Eric H-L
Treehouser
It’s been over three years. Time flies! Are you still with that outfit you started with?
Newbie - Starting Next Week
- Thread starter bootsmagee
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Eric H-L
Treehouser
bootsmagee
Treehouser
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2017
- Messages
- 32
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #128
Geez, sorry for the year+ late reply, haha. I haven't been on here in a long time, I must have either missed or forgotten about the last reply notification for this thread. I just came on to browse for Jed Walter's profile; he tragically passed away last week. I had never communicated with him on here but enjoyed some content of him on youtube the past few years, so I came on to browse his profile/posts. Really saddened by the whole thing even though I didn't know him.
So I left the outfit I began with and started out on my own here in March of 2020, right when Covid started up. I've still helped out with the other crew here and there when I can, although not that much this past season; only once, I think. It's gone well for me so far. Zero advertising, word of mouth has kept me busier than I need to be. Has it's ups and downs as compared to working for someone else. My main outlook was to be in charge of my own time. I use a Mitsubishi Fuso (4-cyl diesel with really great 4WD) with a dump body I've modified to be easily switched from enclosed for shooting chips to open-top for logs/hauling whatever. I started with a Wallenstein 6" chipper I got on online-auction. It worked well for me, but not having a crush cylinder on the feed wheels was very limiting. It's also realistically an estate/homeowner's chipper, just not made for long-term commercial use. I upgraded to a used Carlton 1290 I found locally. Still V-twin gas, but now at 9" max and it has a crush cylinder. It's been perfect for me; chips most of what I really need it to and it's fairly light at just under 3,000 Lbs, so I can tow it with just about anything and maneuver it into back yards when necessary. I've most recently acquired a Cast 23T mini loader.
I spent most of last season paying off the Cast loader/trailer and Carlton 1290. I'm just about paid off on everything, so looking forward to saving some of my money this year. Fingers crossed no major breakdowns to stifle that plan, but that's how the game goes. I'm sure I could spend a day or two straight writing about the last 2-3 years, but I'll leave it at that for now. I'll try to respond more timely to any questions/posts!
So I left the outfit I began with and started out on my own here in March of 2020, right when Covid started up. I've still helped out with the other crew here and there when I can, although not that much this past season; only once, I think. It's gone well for me so far. Zero advertising, word of mouth has kept me busier than I need to be. Has it's ups and downs as compared to working for someone else. My main outlook was to be in charge of my own time. I use a Mitsubishi Fuso (4-cyl diesel with really great 4WD) with a dump body I've modified to be easily switched from enclosed for shooting chips to open-top for logs/hauling whatever. I started with a Wallenstein 6" chipper I got on online-auction. It worked well for me, but not having a crush cylinder on the feed wheels was very limiting. It's also realistically an estate/homeowner's chipper, just not made for long-term commercial use. I upgraded to a used Carlton 1290 I found locally. Still V-twin gas, but now at 9" max and it has a crush cylinder. It's been perfect for me; chips most of what I really need it to and it's fairly light at just under 3,000 Lbs, so I can tow it with just about anything and maneuver it into back yards when necessary. I've most recently acquired a Cast 23T mini loader.
I spent most of last season paying off the Cast loader/trailer and Carlton 1290. I'm just about paid off on everything, so looking forward to saving some of my money this year. Fingers crossed no major breakdowns to stifle that plan, but that's how the game goes. I'm sure I could spend a day or two straight writing about the last 2-3 years, but I'll leave it at that for now. I'll try to respond more timely to any questions/posts!
greengreer
TreeHouser
Awesome! Glad it's going well for you.
Got any pics of that Fuso? I used to drive them years ago delivering veggies, great trucks! The 4x4 one would be perfect here with a light chipper
Got any pics of that Fuso? I used to drive them years ago delivering veggies, great trucks! The 4x4 one would be perfect here with a light chipper
bootsmagee
Treehouser
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2017
- Messages
- 32
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #130
Yeah here's a few I just took. Sorry, it's currently open-top. I can take a few more with the top-covers installed another day, if you'd like. The top-cover sections are 3/8 plywood. The plywood sections were ripped to about 2-feet each to make them light enough to lift and install/uninstall by myself. They've lasted 2+ years now and are still holding up. They're braced on the under-side with a single run of aluminum channel that I repurposed from the inside-ceiling of an old delivery truck body. The aluminum channel bracing keeps the plywood from sagging over time. The plywood sections rest on the top edge of the uppermost dump body board, and they're kind of sandwiched in place with 2 strips of steel angle that you can see running the length of the top edge of the dump body sides. The steel angle pieces are fixed in place with just enough room to allow me to slide the plywood sections into place. The plywood sections are kept from backing themselves out by some steel holders I made, which are pinned into place with a large hairpin. It would be more clear with a picture of them installed. I'll try to update another day.
