Chippers…

rockcity

rockcity

everyday is a chance to get better
Joined
Apr 10, 2005
Location
Greenville, NC
Looking for a chipper. It will probably see 4” or 5” branches just as often as the small stuff.

I’d like a PTO chipper but don’t want to take the backhoe off every time I want to chip limbs and when I’m chipping, I’m probably also using the tractor for other things, like moving logs.

So, looking for a chipper that is NOT PTO even though that’s probably the best bang for the $.

Capacity 4-5”
Auto feed
Trailer mounted
Affordable.

Anyone have recommendations on one they have used and like?
 
WoodMaxx has a Non-PTO line, no knowledge of them, but gives you a research point? WoodMaxx DC-1260
Have seen a couple YouTubes of folks plugging similar DR/etc. contraptions that appear to be "homeowner" grade shat that will not bring the "OMG, this thing is badass" expectations...

Several folks on the small farm boards/tractor forums recommended going with a used "commercial" chipper unit, but that's like old Jeeps... either WSO (worn slap out, repairs will potentially triple the purchase price) with gold-plated price tags OR decent shape with "hope you hit the lotto" pricing (like any of the Wallenstein/Vermeer/Morbark offerings)

So, I'm looking for a PTO chipper... my only "gotta have" is powered infeed (anything less is a "Groundhog Day" nightmare... ain't fawking around trying to "push" stuff in) and since my old tractor has no external hydraulics, found several that have PTO driven hydraulics. @lomodyj has a Woodland Mills behind a 20HP Ford and WoodMaxx has a little better "rep" amongst most of the forums...
Currently have a 20 year old Craftsman that will eat DRY up to what fits in the tiny 2" chipper chute (PITA), but will sting you BAD 75% of the time "pushing" it in(PITA)... anything green is simply folly
 
Caver Dave said:
WoodMaxx has a Non-PTO line, no knowledge of them, but gives you a research point? WoodMaxx DC-1260
Have seen a couple YouTubes of folks plugging similar DR/etc. contraptions that appear to be "homeowner" grade shat that will not bring the "OMG, this thing is badass" expectations...

Several folks on the small farm boards/tractor forums recommended going with a used "commercial" chipper unit, but that's like old Jeeps... either WSO (worn slap out, repairs will potentially triple the purchase price) with gold-plated price tags OR decent shape with "hope you hit the lotto" pricing (like any of the Wallenstein/Vermeer/Morbark offerings)

So, I'm looking for a PTO chipper... my only "gotta have" is powered infeed (anything less is a "Groundhog Day" nightmare... ain't fawking around trying to "push" stuff in) and since my old tractor has no external hydraulics, found several that have PTO driven hydraulics. @lomodyj has a Woodland Mills behind a 20HP Ford and WoodMaxx has a little better "rep" amongst most of the forums...
Currently have a 20 year old Craftsman that will eat DRY up to what fits in the tiny 2" chipper chute (PITA), but will sting you BAD 75% of the time "pushing" it in(PITA)... anything green is simply folly
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Woodland has a nice 6” PTO unit that is reasonably affordable and at the top of the list of my PTO options. But, I really don’t want to tie up the tractor with a PTO unit if I don’t have to.

I have looked at the woodmax unit and it checks all the boxes, except cost. But it’s similar priced to a 6” woodlands PTO unit. I fear with the 4” capacity, I’ll reach capacity routinely. Maybe not.

If I go to a used light commercial unit, I might as well just do the PTO unit because I can get commercial grade with homeowner pricing and have less maintenance with having another engine to work on. The tractor is new, so it will be reliable for quite a few years. I’m done buying older equipment and having to work on it each time I want to use it.
 
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Oh...nevermind, not what I thought this thread was...

Edit...fail...I apparently don't know how to gif
 
rockcity said:
Woodland has a nice 6” PTO unit that is reasonably affordable and at the top of the list of my PTO options. But, I really don’t want to tie up the tractor with a PTO unit if I don’t have to.
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Sounds like a good reason to get a 2nd tractor
 
strange1 said:
Sounds like a good reason to get a 2nd tractor
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Maybe in the future but for now, not necessary. I do need a larger tractor at times but this thing will do what I need 90% of the time. The other 10% is doable, but just a little slower.

This is all I need it for at the moment. Stacking logs for the sawmill and now have to clean up all the limbs and brush. :)

CC221801-F25D-42D8-9CA9-7EE0E63941AA.jpeg
 
I've owned a chipper or two (or ten?). From a 3" capacity Craftsman, to a DR quality homeowner unit, a 12" Morbark 290 (best chipper I ever owned, shouldn't have sold it to Braxton), and my current 18" Brush Bandit 280XP with Cummins 6BT. I have a lot of general thoughts, and a few specific thoughts.

1. Get one bigger than you think you need. They are generally only useful and efficient about 1/2 to 2/3s of their rated capacity.
2. Don't get one that is too big to move around to the places where you would want it. That is the challenge with my current bigass chipper.
3. Hydraulic infeed is a must.
4. Auto-feed is a nice touch, but not a requirement if there is enough motor.
5. They are really simple machines, so don't let age or hours scare you, but stay away from anything that is "rough". The one I sold to Braxton was somewhat ugly, and had a couple rough spots, but overall was a really solid machine and worked like a champ.

I personally have never used a Vermeer chipper that I liked, and I've used 5 different ones. The older smaller Vermeers have too small of an opening, and the newer smaller ones are too expensive. Their bigger chippers have vertical feedwheels which slap branches and logs side to side instead of up and down, and they also tend to jam material behind the moveable wheel. Also, not a huge fan of Brush Bandit either, but they are fine, just not as great as everyone said they were before I owned a couple. I really like Morbark stuff, built well and tends to check the right boxes for me.

For your needs, I'd recommend to look for a 9" rated Bandit or Morbark (or Carlton and others) from the early 2000s, for under $5k. They are hard to find in todays market at that price, but they are out there if you keep an eye out and act quick. You will be much better served by a 35hp dedicated motor on a standalone chipper, than a PTO chipper on even a 50-60hp tractor. And the 9" should be light enough that you could add a hitch to your backhoe frame somewhere and use the tractor to move it where you need. A 6" chipper would probably work too, but you will have to cut just about every crotch, which gets tedious. Anything you buy should hold its value very well so long as it is a name brand in decent condition. Whatever you get, make sure it has a horizontal infeed table, not something where you have to pick up every limb and insert it.
 
mommucked said:
Why can't you just make a large pile of limbs and burn them? A bonfire is nice on a cold day and even better on a cold night.
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Because that would require 4wd tractor and a grapple. :confused: :shaking: :laughing:
 
mommucked said:
Why can't you just make a large pile of limbs and burn them? A bonfire is nice on a cold day and even better on a cold night.
Click to expand...

I can. But with 8 acres and this being our land where we are building our house, we will have a long term need for a chipper. If it was a one and done deal, I’d either rent or burn the pile. But we know we’ll want some “mulch” for walkways through the woods and around the property.
 
jeepinmatt said:
I've owned a chipper or two (or ten?). From a 3" capacity Craftsman, to a DR quality homeowner unit, a 12" Morbark 290 (best chipper I ever owned, shouldn't have sold it to Braxton), and my current 18" Brush Bandit 280XP with Cummins 6BT. I have a lot of general thoughts, and a few specific thoughts.

1. Get one bigger than you think you need. They are generally only useful and efficient about 1/2 to 2/3s of their rated capacity.
2. Don't get one that is too big to move around to the places where you would want it. That is the challenge with my current bigass chipper.
3. Hydraulic infeed is a must.
4. Auto-feed is a nice touch, but not a requirement if there is enough motor.
5. They are really simple machines, so don't let age or hours scare you, but stay away from anything that is "rough". The one I sold to Braxton was somewhat ugly, and had a couple rough spots, but overall was a really solid machine and worked like a champ.

I personally have never used a Vermeer chipper that I liked, and I've used 5 different ones. The older smaller Vermeers have too small of an opening, and the newer smaller ones are too expensive. Their bigger chippers have vertical feedwheels which slap branches and logs side to side instead of up and down, and they also tend to jam material behind the moveable wheel. Also, not a huge fan of Brush Bandit either, but they are fine, just not as great as everyone said they were before I owned a couple. I really like Morbark stuff, built well and tends to check the right boxes for me.

For your needs, I'd recommend to look for a 9" rated Bandit or Morbark (or Carlton and others) from the early 2000s, for under $5k. They are hard to find in todays market at that price, but they are out there if you keep an eye out and act quick. You will be much better served by a 35hp dedicated motor on a standalone chipper, than a PTO chipper on even a 50-60hp tractor. And the 9" should be light enough that you could add a hitch to your backhoe frame somewhere and use the tractor to move it where you need. A 6" chipper would probably work too, but you will have to cut just about every crotch, which gets tedious. Anything you buy should hold its value very well so long as it is a name brand in decent condition. Whatever you get, make sure it has a horizontal infeed table, not something where you have to pick up every limb and insert it.
Click to expand...

As much as I’d like a chipper of that size, it’s just entirely too much machine for my needs.

Realistically, a machine with the specs Dave posted earlier would probably be just fine but I don’t want to be cutting at capacity too often.

I can save some $ on the chipper and spend what I save on a firewood processor
 
rockcity said:
As much as I’d like a chipper of that size, it’s just entirely too much machine for my needs.

Realistically, a machine with the specs Dave posted earlier would probably be just fine but I don’t want to be cutting at capacity too often.

I can save some $ on the chipper and spend what I save on a firewood processor
Click to expand...
Not sure what they normally go for, but this doesn't seem terrible. Also, why would you need a firewood processor 😂 A plain old log splitter will do the trick! Splitting is easy, it's the stacking that I hate.

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rockcity said:
As much as I’d like a chipper of that size, it’s just entirely too much machine for my needs.

Realistically, a machine with the specs Dave posted earlier would probably be just fine but I don’t want to be cutting at capacity too often.

I can save some $ on the chipper and spend what I save on a firewood processor
Click to expand...
To each his own, but I'd rather burn it than deal with feeding a chipper that small. To some extent I'm spoiled, but I've also owned smaller chippers and have no problem remembering why I don't anymore. A $1000 log splitter and $5k chipper seems like a much more cost effective setup than a $10k firewood processor and $3000 chipper. Honestly if your are thinking about doing enough wood to justify a firewood processor, you definitely need a chipper that'll eat.
 
jeepinmatt said:
To each his own, but I'd rather burn it than deal with feeding a chipper that small. To some extent I'm spoiled, but I've also owned smaller chippers and have no problem remembering why I don't anymore. A $1000 log splitter and $5k chipper seems like a much more cost effective setup than a $10k firewood processor and $3000 chipper. Honestly if your are thinking about doing enough wood to justify a firewood processor, you definitely need a chipper that'll eat.
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I have a wife and 2 kids that need some hard work. They can use the chipper. :D
 
rockcity said:
I really don’t need a processor. Just something I want because I’m not wanting to split wood.
Click to expand...
I have this same train of thought every couple months, then I look at the size limitation and cost of a processor... and walk back out and crank up my $800 Rural King splitter and go to town :laughing:
 
rockcity said:
I have a wife and 2 kids that need some hard work. They can use the chipper. :D
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You really shouldn't exploit child labor. There are organizations that are opposed to that.
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