Chipper Anyone use a PTO chipper?

[grsthegreat]

I have the Jimna 6" chipper and ran it for 5 seasons (or so) on a 28 HP JD tractor that had 25hp at the pto. It ran great. I dont have any hardwood, so not sure how it would handle that. Mine has the chute so it piles all shavings in the bed of my golf cart for the wifes whatever projects.

It flies on the new tractor..simply pulverizes the stuff.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Yeah, same chipper I have except I don't have the blower.
I've read mixed reports about the blower...how's your's work?

It works good but you can over load it. I can stick a 2 1/2 or 3 inch maple or birch tree in that is 20 foot long and it takes it fine and will blow the chips all the way to the front of my truck. But a 5" tree I have to cut in about 2 foot lengths or the blower box gets choked up. After I put in one length I wait a couple seconds for the bulk of the chips to clear before I put in another piece. If I had more hp I am not sure this would happen. I think it takes significant power to run the blower especially when it is full. But for me anything 4 or 5 inches is probably firewood so it isn't really a problem.

 

[studor]

Yep -- same machine as Gordon and Roy without the blower -- bought mine for less than a grand on craigslist or kijiji - was going to buy the Jinma when I saw it and bought it right away.Guy who had it was told by his Doctor to give up chipping based on his heart problems -- as I said, it can give you a workout !! The Wallensteins I have seen used go for new prices which tells you how popular they seem to be.

 

[DB24]

I have heard that there can be problems starting up and shutting down PTO chippers due to the very high mass of the chipper disc. Starting/stopping this inertial mass causes excessive wear on the tractor's PTO clutch, especially with electro-hydraulically push button activated clutches. Is this true?

(I recall having seen one chipper that had its own PTO clutch.......presumably to avoid wear on the tractor's clutch.)

 

[BethesdaEC]

I have heard that there can be problems starting up and shutting down PTO chippers due to the very high mass of the chipper disc. Starting/stopping this inertial mass causes excessive wear on the tractor's PTO clutch, especially with electro-hydraulically push button activated clutches. Is this true?

(I recall having seen one chipper that had its own PTO clutch.......presumably to avoid wear on the tractor's clutch.)

My BX42r has a 75 lbs flywheel and starting it up is a non-event. My JD2520 idles at about 1000 RPM and when I engage the PTO which is electro-hydraulic there is no shudder or drama, it just starts. I would think a bush-hog or flail mower would put more stress on the clutch. These clutches are engineered for this type of stress, so I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[greg_g]

Electric PTO clutch on my 3720 also. Tractor engine is idling when I engage PTO switch, then I throttle up slowly until I reach 540 RPMs on the tach. Like the man said, no drama.

//greg//

 

[RoyJackson]

My 4400 has a mechanical linkage to the PTO. As the previous posters started, no problems...just engage at a low (1000) RPM.
The chipper might move a bit from the torque of the PTO and the inertia of the chipper's flywheel...this is just for a second or two (if that).

As far as DB24's post...there were some threads and posts (on TBN...been a year or so) about tractor owners engaging their electric start PTOs at PTO speed (540 RPM). That would not be a good thing to do...nor should an operator disengage at 540 RPM.

 

[Red Horse]

My BX42r has a 75 lbs flywheel and starting it up is a non-event. My JD2520 idles at about 1000 RPM and when I engage the PTO which is electro-hydraulic there is no shudder or drama, it just starts. I would think a bush-hog or flail mower would put more stress on the clutch. These clutches are engineered for this type of stress, so I wouldn't worry about it.

My son has used my Valby on his 2520-no problem-and the flywheel weighs 210 or 220! common sense applies- engage and then bring RPM's up to pto speed.

 

[engine29]

Wallenstein BX42 manual feed on a Kioti CK30. Good chipper, just got it in the fall to chip pine branches. Did plug occasionally, but real soft, green material.
Works good on hardwood branches.

 

[Furu]

As far as DB24's post...there were some threads and posts (on TBN...been a year or so) about tractor owners engaging their electric start PTOs at PTO speed (540 RPM). That would not be a good thing to do...nor should an operator disengage at 540 RPM.

While I agree totally about starting/ engaging the PTO in near idle and then coming up to 540 rpm I have never understood the theory about shutdown. With a 200+ pound flywheel the mass inertia will push the PTO pretty hard on throttle back. I always thought it better to disengage then go to idle so as to avoid this issue. Nothing in the manual addresses this issue. Why do you believe it is better to disengage only after idling down with the mass inertia pushing it the whole way. A really massive brush cutter isn't as big inertia wise but it seems to push the PTO as well. I changed my technique after listening to the pto while doing it the old way.
Willing to learn why you do it your way.

By the way when I got the chipper the JD tech said to do start up at 540 and feather the pto clutch by engage/disengaging multiple times to slowly bring the flywheel up to speed. I immediately disregarded his advice as cycling the pto 5-10 times in a short period seemed really stupid to me.

 

[smfcpacfp]

I have the Wallenstein BX42 and have used it probably for 52 hours with no problems.

Like anything else there are a few tricks to avoid problems. We do exclusively softwoods.

Kubota B3030 HSDC snowblowing Jan 2012 (HD) - YouTube

 

[nspec]

You typically slow down the engine before disengaging a pto because a lot of tractors have a pto brake and this avoids smoking it.

 

[greg_g]

You typically slow down the engine before disengaging a pto because a lot of tractors have a pto brake and this avoids smoking it.

Might that not be an argument to use an over-running coupler (ORC) when running a heavy chipper with a PTO-brake equipped tractor?

//greg//

 

[DeeDubya]

I throttle back with the PTO engaged because it helps slow the flywheel much more quickly. No I don't just jerk back on the throttle. Common sense would tell you to throttle back slowly (within reason). Otherwise it can take my 8" chipper some time to wind down and the worst thing you can do is start to drive with the flywheel still spinning. It's a big gyro and moving the machine, especially a sharp turn will put a strain on the bearings.

 

[RoyJackson]

While I agree totally about starting/ engaging the PTO in near idle and then coming up to 540 rpm I have never understood the theory about shutdown.

nspec and DeeDubya wrote the answers I would have...

Two additions:
1) All of my tractors have had mechanical actuation of the PTO. Any engagment or disengagement at speed (remember, the PTO is turning at 540...but the input shaft may be turning considerably faster (engine RPM being 2500 RPM or there abouts). I can see no way engaging, or disengaging would not put a shock load on the tractor transmission. The higher the speed, the greater the load...
2) An implement that runs at high speed combined with high inertia (rotary cutter) will take a while to spin down, even if disengaging at idle. Disengaging at a higher RPM would extend that spin down time.

 

[bironacad]

I have a Wallenstien .

Ya wet cedar branches clog it up, lol I need something to clean out the jammed bits I have seen it somewhere here in the threads. Anyone got a picture?

 

[grsthegreat]

While I agree totally about starting/ engaging the PTO in near idle and then coming up to 540 rpm I have never understood the theory about shutdown. With a 200+ pound flywheel the mass inertia will push the PTO pretty hard on throttle back. I always thought it better to disengage then go to idle so as to avoid this issue. Nothing in the manual addresses this issue. Why do you believe it is better to disengage only after idling down with the mass inertia pushing it the whole way. A really massive brush cutter isn't as big inertia wise but it seems to push the PTO as well. I changed my technique after listening to the pto while doing it the old way.
Willing to learn why you do it your way.

By the way when I got the chipper the JD tech said to do start up at 540 and feather the pto clutch by engage/disengaging multiple times to slowly bring the flywheel up to speed. I immediately disregarded his advice as cycling the pto 5-10 times in a short period seemed really stupid to me.

thats why i use a over-running clutch on my chipper. It freewheels when disengaged.

 

[DB24]

Thanks for all the comments and advise regarding my question on the possibility of PTO clutch damage when starting and stopping a chipper due to the high inertial mass.

The use of a PTO shaft with over-run clutch certainly sounds like a very good idea to avoid any possibility of over stressing the PTO brake on disengagement. (My tractor has electro-hydraulic PTO clutch operation and you cannot therefore pause with both the PTO clutch and PTO brake disengaged, unlike manual systems where the lever can be held half way....)

 

[grsthegreat]

I just looked at the over running clutch as cheap insurance. Its pretty inexpensive and since it takes about 2-3 minutes for my chipper to spin down, anything that eliminated parts in the tractor from spinning during this time has to be beneficial.

 

[BethesdaEC]

I just looked at the over running clutch as cheap insurance. Its pretty inexpensive and since it takes about 2-3 minutes for my chipper to spin down, anything that eliminated parts in the tractor from spinning during this time has to be beneficial.

Stopping the disk is almost nothing for a brake, and if the overrun clutch lets it run for minutes you would have to wait a long time before you could open the housing to clear a clog. If there is no drama starting the disk, then brake should have no problem stopping it. Car brakes can last for 50K to 100K or more and they experience a lot more stress than a PTO brake.

Here is a question, has anyone worn out a PTO brake yet?