Unattended chippers

[sotc]

When I first ran a chipper my employer made us take armloads of brush and stack them behind the chipper and either chip when we finished the job or ran out of room for piles. I think the main reason for this was he didn't want an unattended chipper running for even a minute. We often leave the chipper running if we are activly dragging brush from the back yard. When there is a lul in the brush we will either throttle down which stops the feed rollers or shut it down. The chipper is usually coned off which we all know doesn't keep the idiots out of the work zone. This is prompted by a comment posted on my video. I think I may have deleted one other comment like it when I first posted it but thought I would ask what you all do when your chipper is outta sight?
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[SkwerI]

In my opinion it usually boils down to stacking room and the rate you're producing brush. If you're trimming and have room to stack an hour's worth of brush without slowing the job down, then stack it. If you're on a removal where you'd have to fire it up and chip every 5 minutes anyway, then leave it running. The demarcation line is somewhere in between.

 

[NeTree]

NEVER leave it running unattended. By that I mean without someone realllllly close by should some passing idiot decide he wants a Darwin award.

 

[sotc]

On pruning jobs we often start a few limbs in the feed rollers and then stack as much brush in the feed chute as possible before firing up or throttleling up and let the auto feed eat it up, that way we don't have to handle the brush ore than nessasary

 

[brendonv]

Depends on the job pretty much. I'll never leave the chipper out of site running full tilt with the feed rollers going. If I need to leave it out of site, the feed roller will be put in neutral and idled down. Most of the time my jobs have no by standers nearby anyways.

 

[arborworks1]

With the advent of the new electronic contols on offroad engines, why is it out of the question to make a remote that would control throttle high and low?

Or an affordable remote to control the all the chipper functions.

 

[Old Monkey]

I have a one minute threshold. If nothing is being chipped for more than a minute, I want the guys to throttle down. If its idling for more than five or so, shut it down. I like my machine to have low hours. Its in its third year and has 250 hours on it.

 

[NeTree]

Why have a remote control for a machine that should only be running attended????

 

[brendonv]

I have a one minute threshold. If nothing is being chipped for more than a minute, I want the guys to throttle down. If its idling for more than five or so, shut it down. I like my machine to have low hours. Its in its third year and has 250 hours on it.

I agree, although we really don't count .

I've seen companies were the truck, and chipper sit there idling all day long. It really makes me wonder why?

( Another low hour club member, 175hr)

 

[sotc]

I think it's a valid idea. Sometimes you end up in the back for longer than you expected and can throttle down. Doesn't seem very cost effective compared to a walk out front but may be more likly to happen

 

[arborworks1]

I was thinking that with the slow speed the minis go. A remote for the chipper would keep the mini moving towards its goal.

I don't understand the whole idling chipper idea. We either stack brush or have the rig close enough to kept it constantly chipping.

 

[rangerdanger]

We like to run the chipper as little as possible. My aim is too run the chipper as few times as possible on a job. Plus, on those jobs where communication between climber and groundsmen is key, it's nice not having to yell over the chipper every time you have to talk.

As far as unattendence, we try to never leave it unattended. I've read some of the stories of some idiot trying to kill himself by taking a head dive into a chipper. No way do we want that happening on our jobsite.

 

[Fiddler]

We like to run the chipper as little as possible. My aim is too run the chipper as few times as possible on a job. Plus, on those jobs where communication between climber and groundsmen is key, it's nice not having to yell over the chipper every time you have to talk.

I agree, Nothing gets me ticked faster than a chipper running if I am climbing and I need to communicate with someone verbally. I like hand signals for most things but words work better till the guys have been on the job for a while.
If unattended, keys are always out of chipper and in pocket or cab of truck.

 

[MasterBlaster]

All you need to do is pretend the fuel is 10 bucks a gallon.

 

[sotc]

Labor beats that by a mile. When we are activly dragging and the chipper is running like the vid. Drag a pile of 20' limbs, insert into feed rollers, go back while autofeed is feeding and come back in a few minutes with another load. Or 2-3 guys steadly dragging brush out front. I know it's probably still a nono but i'm wondering how you all would treat the scenario in the video. Storm damaged tree, lots of material etc.

 

[wiley_p]

On jobs like you are talking about Willie, I run the chipper all out. Guys are "chaining" out the brush, so there is always 1 guy within a few yards of the chipper.

 

[sotc]

How do you do it other wise Dave?

 

[wiley_p]

line out a couple of minutes worth of chipping at a time. Usually that only will happen on a rigging job. I hate things getting handled more than one time, so I try to minimize it. Big dz, wreck down, the chipper is going and the guys are chaining the brush out like big two legged ants with no pincers.

 

[sotc]

Cool, thanks

 

[Old Monkey]

Not only do I leave my chipper running unattended, I leave things like twenty dollar bills, brownies and packs of cigarettes next to the feed wheels, then I scatter ball bearings on the ground.

 

[sotc]

Oooooh, carefull, you might run a ball bearing through it!

 

[Old Monkey]

Good point. Note to self: Tomorrow nix the ball bearings and switch to old reliable banana peels.

 

[sotc]

 

[stehansen]

It makes me nervous to have it running unattended out on the street so we try and minimize that, but it does happen.

 

[treesandsurf]

Not only do I leave my chipper running unattended, I leave things like twenty dollar bills, brownies and packs of cigarettes next to the feed wheels, then I scatter ball bearings on the ground.

That one had me in stitches; got my vote for funniest post of the year!

jp