3-Point Hitch wood chipper choice

[Foxtrot08]

There is nothing wrong with your choice of the BX62 but just to set the record straight my BearCat chipper uses standard B belts available at any autoparts store or on line. I put on new belts when I first bought it used and have never replaced the belts in the eight years I have owned and used it. So it is not the expensive hassle that you thought it was.
Also a belt is a great way to de-couple shock from your pto drive mechanism.

Ahh, didn't know.

My Mighty Mac uses a specific length that can only be ordered from them, or made to fit, which is also pricey at times.

None of the information on them mentioned it.. it would probably be a good selling point for them. When I was looking around, I did find a used Bearcat 8in chipper that I almost bought... but ended up going with the brand new wallenstein since we would never chip something 8 inches - too good for fire wood.

 

[Raider43]

just saw a Patu DC40 "2002" for $2050. Anyone heard of these? Still kinda leaning towards the Wally B42x.

 

[Baby Grand]

just saw a Patu DC40 "2002" for $2050. Anyone heard of these? Still kinda leaning towards the Wally B42x.

I was all set to get a new Wally bx42 when I found a Patu DC40 on CL a few months ago for $1500, which I bought. It had been used, but not abused. It's a direct drive, 3 blade configuration with a 360 degree rotatable output chute. It took some time to get the anvil gap & chip size adjusted, but once that was done it draws limbs in nicely. It has never clogged and I've made 15 to 18 trailer loads of chips, so far, and the blades are still sharp. The availability of replacement blades is a bit of a question mark for me - I haven't found someone who can supply them, yet. When the time comes, I may get a second set made by a local machine shop.

There have been a few times when I wished I'd got the Wally - especially when processing Pin Oak and Silver Maple, which both have some gnarly, twisted branches. That 4x10 infeed on the Wally would really shine with that kind of work. With the Patu it means I need to limb those branches more carefully, cutting anything that branches at a large angle from the main stem before I try to wrestle it into the chute. One thing I like about the Patu is that the chute is just about horizontal, meaning you don't have to lift limbs very much to get them feeding - you can just slide them in from a natural carrying height.

Overall, I am extreemly pleased with this purchase. It's built like a tank and takes anything that I can stuff into the opening and turns it into mulch.

 

[Raider43]

Hmmm, Baby Grand, maybe you purchased the one I was looking at. Your post helped. I will look into blade replacement. the shoot size may be an issue as 99% of the wood I am doing is maple and oak, but I burn everything 4" and up.

thanks,
Paul

 

[Raider43]

How about the "Goosen" brand or Woodmax. Also, do you think the Bx42r is worth it or do we not need self feed? I have time to shop. Am leaning towards the 3 pt over renting as the side roads and acreage I will be clearing is remote.

 

[tractchores]

Tractchores, thanks for that bit of info. How hard is it to manuever out in the field (woods)? Or is the dolly just for in the shop?

Gordon, the main road I could tow in a chipper (although very rough going at this point). The cleraring is mostly smaller stuff to widen the road and use the tractor to level out some and then the chipper. I guess I could do that and leave the smaller woods roads alone and just pile up neatly for habitat. For me to rent for the day would be about $300 and this could go on for a while, hence the thought of the 3 pt. going up to the farm again this week to continue with the saw and look at the situation again.

thanks,
Paul

I only use the dolly in my garage or driveway (paved or cement). Its very easy to maneuver on a hard surface and makes putting it on and off a breeze. I just push it up, hook up the PTO shaft, then the arms and top link and I'm done, I do the reverse to take it off. The whole process takes just a minute or two and there's no hopping up and down off the tractor to adjust.

 

[Henniker]

Thanks to all for the good info & pics. I'm starting the search for a chipper to clean up a few acres.
I like the looks of the BX42 but $2600 is hard to justify. (Do you get what you pay for here?)
I've scoured CL throughout New England but used ones seem rare. The sad part is: you just KNOW there are some languishing in barns. The owner is done with them, but just hasn't posted them yet.
Anybody hears of one...let me know!

 

[tractchores]

Thanks to all for the good info & pics. I'm starting the search for a chipper to clean up a few acres.
I like the looks of the BX42 but $2600 is hard to justify. (Do you get what you pay for here?)
I've scoured CL throughout New England but used ones seem rare. The sad part is: you just KNOW there are some languishing in barns. The owner is done with them, but just hasn't posted them yet.
Anybody hears of one...let me know!

Keep searching, it took me about a month to find mine on CL, but they do come up. They just tend to sell almost immediately so you have to check daily. In my opinion you do get what you pay for, and a cheap chipper will give poor results.

 

[s219]

You do get what you pay for with Wallenstein. I did a lot of research, and concluded it was the best value by far. It has features you won't see on cheaper chippers, like 360-degree chute, 4 knives, direct drive, etc... Some higher priced chippers don't even have all these features.

Northern tool has a chipper for about $1700, but it only has a single knife and a fixed chute.