Looking for "Small" Chipper advice

Chaplain242 said:
Old rule (if you could get access) is to check the rocker bushes/bearings as they typically suffer the worst from abuse and the wear indicates real hours... but have to get a mechanic to access and it is sometimes expensive to check this way...
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Thanks Chaplain. Even if I was close enough to break into the motor, I wouldn't know what I was looking for in rocker bushings or bearings. At the moment, I've been in touch w/ Bandit's Service at corporate office which happens to be in Michigan, and the machine is in Michigan, but too far from them to go to it and they have no dealers in Michigan. My contact person at Bandit has offered to look at the videos that the seller sent me about start up and a second one showing me a tach and 2 shafts turning (assuming feed shaft and disc shaft). I don't know what I'm looking for, so the videos didn't tell me much at all. What I have learned is that the machine is "direct drive", so apparently there is no clutch to wear out. (I'm used to engaging the disc w/ a belt tensioner on the 6" vermeers I've used.) When I looked at the video again, they were just throttling up in the video after their first cold start in the 4 months they've had it. I previously thought there was some sort of clutch engaging the disc, but apparently not. This thought that there is no clutch that could be worn, makes this machine sound better already. And I misunderstood my Bandit service reps comment about auto feed track being replaced, and me wondering why an auto feed track would be worn out in 320 hours. It was an auto feed tach that got replaced, and that sounds much more reasonable.
 
I haven’t used a bandit 65. But I’ve used both newer and older Vermeer 6” and never want to again. I have used a higher hp bandit 75xp and loved it.

So with that I don’t think a 25hp bandit is a huge jump from a Vermeer, certainly a better machine. I wouldn’t consider anything in the 25 hp category, #1 would be the 35hp bandit, #2 the Rayco. Condition and history would be the deciding factor, and budget last. You will make your money back with a better machine as long as your able to keep up with the payments. If I had cash in hand, spend it on the better machine
 
A slow hydraulic feed-rate may have been set by the rental company to go with dull blades.

Sharp blades are key.




Seems like you're into a lot of dollars for a machine that can take machine feeding.

A lot of people don't like chuck-n-ducks/ whisper chippers.
I build 'grapple piles' of multiple smaller limbs as close to where it lands as possible, than feed mine with my mini/ grapple. Big, straight maple limbs are delicious.

A lot depends on what you're chipping.

My grapple holding back a large pile keeps from overfeeding it.

Do I let employees machine feed it? No. Can I, as a competent, attentive person? A lot of the time.

Full disclosure, my killer chuck-n-duck has eaten off my hands 4 times.

Certainly limitations, but most things have them.

Cheap, efficient, lightweight.

My 9" is 4400 pounds. Zero plastic. Old. Tough as Shit! Thought I'd want to replace it, but in my market, with tight access, it's been killer for 12 years.

I could sell it for more than I paid for it.
That being said it runs better than when I bought it.

The hour meter I think turned 4000 hours.

The hour meter is the lazy part of the machine. It rarely ever works. 12 years ago is about 3400/ 3600 or something under 4,000.

I'll put 30-40-foot Maple leaders in my chipper.
 
evo said:
I haven’t used a bandit 65. But I’ve used both newer and older Vermeer 6” and never want to again. I have used a higher hp bandit 75xp and loved it.

So with that I don’t think a 25hp bandit is a huge jump from a Vermeer, certainly a better machine. I wouldn’t consider anything in the 25 hp category, #1 would be the 35hp bandit, #2 the Rayco. Condition and history would be the deciding factor, and budget last. You will make your money back with a better machine as long as your able to keep up with the payments. If I had cash in hand, spend it on the better machine
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Glad to see you're still on the thread Evo. I'm in agreement w/ your #1 & #2 at this point. The 25HP only had any appeal because it was a single owner farm that hardly ever used it (200ish hours), but I was already on a mission to find 35 HP since the same size machine could have either motor. No idea how they maintained it (my experience w/ farming is there is never enough time or money to do what you need to do.) They actually want more for it than the #1 choice anyway, but a few hours closer for pickup.
I can't get clear history of #1 or #2, and I don't know much about how to judge condition - especially from many hours away, and I don't particularly trust sales people. #1 was trade in on Kobota skid steer, & #2 is at a rental yard. But, so far, Bandit's corporate service guy seems to think the #1 is looking good for its age in the videos and he is giving me things to ask the seller to check, and even appears to be willing to be in direct contact w/ seller to sort of do a virtual machine check out (since the machine is too far from any Bandit dealers to have it brought in.) If this machine works out it will break my budget for sure, but from hearing from all of the folks here on treebuzz, its feeling like a good choice. I just may have to live without running water for a while longer. (Not kidding - hence budget restraints.) I have however learned the hard way about spending a bunch of money on rentals that can go towards ownership.
 
southsoundtree said:
A slow hydraulic feed-rate may have been set by the rental company to go with dull blades.

Sharp blades are key.




Seems like you're into a lot of dollars for a machine that can take machine feeding.

A lot of people don't like chuck-n-ducks/ whisper chippers.
I build 'grapple piles' of multiple smaller limbs as close to where it lands as possible, than feed mine with my mini/ grapple. Big, straight maple limbs are delicious.

A lot depends on what you're chipping.

My grapple holding back a large pile keeps from overfeeding it.

Do I let employees machine feed it? No. Can I, as a competent, attentive person? A lot of the time.

Full disclosure, my killer chuck-n-duck has eaten off my hands 4 times.

Certainly limitations, but most things have them.

Cheap, efficient, lightweight.

My 9" is 4400 pounds. Zero plastic. Old. Tough as Shit! Thought I'd want to replace it, but in my market, with tight access, it's been killer for 12 years.

I could sell it for more than I paid for it.
That being said it runs better than when I bought it.

The hour meter I think turned 4000 hours.

The hour meter is the lazy part of the machine. It rarely ever works. 12 years ago is about 3400/ 3600 or something under 4,000.

I'll put 30-40-foot Maple leaders in my chipper.
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Hi Southsoundtree. Thanks for joining in. Sounds like you have good experience w/ the chunk-n-duck machine. Not sure what the slow hydraulic feed rate comment is in reference to, but I certainly hear you and others that sharp knives is important (as well as sharp anvil and calibrated space between anvil and knives) and apparently according to Bandit, the knife pocket wear can be a costly issue in a mistreated machine. I have had some experience w/ having occasionally renting a Vermeer 6" from home depot, and I'd guess their rental department wouldn't even know how to sharpen a chipper knife. Their machine had the hydraulic feed lever bolted in place at a very low feed rate. I don't know what they were thinking. I simply unbolted it and cranked that mother up, and then bolted it back before returning the machine. None of the 25HP vermeers I ever rented could handle 3-4" stock. I'll be sure to have monitoring knife sharpness in my maintenance plan when I own a chipper. All this conversation in this thread makes me feel like it could even be worth the time if I ever rent again to open the machine up and sharpen the knives...
 
Shelter's Edge said:
Glad to see you're still on the thread Evo. I'm in agreement w/ your #1 & #2 at this point. The 25HP only had any appeal because it was a single owner farm that hardly ever used it (200ish hours), but I was already on a mission to find 35 HP since the same size machine could have either motor. No idea how they maintained it (my experience w/ farming is there is never enough time or money to do what you need to do.) They actually want more for it than the #1 choice anyway, but a few hours closer for pickup.
I can't get clear history of #1 or #2, and I don't know much about how to judge condition - especially from many hours away, and I don't particularly trust sales people. #1 was trade in on Kobota skid steer, & #2 is at a rental yard. But, so far, Bandit's corporate service guy seems to think the #1 is looking good for its age in the videos and he is giving me things to ask the seller to check, and even appears to be willing to be in direct contact w/ seller to sort of do a virtual machine check out (since the machine is too far from any Bandit dealers to have it brought in.) If this machine works out it will break my budget for sure, but from hearing from all of the folks here on treebuzz, its feeling like a good choice. I just may have to live without running water for a while longer. (Not kidding - hence budget restraints.) I have however learned the hard way about spending a bunch of money on rentals that can go towards ownership.
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Where in Michigan is the chipper you are interested in? If it's close enough I could go check it out for you.
 
If you run across a Vermeer 935 they are decent machines. We have one that is a 1998 model with 3600 hours on it. We recently upgraded to a bandit 990xp which is no comparison. That 935 with good sharp knives has no issue chipping to capacity. If it fits, it will eat it. Bigger stuff of course trips the autofeed. I really like bandits infeed. It pulls in limbs any of out three Vermeer chippers won't. The lift and crush is nice as well but I don't know if the smaller ones have that.
 
Mine is only a 9x16" with a V8-318 cid engine. So cheap and easy to operate and maintain. Seems like there are a lot of 12" machines, too. 9" seems like a minimum.

Very important, what will you be feeding it?

My market has a lot of straight stuff, and some things that are a PITA.

A lot of places, commercial operations need a hydraulic feed for productivity, year-round. Bendy, twisty, hardwood.

People who watch to see if the eating machine eats, rather than chucking and ducking, throwing and going, get slapped a lot. I can feed it in short sleeves and shorts, no big deal. Generally, I'll wear long sleeves.

I am of the belief that feeding all chippers and wearing face-screens/ shields is sensible. I've fed a hydraulic 12" vermeer and 12" Bandit enough to know its not just CnDs.
 
Shelter's Edge said:
Thanks for hanging in here Reach. I agree w/ this last comment about a well maintained machine being worth more, but how do I tell if it has been well maintained or abused from 850 miles away? The saleperson's job is to unload that machine? I've found a 2003 Bandit 65 in Michigan w/ 320 hours on it. (Barely within my budget and will be well beyond w/ tax, and trip to go get it.) It was traded in on a skid steer. Currently it's in the equipment company's get rid of it inventory. They sent me a couple of videos they shot of it yesterday after I called. 1st cold start after sitting for 4 months, and a clip of some drive shaft ends turning smoothly. (Can't figure out how to copy the video's here - says MP4 extension not acceptable format.) I had Bandit run the serial number and the machine had the axle and auto feed track replaced in 2015. Why would auto feed need to be replaced within 320 hours? The equipment company who currently is selling it says they got it from a construction company who regularly buys filters for their equipment from them, and therefore believes they took care of it. Meanwhile the original purchaser in 2003 was a rental yard. (and who knows in those 16 years between...) Bandit Service told me about prying on the disc to check the bearings for play. Don't know anything about how to check the clutch, but it seemed to engage fine in the video. Its in Michigan and seems to have stayed there from start. Is "snow country" as much of an issue for rust on machines as it is on trucks? (In my search for an F450 I would give low consideration to a snow country truck, and ended up finding an older model truck from Arizona w/ no rust.)
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Videos are helpful, but don’t really tell you a whole lot. My suggestion would be to have an independent mechanic take a look at it, someone not associated with the dealer. He might be able to tell you if it looks like certain parts, like the feed roller for example, might be worn more than it should be on a machine with such low hours. It’s possible the machine has so few hours, or it is also possible that when the tach was replaced the new tach could also be the the hourmeter, and it’s only had 320 hours since overhaul. I have seen machines like that around here, there is one dealer who seems to have a suspiciously high number of machines with “unknown hours“. However, that machine could also have such few hours as it appears, most smaller machines seem to be run much less than the bigger machines.

As far as salt goes, living here in the salt belt, we don’t seem to have problems with salt related rust on our machines, because wood chippers don’t really travel much when there is snow falling. And a new coat of paint is not that expensive, especially if you spend a bit of time saving up for it.
 
Thanks Southsoundtree. Sounds like you're pretty content w/ the CnD's. And I do agree w/ wearing protective gear when operating the machine, which I do. I'm pretty sure its not the type of machine that I'd want to purchase. I might consider it if I had any experience with one and then thought as highly of it as you do, but I don't have any experience w/ one.
 
Reach said:
Videos are helpful, but don’t really tell you a whole lot. My suggestion would be to have an independent mechanic take a look at it, someone not associated with the dealer. He might be able to tell you if it looks like certain parts, like the feed roller for example, might be worn more than it should be on a machine with such low hours. It’s possible the machine has so few hours, or it is also possible that when the tach was replaced the new tach could also be the the hourmeter, and it’s only had 320 hours since overhaul. I have seen machines like that around here, there is one dealer who seems to have a suspiciously high number of machines with “unknown hours“. However, that machine could also have such few hours as it appears, most smaller machines seem to be run much less than the bigger machines.

As far as salt goes, living here in the salt belt, we don’t seem to have problems with salt related rust on our machines, because wood chippers don’t really travel much when there is snow falling. And a new coat of paint is not that expensive, especially if you spend a bit of time saving up for it.
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That's a good suggestion Reach. Yesterday I emailed the salesperson that has the 35HP Bandit, and he called at the end of the day today saying they were not willing to do the videos anyway. I swear it would only take them about 20 minutes to get me the info that the Service Tech at Bandit was requesting - seeing the feed controller go through Feed, neutral, and reverse (to see if the hydraulics were working), and pics of the knives, anvil, and knife pockets. Then a pry bar test to see if there was any play in the disc bearings. Their manager said all their guys were busy with machines that were selling and he didn't have time to devote to a machine not knowing if the sale was even going to happen. Makes me a little suspicious.

I'm thinking I should try to find a rental yard in that town that might know something about chippers? (I'd hope they would not purchase it themselves if it turned out to actually be a good working machine w/ 320 hours and not abused.) Any other recommendations on where I should start looking for a mechanic type?

I also have the name of the original owner - a rental yard. Tomorrow when business hours kick it, I may make an attempt to track the ownership history of the machine and ask about condition and hours.

That Bandit is also 13 hours from me, and the Rayco is 6 1/2 and $500 less w/ supposedly 400-500 hours. I may start putting some energy into that one. I think I'll skip the 25hp Bandit.

I suspected that snow was not as much of an issue for a chipper as for a truck - especially an F450 which seems to commonly get snow plow service.
 
Fivepoints said:
If you run across a Vermeer 935 they are decent machines. We have one that is a 1998 model with 3600 hours on it. We recently upgraded to a bandit 990xp which is no comparison. That 935 with good sharp knives has no issue chipping to capacity. If it fits, it will eat it. Bigger stuff of course trips the autofeed. I really like bandits infeed. It pulls in limbs any of out three Vermeer chippers won't. The lift and crush is nice as well but I don't know if the smaller ones have that.
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Thanks for the suggestion Fivepoints. Maybe 935 is pretty similar to their current 900XL? I couldn't find any specs on the 935, but the 900XL comes in right at 3000#. It may be pushing the hauling capacity of my little 1/2 ton truck (4000# 1995 T100 w/ 470K miles on original motor...) The 900 was already on my watch list if one came in my price range, but wasn't aware of a 935. A quick search suggested that there seem to be a few out there.
 
Shelter's Edge said:
That's a good suggestion Reach. Yesterday I emailed the salesperson that has the 35HP Bandit, and he called at the end of the day today saying they were not willing to do the videos anyway. I swear it would only take them about 20 minutes to get me the info that the Service Tech at Bandit was requesting - seeing the feed controller go through Feed, neutral, and reverse (to see if the hydraulics were working), and pics of the knives, anvil, and knife pockets. Then a pry bar test to see if there was any play in the disc bearings. Their manager said all their guys were busy with machines that were selling and he didn't have time to devote to a machine not knowing if the sale was even going to happen. Makes me a little suspicious.

I'm thinking I should try to find a rental yard in that town that might know something about chippers? (I'd hope they would not purchase it themselves if it turned out to actually be a good working machine w/ 320 hours and not abused.) Any other recommendations on where I should start looking for a mechanic type?

I also have the name of the original owner - a rental yard. Tomorrow when business hours kick it, I may make an attempt to track the ownership history of the machine and ask about condition and hours.

That Bandit is also 13 hours from me, and the Rayco is 6 1/2 and $500 less w/ supposedly 400-500 hours. I may start putting some energy into that one. I think I'll skip the 25hp Bandit.

I suspected that snow was not as much of an issue for a chipper as for a truck - especially an F450 which seems to commonly get snow plow service.
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That does sound a bit suspicious, since it seems to me, at least on here, that you are purporting yourself to be serious about buying that machine.

Calling the original owner would be a good idea, they may not be able to tell you everything, but for sure can tell you what the hours were when they sold it.

As far as a mechanic goes, local rental yards are a good idea - if they do not have a good mechanic, they will know who locally is worth talking to. I call our local rental company for mechanic recommendations sometimes, and they're quite helpful. We also spend quite a few thousand there every year though...

And on a completely different note, if you want to reply to someone and you want them to know you did, you can reference them in your post using the @ in front of their name. Like this: @Shelter's Edge
 
Reach said:
That does sound a bit suspicious, since it seems to me, at least on here, that you are purporting yourself to be serious about buying that machine.

Calling the original owner would be a good idea, they may not be able to tell you everything, but for sure can tell you what the hours were when they sold it.

As far as a mechanic goes, local rental yards are a good idea - if they do not have a good mechanic, they will know who locally is worth talking to. I call our local rental company for mechanic recommendations sometimes, and they're quite helpful. We also spend quite a few thousand there every year though...

And on a completely different note, if you want to reply to someone and you want them to know you did, you can reference them in your post using the @ in front of their name. Like this: @Shelter's Edge
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Thanks @Reach. Good thoughts again. Hopefully that's what you meant.

Anyway, I've done more research on this machine.

The original owner was Grand Rental Station, and there appear to be many of those, so it was going to take some effort to find which one (by calling many?)

I emailed the service guy at Bandit for a potential mechanic in Williamsburg (particularly maybe one at a rental yard that had Bandits). This was his reply:
"If the hours are accurate or even close, which, by the condition of the chipper (in the video of them starting it up) it appears they are in the ballpark, it looks pretty sound.
Bandit chippers by design are pretty bullet proof.
If the engine is in good working order, that would be your biggest concern, in my mind.
You saw it start and run on video by the sounds which should be comforting to you.
Any part on it is still readily available which should also ease your mind.
From everything I’ve seen and heard so far it appears to be in good working order"

I wasn't quite content (actual hours and is the seller a schister...) with that so I called Corporate again and got the receptionist looking up info for me on the serial number, and dug up some interesting things that had not been known before: In 2015 the machine was brought back to Bandit corporate as a trade in. They checked it out and sold it to a construction company w/ 282 hrs on it for $8250. So they've had it in their hands 4 years ago and they appeared to feel like 282 hours was accurate.

They gave me the name of the construction company on the invoice and I've looked them up and put in a call to them to see if they are willing to give me any info - condition and trade in amount. They called me back and said the machine worked great and the place that has it is a well respected company w/ reputation for being honest, and he even has an extra set of brand new knives he'll pass on to me... He had bought the machine because of a major storm that had come through and there was major wait for tree folks to get to the houses that he needed to work on because of all the widespread tree damage, and then the machine just sat there after that.

This machine is looking really darned good at the moment. I'm feeling a big road trip coming on. Still don't know the info that the service guy was originally suggesting I get for him - condition of knives, knife pockets and disc bearings, and whether the hydraulics appear to work.

I also got the name of a rental yard in Williamsburg from Bandit who has a 2012 Bandit 65, to see about having them check out the machine, which at this point I could be willing to forego?? (A little concerned about adding more expenses.) I could also set up a check up at Bandit corporate on my way home w/ the chipper? (the machine is running at 2330RPM and should be at 2400, and the service guy thought it might be a stretched throttle cable.) The closest dealer to me once I get home is over 2 hrs away.

So - from Corporate it was $8250 in 2015, what should I be offering the place that has it now - they are asking $7995, which does not appear to be a fixed price since the salesperson at some point had said "until we agree on a number." I'm thinking about asking for $7,500 taxes and everything out the door (and they make sure highway lights are working.)


Scott
 
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