Recommendations for 12" chipper

cbchris17

Treehouser
Joined
Feb 20, 2017
Messages
11
Location
Maryland
Hey everyone, I'm newbie to the treehouse but after looking at some of the threads I already feel comfortable asking for advice. There's clearly a lot of experience here but without the pretentiousness you find other places.
I'm looking into buying a chipper in the 12" range for weekend tree work. Right now I'm leaning towards trying to find a Morbark Model 13. I used one once and really liked the power and simplicity of the machine.
I've also used Brush Bandit 200+ and 250xp for full time work in the past so I know some of the quirks of those particular machines. TBH I'm not a huge fan of Vermeer but I've only used newer models and thought they went a little over the top with all the safety features.
To sum it all up, I'm looking for a simple and reliable chipper and I'm open to input and advice on what to look for and especially any firsthand experience with the Morbark 13.
In the end, it will probably come down to what I can find for a decent price.
 
Ahh Michigan. The epicenter of monsterous American chippers. I wouldn't think you could go wrong with either. The 250 and M13 are like the linchpins of the industry.

Never ran either personally, but they sure seem well represented.

Post some pictures when you pull the trigger 8)
 
Ahh Michigan. The epicenter of monsterous American chippers. I wouldn't think you could go wrong with either. The 250 and M13 are like the linchpins of the industry.

Never ran either personally, but they sure seem well represented.

Post some pictures when you pull the trigger 8)
Totally agree, I've been happy with both. Happier with! 13 but really it's more of a 15" and about 40hp more than my 250. More solidly built for sure
 
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  • #6
Totally agree, I've been happy with both. Happier with! 13 but really it's more of a 15" and about 40hp more than my 250. More solidly built for sure

Which engine did/does your 13 have? I've heard the John Deere is the one to get. As far as diameter capacity, the bigger the better so thats good to hear about the Morbark.

Thanks everyone for the welcome
 
The carlton 2012 is an impressive machine. Very well built amd they seem to have good support after the sale
 
Which engine did/does your 13 have? I've heard the John Deere is the one to get. As far as diameter capacity, the bigger the better so thats good to hear about the Morbark.

Thanks everyone for the welcome
140ish he cat /perk
 
I had a 140hp Deere in a 250xp. It was a fantastic machine, only regular maintenance and I abused it feeding it with a mini skid steer. But I only had it from new to five/six years old.

Welcome to The Treehouse.
 
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  • #13
990 XP? Seems to be the go to around here for a 12 inch
Wish I could go for a drum chipper, I'm on a limited budget right now and most used 990s are $20k and above. I'm looking in the $10k-13k range. The 990 is a nice chipper though.

How did you find us, Chris?
Gerry Beranek mentioned the TH in his interview on youtube. I've browsed through the threads a few times over the past few years and just decided to join up.
 
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