What’s your bigger equipment setup?

Bigdog12 · Jan 24, 2024

I’ve recently purchased a new to me Vermeer BC 2100.. 16,000ish lbs. 275 HP. This chipper is incredibly productive and save alot of work breaking down branches and on the amount of wood I have to haul. I pull it with a Freightliner fl70 with a 25 yard aluminum chip box. I put the kubota svl 75 with Ryan’s equipment rotating grapple in The 15 yd container on the international 4300 container truck. Flatbed f250 holds the alturna mats and pulls the rayco rg100 grinder. That’s our set up for big climbing removal. 4 guys, we strive for efficiency. What are you guys running? Always looking to become more streamline.

Merle Nelson · Jan 24, 2024

Nice. Bigdog who built your 25 yard aluminum chipbox?

Welcome to TreeBuzz by the way. Lots of great info here - searchable all the way back.

Gerasimek · Jan 25, 2024

You inquired about my hooklift and I saw this post so I thought I would explain the setup I used to operate. With my hooklift I towed a Vermeer BC2000 grapple chipper (about 14,000lbs.) Like you said, with a big chipper comes bigger production but a big chipper should have a high capacity chip truck. We went from a 17 yard truck to nearly 40 yards with this hooklift and what we weren't prepared for was the savings of time. We calculated that we were saving between 1 and 1.5 hours of drive time per day. That's huge. Less stopping to unhitch the chipper, go dump, rehitch. That equates to less fuel used, more production from an employee (working more, driving less) and more money earned per day. In addition to being a big chip truck, it can haul logs, stump grindings, equipment, as well as tow equipment. I made crazy money with that setup then my driver quit (like a lot of people during covid for whatever reason) and I couldn't find another CDL driver (because covid, I guess) so I sold both of my grapple chippers (always have a spare) and bought a debris truck instead (because I have a convenient place to get rid of brush). Hope this helps you out.

Jehinten · Jan 25, 2024

50 yd grapple truck is my only bigger equipment. I haul all debris in it and no longer run a chipper. All debris is forwarded with a mini skid and I hire a 50T crane as needed.

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Bigdog12 · Jan 25, 2024

Merle Nelson said:
Nice. Bigdog who built your 25 yard aluminum chipbox?

Welcome to TreeBuzz by the way. Lots of great info here - searchable all the way back.

M H EBY made my chip box and I’m happy with it, they make a quality product. Thank you, always looking to learn.

27RMT0N · Jan 25, 2024

Gerasimek said:
then my driver quit (like a lot of people during covid for whatever reason) and I couldn't find another CDL driver

I don't want to detail this thread, but I think this is a really important issue and rapidly becoming a big factor for so many businesses, and is a critical component to 'bigger equipment'. Fewer and fewer people are getting CDLs these days (just google 'truck driver shortage') and I mentioned this in another thread, but what I tend to see is companies expecting people to be an expert in their trade, AND have a CDL for lower or only equal pay to what they could make simply driving a truck and staying in the dry, heated cab. I don't know what the answer is, but it's absolutely going to hinder businesses productivity and profitability.

Merle Nelson · Jan 25, 2024

Bigdog12 said:
M H EBY made my chip box and I’m happy with it, they make a quality product. Thank you, always looking to learn.

They have some useful and good looking options I haven't seen before. Barn doors with one shorter than the other solves a door opening concern I've had. And double wall smooth sided is something I didn't know was available either.

Thanks.