Micro chippers

[NW Garden Services]

Hi Rob, I've had a CS100 for about a year and a half and it's coped well with everything I've needed it, for although I don't use it every day. You do need to keep the blades sharp though and new ones aren't cheap!

[rgeparker]

Thanks guys. All of your replies are very helpful. I'm thinking the micro chipper route is definitely the way to go. I've not long set up on my own, but the majority of the jobs I've looked at already have been narrow access, chip on the spot type affairs. Most people want to keep the logs nowadays anyway so it's predominantly just smaller brushwood I'd be chipping (in the foreseeable future anyway). As already mentioned, as and when the business grows, and I get busier, I guess I can supplement with larger equipment, but just hire in a larger machine for the time being (if a job is asking too much of a cs100 or jo beau).

One more question, which I have asked before in a different thread, but as we're discussing these machines, didn't think it would hurt to ask again- how do you guys carry your micro chippers around? Small trailers?

Cheers. Rob

[nepia]

The best answer to that is probably here http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/arb-trucks/68355-can-you-match-cs100-truck.html?highlight=match

[rgeparker]

Thanks nepia, I had missed that thread before. Very helpful.

Cheers. Rob.

[Ty Korrigan]

Until recently my cs100 was my only chipper it did the job but there is far more cutting to get branches to go through, I now have a 6" feed diesel greenmech and couldn't go back to the little one on a full time basis.

Ideally if funds allow have both, but I sold my cs100 to part fund my new one.

 

As above.

But buying the bigger chipper also brought us 'credibility' as well as the ability to undertake far larger jobs for a more competitive price.

Ty

[Daniel Jiggins]

People say have the CS100 and hire a bigger 6" as and when personally I would buy a 6" and hire a wee chipper as and when needed.

Whatever you decide the little CS100 holds its value very well so you can't really go wrong if you decide to upgrade in a year or twos time.

[rgeparker]

Ty, did I read in another thread, that your cs100 helped in buying your bigger chipper? If you were to do it all again, would you have bought a micro chipper first, and built the business up from there?

Daniel, I'd love a larger 6" diesel machine, but even a half decent second hand machine is gonna cost around the £8k mark? Whereas the micro chippers go for around £5k new? I know they're two different machines, and obviously the type of work it's intended for should primarily dictate what you choose, but unfortunately for me, budget is a major factor. I've only been going for about 2 years, doing mostly subbing work, but I'm getting more and more of my own work coming in, and I've recently purchased my first ARB truck (ford ranger tipper), which I thought would make a tidy little set up for smaller jobs. For bigger jobs, I tend to get help from another, larger firm with 3.5 tonne tippers, and larger chippers. This is at least until my little business grows into a more substantial outfit, but like I said, it's early days, and I want to start small, and build up from there.

I can hire a tw150 for a reasonable day rate, as and when necessary, but the only small chipper I can find locally for hire, is a tw 13/75, which isn't ideal from my experience with the machine so far. Sorry for ranting on, and going slightly off topic, I'm just blurting out all that's on my mind, and hoping that I'm not boring everyone! Haha.

Cheers. Rob.

[Daniel Jiggins]

Ty, did I read in another thread, that your cs100 helped in buying your bigger chipper? If you were to do it all again, would you have bought a micro chipper first, and built the business up from there?

Daniel, I'd love a larger 6" diesel machine, but even a half decent second hand machine is gonna cost around the £8k mark? Whereas the micro chippers go for around £5k new? I know they're two different machines, and obviously the type of work it's intended for should primarily dictate what you choose, but unfortunately for me, budget is a major factor. I've only been going for about 2 years, doing mostly subbing work, but I'm getting more and more of my own work coming in, and I've recently purchased my first ARB truck (ford ranger tipper), which I thought would make a tidy little set up for smaller jobs. For bigger jobs, I tend to get help from another, larger firm with 3.5 tonne tippers, and larger chippers. This is at least until my little business grows into a more substantial outfit, but like I said, it's early days, and I want to start small, and build up from there.

I can hire a tw150 for a reasonable day rate, as and when necessary, but the only small chipper I can find locally for hire, is a tw 13/75, which isn't ideal from my experience with the machine so far. Sorry for ranting on, and going slightly off topic, I'm just blurting out all that's on my mind, and hoping that I'm not boring everyone! Haha.

Cheers. Rob.

 

Hi Rob,

 

Have you a local dealer who would let you use a CS100 for a couple days on demo to get a feel for one? There is certainly a 'Nak' of feeding one which you get used too.

 

If you were financing one it wouldn't be much more p/m for a used bigger machine.

[rgeparker]

Yeah, I'm sure I could arrange that with a dealer Daniel, and that would probably be the best thing to do.. Test it with a range of material, and see how I get on with it.

Like you say, a larger machine on finance possibly wouldn't cost much more a month in relative terms, but I do still like the idea of using micro chippers.. Especially not having to remove chip from site where possible..

[sawman]

Hi Rob,

 

Have you a local dealer who would let you use a CS100 for a couple days on demo to get a feel for one? There is certainly a 'Nak' of feeding one which you get used too.

 

If you were financing one it wouldn't be much more p/m for a used bigger machine.

 

Good advice. I think there is a Green mech dealer in Bristol Rob.