The Wee Chipper Club

[bolthole]

4 minutes ago, GA Groundcare said:

Whizz the starter motor off, it sounds like that's your trouble if you're getting 12v down it on crank.

 

Bench test it, quite simple to do. You'll need a set of jump leads, a short length of single core cable and a loose battery.

 

If you aren't sure how to do it, stick the positive jump lead onto the positive of the starter motor, earth the starter using the negative jump lead through the starter body,  connect the positive and negative onto the slave battery as usual, then add 12v using your small single core cable from the battery positive to where the exciter wire fits.

 

Would recommend lightly clamping the starter motor in a vice.

 

Thanks! I'll let you know how I get on...

[doobin]

4 hours ago, GA Groundcare said:

Whizz the starter motor off, it sounds like that's your trouble if you're getting 12v down the exciter on crank.

 

Bench test it, quite simple to do. You'll need a set of jump leads, a short length of single core cable and a loose battery.

 

If you aren't sure how to do it, lightly clamp the starter motor in a vice. Stick the positive jump lead onto the positive of the starter motor, earth the starter using the negative jump lead by the starter body, connect the positive and negative leads onto the slave battery as usual, then add 12v using your small single core cable from the battery positive to where the exciter wire fits. If nothing, then new starter motor time. Looking at the photos I can see its a 2010 machine so could well be 10 years old...

 

 

 

Will still give you nothing if the terminals are corroded. Best to check them first on the machine 

[bolthole]

On 27/04/2020 at 18:00, bolthole said:

Okay - quick update... it was the fuel filter.

Completely gunked up. Replaced it now and that bit is fixed.

Quick update - changing the filter did seem to fix it, but it stopped again after about 10 minutes running on idle.

I checked the vacuum operarated fuel pump by removing the spark plugs, removing the pipe that leads to the carb and replacing it with a length of clear plastic tubing; I then turned the engine over with the starter cord with the clear tube tucked into the back of the big red emergency stop button on top of the infeed chute. The pump did indeed push clean petrol up the tube against gravity.

Then I took the air filter off, removed the two 10mm bolts in the top of the carb which held in the filter bracket and removed the filter seat. This allowed me access to the top of the carb, which could be removed with 4 x screws. The float valve just lifts out, but watch out for the float valve needle thing which is very loosly held and easily dropped. A quick look in the top of the carb showed it to be full of crap.

I took the carb off completely which involves removing the big side cover, various brackets and the inlet manifold - all pretty straightforward) and blew out all the air ways and jets with the air line.

It's almost back together now so I'll update the post when I have tried to start it.

[bolthole]

11 hours ago, bolthole said:

Quick update - changing the filter did seem to fix it, but it stopped again after about 10 minutes running on idle.

I checked the vacuum operarated fuel pump by removing the spark plugs, removing the pipe that leads to the carb and replacing it with a length of clear plastic tubing; I then turned the engine over with the starter cord with the clear tube tucked into the back of the big red emergency stop button on top of the infeed chute. The pump did indeed push clean petrol up the tube against gravity.

Then I took the air filter off, removed the two 10mm bolts in the top of the carb which held in the filter bracket and removed the filter seat. This allowed me access to the top of the carb, which could be removed with 4 x screws. The float valve just lifts out, but watch out for the float valve needle thing which is very loosly held and easily dropped. A quick look in the top of the carb showed it to be full of crap.

I took the carb off completely which involves removing the big side cover, various brackets and the inlet manifold - all pretty straightforward) and blew out all the air ways and jets with the air line.

It's almost back together now so I'll update the post when I have tried to start it.

Yup.... it's running properly again.

Now... that starter...

[green heart]

I just wondered if I've got the oldest small chipper here, still -occasionally- in use after 22 years, I think ! 

It only really gets used when we can't shoe-horn a bigger chipper in, these days -but could this be a record ?

It's a Cramer 450, on a solid steel trolley base, with an 18 hp Kohler, purchased from SCH at Ipswich. It must have done a few hours, over the years. Never had to touch the engine once, apart from plugs and the usual consumables, occasional bodywork/exhaust welds.

With new blades and chipping 1" - 3" wood, I think it's as fast as our Timberwolf ; happily takes 4", and produces clean chippings. Could be a bit lighter to pull around, but hey !

 

[Bloom]

Do any of you guys use your wee chipper to chip into a mini dumper (muck truck or similar) then load into tipper? I've read most of this thread at various times, think I saw it somewhere but wondering on the practical application of it. Seems like a decent idea. Keep all the mess in the one area, removes long drags. 

 

 

 

 

[nepia]

Only once when some very friendly Polish guys insisted we chip into their scissor lift tracked barrow so they could tip into my Navara, all to save us the drag.  Yes, they did get beers;  they were top guys!

 

I can see how you'd save the drag but you'd need an extra vehicle or trailer to get the muck truck to site.  Worth it?  Perhaps yes if you put wee chipper on big trailer and hence have the space.

[Dan Maynard]

Keep all the mess in one area and avoid the long drags is where the wee chipper wins, keep it simple idea is the wheelie bin. Once you're done you can strap it on top of the chip pile so it doesn't take up any chip room. Also great for sawdust/rakings.

[nepia]

Well yes - ish.  But filling a wheelie bin takes 2 minutes and then you've got that long drag to empty it.

Been there, dumped the idea; I live with the drag where it's needed.

[Josh u a Tree]

6 hours ago, Bloom said:

Do any of you guys use your wee chipper to chip into a mini dumper (muck truck or similar) then load into tipper? I've read most of this thread at various times, think I saw it somewhere but wondering on the practical application of it. Seems like a decent idea. Keep all the mess in the one area, removes long drags. 

 

 

 

 

I have been running stacks of branches to the street and did that for a few years and then switched to shredding in a wheelie-bin and my conclusion is that the time savings are quite good.  Do the math: 60 runs of 50 yards with a stack of branches (and back) or 5 times with a bin. I saved hours on a day. Of course, it should be taken into account that the time savings disappear if you have several groundmen to walk back and forth for you.

The trick is that the loadable volume must be high. I load up to 300 liters of chips in one run. And it prevents you from damaging plants alongside the garden path.