Where do the stolen chippers go?

[Mick Dempsey]

I see reports of stolen chippers almost every day.

But where do they go? I doubt Eastern Europe has much call for them, they don’t bother too much with smaller chippers, using grab lorries and stuffing the lot into a bin from what I see on the net.

I have never heard or been offered one here in France.

There has to be some sort of market or they wouldn’t get lifted so often.

So what’s happening to them? My personal theory is the engines are being stripped and sold separately.

Anyone able to shed light, or even any theories on this?

 

[peds]

They are all in one massive shed for a guy with a very specific fetish. 

[Mark Bolam]

I’m not sure about the engine thing Mick.

For instance a TW 160 is about £14k, the engine is less than £2k new.

The figures don’t make sense.

 

I agree about Eastern Europe, unless everyone in Romania has a chipper by now!

 

It’s baffling.

 

Beechwood in Coventry had a Forst stolen yesterday, painted in company colours. That would be very difficult to shift.

[sime42]

A lot must end up being used by the "Trees lopped, topped and pruned, drives tarmacked and gutters cleaned" outfits.

[MattyF]

I know where some go , dealerships have staff with drug problems who work in cooperation with traveler gangs who are also responsible for distribution for large amounts of badly cut coke and a number of other shit drugs and most of the plant thefts and small armed robbery's across the UK.
I was offered jensons nearly new for 3k and they would get serviced once a year for £300 by a mechanic who I presumed worked and pointed out there locations and specs to the gangs from the dealership.
I knew two crews in north herts and Bedfordshire who ran these jensons, can imagine it's the same across the country.
To be honest that's why I would not post any equipment on this forum as I would not trust half the people in this industry.

[David Cropper]

2 hours ago, Mick Dempsey said:

I see reports of stolen chippers almost every day.

But where do they go? I doubt Eastern Europe has much call for them, they don’t bother too much with smaller chippers, using grab lorries and stuffing the lot into a bin from what I see on the net.

I have never heard or been offered one here in France.

There has to be some sort of market or they wouldn’t get lifted so often.

So what’s happening to them? My personal theory is the engines are being stripped and sold separately.

Anyone able to shed light, or even any theories on this?

 

Call me cynical,  but Stuart Lee seems awfully quiet on the subject of chippers at the moment. Just a thought.

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, Mark Bolam said:

I’m not sure about the engine thing Mick.

For instance a TW 160 is about £14k, the engine is less than £2k new.

The point being that the new cost has nothing to do with it, it's the return to the thief that's the only consideration.

 

The tinwork, running gear etc. can all be weighted in hidden in the boot of a scrap car and starters, engines, batteries and alternators either sold or weighed in separately. The flywheel and chassis are then unidentifiable heavy iron, if the thief gets 400quid it's enough for them.

 

The two thefts from my old firm that I dealt with were both found whole, one in an estate car park waiting to see if the tracker was working and the other after it had been sold on a couple of times to a firm of arborists.

[lux]

I know where some go , dealerships have staff with drug problems who work in cooperation with traveler gangs who are also responsible for distribution for large amounts of badly cut coke and a number of other shit drugs and most of the plant thefts and small armed robbery's across the UK.
I was offered jensons nearly new for 3k and they would get serviced once a year for £300 by a mechanic who I presumed worked and pointed out there locations and specs to the gangs from the dealership.
I knew two crews in north herts and Bedfordshire who ran these jensons, can imagine it's the same across the country.
To be honest that's why I would not post any equipment on this forum as I would not trust half the people in this industry.

Sounds like you had good intelligence to help with a ‘sting’ style operation that could of proved fruitful for the authorities or assisted with grounds for surveillance on organised crime gangs. Or perhaps recovered the two stolen chippers in use by presumably two shonky tree outfits.
Did you pass it on.?

[Mark Bolam]

Some food for thought here for sure.

 

Anyone who buys a chipper without checking serial numbers etc. with the manufacturer is basically as bad as the thieves.

[Peasgood]

5 minutes ago, lux said:

Sounds like you had good intelligence to help with a ‘sting’ style operation that could of proved fruitful for the authorities or assisted with grounds for surveillance on organised crime gangs. Or perhaps recovered the two stolen chippers in use by presumably two shonky tree outfits.
Did you pass it on.?

Who to?

The police have very little interest in such things and seem very reluctant in pursuing these people.