What’s Your SMALLER Equipment Setup?

[Tree-Taylor]

Wood Chipper 4090 | North American Made | SPLIT-FIRE®

Split-Fire’s Heavy-Duty wood chippers are the best on the Market. Tough components, easy service and top safely creates the best user experience possible.

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These are great little chippers from a well respected Canadian manufacturer, however they aren't compact enough to fit through most urban gates. I contacted them to see if they would make me a machine with a narrower wheel base but they declined.

 

[RopeShield]

34" wide, less than most gates round here

 

[Tree-Taylor]

Great for the burbs, not so great for an old urban area. If you can tow it, you're not getting it into my backyards.

 

[Barc Buster]

Great for the burbs, not so great for an old urban area. If you can tow it, you're not getting it into my backyards.

I’d be super surprised if you weren’t the exception rather than the norm. I work some old urban properties around mid-Michigan and have yet to run into a gate narrower than the standard 36”. Seems like a non issue anyway since the material needs to come to the curb 9/10ths of the time anyway.

 

[Tree-Taylor]

I’d be super surprised if you weren’t the exception rather than the norm. I work some old urban properties around mid-Michigan and have yet to run into a gate narrower than the standard 36”. Seems like a non issue anyway since the material needs to come to the curb 9/10ths of the time anyway.

Standard gate sizes are 32-36".

You're missing the point of a mini chipper if you're picturing dragging the brush to the curb.

 

[Barc Buster]

Standard gate sizes are 32-36".

You're missing the point of a mini chipper if you're picturing dragging the brush to the curb.

Dude that’s pretty funny. I literally started out with a mini chipper. Methinks I’m not the one missing the point

 

[Vicente]

I thought the point of a mini chipper was mostly that it was easier to move and a helluva lot cheaper than a normal smaller chipper.

 

[Barc Buster]

I thought the point of a mini chipper was mostly that it was easier to move and a helluva lot cheaper than a normal smaller chipper.

Jackpot!

 

[Mick Dempsey]

I‘d rather drag brush to the kerb, or get a mini skid to get it out.

 

[Barc Buster]

I‘d rather drag brush to the kerb, or get a mini skid to get it out.

This as well. Don’t get me wrong the mini chipper got me started on my own, but I was never so happy as the day I put my 9” chipper to work and retired the mini chipper. I don’t chip anything with the 9” that I wouldn’t have with the mini chipper but it’s way faster and less wear on my body.

 

[Tree-Taylor]

Jackpot!

That's why you bought yours I guess. I didn't buy mine as a "starter" chipper. I never plan on buying a large chipper. When I need one I sub it out. They are cheap and portable though.

The reason I bought mine was to eliminate the trips back and forth. One wheelie bin full eliminates a dozen trips to the street meaning your groundie rarely leaves your side. This isn't a production removal chipper, it takes time to feed. However there are efficiencies in time spent dragging, damage to the property, CLEAN UP, maintenance, storage, etc. All that adds up, not just in time but wear and tear on your body.

This is a niche set up for a mainly tree preservation company, it's not for everyone.

 

[Barc Buster]

This is a niche set up for a mainly tree preservation company, it's not for everyone.

Which speaks to my point when I said this:

I’d be super surprised if you weren’t the exception rather than the norm.

I’m glad you have a system that you are happy with. I quickly found the opposite of what you are saying to be true. For example easier to shoot chips into a chip bin/truck than to “wheelie bin” chips into whatever you’re hauling them away with. Easier to stack a load of brush onto an arbor trolley than to drag it on the ground. Or better yet easier to use a mini. I too am a preservation first tree care service. Different strokes for different folks I guess bud.

 

[islandarb]

Which speaks to my point when I said this:

I’m glad you have a system that you are happy with. I quickly found the opposite of what you are saying to be true. For example easier to shoot chips into a chip bin/truck than to “wheelie bin” chips into whatever you’re hauling them away with. Easier to stack a load of brush onto an arbor trolley than to drag it on the ground. Or better yet easier to use a mini. I too am a preservation first tree care service. Different strokes for different folks I guess bud.

@Barc Buster where is the land shaped like a hand?

 

[Barc Buster]

@Barc Buster where is the land shaped like a hand?

It’s a not so clever reference to the state of Michigan.

 

[Tree-Taylor]

Which speaks to my point when I said this:

I’m glad you have a system that you are happy with. I quickly found the opposite of what you are saying to be true. For example easier to shoot chips into a chip bin/truck than to “wheelie bin” chips into whatever you’re hauling them away with. Easier to stack a load of brush onto an arbor trolley than to drag it on the ground. Or better yet easier to use a mini. I too am a preservation first tree care service. Different strokes for different folks I guess bud.

This thread is based on the exceptions to the norm, it's a smaller equipment thread.

I don't dump the wheelie bins into a truck or trailer. I have 6 large commercial wheeled bins that fit perfectly into a 4x8 trailer. I also have room for 2 extra bins in my enclosed trailer. Ideally I don't even use the bins, I always offer to leave the chips for the client when appropriate. What's better than using a mini? Not dragging a single branch and no cleanup. When I do take the chips away the bins are super easy to unload and dump. If it's a removal day I hire a chipping sub and if I ever need a mini or dump trailer I just rent one and never have to store or maintain it.

This setup means I can live in the city, I can store everything in my driveway, I can repair and maintain everything I own, I have no equipment payments, no commercial vehicle licenses, reduces clean up time, reduces labour demands, reduces insurance costs, etc.

 

[treebing]

Yes having the mini chipper at the tree is great. Dragging to the curb means more to rake as well. Its been a while since I did the mini chipper setup but I would agree that there were plenty of jobs where bringing the chipper to the tree saved a lot of cleanup and drag. The most important thing with those little chippers was sharp blades. While leaving woodchips was usually an easy sell, there was often the random bark and rakings that I didn't want to chip to preserve my blades that was harder to leave. I used the DR chipper and it really was a homeowner chipper. I often dream about going back to those days but I would want a professional mini chipper. Some of the euro chippers seem great.

 

[treebing]

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[treebing]

These are great little chippers from a well respected Canadian manufacturer, however they aren't compact enough to fit through most urban gates. I contacted them to see if they would make me a machine with a narrower wheel base but they declined.

That seems a problem that you could fix without to much of a problem.

 

[Jonny]

I’d probably cry if I had to ride a bike home after a busy day of tree work.

 

[Barc Buster]

This thread is based on the exceptions to the norm, it's a smaller equipment thread.

I don't dump the wheelie bins into a truck or trailer. I have 6 large commercial wheeled bins that fit perfectly into a 4x8 trailer. I also have room for 2 extra bins in my enclosed trailer. Ideally I don't even use the bins, I always offer to leave the chips for the client when appropriate. What's better than using a mini? Not dragging a single branch and no cleanup. When I do take the chips away the bins are super easy to unload and dump. If it's a removal day I hire a chipping sub and if I ever need a mini or dump trailer I just rent one and never have to store or maintain it.

This setup means I can live in the city, I can store everything in my driveway, I can repair and maintain everything I own, I have no equipment payments, no commercial vehicle licenses, reduces clean up time, reduces labour demands, reduces insurance costs, etc.

Horses for courses. I’d love to see some pictures of your set up!