I won't argue with the idea of a mini skid. I used to have one, don't know why I thought I wouldn't use it again. But I wouldn't be opposed to one in the near future.
(1) Man Tree Work Set-Up
- Thread starter born2cut
- Start date
I won't argue with the idea of a mini skid. I used to have one, don't know why I thought I wouldn't use it again. But I wouldn't be opposed to one in the near future.
I think I should have mentioned this and got some ideas on it here. I mentioned it elsewhere, and people seemed to not like the idea. But I'm sitting here thinking with a pencil and paper drawing sketches.
I don't want a Chipper truck. We have 2 trucks, 2 large trailers, 1 suv, and 2 cars. If I get a chip truck, that either means building a larger shop, buying some more land, or leasing a place. Then comes more insurance, more registration, more repairs, the list goes on.
I'd prefer to work with what I have. Adding a chipper is challenging. After watching the video over and over that I posted. I see two easy options. Putting a chipper at the front of the trailer and securing it. Or Cutting out a section and mount the chipper to the remaining frame. Both of those are going to cut cargo space. That's out of the question.
I still don't see what's wrong with my original idea. Installing a flat bed, and securing and locking down a 9" chipper at the back of the flat-bed. The feed off to the side. The truck and chute can then be turned any direction if need be. Or could be blown straight into the trailer. Not to mention, I have a lot of areas in the woods I can get to with the truck, but not a trailer. I can then easily haul the mulch out of those areas or spread it there.
Seems like the most logical method of working with what I have and having something different and useful.
I don't want a Chipper truck. We have 2 trucks, 2 large trailers, 1 suv, and 2 cars. If I get a chip truck, that either means building a larger shop, buying some more land, or leasing a place. Then comes more insurance, more registration, more repairs, the list goes on.
I'd prefer to work with what I have. Adding a chipper is challenging. After watching the video over and over that I posted. I see two easy options. Putting a chipper at the front of the trailer and securing it. Or Cutting out a section and mount the chipper to the remaining frame. Both of those are going to cut cargo space. That's out of the question.
I still don't see what's wrong with my original idea. Installing a flat bed, and securing and locking down a 9" chipper at the back of the flat-bed. The feed off to the side. The truck and chute can then be turned any direction if need be. Or could be blown straight into the trailer. Not to mention, I have a lot of areas in the woods I can get to with the truck, but not a trailer. I can then easily haul the mulch out of those areas or spread it there.
Seems like the most logical method of working with what I have and having something different and useful.
flyingsquirrel25
Carpal tunnel level member
- Location
- South East, PA
Years ago I saw a picture of a set up, I wish I could find it. I'm not sure if this is what you are looking at or not though.The guy had a smaller bandit or Vermeer mounted sideways where the body of the truck normally is. This gave him the curb side advantage. He could fly chip or fill a trailer. Great little set up. As I mentioned before you need to make sure you do it right. Research the chipper, some don't discharge well off the side (as designed). Some chippers sit high on the frame and the manufacturer compensates with the axle, they may mount too high. These are just a couple things you need to look at to make the machine useable.
kellytrimming
Participating member
- Location
- Aurora, CO
Given your setup, long distance driving to the work, and super cheap dump fees, I think chipper on a flatbed is brilliant.
If your infeed hopper is fixed, I think you probably will want to feed the branches from the passenger side of the truck so you are set up for curb-side chipping.
Another option would be mounting the chipper on a lazy susan with a spring pin, so that you could rotate the infeed hopper and the outfeed chute 360 degrees. This chipper already allows for 360 hopper infeed rotation: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gravely-Pro...146558?hash=item2a65e534fe:g:WsMAAOSwD2pXFTsH . It is cheap as heck with a newer engine and the tires are shot, but you wouldn't have to replace them. I have a nearly identical chipper (but mine is older, a promark 310). It produces extra small chips and produces about 4 yards an hour if I am feeding it at max intake rate. You could sharpen the knives, replace the gas tank, cut the tongue off the trailer and unbolt the axles and springs. Then use the existing undercarriage bolt holes with grade 8 bolts and nylock nuts with red threadlocker to bolt the chipper onto the flatbed. You will have a brand new used setup for under $2000, and both the infeed hopper and outfeed chute will rotate 360 degrees. This chipper is about 1500 pounds total, so probably about 1200 without the trailer undercarriage. This should be fine for a 3/4 ton flatbed. You can use the outfeed chute damper and rotator to control chips to get an even distribution of chips in the bed of your trailer. Do you have stake bed wall inserts for the trailer?
If you want a 9 inch chipper, double check your rear axle rating against the chipper weight to make sure the truck can accommodate it. You might be able to get a good deal on a tow behind if the tires are shot or the trailer frame is bent. A bunch of the folks on this forum do custom welding and fabrication, so its a great resource. I am very curious to see how your build progresses.
If your infeed hopper is fixed, I think you probably will want to feed the branches from the passenger side of the truck so you are set up for curb-side chipping.
Another option would be mounting the chipper on a lazy susan with a spring pin, so that you could rotate the infeed hopper and the outfeed chute 360 degrees. This chipper already allows for 360 hopper infeed rotation: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gravely-Pro...146558?hash=item2a65e534fe:g:WsMAAOSwD2pXFTsH . It is cheap as heck with a newer engine and the tires are shot, but you wouldn't have to replace them. I have a nearly identical chipper (but mine is older, a promark 310). It produces extra small chips and produces about 4 yards an hour if I am feeding it at max intake rate. You could sharpen the knives, replace the gas tank, cut the tongue off the trailer and unbolt the axles and springs. Then use the existing undercarriage bolt holes with grade 8 bolts and nylock nuts with red threadlocker to bolt the chipper onto the flatbed. You will have a brand new used setup for under $2000, and both the infeed hopper and outfeed chute will rotate 360 degrees. This chipper is about 1500 pounds total, so probably about 1200 without the trailer undercarriage. This should be fine for a 3/4 ton flatbed. You can use the outfeed chute damper and rotator to control chips to get an even distribution of chips in the bed of your trailer. Do you have stake bed wall inserts for the trailer?
If you want a 9 inch chipper, double check your rear axle rating against the chipper weight to make sure the truck can accommodate it. You might be able to get a good deal on a tow behind if the tires are shot or the trailer frame is bent. A bunch of the folks on this forum do custom welding and fabrication, so its a great resource. I am very curious to see how your build progresses.
Merle Nelson
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- SF Bay Area, CA
Check out any chipper you consider buying by chipping with it or an identical unit. It would be a shame to put a bunch of work into project only to find out afterwards that it is performing under your expectations. ....and then you'll be reminded of it on a daily bases as it feels like your banging your head against a wall working harder.
tc262
Branched out member
- Location
- SE Wisconsin
I agree with Flying squirrel. A chipper on the back of a truck sounds logical, but likely the infeed would be way to high to be practical.
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tc262
Branched out member
- Location
- SE Wisconsin
It was mentioned earlier, here you go... http://www.treebuzz.com/forum/threads/chipper-dump-combo-trailer.29781/
Some great posts and some great ideas. TC262, that's a sweet set-up for pruning. The only problem is I have a brand spanking new $9,000. dump trailer that still has the paper tags on it. I can weld and fabricate, but I don't want to shorten the trailer and I don't want to hack it if possible.
I'm still stuck on the flat-bed option. The only problem I'm running into, is mentioned above. I'm limited due to weight. Ideally, I'd like to keep the chipper under 2,500 lbs. I have a 3/4 ton, added springs, upgraded brakes, brand new 10 ply tires, and a brand new engine and transmission both put in within the last few months.
I'm planning to take my ISA Test this fall so I'm not in a super big hurry and I can work with what I have until I build something. I'm looking at the Morbark 8" chipper. It looks like a good candidate and comes in at 2,500 lbs for the complete tow ready unit. Just the chipper mounted I would be looking at around 2200 lbs or close.
http://www.morbark.com/equipment/beever-m8d-brush-chipper/
I'm still stuck on the flat-bed option. The only problem I'm running into, is mentioned above. I'm limited due to weight. Ideally, I'd like to keep the chipper under 2,500 lbs. I have a 3/4 ton, added springs, upgraded brakes, brand new 10 ply tires, and a brand new engine and transmission both put in within the last few months.
I'm planning to take my ISA Test this fall so I'm not in a super big hurry and I can work with what I have until I build something. I'm looking at the Morbark 8" chipper. It looks like a good candidate and comes in at 2,500 lbs for the complete tow ready unit. Just the chipper mounted I would be looking at around 2200 lbs or close.
http://www.morbark.com/equipment/beever-m8d-brush-chipper/
tc262
Branched out member
- Location
- SE Wisconsin
What kind of areas are you working in? Congested urban or suburban? Can you tow doubles in Texas? Just put a hitch on the back of your dump trailer and tow a chipper behind that.
tc262
Branched out member
- Location
- SE Wisconsin
And a mini in the back of your truck so you can leave the thing out on the street.
flyingsquirrel25
Carpal tunnel level member
- Location
- South East, PA
I think I would skip mounting the flat bed to the truck and then chipper to the flat bed. You add extra height that may not be necessary. Do the measurements, mount the chipper directly to the frame and build the flatbed around it. Love the lazy Suzan idea, makes it more versatile.
8" morbark is a nice machine and very affordable. I would suggest more than 25 hp if you can find one though.
8" morbark is a nice machine and very affordable. I would suggest more than 25 hp if you can find one though.
kellytrimming
Participating member
- Location
- Aurora, CO
Agree with FlyingSquirrel, you can always extend the flatbed if you get rid of the chipper. My chipper has a high feed tray at 36 inches and I've never thought it was a problem, but any higher would start to be.
What I saw on the Morbark's website was 35 to 44 HP. Then they gave two engine types: Kohler and Kubota, (which are probably gas and diesel respectively). Diesel is more expensive and heavier, but seems to bog down much less easily even at the same HP, and brings a disk or drum back to max RPMs faster. I don't think born2cut needs a very powerful chipper if he can dump both chips and logs for 10 bucks a load. Just chip to 4 inches and throw the rest in the trailer? It is about $100 a load out here in Denver and some places charge more if its not all chips.
What I saw on the Morbark's website was 35 to 44 HP. Then they gave two engine types: Kohler and Kubota, (which are probably gas and diesel respectively). Diesel is more expensive and heavier, but seems to bog down much less easily even at the same HP, and brings a disk or drum back to max RPMs faster. I don't think born2cut needs a very powerful chipper if he can dump both chips and logs for 10 bucks a load. Just chip to 4 inches and throw the rest in the trailer? It is about $100 a load out here in Denver and some places charge more if its not all chips.
What exactly do you mean? Extend the flatbed and build a box if I got rid of the chipper? I would agree, Kubota would more than likely be a diesel engine. I've also had Kubota diesels on tractors, many that went 6,000 hours, one even had nearly 10,000 before it started slowing down. The problem is I don't want to go back to diesels. They are great work horses, but god for bid, I've had a few that went sour. When diesels go sour, they'll bend you over backwards. I went to gas trucks, swapped a brand new gas 6.0 in my truck about three weeks ago, $2,500.00 for the engine, and 10 hours putting it in.
As far as chipper size, to be dead honest. We've been renting a 6" for the longest. I've had absolutely zero issues with it. I've ran bigger chippers, but I'm not sure I see the fuss of extra weight, more costly, costlier repairs, less room and so forth; being worth the negatives. Don't let me lie to you, they aren't as efficient as running a 12 or bigger. But I've yet to run across much of our trimmings the 6" wouldn't take. All logs are easily thrown onto the trailer. Dump fee cost us $10.00, no matter if I take a trailer full of logs. But just out of curiosity, aren't logs packed into the tightest form that would could be anyway?
Anyway, I'm looking at these 8" machines. Maybe even a 9" if weight doesn't jump too dramatically. But in all honesty, we've had perfect luck with the 6" machines.
kellytrimming
Participating member
- Location
- Aurora, CO
Wh
I mean if you mount the chipper directly to the truck frame as flyingSquirrel suggested, you have a lower infeed hopper height than if you mount the chipper on top of a flatbed on top of the frame. If you take the chipper off, you can extend the flat bed over the existing truck frame to cover exposed frame.
That is an outstanding question I have spent a lot of time thinking about.
Short answer is that if you can bury 6 inch and larger diameter logs in with the chips, you will have less volume in your trailer than if you had chipped them.
I feel a geeky long answer brewing deep inside of my small brain about chipper compression mathematics, but I will post that on the general forums rather than hijack your thread.
A bigger chipper allows an operator to feed in larger limbs with larger crotches without "prep cuts" necessary so that crotches don't hang up in the chipper infeed chute. In addition, of course you have a larger total chip production. Still, I produce 4 yards of chips per hour on my 6 inch "salad-shooter", which proves a 6 inch is viable, granted it takes more technique and prep cuts (and cant accommodate big wood).
Prior to choosing a larger chipper to mount, I suggest renting a larger tow behind and seeing how it changes your operation.
I mean if you mount the chipper directly to the truck frame as flyingSquirrel suggested, you have a lower infeed hopper height than if you mount the chipper on top of a flatbed on top of the frame. If you take the chipper off, you can extend the flat bed over the existing truck frame to cover exposed frame.
That is an outstanding question I have spent a lot of time thinking about.
Short answer is that if you can bury 6 inch and larger diameter logs in with the chips, you will have less volume in your trailer than if you had chipped them.
I feel a geeky long answer brewing deep inside of my small brain about chipper compression mathematics, but I will post that on the general forums rather than hijack your thread.
A bigger chipper allows an operator to feed in larger limbs with larger crotches without "prep cuts" necessary so that crotches don't hang up in the chipper infeed chute. In addition, of course you have a larger total chip production. Still, I produce 4 yards of chips per hour on my 6 inch "salad-shooter", which proves a 6 inch is viable, granted it takes more technique and prep cuts (and cant accommodate big wood).
Prior to choosing a larger chipper to mount, I suggest renting a larger tow behind and seeing how it changes your operation.
Jem4417
Branched out member
Any tips on going the dump trailer route? Size, brand, ways to pack more in? I'm thinking of doing the same thing
Kelly, perhaps this is why I haven't had an issue using the lighter 6". The 6" has chewed up everything I trim with the exception of removal jobs. Those were thrown on the trailer. Biased on the fact that I run through the brush with a little 12" tree saw cutting elbows off before I feed it. Sure a bigger chipper would solve that. If I was doing (2) trailer loads per day that might be a bigger issue.
I think the reason I hesitate is I want to keep it as light and small as possible, but enough to get the job done. I plan to target a lot of Commercial Properties where an 18" chipper might bring on some major attention. I believe the 6" will be much better then trailering brush.
I see what your saying now about mounting the chipper on back of the truck, rather then the bed. I'm going to do some thinking on that, and see if I can draw it. Makes sense.
I think the reason I hesitate is I want to keep it as light and small as possible, but enough to get the job done. I plan to target a lot of Commercial Properties where an 18" chipper might bring on some major attention. I believe the 6" will be much better then trailering brush.
I see what your saying now about mounting the chipper on back of the truck, rather then the bed. I'm going to do some thinking on that, and see if I can draw it. Makes sense.
All I can tell you is what nearly anyone else who makes a living with a trailer would tell you. Especially with dump trailers. They are ALL expensive. Get the biggest you can afford. You'd rather grow in then grow out within a year or two. I personally went 16 ft. and will be adding taller sides. There are many good trailer builders, I went with Big-Tex and I couldn't have been any happier. The trailer is built heavy all the way around. I have no clue of how much you haul, but I didn't want to go CDL Route, so a 15,000 lb trailer was the next step down. However, I'm within a few thousand from cdl full, another great reason I need a small chipper.
That's a very good question. I looked at doing it that way, financially it doesn't make sense. Why go the opposite route in order to pull a big chipper, to blow into a truck bed with limited hauling capabilities. I can tow much more then I can haul.
I'll figure it out whenever things get slow. Can't me nothing that can't be tackled with a few hours behind the welder and some cutting.
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