3 point chipper

[LeeB]

I'm considering buying a pto driven chipper for use with my 30 horse tractor. Any opinions or recommendations?

[Holmes]

 I have a Patu 4" chipper.  With sharp blades it works well and self feeds. It is fine for branches  but not brushy brush, meaning it will pull the stems in but not a pile of brush. Manual loading is a lot of hard work. 5 years ago it was fun to use now it is tiring.

[Furu]

Look at Salsco.  They make several different sizes that would work fine for you.  It is a fantastic chipper.  I have a 6210XT which would be a bit much for your tractor but they make a smaller one as well.

[moosehunter]

I have a Valby 260 with power feed.Run it with a 43hp 'bota, it is rated to work with 20-40 hp. Power feed is more of a safety accessory than a "makes it easier" accessory! It does make it easier but controlling the feed rate is very important and may save you some fingers!

[Amelia Farms]

I have a Wallenstein that I run behind a 40hp John Deere. I have to say it is one of the best quality implements I have ever bought. I have run a lot of stuff thru it, and it still works and looks like new. I have clogged it up a few times and broken the shear bolt a few times. It is quick and easy to clear when it gets clogged. I highly recommend them.

[Piston]

They don't make them anymore, but I have a Vermeer 606 PTO chipper.  It is extremely heavy duty and if you can find one used it is a great way to get a chipper that will last forever.  Mine has the hydraulic feed which is powered by a self contained hydraulic system run off the PTO at the chipper, so you do not need rear hydraulics on the tractor.  It will chip 6".  Check the rear lift of your tractor though because they are close to twice the weight of the chippers made today. 

Furu has one heck of a nice chipper as well, even with the feed sensor though, you wouldn't be able to chip near the 10" capacity.

I would say take a hard look at the Wallenstein BX42R, or 62R.  4" and 6" diameter respectively.  You may struggle with 6" at 30PTO hp but it is nice to have the additional "space" when you have a knarly shaped limb. 

Also, the nice part about the Wallenstein, is that they have a rectangular opening, for instance the 42R has an opening of 4"x10", so you can use it to chip slabs off the mill, I wish mine had that. 

I would be buying a Wallenstein BX62R if I were looking new, for my purposes.  Hydraulic feed is reeeeaaalllly nice, it's almost even worth the money!  :D

[ST Ranch]

I have a PATU chipper with manual feed and a throat size of 7 inches  - it will chip slabs from the mill quite nicely, but shorter pieces are a pain with out the hydrallic infeed.
If buying and you cab afford it, get one with the hydrallic feed - much safer and far less time standing around feeding the pieces into the hopper.
Tom

[maple flats]

I also have a PATU chipper, rated at 6" (the throat is about 7" I think). I run it on my 25 HP compact Ford diesel (model 1700). It does very well on green wood up to about 5" diameter with my tractor, or 4" dry. For 6" I sometimes need to stop the feed (I can easily stop the feed by pulling back) and let the chipper get back up to speed and then feed again. Mine is manual feed but with sharp knives it draws everything in without pushing unless it has limbs to stop it. I rarely chip larger than 4" because that goes into my maple syrup evaporator real nice. With a 30 HP tractor you would do very well on a 6" chipper. Also, mine has 4 knives and I could remove 2 opposite ones and could chip 6" all day long but I've never done that, yet.

[wesdor]

Another vote for the Wallenstein.  I've had one for several years and it is well built.  To me the simple design makes it a great machine. 

Wallenstein is a Canadian company and I think their quality is tops.

[johncinquo]

Another wallenstein here.  I used a cheap chinese one and was not happy.  Even on my cheap chinese tractor!  I have the 4", anything over that I use for firewood.  It makes fast chips out of any limbs.  Brush however, will clog it quick.  They make another version that will handle brush, but they call it a mulching machine.  I wanted chips for landscaping, but its a bother to get it plugged up with tree tops.  I have a vermeer 620 that handles it all, but it is a bother moving it around and keeping another machine up and running all the time.  Wallensteins are more pricey, but they also maintain their value better.

[thecfarm]

LeeB,what's the plan for the chipper? I cut my brush up in short pieces in the woods. Does not take long for it to go back into the soil. Than the next year I can drive through it with my tractor.

[LeeB]

Just for stuff around the house and some clean up from around the mill. Chips for Lindy's flower beds. I tend to burn a lot of stuff and don't really like to take that risk when it's dry, so it ends up in piles around the house which is a fire and insect hazard in itself. Besides, I always want more toys.

[thecfarm]

Toys are good. I use to buy chips from a small sawmill. He would charge $3 a pick up load.I would give him $5 and that was still a bargain. Had to load yourself.

[pnyberg]

I also have the Wallenstein with the 4" capacity.  I have also found that green brush will clog it up pretty quickly.  If it's allowed to dry some though brush will go through without a problem.  I'm still experimenting to see how long it needs to dry.  I'm thinking if twigs will break rather than bend they won't clog the chipper, but that's an untested theory.

--Peter

[LeeB]

So, how big of stock can you run through a mulcher?

[Piston]

Did you mean shredder, rather than mulcher?  I know that Wallenstein makes the BXM42, and I believe 32, with up to 4" chipping capacity, but for the shredder it's only up to 1 or 2" which should be all you need for small twigs and brush. 

I believe for me, and my situation, I'd be much happier with the larger 6" capacity that I have on a dedicated chipper, vs. the smaller 4" chipping capacity on the combination chipper/shredder, but that is just for me, your situation is most likely different. 

http://www.woodwardcrossings.com/Pages/Pages_11-04/Farm/chipper_guide/bxm32and42.html
Every think I remember reading from others on the shredder is that they are very happy with them.  I don't have any personal experience with the shredders however.

[den]

I vote for
Wallenstein BXM42
A solid built 800lb. machine

[redbeard]

Wallienstien vote here also. I have a goosen and  run it on my 50hp JD the belt driven chippers are a bit more maintaince. The wallienstiens are built well and simple.

[Peter Drouin]

I was going to get a 3 point one but a friend said it would take out the pto gears from all the banging of chipping, I don't know if true so I got a Morbark with its own engine.

[maple flats]

I was going to get a 3 point one but a friend said it would take out the pto gears from all the banging of chipping, I don't know if true so I got a Morbark with its own engine.

A PTO chipper will not take out the gears. I sold PATU chippers for about 15 years, never any issues. I think they may now carry a new name, Kelsa Oye or something similar. I retired from that 14 yrs ago.