What to look for in used small chippers

Yep Bandit. Rayco seemed to copy Vermeer, (to me at least) with their chippers and not as good. Their stump grinders are good though, they were around a lot longer than their chippers here.


My chipper hates leafy tops of eucalyptus, It just goes round and round.

Eucalyptus leaves are kinda like palms...long and stringy.

How do you deal with tops - that material?

I've never had a problem with chipping most eucalyptus up here, but there are a few like that. So maybe try what I do with palms, I put them in reverse to normal, tips fist. (Not that Patrick will be doing many palms in his area)
 
You get the snot slapped out of you with a Chuck and watch if it gets eaten by the eating machine.

You don't get the snot slapped out of your if you Chuck and DUCK, Throw and GO. "Use the big steel shield!" The side of the feed tray. If you are on the other side of the big, steel shield, stuff doesn't hit you.

Throw and go, sometimes going back for another throw.

I'd like a 9" Bandit, but I think it would eat at about 1/3 the rate, and cost a lot more. It would be lighter and go places I can't push/ pull my 4400 pound 7'4" wide chipper.

I almost always wear a face shield or screen, with my glasses, when doing tree work. To not wear one while feeding any chipper seems unnecessarily dangerous.



There are pluses and minuses to everything. Any reliable chipper 6"+ is better than no chipper. You're not married to it for life. I never intended to keep my chipper this long, but I know that I want to keep it even when I buy a second one. Its still HUNGRY.

Its great to buy what you want in the end. Sometimes you need stepping stones.


Look into a grapple-truck greenwaste service.



What is your budget and tow vehicle capacity (weight and chips)? How much do you chip onsite, not hauling?
 
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  • #30
Hi Sean, budget is $6k. Towing capacity is 7000 lbs. I want to limit hauling to 2000lbs max. So far I have been hauling brush with a 7 by 12 trailer and chipped offsite. Looking at the previous year of work, I could have chipped and left the chips onsite most of the time.
 
If you find a Brush Bandit 95XP then jump on it. You can pull it with a Toyota Tacoma or similar truck easily. A lot of chipper for the size.
 
That would have to be a gas power plant to be a 95XP and light enough for a Tacoma right Brian? I think that would be an excellent chipper. My 9 inch Bandit with diesel weighs 5300 lbs. I think dealer info says a base model like mine with gas is 4400 lbs. I rented one of those that was brand new. It chipped like crazy with a 40 horse gas engine.
 
The one I bought a year and a half ago and sold to Chris in NH was gas. Direct drive, no clutch. I hauled it up to Virginia w my F150 and he hauled it home from there w his Toyota. He said he almost forgot he was towing it except for braking.
 
Had hoped 9" bandits to be lighter.

My 4400 pound, light tongue-weight chipper was a lot for my 1/2 ton 2wd gmc, full of tools and two guys.

Tongue weight is important to towing, and moving with a mini, onsite.
 
:) .......That's a pretty big 'except' Brian. In CA any trailer over 2,000 lbs is supposed to have brakes. Because in tree work it's so easy to be pushing up against the legal limits on hauling weight in every other way I have always wanted to have brakes even on a 1,800 lb 6 inch chipper.

I know a good driver watching far enough down the road and braking early can get away with a lot but, if the unforeseen ever happened, having brakes would be cheap insurance indeed. (Dexter axles that have the 4 holes to add electric brakes only cost 3 or 4 hundred to add it.)

The 7 inch 75XP is supposed to weigh in at 1800 lbs Sean. And it can be had with the same gas engine as the 9 inch. I was all set up to travel a few hours to a shop that rented that model and give it a try when I decided to go with a 9 inch instead.

I have a 12 inch air tire on the tongue of my 6 inch and have saved a bunch of work by just pushing it back into place by hand. Have yet to move it back on a property with the Avant but suspect there will be a time that that will make a job or few.
 
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  • #37
Well, I tried 4 chippers so far. Vermeer BC600XL, Rayco RC6D, Boxer X7 and Altec DC610. All had between 500 and 800 hours. One of them was full of water that froze around the disc/anvil. I went back to see it when it thawed. So far the Altec is the cleanest and the best feeder. The test material ranged between oak, ash and maple. I think I can get the Altec for $4k but the recent snow storm and ice on trees might motivate other buyers. I want to keep under 3000lbs until I get a bigger truck. Of course, I would like to get a 12" Morbark or Bandit and an F450 with a 1/3 tool and 2/3 chip body but that's for the "Things you've always wanted to own" thread.
 
Freezing water bulges and bursts steel!!!!

What is the altec throat dimensions?

6x6 SUCKS, but is way better than a trailer.
 
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  • #40
6 by 10 opening. I am glad I saw the ice. At least the seller did not hide the neglect.
 
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  • #41
Bought the Altec. 590hrs. Ordered a spare set of knives and bolts. So far so good. investment.jpg
 
Yesss! Now get a torque wrench and sockets and wrenches of every size you need.
I have a dedicated 'chipper toolbox' with everything I need to change knives and adjust the anvil, that way nothing gets misplaced on another job.
 
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  • #45
Thanks. Dedicated tool box is a good point. I am thinking of carrying a spare belt along with the spare set of knives. Pool came with the house, when I close my eyes I see a workshop on top of it.
 
Shouldn’t need to carry that stuff, just keep it on hand at home. Knives and belts give you ample warning notice that they shouldn’t become an on the job emergency. Nice looking ma-chine. Hope it serves you well
 
Slide off the ship to into the pool.

Congrats on the chipper!

Consider checking the knife bolts' torque.

Hardware stores around here have drop off and pick up for sharpening service, $0.60-1.00/ inch.
Anvil Gap and condition are important.
 
Well I sure was glad I had toolbox and spares when we chipped the 3/8 bolt...saved the work day.
 
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