Recommend (or UN-recommend) a specific 3pt wood chipper

[TSO]

In the market for a PTO chipper. To be honest, I use anything 3" and up for firewood anyhow, so I don't need massive advertised capacity. 4" should do the trick. I've read the different threads here and watched too many videos on the different brands. My tractor dealer sells the Wallenstein brand and the BX-42 would go for somewhere between $2600-3000. Good warranty, local service, and I haven't seen a bad review yet.

Watched a bunch of vids on the "WoodMaxx" brand chippers, people seem to be happy with them. They're priced around $2200 I believe. Then there's the DR, Woods, AgriEase, and several others.. I've read lots of bad reviews on the Jinma chippers, mostly from people that have bought them, saying they need adjustments and correct parts added or fixed fight away. They're cheaper of course, approx $1700.

So in a nutshell... if you've had experience either way, with any of the brands that would sway me towards or away from them, I'd love to hear it.

Thanks in advance!

 

[BigE_]

Do yourself a favor and get a 6" or 8" chipper. Any branch that has a fork in it will either need to get cut or broken before it goes through a 4" chipper.

I never chip anything above 2", and my 6" x 8" chipper opening isn't big enough.

 

[oosik]

I have a Wallenstein BX42( 4inch ). Because I'm mainly chipping just fell small pines the 4" is adequate. I feed butt end first and being green the limbs easily follow. If you chip dry limbs, trees whose limbs will not bend then you will be de-limbing the trunk or getting a larger chipper or both. The only time I've wanted a larger chipper is for chipping my old apple trees. The twisted angular limbs were challenging.

 

[dave1949]

The BX42 price sounds like that is with hydraulic feed.

A 6" BX62 with no feed should be similar in price. I would probably choose the 6" with no feed over the 4' with feed. It's a heavier unit, larger throat, and self-feeds plenty good enough for my needs. I rarely chip anything over 3".

When using my BX62 I will cut off the branches that I have learned will be likely to hang up in the shute. A lot depends on the wood species. Beech is the worst for having right-angle branches and they are not very flexible. Ash, birch, white pine and maple bend much easier. White spruce of any size usually needs branches trimmed off the trunk, but I am usually just pruning the lower branches on those anyways.

I don't chip dead apple unless it's really small. Those 2" and larger branches that have air-dried for 10 years are hard, hard, hard. They don't chip, they explode and shatter. I think it is very hard on the chipper. That may be different with a feeder that would hold the branch back some.

 

[Happyman]

I highly recommend the Wallenstein BX62. I've had mine for 5 years and have had zero problems. Tough unit that really does a great job. No need for self-feed. It will grab the tree limbs clean out of your hands and beat you with them if you get too close :shocked:
You will not be disappointed. :thumbsup:

 

[MAN IN BLACK]

Just like the previous post...
My machine is a bx42, very happy with it, feeds itself very easily !
Nothing negative to say against it
Keeping 36 acres of mix hardwood & pine, spruce clean.
Great buy, and if you have a dealer near you...go for it and don't look back.

 

[jeff9366]

I have been very happy with my Wallenstein BX42s on my Kubota B3300SU with 25 horsepower/PTO.

If your tractor has 30 horsepower/PTO or more, go with the BX62s. There is $1,000 difference between the two models. With the heavier flywheel of the BX62s you will have fewer chip plugs of the exhaust chute, although these are pretty rare after you learn what the chipper likes, which is most stuff, and the few things it does not like; green twigs and green leaves.

Wallenstein are really well built.....and painted.

I use a 28 volt battery powered Milwaukee Sawzall to trim trunks before chipping. Much safer than a chain saw for this work and as fast. Battery Sawzall is also the optimum tool to remove the infrequent plugs....you push the blade into the packed, hot, green mass and the reciprocating blade pulls the plugs out in 1-2 seconds.

I purchased my Sawzall on amazon.com

 

[newbury]

You've got two basic choices - cheap Chinese or expensive American, you pays your money, you takes your choice.
Apparently the search function isn't working or you could have tied into an existing thread.

 

[jeff9366]

Ectually.....Wallenstein is Canadian.

 

[jeff9366]

The BX42 price sounds like that is with hydraulic feed.

Current prices from Iowa Farm Equipment: BX42s $2,800 plus delivery, BX62s $3,800 plus delivery.

There used-to-be less of a price differential between the BX42s and the BX62s.

I agree with dave1949 that it is wise to be a little selective, rather than chipping the universe.
In my part of Florida I clear thickets of Tree Huckleberry/Vaccinium arborea. The 3" trunks are so hard, much harder than Oak, that I do not routinely chip them nor saw them for firewood. Even a chainsaw vibrates and bounces on Tree Huckleberry. Often Tree Huckleberry goes to the burn pile whole.