What not to feed a woodchipper

[5030]

I have a magnetic broom (old broom with powerful magnets taped all along the head) which I used to find one major fragment, the piece of steel rod, and lots of smaller chips, but I could not find the second major fragment.

It must have been ejected via the chute along with all the other bits, as nothing remained in the flywheel housing. I'll have to widen the search area, as I don't want it lying there to cause future mischief. I usually chip alone, and on the occasions when I do have a helper, nothing goes in while they're in the arc of the discharge.

And following 5030's caution, I had another close examination of the anvil mounts, and no sign of anything amiss or bent there. It is one tough and solidly made machine.

On this model chipper, while the PTO shaft utilises a shear pin, the flywheel is belt driven, so unlikely to do much damage if there were to be a major slowing down/stoppage of the flywheel. The geometry of the belts and pulleys also gives the flywheel it's high rotational speed which contributes to efficient discharge, and clogging of the outlet chute is rare. It also means, of course, that the missing fragment could have travelled some distance! I've heard anecdotally that smaller models with direct drive are more susceptible to clogging due to the slower flywheel RPM (540 vs 1100), however I have never seen or operated a smaller model.

Time to widen the search area...

You are very lucky it didn't come apart. Those flywheels have a lot of inertia all by themselves.

Years ago I bought a used (and abused) Jinma Chinese chipper (6" infeed) and rebuilt it and I ran it behind one of my M9 Kubota's (83 pto horsepower) which is about 3 times what they are rated for. I added a Weasler slip clutch on the output shaft of the chipper so I wouldn't destroy it. Worked pretty well but the vibration from feeding it about ruined my hands so I sold it for more than I paid for it and I'm back to roasting limbs in a burn pile. Much easier on my hands. Besides, I'm a pyro.

 

[oosik]

It's always been my hands that take the most abuse in the thinning process. Just that momentary time when the butt contacts the chipper flywheel. Do this for six to eight hours a day - for a week or so. Sure puts a lot of wear on a new pair of Elk Skin Ropers from Aerostich.

Dragging the cut trees to a unified pile is hard on the knees and shins. Tripping, stumbling, falling - all part of the game.

 

[OldPaint]

It's always been my hands that take the most abuse in the thinning process. Just that momentary time when the butt contacts the chipper flywheel. Do this for six to eight hours a day - for a week or so. Sure puts a lot of wear on a new pair of Elk Skin Ropers from Aerostich.

Dragging the cut trees to a unified pile is hard on the knees and shins. Tripping, stumbling, falling - all part of the game.

I feel your pain. Gettin old ain't for sissies. Now I know why my grandparents always wobbled and groaned so much. Gettin old is EXACTLY why I bought a tractor.

I buy inexpensive (but good) leather gloves in bulk. I don't know how many pairs I've worn the fingers off handling brush, especially if I do it while the brush is wet. Occasionally the stitching lets go, but I can get decent leather glove at a pretty cheap price. Anything where I'm using a long-handled tool like a shovel or axe, I wear deerskin gloves because they still give me protection but they're a lot softer and more comfortable. The cheaper leather gloves are just fine for grabbing brush and protecting me from thorns. I'd rather tear up cheap gloves than more expensive ones.

 

[GeneV]

I feel your pain. Gettin old ain't for sissies. Now I know why my grandparents always wobbled and groaned so much. Gettin old is EXACTLY why I bought a tractor.

I buy inexpensive (but good) leather gloves in bulk. I don't know how many pairs I've worn the fingers off handling brush, especially if I do it while the brush is wet. Occasionally the stitching lets go, but I can get decent leather glove at a pretty cheap price. Anything where I'm using a long-handled tool like a shovel or axe, I wear deerskin gloves because they still give me protection but they're a lot softer and more comfortable. The cheaper leather gloves are just fine for grabbing brush and protecting me from thorns. I'd rather tear up cheap gloves than more expensive ones.

Same here, I buy a cheap pair of leather work gloves from walmart. I do everything with them, including welding. And then when they wear through the fingers and/or the stitching comes apart, I just go get another pair.

 

[RolandW]

When I was a kid my Dad was working on the forage harvester ("chopper") out in the field. He set his toolbox in a handy spot, on the wide chain that carried the corn into the blades. You can guess what happened next: He got in a hurry and forgot about the toolbox. Large noise. I think I still have a couple of the bent wrenches.

 

[cqaigy2]

Ouch!

 

[5030]

It's always been my hands that take the most abuse in the thinning process. Just that momentary time when the butt contacts the chipper flywheel. Do this for six to eight hours a day - for a week or so. Sure puts a lot of wear on a new pair of Elk Skin Ropers from Aerostich.

Dragging the cut trees to a unified pile is hard on the knees and shins. Tripping, stumbling, falling - all part of the game.

I use the grapple I adapted to my bucket. Also fits my pallet forks.

Nothing beats a good blaze, besides, I get rid of my oily rags too.

 

[oosik]

I pile up all the trees that die from pine bark beetle. The only time I burn is with snow on the ground. Chances of wildfires are just to great at other times.

My tractor and grapple just aren't the correct tools for retrieving all the fallen pines - when I thin my stands in the spring. I've tried and end up damaging those left standing. It ends up being a real PITA. Especially when I want all the butt ends facing one way on the pile.

I grouse now but always look forward to this spring project. I just take my time and it all comes out fine in the end. Fortunately - when retired - time - I have lots of.

 

[Surshot]

My chipper went down the road. I dropped a dried out hardwood root ball into it by accident. It was laying on the ground, I picked up a stack of limbs, dropped them in, bang, after the detonation, the root ball was not there.

That chipper came apart like a 2 bit watch. One piece of steel broke off inside and it then proceed to eat itself.

That was it for me, been burning everything since.

That 20 hp chipper coming apart was quite disconcerting, especially the steel pieces and parts coming through the sides of the steel box.

 

[oosik]

I've noticed - several chipper brands recommend to not chip lumber. Must be the fear of nails and other metal parts that could be attached/inbeded in the lumber.