The Wee Chipper Club

[Kent Arboreal]

Any recommendations for a small chipper? I had a 18hp Hyundai thing a few years ago which was a bit rubbish. Upgraded to a nice towable Timberwolf but sold it to go towards a house deposit. I rent at the moment at £105 a day but it’s a bit of a pain in the arse to keep picking it up and comes up expensive over a month.

[nepia]

How about GA Groundcare's CS100 above?  I don't think I've ever heard anyone describe them as a bit rubbish!

[doobin]

18 hours ago, Kent Arboreal said:

Any recommendations for a small chipper? I had a 18hp Hyundai thing a few years ago which was a bit rubbish. Upgraded to a nice towable Timberwolf but sold it to go towards a house deposit. I rent at the moment at £105 a day but it’s a bit of a pain in the arse to keep picking it up and comes up expensive over a month.

You need to define how small. Any 'wee' drum chipper is going to be 'a bit rubbish' compared to a roller fed 6" towable.

[doobin]

OK, so I tried the tracked dumper and wee chipper on a laurel hedge reduction today. Very impressed. Ten loads in the dumper in total, just tipped over the edge of the truck. Saved god knows how much dragging. As fast as the climber chucked it down I had it snedded and through the chipper. Every time I brought the dumper back I parked it a few feet forward and then moved the chipper along the hedge too, the swivel spout meant I was always facing the right way for loading. With each trip out, I loaded some larger logs (4" plus) on top of the chip to chuck in the truck.

 

Surprisingly little overspray, only when reaching the limit of the dumper skip capacity.Add some compost sides and I think this will be my go-to method for back garden jobs. I reckon each single trip with the dumper saved ten trips dragging brash. £500 plus vat, we were done by 11. And the missus is happy because that meant I had time to take the lads round mine and remove the Hunter Herald and fit the Jotul F100 in 'blue black enamel' that I nabbed for £250 last night!

 

The chipper had new blades, and it was very quick indeed. I've also received my CBN grinding cup in the post from China, so will update with results once I've tried that in the mill on an old blade. Should give a good edge.

 

Another tip- spray your wee chipper blades with Waxoyl to keep them from rusting inbetween jobs. only takes ten seconds with an aerosol.

 

Edited November 24, 2021 by doobin

[Dan Maynard]

Sounds good, on the right job taking the chipper to the tree is so much better.

I've made a monster box on top of my muck truck, I don't think you can approach the weight capacity so may as well just put more chip.

[Dan Maynard]

OK, so I tried the tracked dumper and wee chipper on a laurel hedge reduction today. Very impressed. Ten loads in the dumper in total, just tipped over the edge of the truck. Saved god knows how much dragging. As fast as the climber chucked it down I had it snedded and through the chipper. Every time I brought the dumper back I parked it a few feet forward and then moved the chipper along the hedge too, the swivel spout meant I was always facing the right way for loading. With each trip out, I loaded some larger logs (4" plus) on top of the chip to chuck in the truck.
 
Surprisingly little overspray, only when reaching the limit of the dumper skip capacity.Add some compost sides and I think this will be my go-to method for back garden jobs. I reckon each single trip with the dumper saved ten trips dragging brash. £500 plus vat, we were done by 11. And the missus is happy because that meant I had time to take the lads round mine and remove the Hunter Herald and fit the Jotul F100 in 'blue black enamel' that I nabbed for £250 last night!
 
The chipper had new blades, and it was very quick indeed. I've also received my CBN grinding cup in the post from China, so will update with results once I've tried that in the mill on an old blade. Should give a good edge.
 
Another tip- spray your wee chipper blades with Waxoyl to keep them from rusting inbetween jobs. only takes ten seconds with an aerosol.
 

I meant to add, do you reckon you'll have the rpm on a mill to run CBN wheel? I have a mill so could set something up.

[Conor Wright]

My little gtm wee chipper, no muck truck yet but the big barrow does the job for now. A swivel chute would make it far more versatile but its a gutsy little chipper and I'm regularly impressed by what it will gobble!

[doobin]

56 minutes ago, Conor Wright said:

My little gtm wee chipper, no muck truck yet but the big barrow does the job for now. A swivel chute would make it far more versatile but its a gutsy little chipper and I'm regularly impressed by what it will gobble!

That’s the stuff! I was putting Laurel three times the length and girth of those bits (heavy reduction) and it gobbled it all. Only stalled it on the last branch. 

[doobin]

1 hour ago, Dan Maynard said:

1 hour ago, doobin said:

OK, so I tried the tracked dumper and wee chipper on a laurel hedge reduction today. Very impressed. Ten loads in the dumper in total, just tipped over the edge of the truck. Saved god knows how much dragging. As fast as the climber chucked it down I had it snedded and through the chipper. Every time I brought the dumper back I parked it a few feet forward and then moved the chipper along the hedge too, the swivel spout meant I was always facing the right way for loading. With each trip out, I loaded some larger logs (4" plus) on top of the chip to chuck in the truck.
 
Surprisingly little overspray, only when reaching the limit of the dumper skip capacity.Add some compost sides and I think this will be my go-to method for back garden jobs. I reckon each single trip with the dumper saved ten trips dragging brash. £500 plus vat, we were done by 11. And the missus is happy because that meant I had time to take the lads round mine and remove the Hunter Herald and fit the Jotul F100 in 'blue black enamel' that I nabbed for £250 last night!
 
The chipper had new blades, and it was very quick indeed. I've also received my CBN grinding cup in the post from China, so will update with results once I've tried that in the mill on an old blade. Should give a good edge.
 
Another tip- spray your wee chipper blades with Waxoyl to keep them from rusting inbetween jobs. only takes ten seconds with an aerosol.
 

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I meant to add, do you reckon you'll have the rpm on a mill to run CBN wheel? I have a mill so could set something up.

Can’t see why not. Need to look up sfm for it but the cup is 100mm wide so guessing around 500rpm. Mill goes up to 2000 if needed. 

 

Even running slowly CBN will absolutely hog material off compared to a normal wheel. 

Edited November 24, 2021 by doobin

[nepia]

13 hours ago, doobin said:

Another tip- spray your wee chipper blades with Waxoyl to keep them from rusting inbetween jobs. only takes ten seconds with an aerosol.

 

Well I'm glad it's not just me:  I've always thought it takes a few minutes for my wee chipper to get up to max performance as the drum and blades get lubricated with sap, dew etc; you're right - they work better when not bone dry