New Chipper: Split-fire 4003

[Dominique01149]

I haven't posted for many years, but still read the threads sporadically.
I did buy a new chipper and felt the urge to share.
I had a Wallenstein BX40 for many years and got so fed up with it jambing the exhaust shoot that I decided to sell it. I was originally going to purchase a bigger unit with a hydraulic feed and hope it would work better. I happen to find the Split-fire 4003 and I'm sure happy I did. First the design made to much more sense to me. The disc speed is much faster, allowing the chips to fly out easily. The exhaust is shorter, and on the horizontal plane leaving the chipper, compared to the other designs that shoot the chips upwards. Also comes with a safety Emergency switch. I bought it with all the options. The hitch will be nice to pull along a trailer.
I was able to test it on freshly cut spruces, aspens, and birches. It just ate everything without an issue. The disc weighs 100 LBS so it keeps momentum in heavy stuff and makes for a smoother operation. I ran it behind a Kubota MX5100.

As you can likely determine, I'm really happy with it. It's well built and the details are nice. It has a metal plate with all maintenance info stamped on it for example. Made in North America too, which is a nice bonus to me.

Anyone looking for a chipper should at least look at it in my opinion. It's rated for 3.5" material, but the opening is bigger for twisty stuff. For me anything bigger than 4" I keep for firewood.

I'll try to get pics of it in action, for now all I have is a pic of it nice and shiny on a pallet.

 

[oldballs]

I'll be looking forward to your next pictures............

Is that RED...or is that RED.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[oosik]

I had problems with the chute plugging on my Wally BX42S. Too much sap from freshly cut pine trees. Chute diameter was too small - insufficient air flow. So.. I would cut and pile the pines. Chip them the following year. This worked well. They were significantly dryer after a year.

I now have the larger Wally BX62S. Chute plugging is not a problem with this larger unit.

I thin my pine stands almost every spring. 800 to 1100 small pines. This project takes me a month or more. The pines are chipped whole and while still fresh and "juicy". These pines range from 1" to 6" on the butt cut.

Split-Fire makes exceptionally good log splitters.

Let us know how their chipper works for you.

 

[Dominique01149]

Oosik, for the volume of material you chip, the hydraulic unit would make sense.

So far I'm really liking the Split-fire. I took a few pictures to try to show the air flow that it generates. So far I fed a good variety of wood fiber and it eats it up.

I have a few pics of the items I chipped tonight, and how it ends up. In one of the pics the chips can be seen flying up the shoot. Also included a picture of the maintenance plate. Wiring the switch took a bit of time, but I'm happy it's done.

Here are a few pics to show the shiny red paint.

 

[oosik]

Dominique - when I went from the 26hp Ford 1700 to my current 64hp Kubota M6040 - I decided to upgrade my chipper also. I actually tried a Wallenstein hydraulic in-feed unit. It was very nice but chipped my pine trees no faster than the manual unit.

My pines are straight as an arrow and when fed butt end in first - no need to trim off any limbs. Once the butt end hits the chipper blades - I let go and go to the pile for the next tree. The manual chipper will pull the tree in - all by itself. AND it pulls the tree in VERY aggressively. Folks who have come to help are often frightened when the pine tree is ripped right out of their hands. As I tell them - push the tree down the chute until it engages the knife blades - let go and STAND BACK. Very often the violence of the chipping action will cause the very top of the tree to whip around. Stand there right next to the tree as its being chipped - you will most likely get "***** slapped".

Where I found that "help" works out the best, for me. Dragging the fallen pines to a central pile. Once all the pines have been dragged to the piles - then I will start chipping. When I'm finished thinning a stand of young pines - it looks like a giants game of Pick-Up-Sticks. Pines in all directions - several layers of fallen pines - basically a real jumbled up mess.

If my energy hold out - I will normally thin twelve to sixteen stands. This means twelve to sixteen piles of pines to chip.

 

[Dominique01149]

Yes, the manual feed unit do pull in quickly. The worst for jambing for me in the bx40 were birch trees. The tiny branches would bunch up in the shoot.

The Split-fire does pull too, just not as aggressive.In the pictures I had limbed the branches, but there's no need. It'll take bushy branches no problem.

I'm familiar with the slap as well from the bx chippers. The branches do move in the Split-fire too so it has the same attitude at times. If I load from the right side of the feed tube there's no problem.

 

[oldballs]

Nice chips you got there.

Going to hook mine up this morning .

Cheers,
Mike

 

[5030]

My 'chipper' is a match and a bit of used motor oil....lol

 

[bigtiller]

Nice chips you got there.

Going to hook mine up this morning .

Cheers,
Mike

Question for oldballs...
What material are you using for the back-stop in the trailer?

 

[oldballs]

It is a sheet of aluminum about 1/8 " thick. Sometimes I use some 1/2 " plywood IIRC.

cheers,
Mike