O.C.G.D. Thread, part two

That has a dually axle so still has 4 tires to distribute the load so should be comparable to the twin axle but will do less turf damage when turning. My cone head weighs 9000, cannot image how that sucker needs 3k more.....
 
Thanks guys, just trying to move forward one step at a time.

I originally demo'ed the tandem axle and it was fine, this one is a single axle on single tires. The wheelbase on the the single and tandem axles machines are both 19'8". The only time we would go off road with it is in mid summer, and still wouldn't go on a high end lawn with it. The plan is to is to keep this one for only two years and trade in again. I don't like 12,000 pounds on a 10k torsion axle, but if anything goes wrong it's warranty work. I don't like down time, so if something happens to the machine and it goes in for service, then we get a demo and we can keep rolling. If the single axle can't take the abuse, then it will be a tandem in the future.

Carl, it has a John Deere 140hp. Next step was the 200hp and I don't know if we quite need that yet.

Paul, the extra options of hydraulic swivel, jack, and winch add up on the weight. The hydraulic tank is huge at 41 gallons, it is over my head when I stand next to it. The pump is much bigger than the old machine, and I tell ya, the winch line moves and shakes now. The fuel tank is 44 gallons so there is a little more weight when full.
 
You traded in the M15 pretty fast. Is it more beneficial for you to trade in the new machine every year or two and get a new one?


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Man, that thing could eat my chipper for lunch and ask for seconds.
 
I have more or less that exact chipper, it is awesome, mine is 9 years old. I think you will love it. The 140 hp is real good on fuel but you won't chip 18" stuff with ease like you could with bigger engines. I recommend adding manual rear stabilizers so you can winch and stuff and chip big stuff with the chipper free standing not hooked up to truck.

Just curious, what made you choose Morbark over other brands?
 
Adrian, we are just at the point that any down time kills us. Back 5+ years ago, if the cheaper went down it was more cost effective for us to fix it ourselves. Now we have a lot more work on our plate and it is more cost effective to send it in if something breaks while under warranty and get a demo machine in return so we can keep going. The newer the machine and the less headaches the better. We are going to have to split into two crews at some point in the future, and I am fine if we have an older smaller chipper for the second crew. I've also been meaning to tell you that I got to meet your dad in Indy. He is a great guy and I can see why you and your brother turned out so well.

Cory, the only time we really push the limits on size is with the less desirable junk trees that are a little softer. Like willow and cottonwood. Anything firewood worth gets hauled off separately. If it turns out that the 140hp isn't enough then I will get the 200hp. I went with Morbark for the third machine in row because of dealer support. They have literally bent over backwards for us, and they actually care. I can trust them to take care of us if shit hits the fan, it is really that simple. Just last week they came to our shop to replace the wireless transmitter on our Carlton 7015 at 6:30AM to have the machine ready for us before we started. The other big dealer around here is Vermeer, and they would never do that for a small guy like us. All Vermeer cares about around here are the big companies with the borers and trenchers. There was a smaller Bandit dealer around here, but I believe the old owner is now in prison. We actually traded out our old Morbark model 13 in to bandit for a tandem axle 18" chipper back when I was in college, maybe 10 years ago. The owner of the Bandit dealership(that's now in prison) asked my dad if he could borrow our new machine for one day to demo it to a new potential client. This was after we had it for a few months. My dad said sure, as long as you operate the machine and don't let someone treat it like garbage. Well, long story short, Bandit came and repo'ed the chipper while the owner was demoing it. The owner never paid Bandit after he had sold it to us. So we got f'ed. We got out old machine back, plus a Morbark knife sharpener that this guy had at his dealership, and some other smaller stuff to even it out. Bandit as a company did not back us. I have nothing against Bandit machines, but I do hold a grudge against the company, so I will never do business with them again. The owner then went to prison for something along the lines of fraud.
 
Adrian, we are just at the point that any down time kills us. Back 5+ years ago, if the cheaper went down it was more cost effective for us to fix it ourselves. Now we have a lot more work on our plate and it is more cost effective to send it in if something breaks while under warranty and get a demo machine in return so we can keep going. The newer the machine and the less headaches the better. We are going to have to split into two crews at some point in the future, and I am fine if we have an older smaller chipper for the second crew. I've also been meaning to tell you that I got to meet your dad in Indy. He is a great guy and I can see why you and your brother turned out so well.

Cory, the only time we really push the limits on size is with the less desirable junk trees that are a little softer. Like willow and cottonwood. Anything firewood worth gets hauled off separately. If it turns out that the 140hp isn't enough then I will get the 200hp. I went with Morbark for the third machine in row because of dealer support. They have literally bent over backwards for us, and they actually care. I can trust them to take care of us if shit hits the fan, it is really that simple. Just last week they came to our shop to replace the wireless transmitter on our Carlton 7015 at 6:30AM to have the machine ready for us before we started. The other big dealer around here is Vermeer, and they would never do that for a small guy like us. All Vermeer cares about around here are the big companies with the borers and trenchers. There was a smaller Bandit dealer around here, but I believe the old owner is now in prison. We actually traded out our old Morbark model 13 in to bandit for a tandem axle 18" chipper back when I was in college, maybe 10 years ago. The owner of the Bandit dealership(that's now in prison) asked my dad if he could borrow our new machine for one day to demo it to a new potential client. This was after we had it for a few months. My dad said sure, as long as you operate the machine and don't let someone treat it like garbage. Well, long story short, Bandit came and repo'ed the chipper while the owner was demoing it. The owner never paid Bandit after he had sold it to us. So we got f'ed. We got out old machine back, plus a Morbark knife sharpener that this guy had at his dealership, and some other smaller stuff to even it out. Bandit as a company did not back us. I have nothing against Bandit machines, but I do hold a grudge against the company, so I will never do business with them again. The owner then went to prison for something along the lines of fraud.
Wow!!! Helluva story, helluva machine. Good luck with it.
 
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