tow behind chipper/shredder

[tirespin]

Hi all - my second post already

To go w/ the B3030 that I will probably be buying shortly, I also want to get a tow behind chipper/shredder. I've considered the PTO models, but there's a number of sites that I may want to use it at, and I like the idea of being able to use it behind an ATV while someone else is working elsewhere w/ the tractor.

So that said - what's my best option? The common one is the troybuilt, 3", 10 hp, $700, but I have LOTS of scrappy alder, much of which is bigger than that. I'm thinking more like 5 inch, but can't find many that size that will chip and shred; they are just chippers (lots of blackberry and salmon berry that needs to be cleared as well).

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Skip

 

[ronjhall]

I have a Bear Cat 71020 5" chipper with a 20HP motor on it. I have used it for several years. Chips 5" stuff down to nothing. Bearcat now offers this unit with a 24HP motor. I have stalled mine with soft wood. These unit run $3000-$4000. Here is a link to their site. Click Here

 

[jeffinsgf]

To get 5 inch capacity in a tow behind, you're going to get into some mighty expensive machines in a hurry. I've been the route of the Sears/Troybuilt/MTD machine, and I can tell you -- don't bother. Even if 3 inches were enough, you'll beat it to death in the first couple of jobs if you have more than a small suburban lot with 5 nursery trees on it.

Take a look at the Goossen as well as the earlier mentioned BearCat. Both are available with their own power or PTO driven -- which might prove to be a better choice once you start shopping. Why buy and maintain another power plant? I have the Goossen and it is simply amazing. I cut anything larger than about 4 inches for firewood. But, the 4 inch trunks disappear into the chipper about as fast as I can push it in, with very minimal branch removal. You do have to take the 1 inch branches off, but the smaller ones just fold up and go right down the chute. The shredder will dispose of the 1-1/4 and smaller stuff as fast as you can feed the hopper. Don't hold onto the end, because it is going in NOW. I am using it on a 35 HP John Deere 4410. I don't expect it works quite as well with a 25 HP gasoline engine, but it probably isn't too different. I got lucky and found mine used.

I had a twin trunked red cedar tree that was about 20 feet tall and bushed out all of 20 feet as well. I limbed it as high as I could reach first, then dropped the trunks. I chipped as I went, using the chainsaw until the ground was covered with limbs, then chipping until they were gone. When I dropped the trunks, I limbed it the rest of the way up, chipped those, and chipped the trunk up to about 3-1/2 inches. I was done by lunch time and had a wagon full of mulch.

 

[RalphVa]

Troybilt is made by MTD now. They bought them about 3 or so years ago. I don't think you'll get much of a 3" chipper/shredder for $700. My 8 hp Troybilt was originally about $1100 more than 10 years ago. An equivalent to it in a 3 pt runs about $1500-1700 now.

My Troybilt will only do about 1" stuff with 8 hp. Even the MacKissic connected to my 12 hp Gravely won't do any larger stuff, unless it's decayed and dead. Up to around 3" stuff in that case.

Another thing: my Troybilt can only be towed a very limited distance. The wheels on it aren't good enough for very far. Had one come off and put it back on and drilled a hole for a cotter pin. They were only held on with a self-lock gizmo hammered onto the end of the axles. One is still this way.

Ralph