Looking at a used chipper...

Being able to park indoors and with a locked door is tremendous. Having the tools out of the elements at all time is fantastic too. I needed an 8ft bed only to be able to carry the three piece pole saw and have it covered.
 
Johnny,

No, I wouldn't buy a service body again.

I bought that F450 dually (15,000 pound GVWR) with a 460/ 5 speed for $2850, and $1100 for various bits. At the time, I had a 1/2 ton as a tool truck, and my F600 chip truck (22K or so GVWR). I needed something heavier as multi-purpose vehicle that provided back-up to either truck. I could put a 261 with a 20" bar, tops into a box. Not great. I thought of putting a shelf in the box for bigger saws, and chaining them down. The mini would fit under the shelf.
It pulls 5 yards of chips and the 4400 pound chipper or the similar weight of mini and chipper without caring much. More power, and way more maneuverability than my F600, but less capacity. Suited to pruning jobs as a one-man show, if needed, as sometimes happens.


Ideally, I'd trade in all 3 of my trucks and car for 3 trucks and a dump trailer. For now, I'll stick with what I have.
 
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  • #78
My bed is 8'6"x 6', the sides are about 3, so what's that in cubic yards?'...to be honest, I'm not entirely sure what the weight capacity is, almost 2 ton or thereabouts (am I bad for not knowing)? We've put aftermarket suspension on the rear.
Fully loaded to the boards with fresh chips, equipment on top and towing the chipper (1.2 ton), you know its heavy but its all drives fine, tyres don't bulge or anything, and plenty of room to the wheel arches still.
All three sides fold down, so off loading the chips manually is not a huge hardship, we thought we would convert it to a tipper, but haven't really seen the need for the added expense over time.
 
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  • #80
Yeah, that's what I get...so I reckon I average about 4 yds with the taper off to the stern...not bad for a little ute.
Anybody care to hazerd what a yard of fresh chips might weigh...ballpark?
 
Being a flatbed with folding sides really facilitates unloading.

All my trailers are flatbeds with removable sides... Personal preference.

You can unload a flatbed on a cross slope.

Dump beds add a lot of weight.
Well worthwhile, often.

Do you sell by the truck load, too, Fiona?
 
$5 a bag, that's great. Do you have sources for free bags? Around here all the small breweries get their grain in 40 lb sacks or some such. They gladly give them away and only ask you how many hundred you would like.
 
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  • #84
No, I sourced some good rugged plastic bags, about .70 each...I'm encouraging people to recycle them, I'm having a bit of a crisis of conscience about the plastic, been through about 150 so far.
Yes I sell a truck load too, 80-100...got a couple people waiting for my next loads.thanks for the weight estimate Brian
 
Hi Bermy, The plastic waste is definitely a concern. Running a pellet stove, I have a related issue with plastic bags. I generate 2 empty 40 lbs bag everyday for three months of the year. If only I could beam them up to you...
 
Germany has bulk delivery and people retrofit coal chutes but I have yet to find a bulk delivery in the North East of the US. Another use is temporary weed mats instead of buying the sheets of plastic.
 
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