Wood Chipper recommendations

[Gem99ultra]

I'm in need of a new wood chipper... Used won't do - the last (only) one I've bought before had a Tecumseh motor, and literally blew a hole in the side of the engine within 20 minutes. Of course, the Craigslist seller was no longer to be found. I have approximately 10 acres with thousands of 'sucker' pines that fall over after a couple of years. In the past I've collected them and burnt them, but with so much danger of a forest fire around here, I'd prefer to simply shred them. Leaving them to rot is an option, but not a desirable one for me.

My basic requirements are:
Max 5" diameter, normally 4" or less
Gas powered
Portable
If high hp, electric start
Under $2000

If you have any suggestions or recommendations, I'd appreciate receiving them.

Thanks.

 

[RNeumann]

PTO type is off the table? That may be a good fit unless you have something else that stays on your 3 pt.

 

[Gem99ultra]

PTO type is off the table? That may be a good fit unless you have something else that stays on your 3 pt.

No, PTO is certainly an option. I have a Kubota L3400 that's rarely used.

 

[bigtiller]

I have had 5hp lazy boy, 10hp mighty mack and 14hp bear cat. They were all under powered and for small occasional jobs a few times a year. For 10 acres with thousands of 'sucker' pines that fall over after a couple of years, I would really give pto powered a look.

 

[oosik]

Wallenstein BX52S would be the ideal chipper - PTO - for your tractor. Your not going to get it for $2K though. Currently listed for a little less than $3600.

I upgraded to a Wally BX62S when I got my new M6040 in 2009. I chip 750 to 900 small( 6" diameter or less) pine trees every spring - maintaining my pine stands.

Wallenstein makes a fantastic chipper.

 

[Gem99ultra]

yep, I think you're exactly right - gotta up the ante.

Bear Cat 'reads' good, but 3" might be a bit small. Wallenstein sounds like the Cadillac of wood chippers, although I can't afford a Cadillac. I'll be evaluating their Chevy model though.

 

[ericm979]

Woodmaxx and Woodland Mills both sell 6" and 8" PTO chippers. Designed by them, made in China. I have a Woodmaxx 8H which I have been generally happy with. I had a "chuck and duck" self-feeding chipper before. The hydraulic feed is much safer and chips a larger range of material. The 8H is $2800 including shipping. Woodland Mills' 8" is a different design which you may or may not like better, and retails for about the same.

There's a lot of threads about the Woodmaxx 6" and 8" chipper, youtube videos too. Fewer threads and videos of the Woodland Mills but there are some. They're the best deal in chippers these days, unless you're lucky and find a good used unit and you're in an area where used implements are reasonably priced.

 

[oosik]

The BX52S will handle material up to and including 5". Your tractor has plenty of power for this size chipper.

I don't know about the rating - Cadillac of chippers - I know that my BX62S would continue chipping all day and as long as the tractor had fuel. My stamina is the short side of the equation.

This is a spring time project where I'm all by myself. I break it into manageable parts. Identify at least 10 to 12 stands that need thinning. Get in there with my little Stihl and thin, baby thin.

Then the part that really makes my butt drag - pull all the cut trees out and stack in piles. A green Ponderosa pine that is 6" x 30' is not a lot of fun to drag and pile. Especially when I'm stumbling over all the other cut trees lying there on the ground.

Final and most fun part - pull off the pile and feed into the chipper. Very satisfying, very satisfying.

You have ten acres with thousands of small pines. I hope you don't think that your project will be a simple weekend project.

There are several other brands of chippers that have received good remarks here on TBN. Google - chipper and check out the posts.

Whatever you get - the process I use will be the easiest, fastest and least likely to get anybody hurt. If you have several helpers you might be able to cut, haul and stack - all at the same time.

If you can get help - just for a weekend - do the cut, haul and stack for that weekend. It will leave you with stacks to chip which is the easiest part of the entire project.

 

[RalphVa]

The MacKissic TPH123 meets your $ mark but only does up to 3 1/2". I've had a TPH122 for 14 years and love it. Best thing about it is that it's easy to maintain. I just recently replaced all the hammers and now need to replace the chipper blade because both the main one and replacement are down to minimum. This is after rotating the hammers the 3 times you can do. Rotating the hammers is about a 15-30 minute job depending on how much of a hurry you're in vs. 3 or 4 or more hours on a similar Troy Bilt Tomahawk that I had for 10 years.

I recommend the 3 point hitch one. You'll never bog it down like you will with a separate (smaller and gas) engine one.

Ralph

 

[Stimw]

With chippers you want the biggest rated you can afford.
If you were only chipping the the main trunk it would not matter but it's when the side branches get to the opening and then stop the feed.
I had a couple of 12" chippers with 4 cylinder Ford engines that I got in a deal.
The weak link was the (172 cuin) Ford engines, they have habit of overheating and ruining the $600. head. I sold them.
I had the 8" in pic and it worked great BUT the branch issue. I sold it too.
The flywheel does all the work so everything else just supports it.