Wallenstein BX42. Is 20hp PTO enough?

GoldStar · Nov 22, 2008

I have a Kubota L2350 (20.5hp PTO) and have decided on a Wallenstein BX42 chipper. The big question; Will I have enough under the hood to do the job? I have a 5 acre orchard and the chipper will be used to chip the tree prunings. The average material will be about 1 1/2" - 2" diameter green wood.

Any opinions are appreciated. Thanks.

Joe

brandoro · Nov 22, 2008

I have the same chipper and drive it with a B7610HST which is 18 or 19 PTO HP. The only times it has pulled the tractor down is when I plugged it with green willow twigs and once when I chipped a 4" X 30' birch. I thought the birch might be too much for it at first but it powered through. That is the biggest wood that will fit in the chute and the hardest wood I am likely to find so I have no worries. Dry wood does make it hammer a bit but I almost never chip dry stuff.

johan3400 · Nov 22, 2008

Joe,
My brother has the chipper you are looking at. I use it to chip the pruning from 400 apple trees which are small and the larger branches from an older orchard. I have made the 30 pto hp tractor I have snort, but that is usually on the 4 inch stuff. I think you will have enough power. The Wallenstein chipper is built well and really does a job. I sell the chipped wood at farmers market for people to use smoking things.

Runner · Nov 23, 2008

Joe,

I run a BX42 with a JD2520 which has 20 PTO HP. The biggest thing I've put through it so far is a 2x4 and it didn't seem to even know it was on there.

I don't think you will have any problems running this chipper.

FortClatsop · Nov 23, 2008

I bought a BX 42 last December and use it on my 2305 which has 18hp at the PTO. Love the thing. With most material the tractor doesn't even know it's there. A while back I did bog down and stall the tractor. I was doing fine wet spruce and hemlock branches that had been on the ground for months. I kept gumming things up with the little springy twigs that hold the boughs. I really needed a mulcher for what I was doing. I think that the knives probably need some adjustment too. I've never had a problem with big stuff.

I have had to deal with a lot of big trees in recent years. If I have it all to do over again I would have bought the BX 42 the same day that I bought the tractor.

They do have a new combination chipper/mulcher that looks interesting. Of course I will probably never wear this one out. It beats the heck out of dragging and burning.

easygo · Nov 23, 2008

Your tractor will have no trouble to power that chipper. I have a 16pto HP tractor and it handles a 4.5" chipper/shredder fine. You will have real trouble feeding that small stuff in there fast enough for it to notice. I hardly ever chip wood that is larger than 3" because that wood could be useful for other things.

RalphVa · Nov 23, 2008

I've chipped up to 3" stuff with my MacKissic powered by my 18.5 hp JD 4010 (engine hp with HST PTO). The only thing that comes close to bogging it is when shredding green okra plants that tend to wrap around the hammers rather than get shredded by them like more brittle, dry stuff.

Ralph

Carykong · Nov 23, 2008

I manage prunning material in my orchard by casting the brush in the middle of the rows and running over it with my Howse 5' brush cutter. No need for a chipper,goes fast.best regards,Cary