wood Chipper

[western mainer]

Any one using a chipper? If so what brand and how are you using it?
Brian

[Machinist67]

I only rent one from Vermeer instead of buying it. They can be a costly piece of equipment with repairs. We chip up to 4". The new plan is to use the chips to fuel the evaporator.
Stay away from the "chuck and duck" models. They do not chip even enough, to many long stringy pieces.

[Marcus]

I only rent one from Vermeer instead of buying it. They can be a cost piece of equipment with repairs. We chip up to 4". The new plan is to use the chips to flue the evaporator.
Stay away from the "chuck and duck" models. They do not chip even enough, to many long stringy pieces.
I like your description of chuck and duck models. I have been slapped up side of the face in the cold with one of these models.
Marcus Yoder

[Clarkfield Farms]

I burn everything from about 1-1/2" and larger. For me, that makes a chipper a low need on the priorities list. What I don't use the regular 8-hp chipper for gets hit with the bush hog.

If we hold to the adage of splitting wood to about the size of your wrist, why do we not utilize the 4" wood? Minimal splitting involved, a lot of it from most trees, etc. This is a genuine, honest question, I'm certainly not trying to start a debate. If I'm ignorant on the subject, I don't like to remain so. I can why if you're using chips to fuel the evaporator, or for woodgas, etc., but I don't get it otherwise.

I have always despised buckthorn. I can't even begin to describe how much I am driven to eradicate the plant. But, last year I had to take a step back and try to find the good in even THAT... and I found that it burns great, as long as it is WELL seasoned. I think its smoke carries a resinous substance, though, because my chimney (house woodstove) needs much more frequent cleaning when I'm burning a high percentage of buckthorn for extended periods. AND -- buckthorn generally grows to a size where even most more-or-less mature trees/shrubs don't require splitting. The tops and branches smaller than 1" chip well, or present no problems to the big mower whatsoever, and they decompose rather quickly even if they're missed and stay whole.

I guess I'm just adding to my question that we make use of everything we can, wood-wise, no matter the species or size (even BIG tartarian honeysuckle, multiflora roses - large root balls, mostly -, and autumn olive, to name a few, as I clear the land), so other than using chips to fuel the evaporator, is there a good reason that I don't know about?

Thanks.
- Tim

[JoeJ]

I have had a 6" Wallenstein PTO driven chipper with hydraulic feed for 9 years. I used it thin and clean up my woods that had reverted back from was a cow pasture 60 years ago. I either spread the chips
in the woods or move them to any wet spot on my woods roads. I found it was very easy and quick to get the the tractor in among the taped trees to cut up an occasional blow down or a big broken branch. I have probably used it for 1,500 hours and the chipper has worked flawlessly and only requires grease and blade sharpening. I would not be without one now.

[western mainer]

I take the wood down to 1" also and burn most but would like to clean up the woods a little better.
Brian

[lakeview maple]

I have a DR chipper , it will eat a 4" tree, but I burn everything down to a broom handle, I bought it new and have had no issues for the last 6 years

[maple flats]

I have a 6.5" PATU PTO powered chipper, likely one you call a "chuck & duck" model. However I've never had anything thrown back out. Mine has no hydraulic feed. If the knives are sharp it pulls the wood in with no help from the operator. Mine has 4 knives and it easily cuts chips to 1/4-3/8" thick. I use it to process prunnings in my blueberry fields as well as brush that tries to go in the rows. I generally chip up to about 3", bigger goes to firewood. I don't burn anything that has not been split at least once and smaller than 3 is too harry to split. I have run it with a 20 hp tractor and a 25 hp tractor, but it does like my 36 hp better. I just spread the chips in low spots. I may someday get a chip evaporator and then I'll chip up to the 6-6.5" capacity.
I do find that green wood chips easier than dead dry wood, but it handles both.

[tuckermtn]

The rule of thumb I learned from an old time tractor guy was it takes 10 hp to chip 1" of material. If you use that rule of thumb, you will have plenty of power to make a nice chip. If you have hydraulic infeed and any sort of autofeed, you can get away with less HP per inch.
I had a 175hp Bandit 254 tow behind chipper that I would use on small lot clearing jobs. Rated at a 14" capacity. Would blow 25-27 tons of chips in a chip van, about 4-6 tons shy of what should be in a van, but still respectable.