Down sizing chippers.....good idea?

I think that your niche in your market doesn't lend itself too much to a large chipper for most jobs, and when it does, you have the machine for it, with the exception of needing something to crush tough crotches via feed wheels. If you had the access for big equipment, then a huge chipper could make it more productive, however, as I understand it, you're the tight quarters company that will have to bring things down/ out in a relatively small space.

I'm kind in that boat, and couldn't get much more out of a bigger chipper. A chipper winch would be nice, which is why I'm playing with the Simpson Capstan, which I'm hoping will forward chokered brush to/ nearer to the chipper. A lot of my jobs don't have access for machines.

So I guess, it Might be most useful to figure out which smaller chipper is the best bang for your buck.

Throat size will be an important factor.
 
... the special order that helps make my little seven mighty.... feed table is from the next size UP model, same with the axle /tires ... also the Deutz Deisel for a motor one can do a lot with a little sometimes
 
rangerdanger said:
If we ever do replace the chipper I'll definitely be going bigger, like to look into a bigger Woodsman. Guess their owned by Terex now, but either a nice Woodsman or Morbark.
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Try out a Conehead before you pull the trigger on another chipper. FWIW I loved my model 17, hard to beat being such a compact machine that like you say just keeps on chipping. One day Ill get mine bak in service.....
 
PCTREE said:
Try out a Conehead before you pull the trigger on another chipper. FWIW I loved my model 17, hard to beat being such a compact machine that like you say just keeps on chipping. One day Ill get mine bak in service.....
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We will man. Idk if we'll ever replace it, it's still going strong. And I'm trying to get a big dump trailer and switch over to just throwing brush in there on most jobs, and keeping the chipper for jobs with high volumes of brush.
 
FJR said:
Everyone has a different niche and different market, but I am with Paul. I am always looking to improve efficiency, and the fewer cuts the better. It seems like going to a smaller machine would lower your productivity and efficiency for even the 18" dbh removals Eric. There is money in high end pruning for clients with deep pockets, but generally the money is in removals.... and phc.
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Do ya'll need to have permits to remove?
 
What about that bottom feed bar on the 900? Could that suck? Don't you have to hold an override button on the side to prevent that bottom bar from getting activated, meaning that rather than getting the next piece of brush, you are standing there watching the brush get chipped with the autofeed? Have you demo'ed the machine?

What does downsizing mean for trips to the jobsite, and having to take an extra wood hauler vehicle?

How does your set-up negotiate the snow in your part of the world? What do you imagine it would be like with a smaller truck and chipper?

How will that smaller chipper tow and back-up behind your current truck? What is your current truck?

Looks like the 900 might have a nine inch wide throat with the feedwheel lifting up 14", or is it the other way around?

Looks like its supposed to be the big brother to the 625, which blows. Its marketed as a first chipper, for rental operations, and for smaller brush. Its you and your partner, right? Not untrained homeowners or hung-over brush monkeys. I wonder if the 900 is a good choice for what you need, especially after using larger ones?

What is your concern with the weight? Is it just that you are trying to get into a smaller truck, so need a smaller chipper, and save fuel on truck and chipper??? Is your CnD light enough to be pulled by your goal smaller truck?

How much do you fill your truck now, on the typical day? How far is your dump site? How does this work into your overall plan?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #33
We will be demoing the 900 tomorrow. I think you are right about the 9 wide by 14 high which would not be good. The engine only being a 40 hp gasser is also a concern. I never thought about that over ride button. That could suck too.

Our truck is currently a Topkick. I am thinking that our next truck will be a smaller cabover. The cnd would be a great chipper size wise for us but my partner hates it.
All of the other logistical things that you bring up will not be a problem and they are all things that we have discussed.
I think our ideal chipper would be a Bandit 95xp but that won't happen. No service in our area, bad experience with the salesman from Bandit and the fact that we can get a 12" Bandit 200UC for less money than the 95.

We were pretty excited when we first heard about this 9" Vermeer but it seems like they dropped the ball design wise. We figuredwwe would demo it just to see. If it doesn't work out the 1000XL will be our next chipper. That chipper is lighter than what we have now but it just doesn't impress us like we had hoped.
 
i alway's wanted to go big time,but never had the nerve too. i stayed small and with my little outfit i'm sure glad i did.

i sometimes triple tow the chipper,but mostly just behind the log loader.

it's 9 hp and i keep all the wood down to about 1" and chip the remains.
i hand load the small stuff and use the loader to load the truck & the heavy stuff out where it falls.
"hobby logging"...i keep all the wood i get this way. and the wood is free for me to cut,good thing too..lot's of work!
i split the wood that's over 6"-8" in half,and keep all the rest round.
 
Location, Locastion, Location. you have to work with where you are and what the market is. What do your clients pay, like, expect. No one thing that is right for one company and local is perfect for another. We have to adapt to our market and work environment. You would like my little chipper William ;)
 
Exactly, Stephen.

Like I've said before, those big American chippers won't fit into our cities and suburbs here.
In the woods, thogh, different story.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #46
We just finished up the first job with the 900. So far its a pretty nice little chipper. We will see about the rest of the day.
 
I'm really interested to hear how it went. The BC900 is on my short list of possible chippers. I plan on posting the whole list for y'all to pick apart.

I would be happy with something that could handle anything 6" or so, so a 9" would be just fine. And the whole thing comes in just under 3,000 pounds. I'm happy with that.

So....REPORT BACK! :)

love
nick
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #49
Well, we spent the day chipping Ash and Honeylocust. It took everything without having to buck it up. We put several bigger ei, 8-9" branches and it took them fine.... A little slower than what the BC1000 would, but very respectable. It was lighter, quiet, and produced a nice chip. The best part is that it is $10k cheaper than the BC1000. It is very simple and it looks easy to maintain. The only down side I saw from today is that I really think it is a bit under powered. 2012-11-05_10-38-42_242.jpg 2012-11-05_10-38-28_693.jpg
 
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