Morbark 2050 Clipper chipper

[treesandsurf]

Went to look at a 2050 Morbark chipper today. Had 48 hrs of use and was in mint condition. The guy selling the chipper showed me the receipt he paid 9800.00 for it several years ago and wants 5500.00 now. Considering it's here on Oahu rather than having to buy a chipper and have it shipped over, I'm thinking seriously about it.

It's a drum chipper with a 5" max feed. Anyone have experience with these chippers?

 

[Koa Man]

For the price I guess it would be ok. I personally feel 9 inch capacity is the minimum needed for commercial tree work. You will have a hard time trying to chip palm fronds with that. The opening is too small.

 

[SkwerI]

Too small. You'll spend 2 hours chipping for every hour trimming. It may even take longer than loading the debris into a dump trailer by hand. A chipper should save you time, not cost you time.

 

[treesandsurf]

I had the same concerns but springing for the 9" chipper is quite a bigger leap than buying a small one to start out. Very valid points though, definitely something to think over.

jp

 

[brendonv]

You don't want that, or maybe you do. Get something hydro fed, I paid less than 5k for a Bandit 65. It's a 6" chipper but I loved it when I had it.

The only time you'll be able to put a 5" log in that, is if it's a foot long.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Yep, too small. 9" is the minimum!

 

[brendonv]

I did a year with the 6" chipper, wasn't too shabby. IMO the 6" series is the first in line of real chipper. Hydro feed, auto feed, turnable shoot (which is a must). Bandit makes the best 6" from what I've used, the feed wheel measures 6"x12" which means less limbing. The Vermeer bites a big one, 6"x6" wheel. You'll cut every branch.

From what I remember now, I bought this one for $4300, and sold if for over 5k.

 

[thattreeguy]

hell you can get a decent cnd for 4 to 5 grand
its just that whole on an island thing isnt it
shipping would be spendy

 

[MasterBlaster]

HuH?

 

[NeTree]

Way inadequate. Probably why it's only got 48 hours use in a few years, and selling for half of new.

 

[rumination]

I agree, pass it by Jon, it'll just end up being a frustration. You'd do better loading brush into a dumping trailer.

 

[Stumper]

Leon, It depends. I've worked quite a lot with a tiny chipper (WoodPro) and my big Olathe is too slow for a crew but effective for one guy feeding it. The little WoodPro cost me time feeding it compared to trailering but gave the time back in saved dump runs and saved dump fees. If a guy does mostly pruning rather than removals the little chippers are more effective and less frustrating.
Still, when it is all weighed and considered 9" capacity and larger machines are the way to go.

 

[rumination]

True Justin, but in your part of the world anything larger becomes firewood. In Hawaii he will still need to get rid of all the wood too, so a slightly larger chipper would make his life much easier. Otherwise he'll still be trailering all the small wood that that chipper won't eat.

On the other hand, if most of what he is doing is fine pruning then you may have a point. In that case he should run some brush through the unit to see if it will take what he wants it to.

 

[Koa Man]

The Gravely 395 like I had, and I think Frans still has one, is one helluva chipper. 9 inch capacity, 40 hp diesel. Not made anymore. They are some used ones for sale. I sold mine to Tahitian Tree Service, but I don't think they want to sell it.

Since I went back in business 7 months ago, I have only been operating with a dump trailer and 3/4 ton pickup. If you have a long bed 3/4 ton or 1 ton pickup, there is a guy in Kaneohe selling a new dump insert for $2195.

If I have a job with huge amounts of brush, I have a couple of guys I know come and chip the brush for me. Chippers are good, but they also require a lot of maintenance, are messy and noisy. In high end neighborhoods, it takes at least 30 minutes to clean up around the chipper. Handloading a dump trailer is quiet and clean. Very little clean up to do around the trailer afterwards.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I have a couple accounts like that.... Just haul it off and spare everyone the clean up and noise.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I say any chipper that requires you to lift the brush wayhigh into the air to feed it is too small for treework.

 

[Old Monkey]

I thought they angled it like that so you could throw branches in it from the tree.

 

[NeTree]

I thought they angled it like that so you could throw branches in it from the tree.

 

[SkwerI]

No, they are angled like that to keep Harry Homeowner from shoving his hand or foot into the infeed.

 

[Wagnaw]

Dude shipping can't be THAT bad. I had a skid steer shipped from Alaska to the East Coast for 1300, which is less than the value of a better chipper IMO.

 

[Koa Man]

Wagnaw,
Shipping to Hawaii has to go ocean freight and that is expensive. In 2004 I had a Woodsman 15X shipped from Michigan to Honolulu and the freight charge was $5400. In 2006 I had a Brimar 6X10 deckover dump trailer shipped from CA to Honolulu and that was $2200.

 

[SkwerI]

Ocean freight rates peaked last year and then plummeted along with the stock market crash (or slightly before). Shipping companies (the guys who own the boats) are getting about one third of what they were getting a year ago. This chart shows the average daily rates for various size ships.
http://www.dryships.com/pages/report.asp

This isn't the freight rates you would pay, but it shows the freight rates paid by the big corporations that hire the ships.

 

[Altissimus]

..my two centimes .... right brand wrong model ... the steep infeed serves two purposes .... one to use gravity instead of hydraulics to feed the unit .... two to wreck your back daily ... Dave .

 

[Greenhorn]

The latest version of that model has hydraulic feed and flat infeed table.

 

[Greenhorn]

http://austin.craigslist.org/tls/1220838251.html

Is this a Gravely 395? Looks like a steal. Wonder if you can still get parts/knives for them?

Thanks for any info