, or yourself feeding manually. :confused3:

"Self Feed" on a chipper means that the chipper knife is setup to drag the wood in without needing a hydraulic feed system. Cheaper that way, but it doesn't work as well with wood that is really twisted or that is on the edge of being too big for the chipper.

Aaron Z