The Wee Chipper Club

[Frod]

I had one of the first few M250s Dean at Global delivered and in the last 9 months or so it has served me pretty well. It only comes out 3 or 4 times a month as and when I have my own jobs on but it works well when required.

It has its limitations, it'll only happily chip about 3 inches but if you're careful you can push those limits to a certain extent. You also can't just stuff the shoot full of hedge clippings and force them through, but at the same time, if you do get things blocked up it isn't hard to open the machine and get everything running again.

It's light and easy to man handle, I can load it onto my trailer easily enough on my own up ramps and it will push along on rough ground without issues but I did make a tow hitch for it so it can be towed around my field when required. That saves a lot of effort but it's definitely not for the road or for any sort of speed!

The engine is good, though where JB have saved money is probably the drum bearings perhaps (nothing has gone wrong but they aren't the best I've ever seen) and also you do have to keep an eye on all the bolts as they have a tendency to work loose every time the machine is used. Nothing too bad but just worth checking things are tight when you use it! If I was to be picky, the chute is a bit on the low side and it doesn't through the chip as far as some other wee chippers but chipping either onto the floor or into a bin, neither are too bad and when chipping into a trailer, you can manage ok. The other main downside is it is slow, you have to prep brash more rather than just putting gnarly stuff through expecting it to just chew it up.

Overall it is a great machine for the price. Sure, I'd have liked getting an M400 or M500 but the M500 is over twice the price and I can't say it'd be twice the machine. If you want to make firewood out of 4" timber and then chip the small stuff, it's a fairly good bit of kit.

[GlobalNewark]

The M250 was built as a basic, no options model to compete with other cheaper brands. Although JB can not match some of these we have narrowed the gap, it works well for customers who do not want to use a machine constantly & cannot justify the cost. The main cost saving is the B&S engine from the Honda, there is no quick release or rotating chute, it has the benefit of the. 13hp without the extra cost. The hopper is made in different sections instead of one formed section, warranty is the same as the rest of the range.

[PeteB]

Showed a CS100 to a potential customer the other day and I have to at that a good weekend chipper is a delight to use! I forgot to turn the fuel on and it died with a load of birch half done. Took the belt cover off, turned the drum backwards by hand, replaced the cover and it started straight away and we carried on. Lovely little machine, wished they were around when I did tree work years ago, I wouldn't have back issues now from dragging etc!

[billpierce]

The M250 was built as a basic, no options model to compete with other cheaper brands. Although JB can not match some of these we have narrowed the gap, it works well for customers who do not want to use a machine constantly & cannot justify the cost. The main cost saving is the B&S engine from the Honda, there is no quick release or rotating chute, it has the benefit of the. 13hp without the extra cost. The hopper is made in different sections instead of one formed section, warranty is the same as the rest of the range.

Roughly how much is the 250?

[Stephen Blair]

Pete if that happens again, leave the fuel off. Pull the brash out, tip her on her back and climb in the hopper. Clear out the crud like a spawning frog and pass it back, then roll the blades back a smidge and that will give you the last crud.
Fuel on, choke and 1 chance to fire her up, then stick the blower down and blast it out.
If you choke up the spout with a heavy wet bit, take spout off, get pokey stick and scoop out mush, obviously not putt hand in, look in the hopper and brush out the excess chip( always have a shovey brush on site). Then full throttle and blown down.

[GeorgeM]

Thanks @Frod and @GlobalNewark for the input. After also talking with JoBeau, I decided to get the M250. Seems to be a good match as long as it's not used daily. (Random trivia: I had no idea that the number in the JB model name indicates the width in mm of the drum, so the M250 comes with 25 cm blades) JB says the quality and thickness of materials is exactly the same as in the M300, same bearings, blades, etc. just overall a simpler structure, fewer welding points, and of course the B&S engine instead of Honda.

 

Now my challenge is actually getting a unit to Switzerland (which is where I live). Turns out JB used to have an importer here, but not anymore, so they say I need to make my own arrangements to ship from Belgium. Sounds pretty risky. Makes me wonder if I'll have to pay to ship it back if it's dead on arrival (but without visible damage). Has anyone done something like this?

Edited September 21, 2017 by GeorgeM

[GlobalNewark]

Roughly how much is the 250?

£2670+vat

[carpenter1]

What chipper would you recommend up to 3 inch really,  and good for hedge cuttings 

 

Pto, or own engine 

 

What sort of price am I looking at?

[Ty Korrigan]

On 21/09/2017 at 21:50, GeorgeM said:

Thanks @Frod and @GlobalNewark for the input. After also talking with JoBeau, I decided to get the M250. Seems to be a good match as long as it's not used daily. (Random trivia: I had no idea that the number in the JB model name indicates the width in mm of the drum, so the M250 comes with 25 cm blades) JB says the quality and thickness of materials is exactly the same as in the M300, same bearings, blades, etc. just overall a simpler structure, fewer welding points, and of course the B&S engine instead of Honda.

 

Now my challenge is actually getting a unit to Switzerland (which is where I live). Turns out JB used to have an importer here, but not anymore, so they say I need to make my own arrangements to ship from Belgium. Sounds pretty risky. Makes me wonder if I'll have to pay to ship it back if it's dead on arrival (but without visible damage). Has anyone done something like this?

Drive why not?

 Calais Dover in dead of night for a few beans.

Tescos shop on for goodies on way back.

OR... is there an Angloinfo site for Eastern France or Switzerland?

Ask on there for transporters.

  Ty

[Ty Korrigan]

Anyone seen or use one of these?

http://www.rabaud.com/en/products/wood-chipper-shredder/wood-chipper-self-propelled-xylochip-100da.html?filiere=forestiere

 

It self propelled and has large single roller with no stress but I can't see why it should have a gravity feed style chute.

12850euros inc vat 

Made in France.