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Chippers

oldtanker

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2010
Messages
463
Location
vining mn
Occupation
Ret
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
 

hvy 1ton

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2006
Messages
1,943
Location
Lawrence, KS
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.
 

oldtanker

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2010
Messages
463
Location
vining mn
Occupation
Ret
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
 

motrack

Charter Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2003
Messages
332
Location
Ingalls Indiana
Occupation
field service tech
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.
 

koldsteele

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2010
Messages
223
Location
Va.
Occupation
Owner Heavy Equipment Mechanic
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 ..
 

hvy 1ton

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2006
Messages
1,943
Location
Lawrence, KS
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.
 

Puffie40

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Joined
Apr 5, 2010
Messages
208
Location
Southeastern B.C.
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?
 

oldtanker

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2010
Messages
463
Location
vining mn
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Ret
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
 

Hotwheels81

Active Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2010
Messages
28
Location
Up north, eh!
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.
 

tom trees

Active Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2010
Messages
31
Location
Long Island n y
Occupation
arborist
look at cl or truck trader for a used tow behind they go for 5000.00 or go to lewis tree website tom trees
 

oldtanker

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2010
Messages
463
Location
vining mn
Occupation
Ret
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
 

Hotwheels81

Active Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2010
Messages
28
Location
Up north, eh!
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.
 

oldtanker

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2010
Messages
463
Location
vining mn
Occupation
Ret
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
 

Puffie40

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Joined
Apr 5, 2010
Messages
208
Location
Southeastern B.C.
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.
 

oldtanker

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Joined
Sep 25, 2010
Messages
463
Location
vining mn
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Ret
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
 

hvy 1ton

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Lawrence, KS
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.
 

oldtanker

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2010
Messages
463
Location
vining mn
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Ret
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.

OK the plan was to use the JD manure spreader (beater type) to spread the chips with. Guess when I get to that point I'll have to test ground speed and apron chain speed. I have 67 acres that could really use something in the soil besides dry chemical fertilizer. After my dad quit farming my bropther in law farmed it for 18 years and put nothing in it. Current renter has been putting down fertilizer but it really needs something like manure or plant matter to help build the soil up.

The woods really has a lot of heavy brush and what my wife was getting told in school....... Thats where the chipper idea came from. Add in that it was is alfalfa that will be plowed in in the spring too. So there should be a good deal of nitrogen available in the soil. Like I say I'm really going to have to check on this. Right now I have 5 head of beef and really can't expand that until the woods is cleaned out and fenced so I don't have much manure.....guess I'll get something worked out.

Guess I could just pile it. I have a tractor loader backhoe so it could be turned a couple of times a year and I have the room.


Thanks

Rick

Thanks
 
Last edited:

alleyoop

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Joined
Dec 21, 2009
Messages
60
Location
oregon
Occupation
I am the house forman but dont tell her that
the big word is oak................hard to chip and on the ground it tans.
 
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