pto driven chippers

[tree-farmer]

Recently purchased a Kubota L3400 [34 hp]tractor and have been looking at getting a PTO driven chipper for brush and stuff to small for firewood, (to dry to burn this year)
Can anyone recomend makes or models, or have any personl experience with one of these rigs?
Any advise, recomendations, or informantion anyone would be willing to share would be appreciated.

:P

[Dave Shepard]

If you can, get one with a hydraulic infeed wheel. I used one that you had to stuff the branches in, and unless they were perfectly straight, it didn't work very well. It was traded in for a hydraulic model shortly after I borrowed it.


Dave

[thedeeredude]

We have a Kubota 3400 at work with a three point bandit 65 chipper.  Works pretty good, but it does need weights on the front end.  If you dont have weights it will be nasty to drive on hills or if you, cough cough, accidentally let the clutch out with the gas pedal down and pull a wheely and the chipper hits the ground.  But I dont know anyone that happened to :  I cant speak for the trailer models though.  The chipper does work nice, it eats branches up to 6" and it has a hydraulic infeed wheel that pulls stuff through to the cutterhead.

[Brian_Rhoad]

I have a Valby that is set up stationary that I use to chip slabs. They have several sizes depending on tractor size. North East Implement is the distridutor for Valby in the US.


http://www.valbysales.com/

[sawguy21]

I have sold a few Bearcat chippers and only heard from the customers when they needed belts and knives. The company, now owned by Echo, must be doing something right.

[dancan]

I have run a few bandits (self powered) but have not seen any pto's in action except for the Farmi video's that they have on their website .If i could get mine feed in brush like that and to spit chips out like that i'd be smiling all day because it beats mine hands down .

[wesdor]

I have a Deere 4310 - just a tiny bit smaller than your 3400, but essentially the same size.  I bought a Wallenstein in August.  As I recall it was $2500.  The salesman talked me out of the hydraulic feed.  Instead, he suggested that I take it home and try it.  If I felt it needed the hydraulic feed he would sell it to me as if I had bought them all at the same time. 

The Wallenstein is designed so that branches feed into it.  A year ago, I rented a big Vermier chipper that had the mechanical feed.  It was great to work with and I had that as my bench mark to compare this PTO chipper.  I'd say that the Wallenstein does a great job of pulling the material in and was surprised that it did so.

One detail - anything bigger than 3 inches diameter is firewood to me, so I don't put huge stuff through the chipper.

The local dealer treated me really well and I know they do internet sales.  You might enjoy visiting their website:
http://www.iowafarmequipment.com/

[Polly]

 i bought a wallenstein chipper last spring i got the one that takes a tractor with at least 50 hp pto no problem with manual feed best thing i ever done seems like it was 3,000  including freight   8) 8)                 

[OneWithWood]

I have a Cleary Bearcat chipper/shredder that I power with a JD670 18hp tractor.  It does a good job but I am sure it would do a super job behind a 30hp unit.

[tree-farmer]

 thanks for all the input folks, it sure is great to have some many people willing to share thier knowledge and experiences.

now does anybody know how to convince SWMBO (she who must be obeyed) that I really need one of these chippers? The tractor was a easy sell once she realized it could be used to arrange (big) rocks in her flower beds, and haul top soil from the woods.

Lets see, maybe if I tell her its a high perfomance garbage disposal....... 

[Fla._Deadheader]

   : : Endless supply of mulch for them flower beds.  : :

[OneWithWood]

Yep, what FDH said.  Plus, if you don't buy implements for that tractor it will die of lack of exercise.

[Polly]

 8) i am and old retired farmer only thing i kept was my four wheel drive tractor and my woodmizer the tractor drags logs out of woods loads them on the mill moves the slabs and grinds them up  8) now for the excuse part it plows and disk bos garden keeps weeds mowed   :D :D makes her happy and gives me something to do

[tcsmpsi]

Well, since this was brought up, and no one has yet mentioned it, anyone have any input on the DR PTO driven chipper? 

[KGNC]

I was looking at a Wallenstein last year. Happen to come across a cheap Chinese chipper that a guy was selling for a widow. It does the job but is a pretty crude design. The cutter assembly seems well built but the feed system is really a stupid design.
I used it a lot last summer but doubt I will need it more than once a year now.