Chipper tongue failure

[TreeCo]

Check you PM box.

 

[Tucker943]

This gives me goosebumps

 

[NMETreeman]

I sent some pics.

 

[treehumper]

The chains on our chipper extend beyond the bolts to the frame of the chipper. The chains would definitely keep the chipper attached in our case. Still an ugly situation specially for a chipper that's only 4 yrs old.

 

[Colin]

[ QUOTE ]
The chains on our chipper extend beyond the bolts to the frame of the chipper. The chains would definitely keep the chipper attached in our case.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's the way I thought they were all designed. What use are they otherwise???

 

[tophopper]

I have a 2001 Morbark 2090 with a bolt on tongue extension....

my safety chains are mounted behind (the chipper side) of the extension.

 

[TLHamel]

That thing's an '01? I woulda thought '81 with all of the rust and billowing smoke!

 

[brendonv]

[ QUOTE ]
I have a 2001 Morbark 2090 with a bolt on tongue extension....

my safety chains are mounted behind (the chipper side) of the extension.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats a good idea. I'll have to do that to mine tommorrow.

 

[TMW]

Here is the first picture:

 

[TMW]

2nd

 

[TMW]

3rd

 

[TMW]

4th and last one I have

 

[Colin]

Check the attachment.

 

[brendonv]

Wow! Looks scary. Definitely an awakening for me. Something else to check along with regular maintenance now.

 

[Norm_Hall]

We had a similar incident with an early model Bandit. We got lucky though. When the tongue frame broke, the chip deflector dropped inside the tailgate and the unit stayed with the truck. I was following in my pick up truck, so I witnessed the whole thing. The driver knew immediately something had happened and pulled right over. The frame broke behind the chain placement, so the crossing chains weren't able to do squat.

 

[treelearnin]

I'm going with brendonv on this one... weld it up

 

[Marc_H]

That sucks. It's good that no one got hurt but what a waste to have a chipper get trashed like that. Are they still making their chippers the same way?

 

[brendonv]

If the insurance company totals it, what happens to it next? I can't tell from the pics but it doesn't seem like the damage that could have been done can't be fixed. I'm just curious.

 

[Hammer]

From the pics, that was waiting to happen. From the looks of it, the tongue was almost worn through and cracked. I may be wrong but that is the way it looks.

 

[Kman]

In the third picture it looks as though it had been cracked for a while(the rusted sections of the crack). I wonder if it might have been jack knived at one time and no one said anything...I bought a new gas engined Morbark in 1987 that had the same style tongue and a used Morbark diesel with that style tongue and never had a problem with either. The guy I sold the gas machine to is still running it and he has never mentioned any problems with the tongue. This machine looks heavier than either of the Morbarks I had but I have a feeling something happened that lead to this failure.