Wood Pro AVP Chipper/shredder

[MadDog]

I am interested in buying a PTO-driven chipper or chipper/shredder and am trying to get some information on the Wood Pro AVP Model 30QP3.

It is apparrently manufactured (or distributed) by Vandermolen Windmill Power Equipment Corp, out of Livingston, NJ. They also make bug zappers, blowers, hedge trimmers and seeder/spreaders.

Does anyone have any experience with these chippers or, for that matter, any other Vandermolen equipment. The principal competing chippers appear to be those made by BearCat, Valby and Vermeer. I have compared specs (the Wood Pro has a significantly larger and thicker processing wheel than the BearCat and they all weigh about the same (950-1000#). People who have the BearCat seem to like it, but I haven't so far been able to come up with any experience data at all on the Wood Pro, much less enough to permit an intelligent comparisson.

These machines cost between $5,000-$6,500 (they're pricey little toys /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif ) so any input from anyone who has any experience with the Wood Pro (or Vandermolen) would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Rowski]

Can't help you with the Wood Pro.

I really like my Valby Ch160 hydraulic feed.

See attachment.

 

[dodgejack]

I have not seen a Woods Pro chipper. My Kubota dealer sells Woods chipper-shredders he said they were a Bearcat copy just as good. I needed something bigger so he ordered me a Bearcat #72854 8in. hydr. feed. It works great, chips anything up to 8 inches without bogging down the tractor. I have 20 hours on it. Just switched the knives around, sure makes a big difference having fresh edges. Hydro feed makes chipping a lot easier! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[johnfryiv]

I've got a Vandemolen 22 HP Wood Pro. I love it and recommend it highly. It is great for 2" and smaller stuff, but it will chew through up to 8.' It is a hopper feed, and has a deep hopper, so you have to lift stuff up into it, but hopper is deep enough you'd have to be Wilt Chamberlin to get your hands to the blades, so pretty safe. I've done a pretty good size Magnolia wiht it, and I have three California Coastal Live oaks on the property and whenever I get them trimmed, I do the chipping myself. It's a lot of fun to, and I'm 68. They have a real nice parts lady who is very helpful. It's a bit heavy for one old guy to haul around, so I made up a t-handle to extend the tongue to make lifting and pulling it around easier. Also, they don't have a spare tire bracket. I'm a big fan of spare tires. Never had a flat with a trailer when I've had a spare tire on board. I've had a couple flats when I had no spare tire...bit cynical I know, but I'd recommend getting a spare tire. Most trailer places stock them, or Vandermolen is pretty fair with their prices. I'd say for a homeowner, rancher, professional gardner, this is perfect. If you're in the tree trimming business, it's a bit small, and you'd want a chipper with a power feed. Also, this is small enough, you can drag it into a back yard where you might not be able to get a vehicle. If you're in 1 of the above categories, I don't think you'll be disappointed. Another thing about the more expensive $30,000 machines is they're a lot quieter. Lighter machines are pretty noisy. I've had a couple neighbor complaints, but then I told them I'd chip their stuff if they want, and that smoothed things out. Also, if you're in a tight neighborhood, plan on chipping during the working day, not evening or weekends.

 

[debushau]

Does Vandermolen actually make these chippers? Certainly, I can't believe that they make line trimmers and backback blowers that they list on their site. It's got to be some private label type of a deal. I might drop by their facility to see what they do.