Chipper Wallenstein constantly getting clogged

[jrclark]

Lots of folks suggesting alternating green with dry, small and large limbs, etc. This is fully understandable, but the clogs happen with feeding only 2 or 3 limbs of various types of material, which should explain my frustrations. I firmly believe a hydraulic feed would certainly help the cause, but that's not really an option at the moment. The clogs always occur approximately 3-4" below the rotating chute, so it's an issue with how the discharge necks down, not the rotating assembly. Before taking drastic measures, I'll try the WD40 approach and adjust the knives.

I like the unit, it will certainly pay dividends down the road. I'm vocalizing my frustrations now because of the time sensitive nature with clearing my lot.

 

[pinetree10]

Thank you, Murph-------

Some of our readers do not understand that Wallenstein makes distinct CHIPPERS and CHIPPER-SHREDDERS. You cannot chip small, light stuff in a Wallenstein CHIPPER. Small stuff will process fine in a Wallenstein CHIPPER-SHREDDER.

Lubricating the exhaust chute may help but a BX42s will not process small stuff consistently. BX42s is not designed to process small stuff.

Jeff and Murph are right. I also have the 42 and it's a great chipper, but it is not designed for constant chipping of small branches. It will clog if you don't run big branches with small ones.

 

[s219]

Lots of folks suggesting alternating green with dry, small and large limbs, etc. This is fully understandable, but the clogs happen with feeding only 2 or 3 limbs of various types of material, which should explain my frustrations. I firmly believe a hydraulic feed would certainly help the cause, but that's not really an option at the moment. The clogs always occur approximately 3-4" below the rotating chute, so it's an issue with how the discharge necks down, not the rotating assembly. Before taking drastic measures, I'll try the WD40 approach and adjust the knives.

I like the unit, it will certainly pay dividends down the road. I'm vocalizing my frustrations now because of the time sensitive nature with clearing my lot.

Hydraulic won't help clogs on the discharge chute, it will only pull stuff in faster. The BX-42 should be fairly aggressive at self feeding (sometimes too aggressive in my experience, and have the bruises and scratches to prove it). If it's not, make sure blades are sharp and the gap is correct.

If your thinking of the big pro models, like Vermeer, that will suck anything in via hydraulic feed, well they are not basic chippers -- they have multiple knife, hammer, and twig breaker configurations to chip/shred. The BX-42, even with hydraulic feed, is still just a chipper with knives on a flywheel and twig breakers for anything that slides past the gap. It's not a shredder for small material in any way. Doesn't matter if it has hydraulics or not.

 

[wawajake]

I have the same model manual Walenstein, and yes first summer I clogged it a few times......but after some expereince and reliazing the need to alternate big and small material, and not force feeding the thing, and once a year spraying the inside of unit with WD40 or silcone spray (including the half clam opened up), .........I am getting the green stuff (poplar, spruce) to chip they way I need it to and without waiting if so desired.

 

[oosik]

I wholeheartedly agree with s219 & wawajake. The hydraulic infeed has no bearing on the discharge chute plugging. The manual BX42 was almost beyond aggressive at self feeding but if I kept feeding green pine needles and small branches it would soon plug.

Green pine needles have too much pitch, which coat everything inside and the small diameter branches do not have the bulk necessary for aggressive discharge. Experience with what & how to feed will result in performance.

 

[tractchores]

Seems like you have something going on if its clogging so quickly and even if alternating stuff. Do you have a newer one with the twig breaker, or is it the older model? I don't know when they switched over, but the twig breaker helps big time with clogs (it's just a piece of metal that breaks stuff that didn't get cut by the blade). Gap adjustment could explain it, I'd also make sure there isn't something stuck and protruding into the shoot. ONe other trick is to make the chute turned so that material just goes up and out (align it with the spin direction of the wheel, that can help). I also often run my machine a little faster than PTO rpm if doing smaller stuff and that seems to help.

Nothing more frustrating than a clog. I wish they had a removable plate on the bottom of these like some of the bigger blade style chippers where small stuff and leaves can just fall out the bottom.

 

[silvertramp]

I have a BX42s running off of my Kioti DS3510 (27hp PTO). The BX42 has absolutely no problem chipping anything, but has a ton of problems discharging most everything. I was really happy with it the first time I used it, but the last couple of times have been frustrating. Granted, the last time out it was mostly green birch going down the chute, but were incredibly small limbs. Even alternating with dry stuff doesn't help the situation. Is this normal, or am I missing something? The discharge on this thing necks down too far in my opinion which causes this issue.

I just bought a BX42. I'm running it with a Yanmar 276D (27 engine HP) which works well.
I'm chipping mostly green pine and black birch. The pine usually goes thru, but the black birch tops are problematic. When I'm down to the tops, I'll pull some of them out of the chute, and feed the rest. I found that feeding green pine actually helps clear the stinkin' birch.
I've gotten good at at shutting down early in the clog. Remove one bolt, swing the unit open, use a LONG screw driver to to dig/pry the clogged chute mess loose, remove by hand. Clean vanes by hand, and spin fly wheel until it rotates free. If you catch it early, it's much easier.

 

[jeff9366]

I hope you and your Wallenstein are back on speaking terms.

Here is a good link which amplifies information already posted:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/282868-wallenstein-chipper-chipper-shredder.html

 

[jrclark]

I hope you and your Wallenstein are back on speaking terms. Here is a good link which amplifies information already posted: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/282868-wallenstein-chipper-chipper-shredder.html

I tried to use the chipper this past weekend, but never got around to it after my 'swarming' incident. I do plan to be back there over this weekend. Chipping time depends on how much is left over after finishing the 50 hour service.

Thanks for the link!