wood chipper

[athomp]

I've been looking for a 3PH wood chipper and all I've found so far is a used one for $2200. It seemed a bit flimsy for the price and I'm short on cash so I thought about making one. My thoughts were either to make one from an old snow blower or from a baler. The snowblower would already have the impeller and the chute. I thought I'd just have to make a disk for the blades, a feed chute and intake feed mechanism. If I used a baler then it'd have the advantage of a large flywheel but I'd have to build the intake and exhaust chutes, the blades, as well as some type of blower. I have a Montana 5740 to run it with.
Has anyone built their own chipper or have any thoughts?

 

[quicksandfarmer]

I have one of the Jinma chippers. You can get them for around $1600 depending on your local dealer situation. For straight branches the thing is a beast, I've run 5" hardwood tree trunks straight into it. Stuff like vines and bramble is more work as the feed mechanism is pretty simple and you have to coax the gnarly stuff through.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

You really would need some good welding skills and materials to build one that is safe and effective. Not doubting your skills at all. It is just that if that thing comes apart it could be pretty dangerous. The cutting knives on my vermeer when sharp can shave hair off an arm. They weigh about 5 lbs each. Having one of those take flight would not be good.
So if you can find one that needs some TLC might be a better way to start..

 

[stuartshomepc]

I struggled with buying a rear mounted wood chipper, or a towable one.

I ended up talking to a guy at a rental yard that just re powered a older chipper with a new 24hp Kohler engine and new blades and an 10" capacity. He was on the verge of wanting to update to newer chippers but couldn't work the finances and keep the old machine around. For $1800 he sold me the old one. It works great.

I like the fact that I can tow the chipper were I want it and drop it, and pull brush to it with my tractor via a lashing strap. It's a bonus for me as it lets me keep one chip pile. Plus the chipper runs a long time between feeding in the brush and my tractor is not humming away all the time at 540 PTO rpm.

 

[o2batsea]

You'll need at least a 65 HP tractor to drive a chipper that's worth a darn. In addition, you are tying up the tractor to drive an implement when you need the tractor to do your log skidding. Search for a good used Vermeer or Brush Bandit, at least 9 inch capacity and forget the three point chippers. When you are finished with it, you can pretty much sell it for what you paid or even a little more if you clean it up.

 

[amigauser]

I struggled with buying a rear mounted wood chipper, or a towable one.

I like the fact that I can tow the chipper were I want it and drop it, and pull brush to it with my tractor via a lashing strap. It's a bonus for me as it lets me keep one chip pile. Plus the chipper runs a long time between feeding in the brush and my tractor is not humming away all the time at 540 PTO rpm.

I feel the same way. I have owned two different towable BearCat chippers and that is the way to go. It keeps hours off the tractor and allows you to use the tractor to bring material to the chipper. Once the chipper is at the location you can also unhook it and use it at your convenience without the tractor being required. The only downside is if the area were you are chipping is to rough to get a trailer into, then a PTO chipper would make sense.

 

[Kays Supply]

I had the same struggle and since I only use mine a couple times a year, but pretty hard when I do, I went with the Jinma. It took a lot of "tuning" to get it dependable, but now it is quite a work horse. I just went through it again this winter. I decided to sharpen the feed roller teeth. That has made a big difference in how it feeds. Dollar for dollar, I am very satisfided with it. I feel it would take more than double the cost to get one that would do the same work.

 

[easygo]

You'll need at least a 65 HP tractor to drive a chipper that's worth a darn. In addition, you are tying up the tractor to drive an implement when you need the tractor to do your log skidding. Search for a good used Vermeer or Brush Bandit, at least 9 inch capacity and forget the three point chippers. When you are finished with it, you can pretty much sell it for what you paid or even a little more if you clean it up.

Why would you give that advice when you don't even know what he wants to chip? Besides the Vermier you are talking about costs a big pile of dimes and the OP wants to spend less then $2200.

So. Athomp! What are the plans for the chipper? Scale of operation? It sounds like your tractor would have the HP to handle a good size unit.

Most people use the chippers to do away with brush piles and not feed whole USEFUL logs into them. I for one don't put anything into the chipper that is larger then 4" diameter, because there is use for that kind of stuff around the house. If it comes to hardwood I burn anything that is larger then 2" for firewood.

 

[brandoro]

I also don't need/want a chipper for anything bigger than 4" as I make firewood out of anything that doesn't fit, even some that would fit. My B3030 runs the chipper easily, the B7610 I had before only worked hard if the chipper had a 4" piece in it, which was seldom.

 

[robb01]

I have one of the Jinma chippers. You can get them for around $1600 depending on your local dealer situation. For straight branches the thing is a beast, I've run 5" hardwood tree trunks straight into it. Stuff like vines and bramble is more work as the feed mechanism is pretty simple and you have to coax the gnarly stuff through.

Weve got one of those and I highly recomend it

 

[Just2quickz28]

You'll need at least a 65 HP tractor to drive a chipper that's worth a darn. In addition, you are tying up the tractor to drive an implement when you need the tractor to do your log skidding. Search for a good used Vermeer or Brush Bandit, at least 9 inch capacity and forget the three point chippers. When you are finished with it, you can pretty much sell it for what you paid or even a little more if you clean it up.

I run a 4inch capacity Patu DC 40 chipper on my BX24 (way less than a 65hp machine) anything this thing can't handle is fire wood. I have a pretty good set up when I use my chipper. Take the tree down take all the brush and send it through the chipper which tosses the chips into the front halve of my 4x8 trailer hooked up to my ATV, then I cut up the log and toss the peices in the back of the trailer for transport or split them and move them right to the wood pile. If I am splitting on site I will tow the splitter out before hand with The ATV. I use the wood chips for soaking up mud in the horse paddocks and spreading out on the horse trails.

I never thought I was tying up my tractor creating something I would use. Plus not waiting for winter to burn the brush helps too. I think the 65HP comment is not justified.

 

[athomp]

I had cleared some land for a house. The spruce, maple and birch went into the house and I let the neighbour take the rest for firewood so there are branches all over the place, not to mention a lot of brush and dead stuff in the woods that I'll want to clean up over the next few years. Anything that's fit to burn I'll give to the neighbour so There's not going to be any big stuff.
I want to go to the brush, not be hauling the stuff to the chipper. Some of it's in the woods so 3PH is the best way to go.
I won't be using the chips, I just plan to blow them into the woods.
There are very few used chippers available around here and the closest Jinma dealer is about 5 hours away.
Thanks for the responses.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

As much chipping as I do for my tree business I make piles of chips where I store the chips. Then I give them away to folks that can use them. If I don't want to haul them from the chop site and I can leave them for the customer I do. Hardwood chips like Maple make great bedding chips. Cedar chips are great for flowers and around a house to help control bugs. People with horses use the chips for around the stalls. Chips from Evergreens are good for High PH type plants like Rhodies and tomatoes. Keep that in mind if you get a chipper. Plus having chips around might be a way to meet you neighbors and have them keep an eye on the place for you..
For me it wouldn't be practicle to haul my tractor and a chipper to the customers. So that's why I like the towable Vermeer 6" chipper. Keep your eyes on Craigslist and Ebay you may find a chipper for a decent price. Or trade services with someone who has one in your area.

 

[easygo]

As much chipping as I do for my tree business I make piles of chips where I store the chips. Then I give them away to folks that can use them. If I don't want to haul them from the chop site and I can leave them for the customer I do. Hardwood chips like Maple make great bedding chips. Cedar chips are great for flowers and around a house to help control bugs. People with horses use the chips for around the stalls. Chips from Evergreens are good for High PH type plants like Rhodies and tomatoes. Keep that in mind if you get a chipper. Plus having chips around might be a way to meet you neighbors and have them keep an eye on the place for you..
For me it wouldn't be practicle to haul my tractor and a chipper to the customers. So that's why I like the towable Vermeer 6" chipper. Keep your eyes on Craigslist and Ebay you may find a chipper for a decent price. Or trade services with someone who has one in your area.

Very good points and description for the uses. Thanks.
I guess if I had a tree business I sure would get very frustrated very fast with the chipper I have now.

 

[o2batsea]

Why would you give that advice when you don't even know what he wants to chip? Besides the Vermier you are talking about costs a big pile of dimes and the OP wants to spend less then $2200.


a "chipper" rated for anything less than 6 inches is a mulcher, not a chipper. If the OP is interested in reducing trees and brush to small material without the trouble and danger of manual feed, he needs to look hard for a used unit. I never suggested he buy a new one...you read that in there somehow. My 9 inch Brush Bandit model 90 was under 3000. It has all the oomph needed to chop pretty much anything I'll ever need to. It's got rust spots, needs a paint job and will never win any beauty contests. It will probably outlive me.

So. Athomp! What are the plans for the chipper? Scale of operation? It sounds like your tractor would have the HP to handle a good size unit.

Most people use the chippers to do away with brush piles and not feed whole USEFUL logs into them. I for one don't put anything into the chipper that is larger then 4" diameter, because there is use for that kind of stuff around the house. If it comes to hardwood I burn anything that is larger then 2" for firewood.

Believe it or not, not everyone has a fireplace or means or place or desire to burn what may be many tons worth of tree. Getting rid of it is the whole point with a chipper. I would submit most people use chippers for making little tiny bits out of trees and branches, not as an adjunct to a logging operation.
Granted, when taking down trees there will often be pieces that are just too big for a portable chipper. That's what those giant tub grinders at the landfill are for.

 

[GE222]

I own a 6" Morbark tow behind chipper that hardly ever sees much more than 3" or so. Anything larger is cut for firewood.

There are occasionally on ebay, craigs list and local listings, older, "Chuck and Duck" drum style chippers that I have seen under $2000.

As previously mentioned, one can be fabricated, but making it really safe to use will be a primary concern.

For a bunch of years I used to feed small brush into an older New Holland 717 corn silage chopper. It was run with a Farmall M just above idle. Made the brush really vanish quick!

 

[easygo]

o2batsea

Read the followup post written by the OP a day before your reply.

I had cleared some land for a house. The spruce, maple and birch went into the house and I let the neighbour take the rest for firewood so there are branches all over the place, not to mention a lot of brush and dead stuff in the woods that I'll want to clean up over the next few years. Anything that's fit to burn I'll give to the neighbour so There's not going to be any big stuff.
I want to go to the brush, not be hauling the stuff to the chipper. Some of it's in the woods so 3PH is the best way to go.
I won't be using the chips, I just plan to blow them into the woods.
There are very few used chippers available around here and the closest Jinma dealer is about 5 hours away.
Thanks for the responses.

 

[easygo]

As for the original question. Used chippers are tough to come by here too. I lucked out with a 4.5" capacity Goossen that was only 40 min drive from my house. If you have to drive several hours it will be a one time thing for the pickup and then just use it for years and keep the knifes sharp.

 

[o2batsea]

o2batsea

Read the followup post written by the OP a day before your reply.

What do you mean by that? I wasn't addressing his statements.