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Fresh branches with leaves chipper type

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psychro
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 5
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2009-10-17          166367

Hello! I am new to this forum thanks for the valuable information.

We are looking for a wood chipper suitable for freshly pruned trees. Material consists of branches with many twigs and leaves. The machinery needs to be compact and efficient. What type of chipper would be appropriate for this process?

I have seen wood chips from a disc chipper and there were a lot of slivers in the final product. Not really pleased with the result, as I want it to be usable in domestic woodchip boilers.

Thanks!

EDIT: Also like to add that the maximum diameter of the larger branches is around 4"



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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2009-10-17          166371

Are you looking for a standalone shipper or one that operates off the rear pto on a tractor?

I've only used disc chippers and you're right about the slivers. There aren't many slivers in hardwoods but softwoods are another story. My guess is a drum chipper would do better but I can't say that with any authority.
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Fresh branches with leaves chipper type

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psychro
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 5
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2009-10-17          166372

Thank you for your prompt reply.

I don’t really mind if it gets power from a tractor or it has its own engine as long as I can efficiently get woodchip of uniform size.

In theory I thought that disk chippers should produce more uniformly sized chips than drum chippers. But from what I have seen (when chipping relatively small branches) the size is not really uniform.

I was thinking that maybe a hammer mill type of design could be the most appropriate for the kind of raw material I am planning to process but it is getting hard to obtain relevant information since most of the chippers in the market are designed for logs.

I would really appreciate it if I could get some feedback regarding this matter.

Thank you again
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Fresh branches with leaves chipper type

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2009-10-17          166373

This style looks interesting. It claims "exceptionally uniform" chips that can be augered without further screening and continuously adjustable chips sizes from 1/4" to 1".

http://www.valbysales.com/newpage4.htm ....

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2009-10-17          166374

I had a promark 6" disk chipper. Not good for processing anything. Sold it. Hammermill is probably your best bet. Be careful of drum types --we call them "chuck and duck"s. A few years ago a loacl tree guy loaned his to a buddy. The buddy's 4-year-old got snagged on a branch being fed and well... The dad was basket case after that and so was the owner. ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2009-10-17          166376

EW, why would a drum type be any worse than any other type with a hydraulic feed? The hydraulic feeds on my Bandit 12" disk chipper are relentless. Or are you talking about a drum type without hydraulic feed?

I've gotta say, after having hydraulic feed I wouldn't use anything else. ....

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2009-10-17          166379

I never knew they had hammermill type chippers. Do you mean like a feed mill type hammermill with a screen under the hammers? That sounds like something that would be real loud and use up horsepower like it was free.
The power company sometimes dumps chips out back for us just to have a place to get rid of them. I'm sure it is a drum type with knives to slice the branches. The chips seem to be pretty uniform, we use them for tree mulch. ....

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auerbach
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 2168 West of Toronto
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2009-10-19          166393

Psychro (where did that name come from?):

A wood chipper is not a paper punch. To maximize uniformity get one with a manual feed or an easily-adjustable roller-feeder, and ensure the material is fed in slowly and gradually.

If the specs are, say, a six-inch intake, that just means that size intake, not that it will chew a 6" log -- unless it's balsa wood.

You might look into renting one the first time. It's more work than you'd think feeding it, and maintaining it (which the owner does).

....

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
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2009-10-19          166404

Kw, a drum type is basically the feed--except it can't be controlled since it's the business end. A disc has a feed usually two which does control the rate of what is being chipped. My 6" was crap and it was a commercial unit mounted on a trailer with a 10-yd self dumping chipper box. It would not pull in anything that was even a hair larger than the opening---like a y-branch. And yes it would chip a 6" log but was not fast. A drum could suck it in and chip it in a split second. But they take a lot of hp and are expensive. ....

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psychro
Join Date: Oct 2009
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2009-10-20          166411


Thanks so much for all the information. I apologize for getting so long to answer. I am writing from Europe (Greece). This is the main reason I am not asking for a specific model but a type of machine, since this type of equipment is not that common in my area and getting hold of one, or even ordering is quite difficult. Most of the companies don’t even have a distributor in my country, so I will have to order from abroad.

If I understand it correctly, a chipper with some kind of controllable feed could be the best solution for my case. I recall the person chipping branches (using a disc chipper), without uniform result, telling me how fast he was able to process the raw material. Maybe that was the problem.

In case I want to chip 4” logs I should be looking for a higher specs machine. I also realize it’s a lot of hard, as well as a dangerous work, so I am thinking for an automatic feeder (maybe using a conveyor belt), but in this case I am afraid some amount of manual work will be needed too..

A drum chipper will be larger, more expensive, require more power to run and more dangerous at the same time. Does a comparable specification drum chipper have any more advantages, except the fact that it will probably work faster?

Finally I would like to ask if there is any other type of chipper that could work for chipping branches.

This is a great community with many solutions and ideas. I hope I can soon get this project going and post more news.

ps. psychro = cold (in greek). It comes from a few years ago, the time I was studying refrigeration and air conditioning using psychrometric charts :)

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2009-10-20          166416

Regarding the manual labor part, chipping involves a *lot* of manual labor. Unless you get one of the big chippers that you can load by dropping grapple loads of raw materials in from above (that equipment would cost a lot more money than most individuals could afford).

I'm no expert on chipper hydraulic feeds but the only ones I have seen are controllable for direction (forward or reverse) and not for speed. ....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2009-10-20          166420

IMHO the output of a chipper has more to do with 2 single items than anything else, regardless of type of material being chipped.

First is the setup of the chipper itself, in order to get maximum throughput, the usual goal, the chips need to be fairly large. This larger size causes soft or weak wood being fed in to tip over and results in longer pieces and even strands coming out in the chips.

Second though is the material being chipped itself, without changing the setup at all there will be a big difference between the chips from 4" branches and twigs. Likewise harder woods like most fruit trees and soft woods with a lot of sap. Even between 2 identical branches, one fresh & green, and the other well seasoned and thoroughly dry.

BTW, for what those double drum Valby units sell for you could buy a whole lot of chips already cut & dried and still have some jingle left in your pocket.

The hydraulic feed on the larger models is adjustable, but usually isn't used as such. The 'pro's' just set it to full in and let the feed rollers slip if the chipper cant take the wood as fast as the chipper can consume it.

Best of luck. ....

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2009-10-22          166458

The feed roller(s) on disk-types are not designed to accept multiple loose branches at a time. I found myself continually pushing and pulling branches into it. It was more work than it was worth. Luckily I was being paid to do it. Had I not, I should have just burned it--the trees that is.

As far as labor goes, a buddy rented an 8" disk from home depot. He had the same issues---and like mine, he had a lot of kick back from larger branches. In fact one kicked back and broke his finger. I never broke a finger but came close. ....

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psychro
Join Date: Oct 2009
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2009-10-22          166459

Does this mean that there is not any kind of safe feeder available? How about feeding with a small crane like some professionals do with large logs or a system like the one in the following picture (http://www.holzhackmaschinen.com)

http://www.holzhackmaschinen.com/images/maschinen/JENSEN_Sondermaschinen_a141_pickup_zapf_L03.jpg
....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2009-10-22          166460

Quote:
Originally Posted by earthwrks | view 166458
The feed roller(s) on disk-types are not designed to accept multipleloose branches at a time. I found myself continually pushing and pulling branches into it. It was more work than it was worth. Luckily I was being paid to do it. Had I not, I should have just burned it--the trees that is.As far as labor goes, a buddy rented an 8" disk from home depot. He had the same issues---and like mine, he had a lot of kick back from larger branches. In fact one kicked back and broke his finger. I never broke a finger but came close.


We are always shoveling in armfuls of small branches in the feed rollers on our 12" Bandit disk chipper and once the hydraulic feed catches them it pulls them right through. We use a "push stick" to avoid putting our hands close to the rollers for anything that hasn't caught but really don't need it very often. Usually just pushing another armload of branches keeps things moving. Sometimes we do need to do a quick reverse-forward cycle to clear a jam but that's easy. ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2009-10-22          166461

Quote:
Originally Posted by psychro | view 166459
Does this mean that there is not any kind of safe feeder available? How about feeding with a small crane like some professionals do with large logs or a system like the one in the following picture (http://www.holzhackmaschinen.com)http://www.holzhackmaschinen.com/images/maschinen/JENSEN_Sondermaschinen_a141_pickup_zapf_L03.jpg


Chippers are one of the most dangerous pieces of equipment around and hydraulic feed rollers make them even more so. You need to think, be careful, take breaks when tired, watch for others when several are working together, keep jewelry off your hands and wrists, not wear loose clothing or clothes that can be easily caught by branches, be very careful when feeding vines since it's easy to get them wrapped around your legs and they can pull you in (esp. tough vines like blackberry), wear protection for ears, eyes and head (a logging helmet is perfect), and not drink beer until after the job is done.
....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2009-10-22          166464

We teach all our employees to always feed a chipper from the side of the in-feed chute.

Basically you stand beside the opening and only your arms are in front of the opening. This both greatly reduces any kick-back issues, but also means you are less likely to become entangled in anything.

It's also good practice to have one person stand next to the chipper and feed it, then have one or more people dragging the material to be chipped to them. If the person bring the material walks away before it's fed, and the person feeding the material is standing still there is almost no chance they can be tangled in the material.

Best of luck. ....

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auerbach
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 2168 West of Toronto
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2009-11-11          166816

If you'll be ordering one, chippers are costly (for the bigger ones that work), bulky, and heavy. And they require maintenance, for instance, the cutters get dull and have to be reversed or sharpened.

Feeding takes work. Yes, there is such a thing as a roller feed table but they are rare. The alternative is a hydraulic grapple, but they are again costly and uncommon.

Chipping is better if you let the branches sit a year.

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2009-11-11          166817

Auer, grapples are very expensive to begin with. And they are not used to feed under force the chipper. Rather, they only assist the loader for long or heavy throughput. A winch is a more practical approach for loading logs---but really all this applies to large, commercial hi-HP units anyway. And not all chipper types need a roller feed. It depends the attack angle. The sharper the angle the less the need for rollers. ....

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dzimbric
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 9 Shallotte, NC
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2016-02-25          194629

I have a PTO driven WC8 Wood Chipper manufactured in China that will turn 4 inch logs with branches into wood mulch as fast I can load branches.
The issues I have had to date were having to re-engineer a couple parts on my shaft driven roller feed such as adding a set screw to the hub to keep it from falling of the roller when handling bigger branches,
The discharge will clog and stall the tractor if you run a lot of little branches with green leaves. If you chipping 4 inch branches the wood chips should keep the discharge clean and it only takes a couple minutes to remove the discharge tube and clear the clog.
If you search alibaba.com you can order one for a very reasonable price. I have 12 acres we are clearing of hardwoods and this machine has paid for itself.
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