Chipper General Chipper Question (green or dry?)

[OZisKTB]

Rented a 12" max feed, towed, self-feeding, wood chipper to clean up all the dead-fall at my place. Worked great for an hour then began jamming. Opened it up, lots of wood chips packing around the flywheel and knives. After spending more time cleaning out, than chipping took it back to rental. They said at least 50% green, wet wood was required to keep the chips flowing out the chute.

I've seen posts on this thread saying the opposite, dry will cure green clogging?

Since my property is 80% ginormous poplars, I have more dead-fall than I can burn. A chipper would be a great tool for me, but only if I could count on it to chip large quantities of dry wood. FYI, my wood is twig to as big as the chipper can handle.

Tks in advance

 

[s219]

User manual for my Wallenstein says green wood is better (keeps the knives clean, lubed, and cool). If chipping dry wood, green wood should be sent through periodically.

What will cure clogging of the discharge chute -- if clogging is due to leafy twiggy material sent through a chipper -- is to send larger material through periodically. Doesn't really matter if green or dry, but green would be better for reasons mentioned above.

I would not count on a chipper if all you have is large qtys of dry wood. At least not the type with a flywheel and knives.

 

[2458n]

Their machine so they must be right. Chipping dead wood is more work for the chipper. Most chipping around here is green wood from clearing crews doing the electric lines. What do they do for dead wood?

 

[JimP]

I have a Bandit 12 inch drum chipper. I have chipped lots of downed slash left from the prior owners logging and never clogged the chipper or exit chute. I do have problems with dead beech shattering and jamming the feed rollers. Is there an adjustment on the rental chipper to increase airflow? That will help throw material better. My other thought on a rental chipper is the knives could be dull or the knife to anvil clearance might be off - but thats the nature of rentals. Jim

 

[oosik]

What caused plugging in my Wallenstien BX42 was small limbs and/or pine needles which have lots of pitch. This pitch will coat the inside of the chipper and discharge chute. Completely limbed, just felled, pines would never cause plugging. As the chipper started to plug the temps inside the chipper elevate causing the needles to release even more pitch. My solution is to let the unlimbed pines dry for a year and then chip them. Even at one year of drying they are still soft and not totally dry.

I've watched the crews chipping trees in my power line ROW. They are green, just cut, but the big commercial chippers they use have 4 to 5 times the air flow of my new BX62.

 

[OldMasterTech]

My chipper is a Bandit 254C, an awesome machine than can chip a 16" whole tree in less time than it takes to write this post BUT if fed dry material too much at a time I will be cussing as I clean out the plugged chute and cutting chamber!

Also be aware of fire hazard, we have had smoke from dry stock more than once. I keep a large fire extinguisher on the machine just in ccase.

Your rental guy is right on, keep a blend of green & dry for best results.

 

[RoyJackson]

Green wood is good...I've found it best to let it set for a week, then chip.

 

[OZisKTB]

Great info every one. Thanks for quoting he manual, giving me your personal experience and identifying the challenges with rental equipment. Guess I'll find a way to burn more

Thanks again, love TBN

 

[mmurphydds]

Rented a 12" max feed, towed, self-feeding, wood chipper to clean up all the dead-fall at my place. Worked great for an hour then began jamming. Opened it up, lots of wood chips packing around the flywheel and knives. After spending more time cleaning out, than chipping took it back to rental. They said at least 50% green, wet wood was required to keep the chips flowing out the chute.

I've seen posts on this thread saying the opposite, dry will cure green clogging?

Since my property is 80% ginormous poplars, I have more dead-fall than I can burn. A chipper would be a great tool for me, but only if I could count on it to chip large quantities of dry wood. FYI, my wood is twig to as big as the chipper can handle.

Tks in advance

Just speculating here but my Wallenstein BX-62 has never had that problem. I keep the knives plenty sharp so there is more cutting going on than shredding. I would expect the chips to be cleaner and less stringy because of this. Now if these assumptions are true, a rental unit which does not get the same TLC that you or I would give our own equipment (like keeping knives sharp and avoiding questionable, dirt-covered stuff to chip) might not give the same performance you were hoping for. Hope this helps convince you to get your very own...

 

[5030]

Interesting. I bought a well used Jinma 8" that I run behind my 90 horse Kubota. No issue at all but I replaced the knives and set the anvil clearance to credit card thickness and the previous owner drilled the cover for the knife replacement access with holes to allow in more air.

I also modified the infeed roller by grinding the teeth to a knife edge and installed real universal joints on the infeed drive.

It eats everything no issue, dry, green, large, small. No issue, no plugging. I probably have overkill on the power end but I added an 800 inch pound Weasler dry plate clutch just in case.

It eats hardwood limbs as large as the infeed opening as fast ar the roller can shove it in. It's loud as all get out (need ear plugs) but it does thejob and it was a grand plus the u joints and a new 3 knife set.

The guy I bought it from was using a small compact tractor and he said big limbs bogged it down. Not an issue with me. I can't even make the M9 blow any smoke. I can slip the clutch ocassionally however.

A couple weeks ago, I chipped a big pile of mixed limbs all a year old or older, dry and free of foilage. Never an issue except was a bit dusty.

The Jinma is a bit crude, not a silk purse, more of a sows ear, typical Chinese quality, but it works fine and I figure I can always sell it for what I have in it considering what a new Woodmax costs.