Bandit 15XP Review (brand new)

Serf Life said:
Pricing out a new 15xp 6.2 gas and salesman gave some add on options:
40 gal fuel tank vs 25
Hyd chute rotate
Spring assist trap door setup
Upgrade jack to spring extender
Hyd flow control for slowing/speeding infeed
Winch ($5k with 200’)

Haven’t used a variable speed controller for chipping different species etc, is it worth it when autofeed will kick in when needed?
Click to expand...
I have a flow control on my feed wheels, the only time I use it is with green crew members that have a hard time listening to the engine. On my machine autofeed adjusts the speed of the wheels and not on/backup half turn/stop/on like most machines. I can see how it might be kinda sorta useful, sometimes, but would look at the added cost to see if it's worth it to you.. A few hundred, sure, a few grand, maybe not

Get the winch, yes 5K is a lot, but retrofitting a factory winch is like 10K after the build.
 
X2 on the winch. It’s kinda in the way when feeding with a machine but we’ve learned to work around it and it has opened up so many options for getting brush to the chipper, pulling trees over, moving logs, well worth any minor inconvenience.
 
40 gal tank is only $300 more, hyd flow controller is also $300, adding two years to engine warranty is $1800. Asked for a welded infeed as it is nicer for mini-feeding, but longer...
 
Serf Life said:
40 gal tank is only $300 more, hyd flow controller is also $300, adding two years to engine warranty is $1800. Asked for a welded infeed as it is nicer for mini-feeding, but longer...
Click to expand...
40 gal tank will pay for its self in a year

What type of engine warranty comes with it before extending it

I also like a solid indeed tray definitely stronger and the longer the better
 
Serf Life said:
Pricing out a new 15xp 6.2 gas and salesman gave some add on options:
40 gal fuel tank vs 25
Hyd chute rotate
Spring assist trap door setup
Upgrade jack to spring extender
Hyd flow control for slowing/speeding infeed
Winch ($5k with 200’)

Haven’t used a variable speed controller for chipping different species etc, is it worth it when autofeed will kick in when needed?
Click to expand...

You're considering having a Bandit built. They'll do about anything you want.

The flow control is one of the few options I don't use on my 90XP. But I could imagine using it on a 12, 15, or 18 inch chipper.

I had to seach out options as they're not all listed anywhere.

Things I value a lot:
Wider in feed tray, spring assist tray raising, dual feed wheels, bottom feed wheel having double the "teeth" to reduce chip jams, adjustable chip chute, full compliment of chip chute adguster pin holes all the way around 360°, bigger fuel tank, heavy duty radiator screen, 2x4 (6) bars to protect radiator, flat mount on front of chipper tongue to raise or lower hitch can also add a stinger tongue extender if ever needed, metal bars and padlocks on fuel and Hyd tanks, remote control winch.

On bigger chippers they usually have upgrades available on width of feed rollers and power/speed of feed motors.

Only thing that hasn't earned its keep in 3 years is the flow control on mine. (Very glad I didn't just buy a chipper off the lot.)
 
chiselbit said:
X2 on the winch. It’s kinda in the way when feeding with a machine but we’ve learned to work around it and it has opened up so many options for getting brush to the chipper, pulling trees over, moving logs, well worth any minor inconvenience.
Click to expand...
That whole extended fair lead should come off, and then there should be a flush mounted one. At least on the 1990 it is
 
MA Arborist said:
I don’t know anything about the 5.7 engine but the machine itself is great.
My concern is all the electronics and how they will hold up.

My friends who have the same 15xp as I do just had an issue with the digital panel.
It would go blank on them at random and they could not throttle up or down at times.
To make a long story short, they brought it back to the dealer and the dealer could not find any problems with it. Basically it worked fine when they tested it. They refused to put a new panel in. The machine was purchased new in July and has about 300 hrs on it.
Maybe a loose connection who knows.
Click to expand...
Just reading this now, this is how the screens fail. And eventually they just stop, will back light but not display anything.
They are about 4-500 but have to be programmed by bandit which is nearly $1000k more. Super easy to swap out, and the hour meter is somewhere in the engine so you don’t ‘loose’ your hours.
 
Serf Life said:
Pricing out a new 15xp 6.2 gas and salesman gave some add on options:
40 gal fuel tank vs 25
Hyd chute rotate
Spring assist trap door setup
Upgrade jack to spring extender
Hyd flow control for slowing/speeding infeed
Winch ($5k with 200’)

Haven’t used a variable speed controller for chipping different species etc, is it worth it when autofeed will kick in when needed?
Click to expand...
Just seeing this now, I totally love having a variable hydro flow control on the feed wheels. Slow it down for big stuff and full bunny for brushy twigs stuff.
Makes for a much nicer chip too
 
Merle Nelson said:
What

Size chipper do you like that on Evo? And what engine?
Click to expand...

My 2000 gravely 49hp yanmar diesel 9” has it. The disk is 90degrees to the feed wheels so it makes a fine chip. I treat it like a 6” machine because that’s what it really is production wise. I bought the OEM auto feed and installed that which is the most horrible design ever, the electronics proportionally slow the feed wheels with heavy loads. The issue is put anything big in and while it chews on it, it doesn’t allow for rpms come back up.
But I do love the lever that controls the infeed wheels so much that was the first think I asked for with my 12xpc, dealer said the infeed speed is calibrated to the electronics. Which I don’t believe.

Edit: below is a miss understood question reply

2021 bandit 12xpc ford 85(ish) hp, ~400 hours.

Made a post about it, took it all apart and got part numbers of just the lcd which might be the element that goes out. Had some condensation in there from the first rain, and persisted.

Local dealer wanted me to drag it across the boat to Tacoma (2.5 hours one way without traffic) so they can look at it. Called landmark and a week later it was on my door step.
Buttons still worked, so the machine was functional.

Tip to anyone with this faulty screen, take a sharpie or a paint pin and label the buttons
 
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