Chipper Wallenstein BX62 - It's A Keeper

[dave1949]

I have about 8 hours use on my new 6" BX62 chipper now. I have been very pleased with how it chips. After reading the advice of BX chipper owners on TBN, I went with the manual/gravity feed and that has proven to be good, money saving advice. Thanks I can't picture the hydraulic feed being needed for homeowner use.

The only thing I have had to push into the hopper is apple limbs, apple is stiff wood and tends to have 90* branches. I have put 20' long 3"-4" maple, black cherry and ash saplings in and they get sucked right through.

Most of what I will chip is 3" or less. I went with the 6" chipper for the heavier flywheel and general ruggedness thinking it will hold up better than running a 4" chipper near it's max. capability.

I am powering the chipper with my NH TC40 (37 PTO HP) running a PTO speed of 540 RPM, that seems to have power to spare for this chipper. I haven't heard the engine grunt yet.

Thanks again to all the members who commented on Wallenstein chippers in general and the hydraulic versus manual feed questions. I feel like I was able to make an informed choice thanks to you.

Dave.

 

[Ductape]

I second the praise for the BX62. I had one with the hydraulic feed and it was a beast. I cound never use it to capacity, but it didn't matter because anything 3-4 inches and up was firewood to me. I did like the large capacity because it would take all the crotches I could throw at it.

 

[FLHayman]

I also have the same machine. One thing that I have found is that if I think I have prepared an entire pile for chipping, there is always one gnarly branch intersection that won't go through, due to being an irregular shape. I use one of those little cordless saws to quickly cut it. It uses up a lot of the battery on some very hard wood, but it's a lot quicker than going to get the real chainsaw. Also, when the chipper is up to speed, as I'm sure you've seen, it can pull a whole branch in with a very steady pull. It's very satisfying to get one limb of a huge branch system in the chipper and watch the whole thing disappear.

 

[dave1949]

I also have the same machine. One thing that I have found is that if I think I have prepared an entire pile for chipping, there is always one gnarly branch intersection that won't go through, due to being an irregular shape. I use one of those little cordless saws to quickly cut it. It uses up a lot of the battery on some very hard wood, but it's a lot quicker than going to get the real chainsaw. Also, when the chipper is up to speed, as I'm sure you've seen, it can pull a whole branch in with a very steady pull. It's very satisfying to get one limb of a huge branch system in the chipper and watch the whole thing disappear.

It is great to watch what would be yet another brush pile reduced to chips Another technique a fellow told me is to take a hachet and partially cut stiff crotches, enough to let them bend but still together.

I bet that cordless saw would be handy for lopping off limbs along a trail too.
Dave.

 

[ElDorado]

I live in a softwood forest. I am constantly loosing pines to wind. My hope is to get a chipper to deal with this perpetual mess. New York State DEC recently initiated a permanent burning ban. So my question is will the BX62 handle 6 inch softwood?? My other considerations are the Salsco and the Valby products.

Thanks

 

[ChuckinNH]

Make sure you check the blade clearance at some point. Many are factory set way on the wide side, and that can make the chipper feed differently, and not handle leafy, or viney branches very well. Set properly, my BX42 will spit an armload of weeds right on through.

 

[dave1949]

Make sure you check the blade clearance at some point. Many are factory set way on the wide side, and that can make the chipper feed differently, and not handle leafy, or viney branches very well. Set properly, my BX42 will spit an armload of weeds right on through.

Thanks. I did check it after running it for about 30 minutes just to see what it is set at. The adjustment is sort of by guess near the outside of the flywheel since it is deep within the housing. I ended up putting it back where it was pretty much. I did make sure to rotate it by hand several turns to make sure the knives all had clearance while adjusting. Haven't had any leafy plugs, so it seems good at this point.
Dave.

 

[dave1949]

I live in a softwood forest. I am constantly loosing pines to wind. My hope is to get a chipper to deal with this perpetual mess. New York State DEC recently initiated a permanent burning ban. So my question is will the BX62 handle 6 inch softwood?? My other considerations are the Salsco and the Valby products.

Thanks

I would guess if your pines are big enough to get blown down by wind, they are too big for this chipper . Pine is soft wood, so I don't see a problem chipping the trunk, if you have lots of side branches on a six inch pine, you might consider a hydraulic feed unit. I'm sure you could chip the top part of the tree where the trunk is <6" and the branches are fairly new and soft.

In shopping around I noticed, if you go for the hydraulic feed on a new 6" chipper, the price becomes close to a used commercial chipper in the 10" range with it's own motor. More to maintain but a lot more chipper for the money. Of course, then you need something to feed the chipper with or cut everything small enough to hand feed.

I decided to chip what I can and the bigger softwoods like spruce and white pine get put onto the brush pile way back in the woods. I skid them using a lift boom and push them up into the pile with the FEL.
Dave.

 

[Dargo]

I'm jealous. I don't really need a Wallenstein BX62, but I sure want one. I actually had myself talked into buying one from my local dealer that had the hydraulic feed and all, but when I got there I discovered why he was selling at such a low price. He'd probably had it in stock for 2 years and it had sat outside that entire time. None of my equipment or implements ever sit outside. I had to get back in my truck, cash in pocket, and drive home without the chipper.

I guess it's for the best anyway. I just throw anything that would go through the chipper off into the woods to rot away and burn anything bigger for firewood. But, dang, if that isn't one heck of a chipper! Now you see why my wife is convinced I'm nuts and won't allow me to go to the tractor store unaccompanied. Got me an excavator the last time I did that.

 

[Big Daddy]

I also own the BX 62. It was only a few hundred more dollars than the BX 42, and it vastly outperforms the 42. I have put 6 inch diameter pine limbs up to 15 feet long in my 62. It will easily pull that length through in under 10 seconds. Be advised that I use this chipper behind my 90 hp Zetor.