Chippers, a little more discussion please . . .

Anything less than 6" really sucks!! Like i said in the other post, i had a hydraulic power feed 6" capacity PTO chipper, and even it was too small, too slow!!!

I'm of the opinion anything less than 10 or 12" isn't worth owning!!! This means looking for a bigger old used chipper.

Keep in mind, these things need maintance too. You have to keep the knives sharp, and ajusted!!! Dead limbs really dull the knives fast.

I STILL like the brush pile idea, and those tree's in the woods will still need the dead stuff for future food!!

Robert

I'm not arguing that a "whole tree" chipper isn't faster, I'm saying that with a little forethought, the smaller chippers will do a nice job and don't cost as much as a new truck.

I live in a heavily forested area, with a lot of slash on the ground from tree harvesting, AND I'm a volunteer firefighter. I've spent WAY too much time traipsing around in the woods carrying a back tank or dragging a hose. I'd way rather spend a couple of days chipping a brush pile than putting out the wildfire that got started by someone burning a brush pile.

Chips can be used for a number of things, burning just creates fire hazards and pollution.

JMHO, of course.

Initially purchased to devour a 60' evergreen on a city lot. I contracted out the take down so if it crushed neighbors house the contractor's insurance would take the first hit + he had a 60' bucket truck.

You will meet your neighbors as they will drag their branches & brush over to mulch & some chip in for dumping fees. I had 3 trips of 4 yard dump loads of mulch. $20 each load that the neighbors cash contributions paid. I have a 4 yard dump truck to blow the chips into.

Only caveat is physical labor. The contractors hire high school kids to run around & do clean up.

The main advantage of this machine on farm is size... is no labor limbing - trimming: 20' saplings including branches disappear in one bite, a whole pine tree with 6" trunk gone!! Dry hardwoods make a racket but disappear as well. About the only thing that cleans up faster is a dozer.

It does weigh 3-4000 lbs so will sink in soft soil & is a challenge for 1/2 ton chevy in mud

In MN no trailer license needed for this forestry item!! I did wire up trailer lights

Scott, Here is a picture and a post I listed about a year ago. Contact me directly if you need more information. Also, I preffer a chipper that does not discharge on the ground, but from an ariel discharge chute so you may direct the debriss where you want it. Philip.

I finally got to use my PTO chipper this weekend. I had a work day at my house on saturday, 5 guys showed up to trim limbs and cut trees. I ran the 8N for 6 straight hours with the chipper. The chipper is a Bearcat model with 5" capacity. The 8N and the chipper worked well together. It amazes me that my tractor, designed in 1938, can uses use implements purchased in 2002. What a great design by Harry F. The chipper has a 120 pound flywheel, lots of inertia, does not take much power to turn. When you put in a 5" branch, the rpm's drop, the governor kicks the throttle plate open, the engine starts poppin, and the rpm's come back up, just like it is suppose to work. Neat to stand back and see. The chipper is a nice tool, but it will work you to death. Philip.

I work as a mechanic at a rental place, and have access to engine driven chippers from 4" to 15" capacity, with anything from 2 cylinder Kohler gas engines to 6 cylinder John Deere diesels. When I need to chip (rarely now that my land is all cleared) I hook up my 3PH-mounted PATU to my John Deere compact diesel and go to work.