Chipper Wallenstein BX40 Chipper

   / Wallenstein BX40 Chipper #1  
Joined
Dec 20, 2004
Messages
37
Location
Covington,La.
Tractor
Mahindra 2810
Just received this unit today and have not used it yet. Could anyone tell me how to sharpen the blades and keep the correct angle on the knives? The manual says that the blades will need to be sharpened just about everyday. Is this really true, seems like a lot of work? Also can this unit shred dry leaves?
Thanks in advance
Gary
 
   / Wallenstein BX40 Chipper #2  
Here a post on the BX40 chipper. Click Here
Looks like it is not hard to touch up blades.
My BearCat requires sharpening depending on type of wood being chipped.
Dry hardwood may require sharpening after only a couple hours of use.
 
   / Wallenstein BX40 Chipper #3  
Gary,
I've had a BX 40 for awhile now with good success.
However, it is not a shredder. If the leaves are on branches you probably won't have much trouble given they will be mixed with "heavy" stuff to help keep the machine clear.
Handfuls of leaves and twigs won't go well.
You don't have to sharpen the blades that often unless it's misused. I get mine professionally done for about $15 locally.
Check them(the knives) out good when new. From the factory, mine wouldn't cut hot butter!
Have fun.
GrayBeard
 
   / Wallenstein BX40 Chipper #4  
I purchased a bx60 last year which is just about the same except a little larger. I have only had mine on a few jobs as of yet but haven't had to replace/reverse blades yet. You should be able to get a fair amount of work out of them so long as you don't get dirty wood. As far as sharpening them I think they should probably be sent out just to be sure you get the two angles correct. Shredding leaves no no no this was the only problem I had with mine. I had mine on a job with my employee and myself doing some chipping of small stuff. My phone rang and I went to answer it and ended up in a 5 min call. The first thing my employee is running over saying the machines on fire /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif. I go running back and smoke is everywhere and a **** of a noise coming from it. So the first thing I do is flick the pto switch. My employee was so worked up he didn't think to do this. Once I lifted the top up I found I could not rotate the flywheel as it was full of leaves and bound up solid as was the entire discharge shute. I don't know how it happened for sure but figure the leaves caught up in the shute then backed up into the flywheel. It took a 4x4 4' long and a half hour to get the flywheel to move and the leaves cleaned out. Lucky for me it seems the machine and tractor are none the worse for wear. So no this not a shredder, wood only.
 
   / Wallenstein BX40 Chipper #5  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( anyone tell me how to sharpen the blades and keep the correct angle on the knives? )</font>

Delta Power Tools, Makita, and Harbor Freight all make sharpening centers. These are basically wet/dry grinders that have jigs or angle adjustments on them to hold a specific angle.

The knives are probably hardened tool steel and should probably be wet ground.

I have the Delta Sharpening Center - comes with two stones mounted - one dry (high speed) and one wet (low speed) and a jig with adjustable angle that mounts to a tool post. I bought the additional jig for planer knives as well. Think I have around $230 in it, including the stand.
 
   / Wallenstein BX40 Chipper
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Thanks to all of you for the quick replies.
What type of stone grinder are you using to sharpen on the machine without removing the blades? Can you tell me what the air gap should be between the rotating blades and the stationary. I can see the gap with the cover open, but can you all tell me what happens if the blade gap increases from sharping the blades on the machine for touch up sharping. What type of shop or company will sharpen this type of blades?
Thanks to all
Gary
 
   / Wallenstein BX40 Chipper #7  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( What type of stone grinder are you using to sharpen on the machine without removing the blades? )</font>

I don't have a chipper/shredder anymore so I'm not using anything - but I would think to maintain the correct angle you would almost certainly have to pull the knives off the unit.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( an you tell me what the air gap should be between the rotating blades and the stationary. )</font>

No - but your manual should. If you don't have a manual email Wallenstein and ask.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I can see the gap with the cover open, but can you all tell me what happens if the blade gap increases from sharping the blades on the machine for touch up sharping. )</font>

I would think that performance would suffer - basically the anvil provides a hard, rigid surface for the log to rest against as the rotating knives peel off chips - increase the air gap far enough and the log/branch, being a rather flexible thing (at least when green) as compared to steel will want to bend or flex in the direction of knife rotation. The knives would move from peeling or slicing to more of a shearing action which would probably require more force (power) than the peeling/slicing would - this would probably become more noticable as the knives became less sharp.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( What type of shop or company will sharpen this type of blades?)</font>

There are shops that are dedicated to sharpening - in the Yellow Pages of my phonebook they are listed under 'Sharpening Service'. Beyond that, any machine shop that has a wet surface grinder ought to be able to do it.
 
 

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