Chipper Wallenstein BX42 Chipper Tips?

[RavensRoost]

I have a BX42 on the way, primary use will be chipping large branches. Those with BX42 or similar have any tips to pass along from personal experience?

 

[texas42]

Read the manual that comes with it and understand the safe operation.
Adjust the knife clearance as stated in manual as most come from factory with too much clearance.
Check PTO shaft for length so it doesn't bottom out when rasing 3ph.
Great machine easy to operate and maintain.

 

[galen1115]

Don't wear gloves. Try to store it inside. Very good machine.

 

[Joanna]

Don't wear gloves.

Not sure why you said that. I ripped my hand the first limb I put in my BX62 because the vibration is severe. Wear gloves!

I am careful not to hold the limbs TOO firmly and watch out if you are feeding multiple limbed branches. Your hand can get hung up on a branch and get sucked in if you don't pay attention.

I bought the BX62 w/out hydraulics with some trepidation that I would regret not having the auto feed, but have found that there is NO problem at all. the blade seems to grab and pull the branches in just fine. Gravity always works too.

 

[galen1115]

Not sure why you said that. Your hand can get hung up on a branch and get sucked in if you don't pay attention.

the blade seems to grab and pull the branches

Dooh

 

[FxdGrMind]

See their web site for their Winter special on "FREE" blades with pruchase (if new). :thumbsup:

I've got one on the way myself, so all the feed back here is much appreciated!

 

[ayelvington]

I just put an hour or so on my BX42 today. I recommend greasing the pillow block at the beginning and end of the season; put an SMV triangle on the feed chute so it shows in the stored (upright) position; try and chip when there are no leaves since they will clog the discharge chute; make sure that the drain hole in the bottom of the chipper stays clear of debris; put anti-sieze on the slip ring for the aiming mechanism of the discharge chute; wear a logging helmet (visor and ear muffs) when chipping; always aim at least at a right-angle to the feed horn so you don't end up with chip in your face (and pants); alternate between larger pieces (2"+) and small stuff to keep the feed and discharge clear; trim thick lateral branches off of large stuff since they tend to bind up when you try to feed them into the hopper; run the chipper on the ground and not elevated.

I love my Wally!

 

[JCB]

Don't wear gloves. Try to store it inside. Very good machine.

No gloves is pretty much standard operating procedure around rotating parts. If you don't have a hydraulic feed with a crash bar to STOP the feed into the chipper. Wearing gloves is a risk. I'm not saying I wouldn't wear gloves...but it's a risk.

Joe

 

[RoyJackson]

Don't wear gloves.

I'm going to quality that statement...don't wear loose or gauntlet type gloves. You want them snug around the wrist. Loose or gauntlet gloves can snag on a branch being fed to the chipper.
Same thing applies to all clothing (no loose jackets over a tee-shirt) and, if you have longer hair, tie it back or wear a "doo-rag" over your hair.
My Woods 5000 Chipper/Shredder doesn't feed 4-5 inch limbs too fast, but fast enough. The shredder, on the other hand, sucks that brush in like the speed of light! I doubt if these smaller chippers could pull you through, but you could be injured up the point of losing fingers or a hand.

 

[Code54]

If you are doing small branches and green junk, run it at 960, it will throw it clear and not clog nearly as much.
Good luck

 

[dave1949]

I don't know about the glove thing. I have sent a few into the fire while burning brush

A loose fitting glove will come off your hand if snagged. A tight glove will pull your hand with it if snagged. Neither sounds good.
Dave.

 

[SevernDH]

Have had mine for a couple weeks now, and love it. Like others, my main caution would be to be careful to avoid any situation where you can get snagged on whatever you are feeding it.

So far, I have been OK with just safety glasses and ear muffs, but can see where a logging helmet would be a better option.

I do have one question, though. I am torn as to whether I agree it is better to run the chipper on the ground vs. elevated to the point where the PTO shaft is relatively straight. I would guess it is a safety concern with the chipper being able to shift if elevated? The 3PH on my NH TC40DA seems very stable, though that may be a naive observation. Thoughts?

 

[RoyJackson]

If you are doing small branches and green junk, run it at 960, it will throw it clear and not clog nearly as much.
Good luck

Just make sure your chipper is rated to operate at that RPM. Just because you can do it doesn't mean the equipment can withstand that speed.
The operating speed should be listed in the chipper manual.

From SevernDH

I do have one question, though. I am torn as to whether I agree it is better to run the chipper on the ground vs. elevated to the point where the PTO shaft is relatively straight. I would guess it is a safety concern with the chipper being able to shift if elevated? The 3PH on my NH TC40DA seems very stable, though that may be a naive observation. Thoughts?

My chipper manual states operating with it on the ground (but not hard pavement). Since the Woods drops the chips directly under the machine, it's a bit of a pain to rake under it while operating. However, I do follow the manual's instructions.
I think you'd see excessive vibration if you operated it raised on the 3ph. That could result in wear on the tractor's PTO as well as loosening fasteners on the chipper.
Maybe you could set the chipper legs on some sort of stand.
There was a relatively recent thread about SevernDH's concerns (the thread's picture were of a NH, so it may have been SevernDH). IIRC, most respondents suggested extending the legs of the chipper.
Since I mentioned vibration...the reasoning not to operate the Woods chipper on hard pavement is it would experience excessive vibration (which the softer dirt would absorb some of the vibration).

If either of you men do operate the machine at a higher RPM or elevated, I do suggest you check the fasteners (bolts, nuts, etc.) more frequently then the manual calls for.

 

[Happyman]

Read the manual that comes with it and understand the safe operation.
Adjust the knife clearance as stated in manual as most come from factory with too much clearance.

My BX62 came with the knives in perfect adjustment. I ran it without even checking and have never had a problem (so I'm guessing they're perfect). As a matter of fact, after 3 years of use on old, dry oak and pine as well as new fresh cut oak, pine and sweet gum, the blades are still sharp enough to cut paper....like a razor!
Wear gloves! Wear ear and eye protection! Don't hold the material as it feeds in! The vibration, pulling and whipping of the branches and logs will beat your hands and arms to a pulp. I still finish a day of chipping with bruises on my arms, face and chest. It never fails that at least one branch nails me as it is feeding in. Great machine! I run mine at 600+ pto rpm. The 62 is rated up to 1000 rpm.

 

[Runner]

I always throw down a couple of 4x4's for my BX42's skids to rest on. This keeps the drive shaft fairly level.

Agree with being VERY careful when loading branches into the unit. I usually use the "chuck and duck" method...

 

[RavensRoost]

Thanks for your input!

 

[Window Geek]

I like Runner's Chuck and Duck technique. My chipper is gravity feed. I *throw* the stuff in to chip. It's a lot better than risk getting dragged into the machine. You can always use a pusher stick.

 

[SevernDH]

Thanks for the feedback Roy. The previous thread was not for my machine, but I will see if I can find it to see if I can absorb a bit more of the expertise out here. I will have to find a balance for mine, since it sits about a foot off the ground when the PTO shaft is level.

I like the idea of a couple pieces of 4x4. May have to see if I can just bolt a couple on to reduce that gap. Maybe I am just putting too much emphasis on trying to keep the PTO shaft level, and not enough on keeping vibration down to protect the PTO itself ... I think a shaft would be a LOT easier to fix or replace

 

[RoyJackson]

Thanks for the feedback Roy. The previous thread was not for my machine, but I will see if I can find it to see if I can absorb a bit more of the expertise out here. I will have to find a balance for mine, since it sits about a foot off the ground when the PTO shaft is level.

I like the idea of a couple pieces of 4x4. May have to see if I can just bolt a couple on to reduce that gap. Maybe I am just putting too much emphasis on trying to keep the PTO shaft level, and not enough on keeping vibration down to protect the PTO itself ... I think a shaft would be a LOT easier to fix or replace

You're quite welcome!
That 4x4 idea does sound good (THANKS RUNNER!!)...got plenty of them around (scraps).
The "recommended" angular limit for the PTO shafts are 15°. The same thread I'd written about started that discussion. Doesn't seem like much, but 15° looks pretty severe when the implement is rigged to the tractor.

 

[DelSc]

Its a great chipper. I second Texas42's advice to check the blade clearance like they say in the manual, especially if you experience problems with plugging. Its really easy to check and set, and it has a big effect on performance.

If the clearance is too big it plugs easier when chipping stuff with a lot of green twigs. When its set properly, it has no problems with it.