Chipper pto driven wood chippers

[FatTire]

Sure are right there! IF it is a Echo 5540 the MSRP on the website shows it at 2,995 - he is trying to make people think it is worth a LOT more than it is....

Correct, the price he mentions is probably for the 5540H with the hydraulic feed, which this one is clearly NOT -- so you'd want to be careful dealing with this seller.

I have an older version of the Bearcat's 5" model SC5540B (has a chute) and lists around $4500, which I bought off CL for $2000 in "like new" condition, but it took almost a year to find it and I had to travel a couple hundred miles to get it. The version in this CL listing has no chute, but with the shredder could be a nice unit for someone at $2k or below.

 

[RoyJackson]

Sure are right there! IF it is a Echo 5540 the MSRP on the website shows it at 2,995 - he is trying to make people think it is worth a LOT more than it is....

The poster is definitely exaggerating the price of a new chipper/shredder...by about 80%-100%!!
I paid $1000 for mine (the Woods version) which was in excellent condition.

 

[TurtleCreekFarm]

The pulley that went bad on mine was the one on the pump, I can 't see it in the picture you provided. Here is a picture of mine when I discovered the problem. This is looking lower between the drive and the idler pulleys.

View attachment 469379

Okay thanks, for some reason I though it was the upper pulley. I'll take a closer look at it when the replacement belt gets in.

 

[daugen]

my new woodmaxx 8800 with hydrostatic feed has worked flawlessly since I just got it. Nice to have a digital rpm counter to set the speed just right, turns out to be about 1900 rpm on the engine, good all around. Could not install on my Kubota due to oem adjustable lift ends (without buying a new extra long top link), but it did fit fine on the Massey. I really went back and forth about spending 1200 bucks more on the made in New York model vs Chinese, and in the end bought the US made one. Very well made, thick metal, very noisy, definitely need hearing protection. Adjustable speed infeed works great, I set it on low and it ate everything. I have a lot of pine trees dropping branches I can't use for firewood and this will get rid of them quickly.

 

[RoyJackson]

my new woodmaxx 8800 with hydrostatic feed has worked flawlessly since I just got it. Nice to have a digital rpm counter to set the speed just right, turns out to be about 1900 rpm on the engine, good all around. Could not install on my Kubota due to oem adjustable lift ends (without buying a new extra long top link), but it did fit fine on the Massey. I really went back and forth about spending 1200 bucks more on the made in New York model vs Chinese, and in the end bought the US made one. Very well made, thick metal, very noisy, definitely need hearing protection. Adjustable speed infeed works great, I set it on low and it ate everything. I have a lot of pine trees dropping branches I can't use for firewood and this will get rid of them quickly.

Very nice...do you think you need suitcase weights on the front of the M-F?

As far as the bolded, red font...I suggest you buy a forester's helmet rather then just muffs or ear plugs. Every now and then, that chipper will kick back a piece of wood. A forester's helmet consists of a helmet (obviously), muffs and a mesh face shield. I use one when ever I'm chipping or using a chainsaw. I'd had more then a few pieces of wood fly into the face shield when using the saw.
And, of course, when using the chipper, always stand to the side when feeding in limbs and such. That chipper may not be as quick as a big commercial unit, but it can still do you harm. Gloves with elastic wrists are advisable too.

 

[gravelman]

i am not a part of this conversation...don't know why im getting this...thanks

 

[daugen]

Very nice...do you think you need suitcase weights on the front of the M-F?

As far as the bolded, red font...I suggest you buy a forester's helmet
That chipper may not be as quick as a big commercial unit, but it can still do you harm.

Roy, all really good suggestions, thanks. Yeah, I was wondering if I was going to do a teeter totter when I lifted that chipper
up the first time and put 950 pounds on the back. Previously I have mowed with a fairly heavy LP finish mower and had no issues with
a light front, but honestly, I really did not know what would happen. And it doesn't even budge the tractor.
Maybe the made in India iron really does pay off. Just ask Mahindra...except this is a Massey/Simpson tractor, about the same weight as my
Kubota cab tractor. But the Kubota has loaded tires and a FEL, the Massey doesn't. I was on flat land, which I usually will try to be when operating the chipper. Luckily in this regard everything here is very flat.

and I just smiled at your suggestion, yeah dummy you have a Husqvarna forestry helmet in by the chainsaws. Get it out and leave it on the chipper...great idea Roy. Eyes usually don't grow back. And I was wearing glasses of course, and gloves.
And no loose clothes, which I've read is a description that offends some. Hard to stay PC.

 

[Glrret]

I have a WoodMaxx 9900 and I love it, it is simply a beast. I do what Roy suggests and use my forester's helmet it helps prevent being slapped in the face by limbs along with good hearing protection.



This was the day it arrived.

 

[2458n]

you are correct about the eyes. I am down to one and it has become very important!

 

[teg]

i am not a part of this conversation...don't know why im getting this...thanks

At the top, look for "Thread Tools", then you can "Unsubscribe" from this thread.

View attachment 500350

 

[daugen]

this is what happens when I reopened an older thread, which I thought was appropriate because what I just bought was exactly
what was being discussed. And then those mysterious announcements start popping up in your thread list.
Yes, easy to unsubscribe thankfully. Sometimes you just lose interest, I do.

 

[gravelman]

not a problem at all...i enjoy learning from everyones discussions no matter what the subject... i just thought someone had me confused with another.. hope all is good in NC looks like some big storms headed that way.

 

[mark02tj]

daugen - THANKS for posting your experience and the pics! I wonder what the sales ratio is at WoodMaxx with the US vs. China made machines.

I have a WoodMaxx 9900 and I love it, it is simply a beast. I do what Roy suggests and use my forester's helmet it helps prevent being slapped in the face by limbs along with good hearing protection.

View attachment 500297

This was the day it arrived.

Girret - That is a great looking machine! I just placed my order and paid my deposit on the same thing yesterday! It does look good in black! I was flipping back and forth on whether or not to spend the extra $1050 to go with the 9900 over the other one. What finally won me over....

4 blades vs. 2 - supposedly the blades are somewhat offset from each other which is supposed to increase the cutting efficiency.

Slightly heavier flywheel - I currently have a 5" Bearcat chipper. The flywheel on that is about 145 lbs. I'm thinking the extra 80 lbs on the 9900 is going to be significant when feeding heavier material.

Footprint - the feed chute on the 9900 folds up for storage which means I can get it into my shed without taking up a ton of space. Also, the collapsing legs will let me lower it so that the discharge chute won't be too high to get it in the door. The Bearcat has been sitting outside because it's too tall to go through the garage or the shed door.

How big is your tractor? What size material have you fed through it? Any videos of it in action?

And, finally - Roy - I echo your suggestion of the forester's helmet. I picked one up last year and love it. I was using glasses and shooting muffs but actually find the helmet a lot more comfortable. I also like the full face protection. My face is super attractive (at least that's what my 81 year old mother tells me!) so I want it to have all the protection it can get!:thumbsup:



THANKS!

 

[TurtleCreekFarm]

daugen

Girret - That is a great looking machine! I just placed my order and paid my deposit on the same thing yesterday! It does look good in black! I was flipping back and forth on whether or not to spend the extra $1050 to go with the 9900 over the other one. What finally won me over....

4 blades vs. 2 - supposedly the blades are somewhat offset from each other which is supposed to increase the cutting efficiency.

Slightly heavier flywheel - I currently have a 5" Bearcat chipper. The flywheel on that is about 145 lbs. I'm thinking the extra 80 lbs on the 9900 is going to be significant when feeding heavier material.

Footprint - the feed chute on the 9900 folds up for storage which means I can get it into my shed without taking up a ton of space. Also, the collapsing legs will let me lower it so that the discharge chute won't be too high to get it in the door. The Bearcat has been sitting outside because it's too tall to go through the garage or the shed door.

How big is your tractor? What size material have you fed through it? Any videos of it in action?

And, finally - Roy - I echo your suggestion of the forester's helmet. I picked one up last year and love it. I was using glasses and shooting muffs but actually find the helmet a lot more comfortable. I also like the full face protection. My face is super attractive (at least that's what my 81 year old mother tells me!) so I want it to have all the protection it can get!:thumbsup:



THANKS!

I bought my 9900 for the same reason as you. Two bolts and the discharge chute fold over. That was enough to get it to fit in the 6.5' garage door even when on a set of furniture dollies.

Here is a short video chipping a white oak limb.

 

[Glrret]

Girret - That is a great looking machine! I just placed my order and paid my deposit on the same thing yesterday! It does look good in black! I was flipping back and forth on whether or not to spend the extra $1050 to go with the 9900 over the other one. What finally won me over....

4 blades vs. 2 - supposedly the blades are somewhat offset from each other which is supposed to increase the cutting efficiency.

Slightly heavier flywheel - I currently have a 5" Bearcat chipper. The flywheel on that is about 145 lbs. I'm thinking the extra 80 lbs on the 9900 is going to be significant when feeding heavier material.

Footprint - the feed chute on the 9900 folds up for storage which means I can get it into my shed without taking up a ton of space. Also, the collapsing legs will let me lower it so that the discharge chute won't be too high to get it in the door. The Bearcat has been sitting outside because it's too tall to go through the garage or the shed door.

How big is your tractor? What size material have you fed through it? Any videos of it in action?

And, finally - Roy - I echo your suggestion of the forester's helmet. I picked one up last year and love it. I was using glasses and shooting muffs but actually find the helmet a lot more comfortable. I also like the full face protection. My face is super attractive (at least that's what my 81 year old mother tells me!) so I want it to have all the protection it can get!:thumbsup:



THANKS!

I run my 9900 on a Mahindra 2555 55 HP.

I process about 18 cord of firewood per year and I chip all the limbs that are left over. Because I'm after the firewood, anything larger that 2 1/2 - 3 inches is for burning. So then the majority of the stuff is small but I cram alot of them in at the same time.

If I'm dropping poplar trees for the paper mill I use a lot of the tops for firewood for my maple syrup evaporator, but if its at all punky I'll chip it up and those pieces can get up to 6 1/2 to 7 inches.. the 9900 eats them right up. Being able to control the feed rate really makes a difference on the performance and the size of the chips I can produce. We use 100% of the trees we cut, the chips either go to compost or bedding for the horses and sheep. and in the spring get spread over the gardens. We let the beding from the horses set for 2 or 3 years to kill the weed seed before we use it but the sheep beding can be used right away...

I think your going to be very happy with your 9900, I know we are.

 

[daugen]

I made three piles like this before lunch, and cleaned up a lot of dead fall and junk the prior owner had thrown in the woods.
chipper ran great, speed adjustment for infeed a little touchy, not much range to go slow, likes to go fast, but I try to run as slow
as possible on larger hard wood. I believe I smelled the belts once today, gave it quite a workout and it just hummed right along.

 

[s219]

Be careful chipping old/dead wood -- it can start a fire due to the heat/friction, and it's a *lot* tougher on your chipper knives than green wood. At the very least, alternate some green wood in periodically.

 

[daugen]

Be careful chipping old/dead wood -- it can start a fire due to the heat/friction, and it's a *lot* tougher on your chipper knives than green wood. At the very least, alternate some green wood in periodically.

thank you, did not know that at all, yes, alternate with harder wood
I thought I smelled belts burning once, maybe it was the soft wood?
very good to know

 

[mark02tj]

Turtle Creek, Daugen and glrret - THANK YOU for the replies back to my questions. I'm super stoked about getting my 9900. I'll post up my experiences once I've used it.

Now I just have to get the ol' Bearcat sold!

 

[s219]

thank you, did not know that at all, yes, alternate with harder wood
I thought I smelled belts burning once, maybe it was the soft wood?
very good to know

It probably was the wood -- doesn't take a lot to get a whiff of something cooking when using a chipper. Old, dead, or dry wood is surprisingly easy to ignite from friction.