Chipper Real World Wallenstein recommendations...

LonghornSam · Jan 1, 2012

Hi everyone,

Happy 2012!

I always find something useful or learn something new whenever I check our the forums. So let me first say thanks to all of you who have provided so much great info for others to benefit from.

I have done a ton of research on partnering up my Kubota BX24 with a Wallenstein BX42 Chipper. I love my tractor and it has done everything I have a asked of it. I have also thoroughly appreciated my add-ons skid plates, backhoe thumb plus my backhoe dolly.

My wife (and CFO) often helps with my chipping projects with a beat up rental unit (Vermeer 6 inch). We have 36 acres to maintain so we have decided to stop renting unreliable chippers locally and purchase a Wallenstein. Based on our experience with the hydraulic forward/reverse bar on the rental units, she would prefer that we consider the BX42r as she prefers the potential safety (reverse bar) that this chipper offers.

We chip primarily Ponderosa Pine (under 4 inches in diameter), some 3 inch or less Gambel oak limbs and occasional cedar limbs.

I am trying to find out if anyone has any real world experience with the Wallenstein BX42r with a Kubota BX24 tractor.

I have researched the forums extensively and have some questions

- It appears that some folks needed to install some aftermarket adapters to hook up the BX42r hydraulics to their tractor. Can anyone share some specifics on what adapters are needed, if any, to a Kubota BX24? Cost? Best source(s) to purchase? Brand? I am 90 minutes away from Albuquerque so I will likley buy online.

- The weight of the BX42r is substantially more than the BX42 and is near the 3 point hitch weight specs/limit for my tractor approximately 50 pounds under the limit. For me, I usually have to load up my tractor on a fairly low trailer to get to my chipping location. I have two major concerns here Will the tractor will be too back heavy when going up the trailer ramps plus? Will my 3 point hitch be able to lift the chipper effectively to go from site to site?

- Some folks have indicated that the BX42r is not primed with hydraulic fluid upon delivery. Others say it is ready to go in terms in that regard.

- Related to the BX24, will the drive shaft that ships with the chipper fit or does it need to be shortened/lengthened to fit my tractor PTO appropriately?

- Any recommendations on a dolly unit or such to use when the chipper is in storage?

We have not ruled out the BX42 chipper, as I am still very much sold on the non-hydraulic model, but I want to get some feedback from some BX42r owners/operators. I going to contact all of the highly recommended dealers that folks have mentioned in the forums (WC, Iowa Farm, etc.) but would love to get some up to date feedback from anyone who has something to offer.

I will be sure and provide an update once the the new chipper is on site in the spring. Thanks in advance for your help!

amigauser · Jan 1, 2012

No real world experience here but I think you will find a 4 inch chipper is going to be on the small side when you take into account side branches. This is especially true if you are used to a 6 inch power feed unit.

I have owned four inch chippers and a 6 inch hydraulic feed and there is no comparison. I think the BX42r's run around $5,000. For that cash you can probably find a decent used 6 inch tow behind chipper.

Zebrafive · Jan 1, 2012

You will have to trim the PTO shaft to fit, instructions are included.
I used light weight angle iron to build a retangular frame with 4 castors. I can lower mine (BX62) into it unhook and roll it anywhere in the barn to store.

Wesdor · Jan 1, 2012

I have the Wallenstein you are asking about. However it is run off a green tractor 3520 (smile).

Not sure what size your Kubota is, but I believe the Wallenstein calls for 25 hp PTO.

Regarding the hydraulic feed - when I bought it from Iowa Farm Equipment, Andrew told me I wouldn't need it. He even offered to let me use it without e hydraulic feed and if I was unhappy he would add it for me. Not sure where you are located, but I would be happy to let your use mine to chip some of the branches I have. It does a very good job of feeding materials put int it.

Yes, branches can be a problem if they are too wide, but we just trim them down before chipping.

I find the Wallenstein to be a very well made machine with simplicity being a major factor.

Recently I was looking for a logging winch. There are several excellent brands available, about in the end I purchased a Wallenstein, partly based upon my experience with the chipper.

Good luck and let us know what you decide

TractorTidy · Jan 1, 2012

I have a BX42 manual on a Kioti CK30. Plenty of power however I think the 42, especially hydraulic might be a little too big for your tractor. That chipper is really designed for mid size compacts, not a sub-compact. They make a smaller model for subs, can't remember model #.

BethesdaEC · Jan 1, 2012

TractorTidy said:
I have a BX42 manual on a Kioti CK30. Plenty of power however I think the 42, especially hydraulic might be a little too big for your tractor. That chipper is really designed for mid size compacts, not a sub-compact. They make a smaller model for subs, can't remember model #.

I would agree, my 2520 is on the smaller end and I certainly wish that I had a little more horsepower. I have stalled the tractor 2 or 3 times, but I will say that the hydrofeed helps. When I am chipping a 3 or 4 inch black locust, I will feed and reverse several times to let the chipper catch up. Other than black locust, it will handle anything I throw at it without special attention. I would agree the BX24 is little under power and it might not even be able to pick it up. The BX42r has a lot of weight far from the 3PH so your lifting power may be reduced. Overall I am very pleased.

minnebota · Jan 1, 2012

I have the BX42s (manual) on my BX24 so I'll add my experience and thoughts.

The BX24 with 17.7 PTO HP is at the low end of the acceptable HP range (18-50) of the BX42 chipper. That said, I have had acceptable performance for my use. I have about 2.5 acres and use the chipper to make mulch out of oak branches, wild cherry, aspen, cedar, pine, and Buckthorn (hardness equal to hard maple). With sharp blades I can easily chip 3 in hard woods and 4 in soft woods. Anything larger is designated as firewood for the fire pit. I have stalled the tractor a few times but it is easy to predict and manually adjusting the rate of feed will prevent that.

As pointed out by another poster, the advice from Iowa Farm Equipment (I purchased from them also) is that you will not really need the hydraulic feed as the BX42 does a good job of self-feeding. This is true as long as you have sharp blades and there are not significant side branches. You will find that side branches that arc in the direction of the main branch will feed much easier than those that tend to come off perpendicular to the main branch. I always have a set of large loppers handy when working with the Oak or Buckthorn. With the Aspen I have been able to feed a 20 foot, 4-5 inch diameter tree through the chipper in about 60-75 seconds.

Sharp blades are the key to using the BX42 manual unit with the BX24. The BX42 blades are 2 sided so that you can reverse the blades once before needing to perform a sharpening. I did purchase a spare set of blades through Iowa Farm Equipment but they are expensive. If I recall properly, they run about $200 for a set of four. You will likely not need a spare stationary blade as it can be flipped and rotated to yield four good edges.

Similar to another poster I use a simple 4 caster mover's dolly for holding and moving my chipper in the shed (concrete floor). I purchased the dolly from Northern Tool and I simply raise the 3pt, put the dolly under the chipper, drop the 3pt, unhook the pins and roll the chipper out of the way.

You will need to shorten the PTO shaft that ships with the BX42. This is simple and instructions are provided.

You will also find that with the BX42 on your 3pt the skids of the chipper will not fully touch the ground when the 3pt is lowered to its minimum height. In other posts I have seen that some people have bolted 4x4s to the skids so that the chipper will sit on the ground in the fully lowered position. i have not yet done this but I do take 4x4s with me so that I can drop the chipper on to these when I'm chipping.

You expressed a concern about the weight of the hydraulic powered unit. According to the Wallenstein site the weight of the BX42r is 625 lbs. This is close to the stated limit of the BX24 3pt at 24 inches from the lift point. For two reasons I would not be too concerned about this. First, the feed chute is hinged a few inches from the flywheel so that the chute can be folded up (into a vertical position) to allow for transport. This then moves the weight of the hydraulic chute forward toward the flywheel and closer to the 3pt lift point. Second, and this may only be my good fortune, my experience is that the specs on the 3pt are conservative. I have a set of custom pallet forks for my 3pt and during landscape construction I was able to pick up a pallet of landscape stone that was recorded by the supplier as weighing just under 1100 lbs. This was a standard pallet about 48 inches by 40 inches which put the COG well behind the lift point. Yes, I did have a substantial counter weight in the FEL.

You also asked about powering the hydraulic feed unit. I do not have experience with an auxiliary hydraulic port on the back of my BX24 but for tractors without a set of rear hydraulics, Wallenstein does offer a power pack option that can be used to drive their hydraulic feed. From the picture it looks like this also drives off the PTO which will then take away from the power delivered to the flywheel.

You mentioned that your wife liked the auto feed version for the safety of the control bar. This may add a little bit to the user safety but my opinion is that it is not significant. The design and length of the feed chute on the manual version is such that you would have to try to fall in or perform some other gross violation of safety practice in order to come in contact with the chipper knives. My dress shirts have a 34 inch sleeve and I can not reach the chipper knives without purposefully placing my body into the chute in such a way as to achieve a maximum reach. Yes, I only do this when the tractor is shut off and I need to remove a twig or branch remnant (I had to add that for the safety police).

So, how do I distill all of this into something meaningful for you. I absolutely think the Wallenstein is the best chipper out there for the money. I would not make a different decision for myself knowing what I do today. However, I am of the opinion that you will be under served by the BX42 on your BX24 because of the size of your property. With 36 acres to maintain I believe you will need something larger. For the money you will spend on the BX42 with hydraulic feed and the cost of adding a hydraulic port to drive it, I think you could pick up a used vermeer tow-behind that will give you greater capacity and throughput. This will also allow you to park the tow-behind and use your BX24 to pull a trailer to deliver brush or remove chippings.

I hope this rather extensive post and my ramblings offer some help.

LonghornSam · Jan 2, 2012

Thanks for the help and info. Still processing and gathering additional commentary. Hey Minnetoba... very helpful comments! :thumbsup:

CHDinCT · Jan 2, 2012

I also have the Wallenstein BX42s mated to a BX25 but can't add much to the considerable write-up by minnebota. I too will confirm that you'll have to shorten the PTO shaft slightly to fit your BX24. I had my dealer drill extra holes on my lower lift arms about 1.5" closer in to the tractor. This allows me to move my vertical lift links to the extra holes which allows the 3PH to drop lower. The BX42 is one of the few implements which benefits from the lower lift point, otherwise, as was stated, you will need to block it up somehow when you store it or run it. Most of what I chip is 3" or less so the BX25 PTO HP is fine for what I do. I run mine at around 2300-2500 rpm unless I need to chip something larger or very dense. If you're chipping is similar you should be fine PTO hp wise. If I had the extra $$ I would love to have gotten the 42r model and be in a position to give you specific feedback on the suitability of that unit for your BX24. Good luck with your decision.

BethesdaEC · Jan 2, 2012

If anyone in Maryland would like to try out a BX42r, you are welcome to come by my house and try it. As a matter of fact I can let you try it out for a couple of hours and really get a feel for it. I'll even provide the sample branches for free. :laughing::laughing::laughing:

Code54 · Jan 2, 2012

I run a BX42 on a larger machine but can't say enough about it! I must say as nice has the hydro feed appears, 90% of the time I can't say I would have any real use for it. If you are going to be using it day in day out it maybe a nice feature but I use mine about 10 or so times a year so I can hand feed it without a problem. Sometimes the real art is feeding the item slower and not letting the chipper "eat" it too fast!

90cummins · Jan 3, 2012

18 PTO hp is a bit on the weak side for a chipper with 36 acres to tend too.
I also agree that the small feed can and will make feeding very difficult without trimming.
I would suggest considering a larger used gas or diesel chipper.
My son & I purchased a Vermeer 1250 (12 inch) powered by an 85hp Perkins diesel for $5k to clean up our 8 acres and I don't regret it.
This is a 6000lb machine and will chip your 4 pine in less than 30 seconds without trimming and 8+ inches with minor trimming of the lower branches.
It is easily moved with my Ford 1720 or a 3/4 ton truck.
You will find it less work, more productive and you can disconnect it and use your tractor to feed the chipper.
Working alone using the tractor I can cut drag and use the bucket to set the trees on the feed apron and push the tree into the feed rollers.
I'm 56 and have had numerous major health issues including 2 liver transplants since 1989 so making a job easier is absolutely essential for me to remain productive.
Not knowing all the details and your particular wants & needs including the lay of the land I thought I'd share my experience with you.
I like PTO powered attachments also but sometimes a self powered unit is the way to go if all aspects of the job are considered.

jake98 · Jan 3, 2012

I have 20hp at the pto, have used the bx42 a couple seasons. It works great, but no way can I use it's full potential. Had I been able to try out the next smaller size, I may have bought that one. Sometimes I daydream about hooking it up to a junkyard 4banger and making a stand alone unit out of it. :confused2:

BethesdaEC · Jan 3, 2012

Code54 said:
I run a BX42 on a larger machine but can't say enough about it! I must say as nice has the hydro feed appears, 90% of the time I can't say I would have any real use for it. If you are going to be using it day in day out it maybe a nice feature but I use mine about 10 or so times a year so I can hand feed it without a problem. Sometimes the real art is feeding the item slower and not letting the chipper "eat" it too fast!

That is where the hydro feed comes in real handy. It will feed the piece at just the right rate while you are off getting the next branch instead of babysitting the current branch. It also squeezes those splayed out branches so you don't have to trim as much.

Waltert · Jan 6, 2012

I had the bx 42 and sold it for power feed feed unit after a few weeks of use, I found it real pain to have to feed it , most limbs larger than 1/2" off of the main limb would not get pulled into the chipper .The hydro unit grabs the limbs and pull them right in. The manual feed is good for small straight limbed up stuff and is well built , but there is night and day difference for ease of use with power feed units.
Walter T

LonghornSam · Jan 6, 2012

Waltert said:
I had the bx 42 and sold it for power feed feed unit after a few weeks of use, I found it real pain to have to feed it , most limbs larger than 1/2" off of the main limb would not get pulled into the chipper .The hydro unit grabs the limbs and pull them right in. The manual feed is good for small straight limbed up stuff and is well built , but there is night and day difference for ease of use with power feed units.
Walter T

Might I ask what type of tractor and PTO horsepower are you running with the hydro unit. I am running a Kubota BX24 which is at the low end of possibly running the BX42r. Thanks to everyone for your comment and ideas. Very helpful.

donn12 · Jan 7, 2012

The regular BX42 is at the upper end of what a BX24 can handle. I think you will be very pleased with what it can do. I would not think anyone would need a hydro unit - mine pulls all branches etc right in.