super small chipper/ homeowner sized chipper for small jobs.

SouthSoundTree-

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As a supplemental chipper for little jobs, I've thought about a 10-18 HP home/ property owner type of chipper. I have a growing base of repeat annual fruit tree pruning customers during the slow season. Lots of 1" water sprouts. Also, I get small pruning jobs that generate half a yard or a yard of chips. Sometimes I can work them in with other jobs, but winter time is slow. Clearly, not a high production unit. It can avoid hauling brush to the chipper/ brush trailer, though. A lot of people can use the mulch, or might have a yard waste bin going empty in the winter.



DR and Bearcat seem to have the most available locally, used. I'm hoping to be able pick up a low hour chipper from a homeowner for a good price. I've seen them on Craigslist within a reasonable driving distance. An 18 HP Low hour DR chipper didn't make it overnight at $500.

Worst case scenario, if its not that useful, I can sell it for what I have into it, or make a buck.

I think that the DR 18 HP is "4.5 inch" capacity.

10 HP are "3 inch" max. Troybilt. Craftsman. etc.

Maybe good on a hitch platform on the pick-up, or in a trailer, depending on if the small volume of chips can be left for mulch (common around here) or needs to be hauled (also common here). I figure rolling a little 100-200 pound chipper to the brush, and leaving chips in the orchard is win-win. Extra chipping effort is offset by not dragging. Saves towing a 4400 pound chipper for small amounts of chipping. Avoids fighting some tight and or steep, slick driveways, too.

Thoughts on different manufacturers? Models?
 
I'm not positive but I think a machine that small would aggravate me. I can see a place for them just not for what I do. I used a 6" Vermeer on a golf course during a real wet spell and it did the job but was very frustrating because I'm used to my 12" or the bosses 18" and 21". Just my two cents
 
I've looked at the DR up close-I'd pass. The Bearcat looks good. I used to have a WoodPro 20D160. I sometimes wish I still had it.
 
ive been having the same train of thought as you. i have an old billy goat "chipit" 8hp that does a prety good job, and i have a Bio 100 (italian made) 8hp that works up tp 3". you really have to use a different mindset with micro machines. if you go in expecting the speed of a big chipper you will surely be aggravated.
 
I own a Bearcat 4.5" PTO model. My tractor has 23 horses at the PTO, and the chipper does a great job on green branches......hates the dead stuff with a passion.

The Crary Bearcat chippers are manufactured right near me, in Fargo, North Dakota. I've had no problem with the machine, but it is a bit too small for anything other than pruning jobs. Since I process firewood and offer it for sale, I figured anything larger than 4.5" would be a waste of good firewood. I keep the stuff that won't go through my chipper.

Hope this helps.

Joel
 
I forgot to mention that you'll need to plan on changing the chipper blades about every 5-10 hours of use. Figure this expense into your billing accordingly. The cost of the 4.5" chipper blades runs at about 140-180 per set of two. (Baileys is the most expensive) The chipper blades are reversible, so you'll get another 5-10 hours of use on the opposite side of the chipper blades before they need to be completely replaced.

Joel
 
Even when I buy a bigger chipper, I will still keep my Bear Cat 5" chipper. It has it's niche. Perfect for pruning. Two feed chutes. One for chipping, the other mulching. The mini or two guys can easily get it into tight spots and through narrow yards. 24 horses.
 
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  • #10
I forgot to mention that you'll need to plan on changing the chipper blades about every 5-10 hours of use. Figure this expense into your billing accordingly. The cost of the 4.5" chipper blades runs at about 140-180 per set of two. (Baileys is the most expensive) The chipper blades are reversible, so you'll get another 5-10 hours of use on the opposite side of the chipper blades before they need to be completely replaced.

Joel

Can they now be professionally sharpened?




Again, I'm talking niche chipper. I have a hungry tow-behind chipper.

Thanks.
 
I have a small 3" 10hp or so chipper/shredder. I use it with prune jobs. Works great, anything over 2" I keep for firewood for myself. A majority of the HO's do the clean up anyway....so far.....
 
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  • #12
What brand? Any likes/ dislikes for that as a particular model, not as 3" capacity vs. larger chipper?
 
I ran a Dr for a while. Towed it on my bike. If you keep it small it's great. The blades need to be sharp all the time. You can sharpen them. Apple pruning suck though because they can be pretty gnarly. Straight maple it ate right up. Anything with a bend or a crook in it had to be cut. I did some pretty big removals with that thing. Towed it with both my bike as well as a go metro.
 
Ive said it before but Ill say it again, I wish I could ride to work. Life took me in another direction. What you going to do??
 
Southsoundtree,

Yes, the chipper blades can be sharpened. I purchased a new set to keep on hand while the others were in the shop being sharpened. I can reverse them, as well, allowing me about 15-20 hours of chipper time between complete blade changes. I contacted TreeStuff to see if I could get new chipper blades through them, but they don't stock the little guys.

A small chipper is a handy thing to have when working in those fenced in backyards, or when working in areas that would require a tremendous amount of labor to haul the branches out to the big chipper parked in the street. I wouldn't trade my little chipper for anything.

Joel
 
Yard Machine by MTD. Works pretty good, works much the same as others, straight woods, even hard chips up pretty good, but I usually keep 2" for my firewood. My usual method is to mulch bushy ends then lop branches into as straight as possible pieces, feeding them in may be 2 or 3 at a time, and using the next set of branches to push them in. The secret is to have straight as possible.
 
Good info guys....but as a former baby chipper user I am certain that I do NOT want to make firewood out of sub 3" stuff ever again. The joy of the bigger machines is not having to trim everything straight and make firewood out of everything..........but as I said above I wish sometimes that I had kept the Wood Pro because of the jobs where hand-wheeling in and making short drags with no hauling actually saves time and effort.
 
I do that a lot too Rajan.. If it fits in the trailer or truck....
I also have a customer that will let me drop brush on their property for gardening and pond projects. Makes for a short haul and often, I can leave the trailer for them to unload.
 
My set of four two sided blades run me about 100-125 a set new. I have 3 sets current and sharpen my own. Takes 20 minutes a set with a wet grinder that cost me about 200
 
It is much faster to chainsaw chip onto a tarp roll and turn the pile over and systematically slash away and repeat and repeat
I have done this with large curly willow and many dead Scotts pines. Turn a pile of nasty unchppables pretty much ten to one. Lil chippers great for straight limbs and shoots but for bundling up might be faster 6 of 1 dozen of the other
 
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