WiltshireMike

I'm pleased to report that after much searching and chin-scratching - and copious advice from you kind folk -  I'm now the proud owner of a 2011 14HP pull start CS100 in pretty much unused condition.  No paint chips, perfect blades, regularly serviced, spare belts and original documentation.  Now I just need to find a trailer in the Marlborough area to hire / borrow so I can  collect it from Yeovil!    A quarter of the price of a new one, so fingers crossed it'll do everything I need and lose no money at the end.  Certainly looks a quality piece of kit 😊, and 1 less Chinese import to boot ...

Thanks everyone!

This link from Alibaba appears to show the entire range of what for example Rock Machinery sell in the UK, plus freight / duty / VAT.  However they declined to ship a single unit to the UK ...

Hansa actually is made in NZ ... at least that's what their promo videos show.

Well, for those of you just itching to find our the results of my 'log in an oven' test, here it is!

The logs took 50hrs to dry out to the point that no further weight loss occurred, weighing 84% of their original weight. Hence working backwards their original moisture content would have been 16% wet / 19% dry.  The task was to see whether having sat in the open for a year, cut but not split, they would be ok to burn without further seasoning ... the results show they are.

The next thrilling instalment will be to see how quickly some freshly-cut apple & pine will get to a burnable moisture content  via the Aga oven.  Ideally, I'd be able to load an evening's worth of logs at a time and have them ready for burning the next evening ... might as well have the Aga do something apart from sitting around drinking oil.  However, I rather suspect 24hrs won't be long enough to get them to 20%, and the kitchen will reek of wood.  Stay tuned!

Before you ask, Stubby, this isn't my day job mate!!

Thanks for the replies, guys, really helpful.  Pouring over YT vids the smaller ~6hp machines have correspondingly small inlet chutes and struggle with kinks or side branches ... that said, most of the best 'self feeding' shots seem to be using lleylandii which is unlikely to hang up in the feed chute.  Garage storage (with feed and outlet chutes removed) suggests a drum model with vertical belt.  Would LOVE a CS100 but way outside domestic budget. 

Looking to buy a small chipper for large domestic property - many trees plus various bushes etc.  Ideally towable behind a quad and high spout for discharging into hedgerow or trailer. Limited budget so considering decent s/h examples, I've whittled the options down to:

o  Timberwolf 13/75 - UK made, Honda GX390, good solid machine, disc, tall chute and low outlet.

o  Jansen 1500E - Chinese made but some good vids on YouTube, Loncin engine, drum, well rated, high swivel spout, towable

o  Hansa C7 - NZ made, solid quality, disc, Honda GX200, lowish outlet

o  DR Professional - US made (?), appears solid, B&S engine, drum, high spout, towable

o  Jo Beau / Greenmech - drum, excellent quality, high spout, bit too expensive

All comments welcomed, especially from actual users ...

Plenty of hobbies Stubby, baking logs isn't one of them mate; only joined up yesterday and thought this info might be helpful to someone.

As an experiment I've split a couple of pieces of 'been outside all year' sawn conifer and had them in the Aga lower warming oven (~60C) for just over a day.  Don't have a moisture meter but the weight has dropped steadily by 10% over 30hrs.  I'll keep them there until no more weight loss occurs ...