New Chipper for TreeCareLA, too!

  • Thread starter Thread starter NickfromWI
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That's why I'm asking. He doesn't have any of the model I'm looking for. Wichever I get is getting ordered direct from the factory. I think he was being genuine in his suggestion.

love
nick
 
My single infeed rollered Morbark 2060D can squish up hardwood crotches etc and chip it like crazy with it's autofeed. But when I get into spruce boughs [we have alot of spruce here] the roller can have a fight pulling them thru especially if it just rained. I'm told palm fronds [we have none here haha] are the same as the spruce being difficult to chip, that's where I heard the dual roller shines.

The only vines I chip are overgrown Virginia creeper and they still get wrapped up on my single roller, same with wet willow limbs.
 
I'm not saying he is wrong Nick, but what do you chip the most? Palms? Hardwoods? Softwoods? Vines?

A big factor in choice. Is chip quality an issue?
 
I'm not a fan of dual feed wheels and that's just from working for various ppl who own them. Lots of stuff seems to get clogged in the bottom one. I've seen and heard of ppl taking the tray out underneath it so the junk can fall through, but the problem there is you're left with a big pile of crap to rake up later. I'd stick with a single feed wheel if possible but that's just me.
 
I removed the tray from my Bandit, actually someone else did it with a rock first, and just slide a large shallow Rubbermaid under it to collect the outfall. It works pretty well. Problem is I have left several behind on the smaller jobs. On big jobs it gets dumped enough to not forget it. I have not had any issue with vines yet and I have vines on at least 50% of my jobs. If it builds up just reverse it for a turn and then back in they go. Keeping your knives sharp really helps as they tend to pull everything past the feed wheels.
 
The 150xp is back on the coast! That's a decision I don't regret. Its a bad sign when a machine has to go right back to the shop after an hour in the field. Sales guy tried to tell me that everyone in Van runs their machines all day so they don't have to bother with the shut down each site. BS!!!
 
Husabud said:
Problem is I have left several behind on the smaller jobs. .
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I'd bungee it to the truck somehow so that when you drove off you'd (hopefully) hear it dragging and would get out and fix it.

Also, we're trying real hard to instill the habit of doing a full walk around of any vehicle before you get in. We do it about 95% of the time and it saves us a couple of times.
 
Bandit told us to open the bottom tray to help let any picked up gravel drop out before getting to the blades. We try to avoid gravel, but have park employees and convict crews working sometimes. Duane and I are good at avoiding it. Something about taking care of our equipment and having/ having had our own chippers. Some people have to be told multiple times, NO Pitch Forks.
 
SouthSoundTree said:
Bandit told us to open the bottom tray to help let any picked up gravel drop out before getting to the blades.
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Now that is a hell of a nice feature!
Debris falls out of the infeed before it get to the knives. Anyone in the know, knows how critical sharp knives are on a 6" chipper.
 
I've only owned 2 chippers, but I preferred the chipper with a single feed wheel, due to all the material going through the machine and no crap on the ground to deal with. On larger jobs, the pile under the bottom feed wheel would become quite sizable, to the point of becoming a trip hazard.
 
lumberjack said:
I preferred the chipper with a single feed wheel, due to all the material going through the machine and no crap on the ground to deal with.
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Yes all the material [and foreign debris included] going through the machine making more knife changes.:lol:

It's late I gotta go to bed.:P
 
I have only bought one set of knives in my life, and that was for my first chipper. I don't remember when in its life I bought the knives, but I do know I had a $11k job early on in my ownership of it where I was getting paid $90/150hr to run it. My second chipper I made 3-400 yards of chips and sold it. Never saw the knives on it.
 
Maybe we are talking about different things, but we have a Bandit 1590xp and I am pretty sure thats the dual feed rollers you guys are talking about that leave a mess.

For our crew, even on high volume crane jobs, the 'big pile' underneath is nothing that a blower and a rake/shovel doesnt fix easily. I would never even think to list it as a 'con' as I am so used to it. Not being able to chip big piles of limby brush (spruce, red maple, etc) or not being able to crush crotches with the hydraulic yoke/dual wheels would qualify as a 'con' for me.

I am all about power and less concerned with 'mess'.
 
lumberjack said:
I have only bought one set of knives in my life, and that was for my first chipper. I don't remember when in its life I bought the knives, but I do know I had a $11k job early on in my ownership of it where I was getting paid $90/150hr to run it. My second chipper I made 3-400 yards of chips and sold it. Never saw the knives on it.
Click to expand...
Yeah I have seen alot of outfits with big chippers who "burn" wood through those massive throats and don't think about the knives let alone an anvil ....... I feel sorry for the poor fool who buys that machine later.

But I think we're primarily talking about smaller chippers here.
 
Have you ever used a single wheel, larger chipper, Nick?

If production had been affected on my second chipper (18"), I would have change the knives. It didn't, so I didn't. Then again, when my chainsaw gets dull, I swap out the chain. That is unless Scott sharpens it before I swap it.
 
since were talking about smaller chippers, any of you guys ever use bearcats? my very first tree boss had i think the 6" unit. i remember it being pretty decent, loved the rotating infeed feature. he was primarily a firwood guy so he didnt want to chip anything he could split and sell. i just saw this this evening and it got me wondering http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/grd/3473813834.html .
 
I have the 5" Bearcat like this one, same model and it has served me well. No auto feed though.
I think I would like either of those Bandits though. Most people don't want you to chip anything that can be fire wood up here.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6WlFavrSQ1w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
You just push it through... You do have to whittle it down some depending on the flexibility of the brush. It came with the business when I took over my half. It was pretty much brand new. Like I said, we rarely chip over 3" material and we burn most slash November - May. I do want a bigger self feeder, and you are partly right about the size. It does have a significant niche in our market though, in it's portability and size for tight spots.
We don't use the chute extension... but here is some brush through it. The rear hopper is a mulcher and good for up to 3/4 stuff.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KLRox4HmQZs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
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