What’s Your SMALLER Equipment Setup?

climbingmonkey24 · Jan 21, 2021

southsoundtree said:
That's not debris.

That's organic matter, along with flowers, seeds, cones, and bark... the stuff trees are meant to drop in their root zones.

I know, but some people might only want chips from wood only yea?

I’ve never left chips so I haven’t encountered it.

southsoundtree · Jan 21, 2021

Learn to educate about mulch.

I can't tell you how many people who don't need "chips" at the initial phone call or start off the bid, ask me when I can bring them more.

I always offer that I have a forestry- body chip truck and can provide the service of taking away their valuable resource, for a fee, as so many people want to buy chip-mulch.

I rarely drive my chip truck.

macrocarpa · Jan 21, 2021

Following this post...

What are some of the best small scale tow behind chippers for pruning for those of us who want to keep things simple and streamlined?

Parks · Jan 21, 2021

southsoundtree said:
Learn to educate about mulch.

I can't tell you how many people who don't need "chips" at the initial phone call or start off the bid, ask me when I can bring them more.

I always offer that I have a forestry- body chip truck and can provide the service of taking away their valuable resource, for a fee, as so many people want to buy chip-mulch.

I rarely drive my chip truck.

This is the 2nd time I've seen you say this

. Let's hear your mulch pitch. Lol

Phoenix · Jan 21, 2021

This setup is working for me. Everything on one truck. 2 guys are following in their cars during the pandemic.

Phoenix · Jan 21, 2021

Phoenix said:
View attachment 72920
This setup is working for me. Everything on one truck. 2 guys are following in their cars during the pandemic.

.... the minivan I mean. I can actually stuff a lot of brush in the back+ all the room on the roof.

climbingmonkey24 · Jan 22, 2021

macrocarpa said:
Following this post...

What are some of the best small scale tow behind chippers for pruning for those of us who want to keep things simple and streamlined?

I’m currently using a Vermeer 620, 6 inch. I do mostly pruning but I have done big storm damage jobs with it. Handles well and can take some decent size pieces of wood too. Any wood too big I just trim brush off and load the pieces afterwards.

TCtreeswinger · Jan 22, 2021

@Phoenix did you used to have a mini loader/grapple on the back of a trailer? That looks like a slick do-all setup

laddo · Jan 22, 2021

macrocarpa said:
Following this post...

What are some of the best small scale tow behind chippers for pruning for those of us who want to keep things simple and streamlined?

Yea ^^^^ this..... I just started my business and just bought a F350 dually. I would love to have a smaller chipper for pruning jobs. Genius idea for guys starting out who need to really focus on efficiency to stay profitable and competitive

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Merle Nelson · Jan 22, 2021

Jehinten said:
Getting ready to unload chips. A pitchfork working from ground level makes pretty quick work of it. Just poke /drag out the bottom and the top of the pile spills off.

Potato rake with 10 inch tines would turbo charge that, no?

JeffGu · Jan 22, 2021

Merle Nelson said:
Potato rake with 10 inch tines...

How does a guy in San Francisco even know what that is?

Jehinten · Jan 22, 2021

Merle Nelson said:
Potato rake with 10 inch tines would turbo charge that, no?

Potentially, I just used what I had on hand.

Merle Nelson · Jan 22, 2021

JeffGu said:
How does a guy in San Francisco even know what that is?

HA! I used to try to not spend money on equipment. I unloaded a pickup with a potato rake for years.

(I'm an hour north of San Fran - just give that area as a well known spot for the citizens of the world that post here.)

Merle Nelson · Jan 22, 2021

@treebing should chime in. I think he used to roll out with the most compact set up I have ever heard of.

Stumpsprouts · Jan 22, 2021

laddo said:
Yea ^^^^ this..... I just started my business and just bought a F350 dually. I would love to have a smaller chipper for pruning jobs. Genius idea for guys starting out who need to really focus on efficiency to stay profitable and competitive

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I just bought a gently used Carlton 1290 a few weeks ago and I’m really enjoying it. It’s 3000 lbs, and can chip up to 9”. It’s small and simple, but had hydraulic yoke lift which I feel is vital. Carlton service dept is awesome. I’m towing it with an F250 but have also towed it with a Tacoma. I’m surprised it’s not more popular for the small chipper crowd, and looking forward to knowing it more.

Jonny · Jan 22, 2021

I just bought a gently used Carlton 1290 a few weeks ago and I’m really enjoying it. It’s 3000 lbs, and can chip up to 9”. It’s small and simple, but had hydraulic yoke lift which I feel is vital. Carlton service sept is awesome. I’m towing it with an F250 but have also towed it with a Tacoma. I’m surprised it’s not more popular for the small chipper crowd, and looking forward to knowing it more.
That’s amazing... I doubted you on the weight and had to look it up, that really looks like a sweet machine! Carlton makes some fine stump grinders, I had a feeling their chippers would be well built too.

My small setup is a Bandit 65XP, goes around 2200 lbs, and if the knives are good, it will actually chip the full 6”. Truck is the 97 SuperDuty with 12’x8’ chip box. So small chipper, and more like a medium duty chip truck that is more often seen with a 9” or 12” chipper. I also have an F250 short bed, and if I can blow chips somewhere besides the truck bed, I use that truck.

I’m in the rust belt, and the F250 bed is pretty rough, so I got an idea to use a small trailer bed for it. I’ll share the completed project when it gets done. I think it’ll be nice for general work.

Stumpsprouts · Jan 22, 2021

Jonny said:
That’s amazing... I doubted you on the weight and had to look it up, that really looks like a sweet machine! Carlton makes some fine stump grinders, I had a feeling their chippers would be well built too.

My small setup is a Bandit 65XP, goes around 2200 lbs, and if the knives are good, it will actually chip the full 6”. Truck is the 97 SuperDuty with 12’x8’ chip box. So small chipper, and more like a medium duty chip truck that is more often seen with a 9” or 12” chipper. I also have an F250 short bed, and if I can blow chips somewhere besides the truck bed, I use that truck.

I’m in the rust belt, and the F250 bed is pretty rough, so I got an idea to use a small trailer bed for it. I’ll share the completed project when it gets done. I think it’ll be nice for general work.

View attachment 72939 View attachment 72940

Ok nerdy shop talk here but would be helpful- what’s your gross weight with that and what are you good to haul in bed with the dually wheels? F250 wasn’t my first choice but 4x4 was nonnegotiable and didn’t have a lot of good options.

evo · Jan 23, 2021

climbingmonkey24 said:
I know, but some people might only want chips from wood only yea?

I’ve never left chips so I haven’t encountered it.

Yes once in a while, but more often people want specifically alder chips around here.

evo · Jan 23, 2021

My small equipment set up is all I run with.
Biggest to smallest
1995 Isuzu FRR 19500 gross
Vermeer s725tx mini with bmg, two buckets, pallet forks, auger, tiller, and some other stuff
Gravely 44hp 9” chipper ~2500lbs (I use it as a souped up 6”)
F-250 with a boat builder aluminum dump insert (dump adds only about 500lbs against gross).

Merle Nelson · Jan 23, 2021

Evo, I will need to get another pickup dump insert some day. Is one like yours available for sale? I live near the ocean and have 1/8 sheet metal rusting through all over mine.