3pt Wood Chipper Recommendation

[dbchaplin03]

We’re getting ready to start clearing 10 acres of land and are looking for recommendations on heavy duty chippers. We’ll be using the chips for compost and deep bedding for chickens, pigs, and goats.

Anything over 4” will be firewood but I do want a machine that can pull in crooked and forked stuff. If it doesn’t work well we likely wouldn’t end up using it because it’s much faster to burn.

I’ve looked at Woodmaxx, Split Fire, and Walenstine so far but figured I’d see what yall have owned and loved. ( or not loved).

 

[johnems]

We’re getting ready to start clearing 10 acres of land and are looking for recommendations on heavy duty chippers. We’ll be using the chips for compost and deep bedding for chickens, pigs, and goats.

Anything over 4” will be firewood but I do want a machine that can pull in crooked and forked stuff. If it doesn’t work well we likely wouldn’t end up using it because it’s much faster to burn.

I’ve looked at Woodmaxx, Split Fire, and Walenstine so far but figured I’d see what yall have owned and loved. ( or not loved).

I have Woodmaxx MX9900 and love the machine. It is a beast in terms of what it will take through it. Just spent yesterday using it for 6 hours and was great.

 

[dbchaplin03]

I have Woodmaxx MX9900 and love the machine. It is a beast in terms of what it will take through it. Just spent yesterday using it for 6 hours and was great.

Thank you for this feedback

 

[Gem99ultra]

We’re getting ready to start clearing 10 acres of land and are looking for recommendations on heavy duty chippers. We’ll be using the chips for compost and deep bedding for chickens, pigs, and goats.

Anything over 4” will be firewood but I do want a machine that can pull in crooked and forked stuff. If it doesn’t work well we likely wouldn’t end up using it because it’s much faster to burn.

I’ve looked at Woodmaxx, Split Fire, and Walenstine so far but figured I’d see what yall have owned and loved. ( or not loved).

I went with Woodland Mills for my little Kubota L3400. It technically handles 5"x6" but just for easy and convenience I stay under 6". Now they have 8" x 8" for the same power requirements. The hydraulic feed handles crooked and fork stuff with ease.

My choice bounced betwen Woodmax and Woodland Mills, although many folks on here also like Walenstine. I don't think you'll go far wrong either way.

 

[PeteN]

+1 on WoodMaxx. I've got a MX8800 and does everything I need a woodchipper for. Made in the USA. I bought mine 3 1/2 years ago. I was surprised how much the price went up since then. But what hasn't in the last 4 years.

 

[oosik]

I've had two Wallensteins. Both - manual feed. First - BX42S Now - BX62S. Both are excellent machines. I have no need for hydraulic in-feed. I only chip small ( 1" to 6" on the butt ) green pines.

Every two to three years I thin and chip my pine stands. 800 to 1000 small pines go thru my chipper during these sessions.

The price for a hydraulic feed Wally is through the roof. So.....unless you have a whole lot of chipping to do - those recommended in the above posts would probably do you well.

It's really sad about the price because a Wally is a truly superior implement.

 

[oldballs]

Here's some random thoughts....I presume that you are using your Kubota 6060 which will take any of the home owner largest chippers.

Burning has some advantages but is much reliant on weather and codes...and you end up with ashes. You gotta take the tree to the burn pile.

Chipping gives you usefull chips and you take the chipper to the tree. The chipper takes some money to buy and some maintenance to operate.

Ten acres is a lot to deal with .....over how much time???? what kinda trees or underbrush might be a question. What to do with the really big stuff

I've owned a Woodland Mills WC-68 for about 5 years and it has served me well....on my 3 acres..doing mostly pine and cedar................just some thoughts.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[oosik]

I have a decided advantage here on my 80 acres. The ONLY trees I have are Ponderosa pines. AND - young pines are soft - the limbs are supple - young trees are straight as an arrow.

They are chipped with no need to remove any limbs. Because of this - there is no need for hydraulic in-feed.

I use the chips on my mile long gravel driveway. However - that is only for those trees that I chip along the driveway. It's a good long ways from where I chip those cut from my stands to my driveway.

I could transport them with my farm wagon and spread them on the driveway. This has a down side too. If I ever get enough snow that I must plow the driveway - the chips will go the same way as the snow.

So.....I have great, long, narrow piles of chips - all over the property.

 

[ericm979]

My Woodmaxx 8H has been pretty good. I recommend a unit with hydraulic (or hydrostatic) variable power feed.

I chose the 8H because a lot of people here have them, and the dual feed rollers. Woodland Mills 8" has a single feed roller. In their videos it looks like it can be a challenge to get material to feed. The 8H has a handle to lift the upper roller and you can use that to get the roller to climb up the butt of larger material.

It's got some drawbacks though. The knives are accessed through small bolt on doors. Some units have clamshell rotor housings that give access to the upper half of the rotor. It's only an issue when its time to rotate or change blades, and only if you drop a blade bolt into the housing.

There's a gap between the rollers and the bed knife that can catch material and keep it from feeding. One of these days I'll weld a plate in there to fill the gap. This is also a pretty small issue.

My 8H came with a 20 gpm flow control valve but it's system is 3 gpm. The oversize valve had a very narrow active range making it hard to set a feed speed between slow and fast. I replaced it with a 5 gpm one that bolted right in and greatly improved feed speed control. Most people don't have a problem with it.

 

[oosik]

The power of my Kubota M6040 and the heavy fly wheel of the Wally BX62S are a perfect match. Even when chipping the 6" green pines - the Kubota does not slow down.

Some years my son and his friend will come out and help. When it's time to chip. NOBODY - including me - likes the dragging part. When I finish falling all the trees in a stand - looks like a giants game of Pick-Up-Sticks.

So.....decide where best to have a pile. Start dragging the fallen trees to that spot. I'm not working hard enough unless I stumble and fall a couple times. Most stands will take four or five piles.

When all the fallen trees from all the stands have been drug to piles - it's time to chip. It's also time to let all the scrapes/bangs on my forelegs heal somewhat.

Chipping is the fun part. My Kubota/Wally setup will take trees as fast as you can feed it. Best to wear gloves. The bark on a pine tree will grind the palm of your hand to hamburger - without gloves.

So much for the life of a tree farmer.