Thinking of getting a new 18" chipper, opinion pls

Did you ever think about a morbark 15R with the 160 hp cummins. When we demo'd one we had an entire 18 green ash tree chipped. We just turned down the feed wheels and watched it transform to chips. Total weight is 9200# . Heavier duty construction than regular 15. We also had a 5000# winch added. Got them on order. I have some concerns about long term performance but had to go off what we know and not what could be. We have a 750 woodsman and we love it. But didn't seem to get the same results from the terex. I prefer its single feed wheel and 30 in drum but as mentioned the chips would pour/dribble out of the discharge shoot and not fire out like the old woodsman when chipping large diameter material. We also had a winch that didn't pass the mustard.
 
Bandit are the shizl nit. Dual feed wheels, hydraulic lift and crush, over sized drums, easy to work on and with and not to mention built for what we do. We have 3 Bandits, 990, 1390hd, 1890, the two big machines have winches (a must). I have owned Morbark and Vermeer, I liked our Morbark not so much our Vermeer (I couldn't get it out of our yard fast enough). IMO if your looking for a machine 12" and larger make sure you get exactly what you want because a large diameter machine won't sell as easily. Just my 2 cents. Happy hunting

Cheers
Ben
 
I love toyota, my Dad is a Ford man and my father in law tends to love Chevy. Can you imagine what it's like when we all get into a room? I feel the same way about chipper models. Just look at this thread. Every person has a different chipper they would recommend. I think it all comes down to your experience with a particular machine. I love bandit, but I also love ANY chipper that chips brush and wood with little effort on my part. My .02
 
Y
classictruckman said:
no no, the 20" morbark runs behind a 30 yd. chip truck, in heavy removals it will do 4 truck loads a day.
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You took that one in a different direction I wasn't talking about your other chipper trucks I was really just wondering about the bucket ,if you did something like it again would you try for a bigger box?
 
No like I said, we haven't filled it with that 12" Vermeer. If I were to do it again I would likely use a different brand chipper, something without the over-complicated electronics, just a simple autofeed. With a little more knowledge of the pump we used I'd get the proper one with the correct seals from the start. I'd get an electric clutch so it could be engaged from the passenger side of the truck. And dual electric throttles from the start.

The bones and theory of the truck are excellent, we've just had a few hiccups along the way. But you get that even with a brand new factory built unit straight off the lot.
 
I think Royce said it well. What we all become a custom to is the way we go. I have three Morbarks 1996 model 13 , 2001 model 13 , 2012 model 14.
They all run and chip fine. Very few times have I ever needed any major parts, when I did they were on my door step next day. I have a Carlton 7015 stump grinder that has had a part on order now for over three months. Thank goodness I can still run the machine without the part or I would be sunk. Parts and service are a must. We tractor feed large material all the time, Dead wood live wood it doesn't matter. it all goes thru just fine. Never have to open the bottom feed roller hatch. Never have an issue with throwing the chips into a 16 foot truck. 7 foot tall 8.5 feet wide packs the truck every time. Guess you can tell that I am a Morbark chipper fan. Oh and Morbark is the only one with the operator safety system, (Chipsafe) its on my model 14
 
The little bonnet that covers the cutter wheel. Bent it right away. The way its built it has a straight edge that if you don't watch real close can engage the top of the stump. It should have a 45 degree angle on the edges so it will ride up and over the stump. My opinion anyway.
 
Ftr I ended up getting a BB1590 with 3 feed motors rather than the normal 2. The 3 feed motors was recommended by the salesman and it runs circles around a 1590 with 2 motors, I know cuz I had to buy a normal 2 motor one while my 3 motor one was being built (my morbark died so I couldnt wait). 174hp perkins tier 3. 2014 model year, 3300hrs on it to date, best chipper I've ever owned, no issues with it. Barely sips fuel.

It's obviously not a giant 19" or 20" inch chipper but it is a beast, a labor saving beast.
 
Huh Cory, I didn't know anything had a third feed motor. I'll have to look into that. I'm thinking of getting a bigger chipper to turn wood into chips as firewood users and sellers go the way of the dinosaurs.
 
Merle, 3 motors, (2 on top feed wheel, one on bottom) is like night and day compared to 2 motors. Salesman said it is becoming a commonly chosen option. Probably set you back an extra $1000. Which reminds me the salesman also basically ordered me to get a hydraulic swivel on discharge chute for another $1000, I was dragging my feet on that cuz I've always had manual adjustment and it was fine but hydro is a hundred times mo betta so praise the lord I went for it.
 
cory said:
Merle, 3 motors, (2 on top feed wheel, one on bottom) is like night and day compared to 2 motors. Salesman said it is becoming a commonly chosen option. Probably set you back an extra $1000. Which reminds me the salesman also basically ordered me to get a hydraulic swivel on discharge chute for another $1000, I was dragging my feet on that cuz I've always had manual adjustment and it was fine but hydro is a hundred times mo betta so praise the lord I went for it.
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Great info, thanks Cory. There are a lot of options on Bandits that are only $200 or $300 that save so much time. I frequently marvel at how much better my chipper serves me than an "off the lot" unit a dealer ordered.

One other option I had never seen before was a bottom "chip door" that you could step on with your foot to release problem chips and then it would spring return.
 
Merle Nelson said:
Great info, thanks Cory. There are a lot of options on Bandits that are only $200 or $300 that save so much time. I frequently marvel at how much better my chipper serves me than an "off the lot" unit a dealer ordered.

One other option I had never seen before was a bottom "chip door" that you could step on with your foot to release problem chips and then it would spring return.
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The foot spring door is a nice option, hyd rotate was totally worth it for the chute. 15xp 6.2 gas
 
cory said:
Never heard of that but sounds good!

Btw, stalling of bottom feed wheel was mentioned above, it virtually never happens on my BB, ftr.
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The lower feed roller stall issue is my only gripe about my Morbark Twister 12. Happens enough that I would be interested in a delete mod and use the spare motor to double up on the opposite side of the upper roller. Obviously modding a machine without manufacturer consent is a bad idea, but 2 of the 3 other machines I’ve had are designed without the lower roller and I can truly say I dig that design.
 
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