OK I have no knowledge of chippers. I have about 60 acres of woods that needs to be thinned with massive amounts of brush, trees,mostly oak (selective cutting) will be cut for fence post or to be sold for fire wood with the rest being run through a chipper. I do know that the little chippers sold by the box stores are not going to be up to what I need. Anyone with experience with the CAT 1 3 point mounted chippers? This is a farm project and the chipped wood will be spread on the tillable fields. I'd like to stay in the 2-3K price range. With our area I can more than likely hire myself and the chipper out after our work is done. Thanks Rick
A friend has a bandit 90XP and likes it. It's a bit bigger and has 2 feed wheels, but bandit does make a Cat I chipper. 65XL has 6" capacity and is 45 pto hp max. I don't know how much a pto 65 is, but it will probably be on the upper end of your price range.
OK my fault. I'm looking for something in the 15-45 HP range. I have a Ford 8N that I plan on using to run it. Nice small tractor that will not leave a large foot print and allow me to get into newer growth woods without cutting huge trails. I'm trying to clean up the woods, US forestry did a survey and says the brush needs to go along with selective thinning. I can used the chipped wood on the fields so this is a double plus for me. About the biggest I would be chipping would be 4" I think. That big and larger can go in the firewood pile or if straight be used a fence post. I just don't want to find myself with a piece of crap that isn't doing the job. SO basically.....should I be careful of some brands? Maybe watch the used market for a commercial tow behind? This is all new to me. Again thanks Rick
My last employeer was a Bandit chipper dealer so I will give you my 2 cents. If you want to go 4" you need more than a 8N for a 3pt unit and your budget does not allow for much of a chipper. For limbs you need something that will feed its self....... rather it a machine with feed rolls(my perference) or a drumb chipper commanly known as a chuck and duck chipper. Old chuck & duck chippers can be had cheap but offer the most likely hood of killing you....... feed roll machines much safer to operate. I was on a job site 10 years ago when a 21 yr old went thru a chipper......... not a pretty picture.
No doubt an 8N ford only has 18hp pto ..and thats on a good day ..
A engine driven 65 has a 28hp diesel, so an 8n will be light on power. I'm scared ****less of drum chippers. I'll take feed rolls over that silliness any day.
You will have to consider the size of the material you are chipping - Your 8N probably would have trouble chipping a 3" branch at a reasonable speed. What about burning the slash? Renting an commercial-grade chipper?
8N is actually rated by the Nebraska tests at 23.24 HP. Mines getting a fresh engine in the spring so should be very near that mark. I'm still open to suggestions and any knowledge you all are willing to share. Thanks Rick
We have shared our knowledge but your dont like what we say.
Rent something.... I rent a 12" vermeer every spring for a week doing pine, most chippers i have used can only handle a steady diet of wood 2/3 the size of the throat opening.
Don't know how well they work but here is one. Not mine, just saw it posted. http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ank/grd/2120512834.html
look at cl or truck trader for a used tow behind they go for 5000.00 or go to lewis tree website tom trees
I'ts not that I don't like whats been said. I'm just hoping that I can get by cheaper (and I know that it can bite me in the butt later). We are trying to get the family farm operational again. We are trying to do this without borrowing money. So I'm hoping to hear something that will allow me to make a little money on the side and still leave me with the jingle in my jeans to do some of the other stuff we need/want to do. I am in the market for a slightly larger tractor too. I'm looking at utiltiy, in the 35-50 hp range. So the HP issue may be a non issue. Again Thanks Rick
Do yourself a big favour.... Go to a rental shop or better yet a dealer, ask about takeing a chipper out for a 1 day demo, use one in the HP class you want to purchase and get some real world experiance with it and see if its going to work for you, a 50hp chipper sounds big and may work fine for you but whats worse then buying something too small is buying something that you find out is useless... Also make sure if its used the knives are in good shape with a sharp edge and no big chunks missing, you cant sharpen tool steel knives with a grinder.
That sounds like a good idea, thanks. Rick
In the OP you said the chips would be spread onto tillable field. Decomposing wood will suck up a lot of nitrogen and will inhibit any kind of plant growth in the soil. In effect, you will be killing off any kind of crop yeild for the next couple of years. A quick google on composting wood brought this up Making a COMPOST PILE, however, I can see. Just keep in mind the chips are used as a bulking agent - the pile has to have dirt and other "scraps" to build it. I still stand by suggesting you burn the slash. It will be cheaper in the long run and the ashes will have a positive and more immediate effect on the soil and organic composition.
The wife is currently taking Ag classes at the "local" 30 mile away community college. They are telling her just opposite, that if spread on the field and then worked into the soil. Now I guess I'm going to have to resaerch it some more, thanks! ...LOL....if it aint one thing it's another! Rick
Decomp of organic matter ties up most, if not all, of the available nitrogen in the soil. Most of the time available nitrogen is the limiting factor in decomp, spreading fertilizer and especially manure speeds it up. As the organic matter breaks down it releases the nitrogen(free nitrogen) that can be used by plants. Until they decompose wood chips will be a net drain on soil nutrients. The trick will be getting them spread thin enough and having enough available N to break down the chips quickly. Easier in words than in practice. Depending on circumstances it would better to pile and compost the chips with manure. Topsoil is one of those things that's never to hard to sell.
the big word is oak................hard to chip and on the ground it tans.