Morbark TW-280PHB chipper

[southsoundtree]

I see that @flyingmosstreen has this chipper, too.


I ran a pile of brush through my newly aquired demo machine with 46 hours of use.

So far, so good.

More machine-feedable than I would have guessed.

Powerful at 59hp. Compact and lightweight.

 

[flyingmosstreen]

Yup! Haven’t tried feeding with a machine. And I took the plastic barrier thing right off. I’ve been really liking how small and lightweight the machine is. I bought a 3,000 dollar Chinese mini mini skid steer and it moves it just fine. I put a 2 “ ball hitch on the bucket of the machine and move it with that. It’s great for getting in backyards and chipping on site.

I’ll probably do the first oil change and hydro oil change soon here.

 

[Mick Dempsey!]

Even if you cannot get the brash into the rollers, laying it on the hopper saves a hell of a lot of effort.

 

[southsoundtree]

What plastic thing?


Do you have a thumb? Rigid or hydraulic?

 

[Mick Dempsey!]

What plastic thing?


Do you have a thumb? Rigid or hydraulic?

Think he means the plastic curtain in the hopper.

 

[flyingmosstreen]

Ya the curtain. Words were not finding my brain. Also interesting, my exhaust is plumbed out underneath the chassis instead of out the top as yours is.

 

[southsoundtree]

Interesting. Mind dry grass.

 

[southsoundtree]

@flyingmosstreen I bet you will be able to machine feed well with a hydraulic thumb.

I got a 1-ton mini-x às an experiment and shop yard machine. I'll try mini-x feeding when I get the hydraulic thumb installed.

 

[southsoundtree]

Can be lifted easily!

 

[flyingmosstreen]

Wellllll, with 23 hours on the machine, I’ve had my first breakdown. Forward function on the feed wheels stopped working mid chip. Reverse works. No forward. Luckily the shop is right down the road. Bummed though. That puts me out of commission with no backup. Mechanic said it should be covered under warranty. I had them schedule in oils and filters in the mean time.

Time to dip into the no cleanup jobs.

I moved it in to place with the Chinese mini skid. Pretty bootleg. But getting it done on a budget.

 

[Reach]

Wellllll, with 23 hours on the machine, I’ve had my first breakdown. Forward function on the feed wheels stopped working mid chip. Reverse works. No forward. Luckily the shop is right down the road. Bummed though. That puts me out of commission with no backup. Mechanic said it should be covered under warranty. I had them schedule in oils and filters in the mean time.

Time to dip into the no cleanup jobs.

I moved it in to place with the Chinese mini skid. Pretty bootleg. But getting it done on a View attachment 101608

Am I wrong, or is that chipper the current rendition of a former Echo Bearcat? It sure looks like one to me.

I hope that the feed issue is fixed quickly for you, that sounds like an electrical problem to me.

 

[flyingmosstreen]

Am I wrong, or is that chipper the current rendition of a former Echo Bearcat? It sure looks like one to me.

I hope that the feed issue is fixed quickly for you, that sounds like an electrical problem to me.

Agreed Reach, maybe a solenoid somewhere. I have very limited electrical knowledge. And this machine is so bare bones and basic that it’s hard to even look at anything from the outside and nail it down. Hopefully the guys at the shop figger it out real quick. But they’re down a few guys and it’s beginning of busy season. Oh well, Onward! Had a good climb this morning too.

 

[27RMT0N]

Wellllll, with 23 hours on the machine, I’ve had my first breakdown. Forward function on the feed wheels stopped working mid chip. Reverse works. No forward. Luckily the shop is right down the road. Bummed though. That puts me out of commission with no backup. Mechanic said it should be covered under warranty. I had them schedule in oils and filters in the mean time.

Time to dip into the no cleanup jobs.

I moved it in to place with the Chinese mini skid. Pretty bootleg. But getting it done on a budget.View attachment 101608

Bummer about the chipper breakdown. I'm always curious about peoples experiences with the cheap Chinese equipment, how is that mini skid doing and how are you using it in tree work? Without a grapple to grab limbs, are you mostly using it for moving wood in the bucket and moving the chipper around?

 

[Mick Dempsey!]

Am I wrong, or is that chipper the current rendition of a former Echo Bearcat? It sure looks like one to me.

I hope that the feed issue is fixed quickly for you, that sounds like an electrical problem to me.

It’s nothing to do with an Echo Bearcat.

 

[Reach]

It’s nothing to do with an Echo Bearcat.

Thank you, I wasn't sure about that. It looks similar to me, so I was curious.

 

[flyingmosstreen]

Bummer about the chipper breakdown. I'm always curious about peoples experiences with the cheap Chinese equipment, how is that mini skid doing and how are you using it in tree work? Without a grapple to grab limbs, are you mostly using it for moving wood in the bucket and moving the chipper around?

So far I have been using it to drag branches that I place in a waste management bagster. Best 35$ spent. Super versatile tarp/bag equipment cover etc. but basically dragging brush and loading wood in bucket. It could use some counter weights. Working on that… figuring it out. It jussst moves the chipper. Definitely enough power but weight or lack of makes it a little weak. Definitely wouldn’t want to try for down hill and then back out. It works better pushing than pulling. I think an arbor trolly would be great! Maybe I’ll try and fab something up.