Wallenstein BXM32 or 42 for my John Deere 1025R TLB

[dbchaplin03]

Good evening,

We just bought an acreage with 5 acres of overgrown honeysuckle and neglect. We are starting to thin it out (not clear cut) to increase the size of our yard into more of a park like setting. I have a TON of chipping and shredding to do. We are in Ohio and heat the house primarily with wood so anything over 3" will become firewood most likely.

Does anyone have hands on experience with the Wallenstein BXM32 or 42 on a 1025R? It is rated at 18hp pto which is considerably less than Wallenstein says is required for the BXM42 but it seems like a bunch of people online have claimed that the BXM42 runs good on low hp tractors and I would never be running it at max capacity anyhow.

I am the kind of person who doesn't like to buy things twice and i would rather spend $1200 more for the bigger machine now than wish i had later. I know the 1025R is a mighty small tractor but I'm an Air Force officer and we move every 2-3 years so it is the current tractor for now. I've owned 3 different Kubota's in the past at various locations we were stationed at so my tractor size could easily increase the next time we move. I just got too good of a deal to pass this one up with the loader, backhoe, drive over deck, and several other attachments when i bought this one.

Any real feedback is appreciated.

Thanks,

Chap

 

[mpilihp]

I have a BX42 and run it with an older pasquali with a 38hp engine. I dont think id go under 30hp. I could stall the engine with lager peices of wood if i didnt hang onto ut and let the chipper speed up. I just replaced the pasquali with a new holland tc35 with a 35hp motor. Id habe gone smaller other than the fear of veing able to run the chippwr..

 

[onionfmr]

I have a BX42 and run it with an older pasquali with a 38hp engine. I dont think id go under 30hp. I could stall the engine with lager peices of wood if i didnt hang onto ut and let the chipper speed up. I just replaced the pasquali with a new holland tc35 with a 35hp motor. Id habe gone smaller other than the fear of veing able to run the chippwr..

I agree with mpilihp. I also have BX42. I used to have a MF1240 with around 24-25 PTO horsepower. The BX42 was marginal for that tractor. If the wood I was chipping wasn't just right, would constantly stall the tractor. I now have a MF1754. No issues running that chipper.

 

[Fiziksgeek]

I have a BXM32 for my Massey Ferguson GC1720 (and previous GC2400). It's a great fit. I definitely think you could go up a size, but would need to be careful about what you run through it. Having the larger chipper is really about lowering the amount of work you need to do with branch preparation...not as much cutting needed to get them to run smoothly into the small opening. I would go for it.

I gotta admit, I find myself using the shredder less and less, and wonder if a regular chipper would have been better...

 

[Captain Dirty]

I have no experience with the BXM chipper-shredders and do not know how the belt-driven speed increase affects the operation. I have used a BX42 (chipper only) with a 32 pto hp Kubota @540 rpm. I had a lot of jams when chipping limbs that ended with 1/8" twigs. The pliant twigs and leaves would pass by the chipper knives and form a "bird's nest" that would jam in the chute, notwithstanding the "twig breaker" function. The friend from whom I borrowed the chipper ran it on a 25 hp Kubota at 1000 rpm and reported no such jamming problems. (Better airflow??) The typical promotional videos show "easy" material like dry leaves or straight logs (your firewood) going through like the proverbial s___ through a tin horn; it may be instructive if you could try an armload of honeysuckle vines on a demo basis.

Secondary note: In addition to pto power also consider the dimensions. I strapped 8 x 10's to the skids of the BX42 to raise the chipper enough to get flatter pto shaft angles for my comparatively tall tractor.

 

[dbchaplin03]

Fiziksgeek,

I just talked to Karen at Woodward Crossings (Outstanding by the way if any is wondering. She has responded 3 times today via email and its Sunday. You don't find customer service like that anymore) Anyhow she highly discouraged the BXM42 because of the weight. I had thought about that. She said it would be very dangerous on a tractor that size.

What are your no B.S. thoughts about the BXM32? We are clearing literally 20 years of overgrowth from about 4.5 acres on our property. The brush, trees, and honey suckle are so thick we couldn't make it to the back property line even before the leaves came on this spring. (we were hiking with our kiddo's who were 3 and 5). Anyhow there are already brush piles everywhere from the previous owners, plus i have weeks of thinning with a brush cutter to do. Once i get the overgrowth thinned out I'll get in there with my landscape rake to start cleaning up the years of leaves, fallen logs, etc which is really why i think the Chipper/Shredder would be most beneficial.

My wife is a huge gardener. (last vegetable garden was 40'x100' and a 40'x40' strawberry patch). I would really like to have the finer mulch for our compost also. I've wrestled for months on getting just a straight chipper vs the chipper/shredder and i really think for our needs, the BXM32 would be the best bet. What are your thoughts as an owner of one?

 

[ericm979]

After using a self-feed "chuck and duck" MacKissick for years, and now a hydraulic feed Woodmaxx WM-8H, I won't go back to a self feed chipper again. So far I've been ok without the shredder function but I did keep the MacKissick for shredding greens to compost. The chipper doesn't shred small stuff- redwood needles go through almost unscathed- but anything larger gets cut up. Other than the hydraulic feed speeds not being all that variable I've been happy with my Woodmaxx. Their smaller 6" unit would work on your tractor.

The MacKissick has a 4.5" chipper capacity and it was a serious limitation. Most of our brush does not grow nice and straight. A bend in the stem really restricts how it will fit into the chipper. I got good at orienting it the right way but it's still a limitation. With the 8H I don't have to spend nearly as much time cutting material so it'll fit into the chipper.

 

[dbchaplin03]

After using a self-feed "chuck and duck" MacKissick for years, and now a hydraulic feed Woodmaxx WM-8H, I won't go back to a self feed chipper again. So far I've been ok without the shredder function but I did keep the MacKissick for shredding greens to compost. The chipper doesn't shred small stuff- redwood needles go through almost unscathed- but anything larger gets cut up. Other than the hydraulic feed speeds not being all that variable I've been happy with my Woodmaxx. Their smaller 6" unit would work on your tractor.

The MacKissick has a 4.5" chipper capacity and it was a serious limitation. Most of our brush does not grow nice and straight. A bend in the stem really restricts how it will fit into the chipper. I got good at orienting it the right way but it's still a limitation. With the 8H I don't have to spend nearly as much time cutting material so it'll fit into the chipper.

I had considered and been looking at the Woodmaxx for quite some time. The TM-86-H is a hydraulic feed made specifically for the sub-compacts. They have outstanding reviews I just don't think i can get away with not having the shredder. Maybe I'm wrong and I would love your opinion. I really like the idea of being able to slow down the in-feed rate for larger capacity things and for the gnarly stuff because honey suckle is far from straight.

I just cant figure out what i will do with all the years of leaves and sticks and vines and everything else there will be once we get the trees and honey suckle cleared out. Small stuff i could mow up and bag and dump in the compost pile i guess.

What specifically do you use your chipper for? I'm serious about your honest input because I'm going to be pulling the trigger and placing an order in the next week. I don't wanna have regrets after i place my order and have a 600lb machine on a truck heading my way. I know the limits of both and really its a trade off at this point. Is the hydraulic in-feed worth more than shredder? Or for my practical purposes, is the shredder more valuable for shredding junk for compost and garden beds? I'd like any and all opinions, especially from current owners of both!!

 

[Captain Dirty]

<snip> I just don't think i can get away with not having the shredder. <snip>
I just cant figure out what i will do with all the years of leaves and sticks and vines and everything else there will be once we get the trees and honey suckle cleared out.<snip> Or for my practical purposes, is the shredder more valuable for shredding junk for compost and garden beds? <snip>

I agree with your assessment that you would be better served by a chipper-shredder than a chipper. Either type is a machine that invites abuse, and rotating weight and driving power are important. Unfortunately your tractor's 3 point lift weight limit (more than the pto power) limits your options.

Before purchasing a 6" pto chipper I used a Kemp (fixed teeth, no longer made) and Troy built (hammer mill, also longer made, but hammer mill seems to be the survivor) gas engine (under-)powered 3" chippers. To compensate for the lack of chipping power both machines had close tolerance (small bites take less power) chipping knives and narrow cone (severely limiting knots and crooks) in-feed chutes. The Wally chippers have over-sized rectangular chipping ports (4" x 10" in the BX42) that allow feeding knots and crooks; perhaps the BXM32's port is oversized. Another negative was the 3/4" hole grates on the shredding chamber. Wet leaves or damp compost would clog the chamber necessitating feeding dry sticks thereby degrading the mulch or shutting down to clear the chamber. The Kemp at least had a "door" and provision for a coarse grate. Both machines had options for larger (1-1/4"??) grates, but these may have had disadvantages; Long (6-8" x1/4" diameter) twigs were ejected lengthwise from the chamber through 3/4" holes; presumably thicker twigs would pass the coarser holes. Be wary of how difficult it may be to clear the shredding chamber. The "door" feature allowed the ejection of inadvertently fed rocks.

You stated you were military with 3 year tours. It appears likely that this tractor and its attachments may be short-term holdings to be sold when you move. The chipper-shredder will give you and your gardener wife smaller, more quickly decomposable mulch in the short term. A name-brand may give you more satisfaction and may have more re-sale value when you transfer (or if you become dissatisfied).

 

[dbchaplin03]

Captain Dirty,

I also agree that a good quality name-brand holds its value. The tractor itself may or may not make the next move with us but I am very reluctant to sell attachments. I've owned several that i kicked myself for selling because i almost always end up re-purchasing them which is pretty much throwing money away. I'm pretty patient with tractors. I find a very lightly used machine with low hours that's been babied and use it and almost always get my money back or even make a little. Attachments on the other hand.. There is no way to recoup those and the Mrs. doesn't get happy when she see's the checking account balance take a hit for a box blade, landscape rake, etc that have to be bought again.

 

[Sun Treader]

I'm running a WoodMaxx WM-8H and its a great machine. I throw everything in there. Its chipped up twenty foot long 6" dried black locust logs, the kind of stuff I can barely get a chainsaw through. Amazing. I've fed in vines right off the tree or fence and it just keeps pulling it in. I don't know what counts as 'shredding' vs chipping but its all chips on the other side.

All that said, its getting 45hp at the PTO. The kind of all-day all-stuff chipping you're talking about takes power and hydraulic infeed.

You'd be time, money, and frustration ahead to rent or hire out a compact track loader with a front mulcher. It would make short work of the job and would mulch up everything under your 3" size down to the leaves. Just guessing without seeing the place but I don't think it would take more than a day or two to do everything you want.

Pick out some garden areas and spend the first season tilling it over whenever the weeds start coming up and it'll be perfect next year.

 

[Fiziksgeek]

Fiziksgeek,

I just talked to Karen at Woodward Crossings (Outstanding by the way if any is wondering. She has responded 3 times today via email and its Sunday. You don't find customer service like that anymore) Anyhow she highly discouraged the BXM42 because of the weight. I had thought about that. She said it would be very dangerous on a tractor that size.

What are your no B.S. thoughts about the BXM32? We are clearing literally 20 years of overgrowth from about 4.5 acres on our property. The brush, trees, and honey suckle are so thick we couldn't make it to the back property line even before the leaves came on this spring. (we were hiking with our kiddo's who were 3 and 5). Anyhow there are already brush piles everywhere from the previous owners, plus i have weeks of thinning with a brush cutter to do. Once i get the overgrowth thinned out I'll get in there with my landscape rake to start cleaning up the years of leaves, fallen logs, etc which is really why i think the Chipper/Shredder would be most beneficial.

My wife is a huge gardener. (last vegetable garden was 40'x100' and a 40'x40' strawberry patch). I would really like to have the finer mulch for our compost also. I've wrestled for months on getting just a straight chipper vs the chipper/shredder and i really think for our needs, the BXM32 would be the best bet. What are your thoughts as an owner of one?

I bought from Woodward crossings as well. I drove out there and picked it up, real nice folks.

Regarding your clean up job. I guess the first question I have is what is your time frame? I use the BXM32 on my 1.5 acres. I put maybe 10 hours a year on it...give or take...is 3-4 chipping sessions. The work you describe sounds like it would take an eternity....

I think you have the power to run the larger chipper carefully, but I hadn't considered weight. The BXM32 is ~450lbs if i recall, and it sticks out pretty far from the rear of the tractor. It is considerable ballast, the tractor definitely squats when picking it up. I think the BXM42 is like 800 lbs...and I assume it sticks out even further, so Karen may have a point. I don't know if its "dangerous"...but it is a lot of weight hanging pretty far out there!

 

[ericm979]

I run a lot of different stuff through my Woodmaxx. Both old dead and newly cut coyotebrush, douglas fir, elderberry, redwood. Anything from less than a half inch to nearly the 8" capacity of the unit. Being a chipper alone, it's not as good at running very small stuff as the hammer mill shredder on the MacKissick. I've found that I can handle the small pieces that come along with brush clearing and tree cleanup by putting them in on top of larger pieces once the rollers have grabbed them. It's not so good at chipping handfulls of small stuff by itself- I need one slightly longer piece to get grabbed by the rollers and pull it all in. I'm not willing to stick my hands too far into the machine.

Speaking of safety I feel this machine is safer than the old chipper. When it grabs material even at the fastest feed speed it's not moving that fast. While the MacKissick can grab and pull things in FAST. And the chute is shorter than the 8H so even with your hands at the edge of the chute they're already closer to the business end.

The shredder can deal with handfuls of small stuff better than the chipper. But that's not something I do often, maybe a few times a year. I kept it because my wife wanted to be able to shred green stuff for compost, which we've done a few times a year when we do it. If we don't do it much we'll sell the chipper/shredder.

The weight could be an issue. Your tractor has to be able to pick it up and safely transport it. The MacKissick was just at the 3pt limit on the Kubota B7100 I had but it would handle it on slopes ok.

The feed speed on mine is not very variable- there's two speeds, full and about 1/3. There's another thread about that on here. It's not what I expected and there's a few times where I'd like a different speed, usually slower for large material. But most of the time one of those speeds is ok.

 

[dbchaplin03]

Good evening. I wanted to provide a response to this thread with my experience.

First off, I'm an Air Force Officer who spent 7.5 years as a jet engine mechanic prior to commissioning. I want to throw that out there before I get into my experience because there are a lot of knuckleheads out there who don't take care of their stuff and complains when it breaks down.

I ordered the BXM32 from Woodward Crossings and the experience was fantastic. It arrived on time, un-crated easy, instructions were clear, seemed pretty well built, greased everything with high quality waterproof grease, hooked it up to the tractor.... kabooooom! It self destructed with the very first bush branch that went in the chipper (not even 1/4" diameter). One of the bolts that goes through the shredder shattered into about 4-5 pieces which in turn took out the entire inside of the machine. The bolt was a factory defect but the machine was trashed. Some of the pieces nearly went through the side of the sheet metal.

Karen was amazing and refunded my purchase price in full the next morning including shipping, plus paid for return shipping, and added an additional $200 on top for the inconvenience. I was blown away by how amazing they are. An absolutely A+++ company to work with.

I am gun shy on the Wallenstein though after seeing how something that simple can cause unrepairable damage so I opted for the refund instead of a new unit.

I did many more hours of research and ordered a Woodmaxx TM-86h. They are back orders so it doesn't look like I will get it for several weeks which is disappointing but I am very excited for hydraulic feed. I won't really have much to compare it to because the Wallenstein blew up before I got a chance to even use it. I will say though that they (Wallenstein's Rep) immediately authorized Karen to issue the refund. They refunded it before I even had it crated back up to ship back.

I truly believe that there is no way Wallenstein could have known the bolt was defective. There are just too many moving parts and at that kind of RPM, if something goes wrong, it goes really really wrong. I'm thankful no one was hurt because my wife and kids were out (in the distance) watching our expensive new machine being used for the first time.

The only reason I didn't go with Wallenstein for the straight chipper was because of the hydraulic feed that everyone raves about. I think it will help my JD 1025r baby tractor chip a lot larger brush I think. In the meantime, I have a massive brush pile that needs chipped so I'll probably have to rent one for a weekend and get started. We need a whole lot of wood chips.

 

[arizona98tj]

Sorry to hear about the problem with the BXM32. I can't imagine the surprise you must have experienced when that bolt let go. I hope you enjoy the Woodmaxx when it gets delivered.

I picked up a BXM32 earlier this year and have put about 10 hours on it so far, primarily chipping poplar along with a bit of oak, basswood, and brush. I've attached a couple of photos from a run of poplar and oak. I run the BXM32 on my MF 1529, 28HP engine, 23HP @ PTO. The worst I've been able to do to it thus far is to temporarily slow the tractor RPM by 200. It eats green and dry 3"~4" poplar without hesitation. Oak results in smaller chips than that from poplar but the chipper handles it well too. I feed the shredder hopper small branches, about the diameter of one's finger, and it processes them well. The output is very shredded.

The only issue I had was with the plastic PTO guard. The guard binds against the metal shield on the chipper. I removed the plastic guard and run without it. My Massey is a compact tractor so the PTO output isn't that high of the ground and I was quite surprised the first time I attached the PTO shaft to the tractor and noticed the problem. I read another comment where an owner put wooden blocks under the chipper to reduce the PTO shaft angle. I've got some treated timbers and just might give that a try so I can reinstall the plastic PTO guard.

I just wanted to share my limited experience with my BXM32. From your comments, it sounds like our wives both enjoy mulched gardens.

 

[dbchaplin03]

I forgot to mention that. I took some 2x4's and mounted some heavy duty caster wheels to the bottom. My thought was that it would help with hooking up the 3 PT since I don't have a quick hitch yet or the iMatch. I secured it to the chipper with some hex head screws and that worked great. It really leveled out the pto shaft also.

I love my 1025r but I do wish that I would have bought a larger tractor. I bought this one because it had the backhoe with it and I thought I'd use it to dig out stumps. So far my success with that is pretty limited. I bought it used with very low hours so I'll be able to get my money back without a problem if I want to upgrade someday. The price of what the backhoe added could easily get me several more hp and quite a bit more lift capacity. Other than that though, the little 1025r is a great little tractor