Setting up

[WoodMouse]

Compare a pile of brash to the pile of chip it creates . This means less trips off the worksite and a more efficient day. You shouldn't be chipping log and you certainly don't need to pay to get rid of them!! You need to create your connections so you can get rid off virtually all your waste either at no cost to yourself or even making a few extra quid. I'm not a groundie anymore, having taken a job as an estate manager, and I will take as much clean chip as people want to give me rather than them needing to pay to get shot of it. Equestrian centres take chip, fishing clubs take chip, Stobarts will even buy it if you have enough and the means of loading it, it's up to you to find who wants it locally to you. As for logs, plenty of people will come up to you asking if they can take the wood. Take a few numbers, suss out which are worth cultivating and tell them they can collect them for free or you will deliver them for a small charge. It's all about networking.

 

Ahh, were on the same page mate. Brash, yes, especially conifers would be straight in the chipper. But surely a 3 inch chipper would handle most if not all springy/twiggy brash. The branch that holds the brash i would strip and split or just cut. Bag up the brash where its cut, and run it to the chipper/truck with a loader. Saves dragging crap and debris across the lawn. Seems like a 5-6 inch chipper would be the thing to have, but im thinking more lik 2-3 inch and handling it like i suggest. Id rather stuff large bags with brash pieces to chip so it can be lifted, than drag huge branches all over peoples property.

 

Do you think this would be something clients would value?

[Steve Bullman]

No in short, it would probably treble the time every job would take you to do.

[felixthelogchopper]

Ahh, were on the same page mate. Brash, yes, especially conifers would be straight in the chipper. But surely a 3 inch chipper would handle most if not all springy/twiggy brash. The branch that holds the brash i would strip and split or just cut. Bag up the brash where its cut, and run it to the chipper/truck with a loader. Saves dragging crap and debris across the lawn. Seems like a 5-6 inch chipper would be the thing to have, but im thinking more lik 2-3 inch and handling it like i suggest. Id rather stuff large bags with brash pieces to chip so it can be lifted, than drag huge branches all over peoples property.

 

Do you think this would be something clients would value?

 

I think you need to consider the balance between the size of jobs you want to do against the amount of kit you want to throw at it. A good clean-up team is invaluable and will always pay dividends in repeat work/recommendations. Do your research and find out what you will get rid of easier, log or chip. If you have a lot of people who want chip, go bigger on the chipper. If you can shift the wood easier, stay small. One thing I would say to you is that, if you are chipping conifer, a bit of wood in the mix always helps get the green stuff through better. You really would do best by working for a few different teams and seeing how their respective set-ups work.

[felixthelogchopper]

No in short, it would probably treble the time every job would take you to do.

 

[daveindales]

Ahh, were on the same page mate. Brash, yes, especially conifers would be straight in the chipper. But surely a 3 inch chipper would handle most if not all springy/twiggy brash. The branch that holds the brash i would strip and split or just cut. Bag up the brash where its cut, and run it to the chipper/truck with a loader. Saves dragging crap and debris across the lawn. Seems like a 5-6 inch chipper would be the thing to have, but im thinking more lik 2-3 inch and handling it like i suggest. Id rather stuff large bags with brash pieces to chip so it can be lifted, than drag huge branches all over peoples property.

 

Do you think this would be something clients would value?

 

Sorry, to be so blunt Woodmouse, but bagging up the brash is totally impractical. Why on earth would you want to do that . MOST people would rather have you drive over a reasonably dry lawn, leaving slight tracks, saving you time and them money. I stress Most, as theres always the odd lawn fanatic, who values his lawn highly. If you had a 2/3 inch chipper, you could probably push it over the lawn, chip it and then bag it. Still a pain in the neck, but anythings better than bagging brash.

 

Best advice I can give you is to get some experience with a competent arborist

[WoodMouse]

No in short, it would probably treble the time every job would take you to do.

 

I've noticed the throughput for the smaller 3 inch Timber-wolves to be very slow. The 'TW 13/75G' for example 0.75 ton an hour. So yea, for an average job i don't think that would keep up. Plus this model doesn't seem to be able to get it into the truck. The 'TW 18/100G' however, seems perfect to me. Guess being the best selling model many people agree. 1.5 tons an hour that one, so pretty much double the output. the smallest Hydraulic chipper is only just 2 tons an hour, but 3k more, and bulky. The TW 18/100G seems to offer the best value for money in terms of size, output. I just hope running a smaller machine would cost less in maintenance.

 

I think you need to consider the balance between the size of jobs you want to do against the amount of kit you want to throw at it. A good clean-up team is invaluable and will always pay dividends in repeat work/recommendations. Do your research and find out what you will get rid of easier, log or chip. If you have a lot of people who want chip, go bigger on the chipper. If you can shift the wood easier, stay small. One thing I would say to you is that, if you are chipping conifer, a bit of wood in the mix always helps get the green stuff through better. You really would do best by working for a few different teams and seeing how their respective set-ups work.

 

Without my own yard it seems the 'Stobart' Bio-Fuel depo's are the place to dump. I was told whatever you dump there, it's all the same. Arb waste obviously. Firewood/charcoal i could see myself selling, and to make money from the Bio-Fuel boys it looks like i'd need some serious plant equip to feed Artic's at a reasonable rate.

 

With all the chippers that get stolen, im trying to find a way to mount it to the truck. I can drive up to 7.5 ton with Grandad rights, so i figure if i have the space, bolt the kit down where i can. And everything else i can Hiab onto a little platform before the tipper section.

[WoodMouse]

Sorry, to be so blunt Woodmouse, but bagging up the brash is totally impractical. Why on earth would you want to do that . MOST people would rather have you drive over a reasonably dry lawn, leaving slight tracks, saving you time and them money. I stress Most, as theres always the odd lawn fanatic, who values his lawn highly. If you had a 2/3 inch chipper, you could probably push it over the lawn, chip it and then bag it. Still a pain in the neck, but anythings better than bagging brash.

 

Best advice I can give you is to get some experience with a competent arborist

 

That was the other option i was considering. It's the lawn lovers, that i hope to woo with my 2-3 psi lawn compression figure. A adult standing would exert about 5 psi. I'd like to be the kinda guy that could remove every tree from the Chealsea Flower show without leaving a trace.

[WoodMouse]

Dave, be as blunt as you like mate. I'm here to learn, and yea more experience is needed, i've only had one day with a team so far.

[skyhuck]

A lawn will recover very quickly from foot damage, those with nice lawns will know this.

[daveindales]

I'm sure you'll learn a lot from arbtalk. You can usually get some good advice from most people on hear. I'm sure the feedback from this thread had given you some good ideas, and knocked some on the head. Keep asking the questions, and good luck