Vermeer 1500xl 15 incher wont take wood

[mistahbenn]

So were renting this chipper while ours is being repaired... try and feed in a log of 8 inches, the feed rolleres take the wood, wont open, then reverse, repeat, get stuck, repeat. Any idea why this is happening? It should be abkle to take 15 inch diameter! The rental guys came and looked and couldnt work it out. Maybe the smart feed switch is broken? Help!?

[Marc]

So were renting this chipper while ours is being repaired... try and feed in a log of 8 inches, the feed rolleres take the wood, wont open, then reverse, repeat, get stuck, repeat. Any idea why this is happening? It should be abkle to take 15 inch diameter! The rental guys came and looked and couldnt work it out. Maybe the smart feed switch is broken? Help!?

 

Sounds like the smart feed is working well, all the Vermeers I use it's temperamental and never works which is a pain but not essential.

 

I would think the problem is more something is binding somewhere:

 

Are the slides greased for the rollers? Also if i remember right they run on a captured rail the top plate can become loose to check the bolts holding the rollers in the slide if they have worked loose it can cause the rollers to bind as it will kick up.

 

Occasionally a bit of innocuous looking chip/shard can get stuck behind the roller, they will move but only so far jam and reverse and repeat so check and clear loose debris particularly a problem with the bc1400 which I would of thougt they sorted with the 1500.

 

 

This was a few hours ago I see, let us know what the problem is if you find/found it.

[mistahbenn]

Marc we cleared the sides of debris.... nothing to get jammed. Its really irritating, it is new with 256 hours on the clock. I hate any rental machines! Pain in the ass. Lucky it chips brush well... and were getting a discount cos of this problem. Cant wait to get our Woodsman back, which is by far the best chipper ive used! (Apart from a beast of a Morbark with a timber grab on but thats a different world!)

[Marc]

We really like our bc1400xl nearly 2000hours on it, although only heard good things about both the woodsman and Morbark chippers, it's just the support you get with the Vermeers over here is good even if the service is poor, we fix our own chippers as VermeerUK seem to have no idea how they work so pretty useless at servicing them but least they get the parts quick.

[mistahbenn]

Cool... I would never buy one of these machines. A 15 incher that wont eat 8 inches, waste of time! Its got us out of the mud though so whatever!