Mini platform on chipper

CanaryBoss

CanaryBoss

Branched out member
Location
Jacksonville
I know it exists, I looked for a thread but couldn’t find one. Humor me please. Anyone done it with a smaller chipper? Thinking I’ll add an axle and extend my tongue. Any input? We are looking at a 12” bandit with a Vermeer 725 on it. Go
 
Difficulty becomes throwing chips all the way to the front of the chip box to fill the truck. Do the math figure out how much longer the tongue would be and try it first. And figure out if it will do it with average knives not just the brand new wicked shap ones.
 
Another option might be to consider putting the platform behind the chipper, instead of in front. Add the second axle, perhaps spaced a bit behind the current axle, and then put in a platform below/in place of the feed table. Or make it removable if necessary, with some sort of attachment setup like a Western snowplow mount, nice and easy to line up and self-latching.
 
Reach said:
Another option might be to consider putting the platform behind the chipper, instead of in front. Add the second axle, perhaps spaced a bit behind the current axle, and then put in a platform below/in place of the feed table. Or make it removable if necessary, with some sort of attachment setup like a Western snowplow mount, nice and easy to line up and self-latching.
Click to expand...

Here's one like that, that I've seen on this forum. The fold down infeed covers the mini skid platform when chipping. 20190501_202912.webp

The only problem with mounting a 3,000lb mini on the back is with a 12" chipper you wouldn't have any tounge weight for towing.
 
rugger01 said:
Difficulty becomes throwing chips all the way to the front of the chip box to fill the truck. Do the math figure out how much longer the tongue would be and try it first. And figure out if it will do it with average knives not just the brand new wicked shap ones.
Click to expand...


Will a chute extension be beneficial? Feasible?
 
Jehinten said:
Here's one like that, that I've seen on this forum. The fold down infeed covers the mini skid platform when chipping. View attachment 59328

The only problem with mounting a 3,000lb mini on the back is with a 12" chipper you wouldn't have any tounge weight for towing.
Click to expand...
That is pretty much exactly what I was picturing. To fix the tongue weight problem I would add a second axle BEHIND the existing axle, thereby shifting the balance point of the chipper itself backwards and making it possible to haul a mini this way. Otherwise, yes, the chipper will sit on its rear end with the mini on.
 
Michael poor had his bandit 1990 modified from the factory with a platform on the front. The chute was extended.. Now keep in mind how heavy that would be to lift the chute if it got clogged. I belive they incorporated a lift line from the winch to do it.
 
Extending the chute is an interesting idea. I could definitely pull that off. Things are crazy right now with our knuckle boom arriving tomorrow. I forgot to get the r&d done on the chip throw.

While I’m seriously considering the idea, I am also dragging my feet cause I could just as easily bring my flatbed box truck along and carry the machine-and it could even tow a dump trailer.

Sounds like it will be pretty labor intensive. Last time I added an axle under a trailer, I had to replace them both. I guess with dual axle I need some kind of swivel point in the middle for them to work together? The previous axle was a torsion axle.

Bandit makes a healthy chipper but I’m a little concerned about all the extra bouncing and flexing on the frame of that chipper. Does anybody know of any long term negative outcomes that people have had from this fabrication?

Also, when we figure it out, who is going to bring me their chipper so I can install the same setup on theirs?
 
With a torsion axle, you should be able to simply add a second torsion axle, like what many dump trailers have. The challenge then is that to keep axle weights what they need to be, you have to tow the trailer rather level. You may need to move the existing axle though, to make room for the second axle.

Check with a good trailer shop, preferably one that builds trailers, and they should be able to tell you if the frame is enough for what you want to do. I would think it should be though, Bandits seem to have rather heavy frames for the weight they carry.
 
How necessary is it to add a second axle, would upgrading the single axle work just as well? In my case I do not know my chipper weight, but the axle is rated for 6,000lb and my mini weighs 2300 without an attachment. If I replace my stock axle with a 9,000lb axle that would give me enough capacity for the mini and an additional 700lbs for the platform and grapple.

Although not known, I'd like to assume that the stock chipper is not maxing out the current axle, meaning that a 9,000lb axle would allow me to haul more than an additional 3,000 lbs.

Going this route instead of a tandem axle may result in less modifications than adding a second axle and providing new fenders. Also this will be pulled by a class 6 truck, so I should be good on the extra tongue weight. I just will no longer be able to pull the chipper with a half ton pickup, even without the mini, which I rarely do anyways.
 
If I replace my stock axle with a 9,000lb axle that would give me enough capacity for the mini and an additional 700lbs for the platform and grapple.

How much more will a heavier duty axle weigh? It Will have bigger rims and tires too. The price of a heavier axle will far outweigh the price of another comparable axle. Two axles seems much sturdier to me as well. A single axle just seems too dangerous, extra tongue weight or no tongue weight-it’s all to uncertain for me. I think I’m going to stick with a two axle design.
 
CanaryBoss said:
The price of a heavier axle will far outweigh the price of another comparable axle.
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I hadn't considered the axle itself being heavier. In regards to the cost, a quick online search found a new 9K axle at $1,100. to go tandem I'd likely need to buy two new axles so that the suspension is tied together instead of two independent axles under the same chipper.


CanaryBoss said:
A single axle just seems too dangerous, extra tongue weight or no tongue weight-it’s all to uncertain for me.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure I follow this comment, from the sounds of it we're both already pulling a single axle chipper with no issues. What's dangerous about a single axle? As for tongue weight I think there's no doubt that there will be extra weight. Its already tongue heavy by design and were talking about extending the frame and chip chute, and adding a platform to the front. When loaded it will be 1,000s of pounds heavier on the tongue than stock.


Just kicking around ideas in case I do go this route, I'd much rather not have to do it all again once completed because I over looked something.
 
Jehinten said:
I hadn't considered the axle itself being heavier. In regards to the cost, a quick online search found a new 9K axle at $1,100. to go tandem I'd likely need to buy two new axles so that the suspension is tied together instead of two independent axles under the same chipper.




I'm not sure I follow this comment, from the sounds of it we're both already pulling a single axle chipper with no issues. What's dangerous about a single axle? As for tongue weight I think there's no doubt that there will be extra weight. Its already tongue heavy by design and were talking about extending the frame and chip chute, and adding a platform to the front. When loaded it will be 1,000s of pounds heavier on the tongue than stock.


Just kicking around ideas in case I do go this route, I'd much rather not have to do it all again once completed because I over looked something.
Click to expand...
If your current axle is a spring axle, you can keep it-according to my fabricator. It just needs a “block” between the springs.
Are there wheels and good enough tires included at that 1100 price?

The fear of single axle is it having huge tongue weight. I have seen a handful of hitches break in my career
 
$1100 is axle only.

That's good info on being able to keep the existing axle and having them play nice together. At that rate I'm probably better off getting a second 6K axle for better overall load, smoother ride, and weight distribution on 4 tires instead of two incase of ever having a tire blowout on the road.
 
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