Chipper for farm - Ramial wood chips

[kwendt]

Ok all, Happy New Year! 

I get to buy a new or preferably used wood chipper!

Use: I need to brush about 2 miles of woods roads, boundary lines, clear 15 ac of overgrown fields and create Ramial wood chips by the ton for hugelmounds/new orchard in about 4 acres of old field. Some brush I'll leave for wildlife, forage and food... But my 'new' farm hasn't been worked or maintained for 20 years or so. Some of the grey birch saplings are 8' high in the fields...

I'm not a logger or other forest professional... I grew up in the woods but I'm just a blacksmith..lol!

So forum friends, Anyone got any recommendations? Brand, size, type?

I have a 1950 Fergie TO-20 with PTO runs awesome..... But not much else by way of equipment yet. (Yes, I'll need a real saw lol)... But I know zip about chippers. I can go with a pto powered one or a stand alone gas? model.... But it's got to be portable...

[thecfarm]

Is that Fergie about 20 hp on the PTO?
First off get yourself a OWB to burn that wood.  ;D  I cleared about an acre,before I got mine. Use the brush for chips and the bigger wood to burn. I had some BIG piles burning here. I have cleared a few acres,but the more I clear,the more I have to keep clear. The first 3-4 years are the worst. Really have to mow what you clear quite often,like once a month to keep the suckers down and the new stuff from growing too. Cut the stumps low too. Than go back after a year and cut them down again. The ground will settle down around them and they will be sticking up a couple inches by than. Have fun. Make sure you take some pictures before starting. I really did not,but I have pictures that I have taken of equipment and have those places in the back ground. Sure does look diffeant now. I left as many oak as I could for the wildlife.
I had no idea what Ramial wood chips was.   

[curdog]

Instead of a chainsaw  (depending on the size of brush), I may look into a brush saw. I run a 9 inch saw blade on the end of a weedeater. It has chainsaw teeth and it will save a lot of bending and straining on yourself.  I've cut tree's up to 5 inches or so without much trouble.  But just the thought of all of that hand clearing makes me tired. 
You may want to look into renting a tracked grinder. Mounts to the front of a skidsteer and cut and mulch all in one pass. And you can treat the stumps with herbicide to keep them from resprouting.  Good luck on the project, I've thought about it for too long and I'm going to take a nap now.

[kwendt]

Guys.... I gotta pull the sapling stumps outta my fields too. So I can plow. There are really three sections of crop land, each section has two side by side fields. The front two fields are clear enough, but have about 15' row of saplings starting to take over the fringes. Those I'll pull out... If I have too.... Hire it done, or use the horse team.

The mid fields... Where the new orchard will get planted in 2016... They are very overgrown.

Pasture land is beyond the midfields.

I will need the roadway and buffer zone recleared all along... So I can drive the farm equipment to the back pasture land. And then through that to the back woods.

But you are right.... I don't really need to pull stumps if I'm gonna plant trees in those two mid fields.

[kwendt]

thanks for the brush saw idea... I'll look into that right away. Totally sounds like winner.

[thecfarm]

Pulling stumps can be a bother. My place is real rocky. And than some. I just mowed over the stumps and that did it.The more I dig,the more work I make for myself due to the rocks. Maple will rot in about 5 years,oak seems to hang on forever,those bigger white pine will hang on far longer. I have some big white pine stumps I will try to get out this year. Not much dirt will come with them. Been 10 years for the pine ones.  : Sounds like a fun project. It may look like you goals will never be reached,but keep up with it and you will be surprised how much easier it will be in years to come.

[kwendt]

Yes that's about 18 to 20 at the pto I should think. Lol and yes on the OWB. My hubby is looking into that. We do have a standard wood stove in the living room..! And a place to stack/dry wood about space for 5-6 cords.

Oh! And just in case in sounds like the wife is doing all the work...Hubby is also adding SIPs to the outside of the ranch house and roof... Then solar on top. Gutting the inside to studs, foam insulating, new walls, ceilings and floors. Think greater than R50 all the way around when done (3 year project).

😍 While I'm playing on the land, he's working on the house. 😍

[thecfarm]

@kwendt you and husband always lived in Maine?

[kwendt]

Thanks CFarm.... I'm curious, what soils types do you have there? Our 30 or so acres of crop land is ThB and ThC-Thorndike shaley silt loam. The tree farm forested areas are either Monarda and Burnum silt loam (MoA) and poorly drained---- or HvB Howland very stony loam that is somewhat well drained to somewhat poorly drained. From what I see and read... There are a lot of options for what type of trees to manage/grow. It will take us at least 5 years to get things somewhat into shape. Both hubby and I are DIYers.... We also have a lot of friends and family coming to help this summer.... !!!

[kwendt]

@thecfarm , I was born and raised in Aroostook, on 300 plus acres of mountain, forest land. But I've been away from home 20 plus years. My husband was born raised in south Florida by a self reliant set of engineering type parents. We know full well the sheer amount of work ahead of us... We've already rehabbed a florida house and property.... We are in no rush... Other than knowing that things like the orchard will take 12 years of grow time....

[thecfarm]

Rocky. Real rocky.  ;D   I have no idea. My Father did ALOT to the soil here when he came back from the war. Even had the lower end of the field rocked, and I mean BIG rocks. Got the County involved and all that good stuff than. I brought some gravel off from the guy above me,about 1000 feet from me. My grandmother owned that many years ago. Chesterville is known for it's sand and gravel. In the other direction is a small run out gravel pit. Than just a stone throw away was a big hill that was pure sand. That went up to the paper mill for a big expansion. All the digging that I have done just produced rocks. The first 2 feet is not to bad, But down below that will found many many many rocks. In all sizes too. Right from pea size to who know size.
A few pictures. This is a field that I am just getting too. Some rocks we have mowed around for 50 years was only the size of my head.



 

This is another place I cleared off. Was just a pasture when I was growing up. We only mowed it once a year. It's real rough and probably I will be long gone before I ever get it back to a field.



 

It's good to come back home. I built a house on the family land in 2000. Was no power here until 1986. It does all take time,but time does go by fast. I have enjoyed all of the work that I have done and will be doing here.

[Hilltop366]

For smaller trees that I want to remove the stump I can usually push or pull them out first then drag them to where I want to cut them up, saves a lot of cleaning up and puts all of the branches and stumps in one place. If pulling them over I put the chain up 5 or 6 feet for the added leverage.

Pull in a direct line from tractor not off to one side.

Stay safe

[kwendt]

Actually... There are some farms out in Chesterville that I wouldn't mind to visit in the spring or summer this year....  About 3 hours south of us... And we can visit when we make a Johnnys Seeds run or visit family. Or on a MOFGA trip for that matter. Ever go to the Farmington Market? Our closest Market is Houlton, unless there is one in Lincoln that I haven't heard of.....

I also need to hook up with some smithing suppliers and get my forge set up at the farm. Hopefully I can sell a few decorative items or useful things to add some change to the seed and tree fund. Lol I'm gonna need it!,,

[thecfarm]

We have thought about selling at the Farmington market. We use to have a small veggie and baking business here at the house.
You come visit if you want. We are about 45 minutes from Johnnys and MOFGA.

[bill m]

There are pros and cons to both kinds of chipper. A pto chipper could be easier to maneuver thru the woods then a pull behind. You also don't have an additional motor to maintain. With a pto chipper you are limited to size of what you can chip because of what your tractor horsepower is. I don't know if you are looking for new or used but a good used tow behind can be easier to find then a good used pto one. A tow behind can be towed with almost anything and could be parked and operated without being hooked to anything. As for the chipping end of the equipment they both require the same amount of maintenance.

[bill m]

I almost forgot. Welcome to the Forestry Forum

[Alcranb]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum. Lots of great folks with plenty to share!
I bought a used DR chipper. 16hp. Very impressive machine. While no where as big or powerful as a commercial chipper lots less $$$$, very mobile, tow with a tractor or larger lawn mower, capable of chipping wood as big around as your wrist. I use mine to chip trimmings from a two acre high bush blueberry patch and keep my woods roads clear.

[kwendt]

Thanks for the welcome, everyone! I appreciate each and every post and reply. Going back to old posts and reading lots. Course that just means I'm not sleeping much! 😜
Thanks for the safety tips... Really important!

[47sawdust]

A good pto chipper requires more hp than you have .I owned one for a brief period of time and didn't care for it.the most effective way for me was to pile brush,rent a chipper and have help available to help feed the chipper.

[Ironwood]

Small chippers I have always found to be disappointment.

I have always been "on the cheap" with doing things. I did however find a way to pick up an older non turbo bobcat with a kubota diesel (763) the non turbo is important as repair of a turbo is expensive. This unit has done a boatload of tree removal with a cheap Versatech root grapple ($1000 used but new)  I cannot describe how effective and cost efficient this unit has been. I have under 10k in the complete package. It has paid for itself many times over. My recommendation would be to create a large burn pile burn the tops, firewood the rest, even if you have to find a guy to hire and do the work. It can be a lot of work, but with proper equipment it will go FAST. What would take several months with the equipment you are describing would take a week with my unit. I also filled the tires with foam and found a set of near new Grouser tracks for 1k. The thing is dependable, simple and highly effiecent for the type work you describe. See if you can barter with someone who has the equipment for perhaps something you can provide for them. Also, think of renting.....

[kwendt]

@47sawdust and @Ironwood .... Good info to have. I prefer used equipment - rather let someone else take the depreciation hit.  I'm cheap, but not easy as the saying goes. I'll definately look into a set up like you describe. 

Kinda funny... In my teens we maintained our own gravel pit, roads, culverts, bridges, log cabins, septic, masonry, ditches.... By hand. Shovels, chainsaws and loppers, wheelbarrows, pick ax, and an old Willis jeep. We never chipped.. Always burned. But now I realize the value of hugelmounds, and Ramial chip mulching. Besides, now that I'm older.... I really want a few toys to save my back...!

Rental: the nearest place that I know of is 2 hours away...  I also thought of co-ops and granges that might have equipment for members to borrow. So far, only hay bailers and the like... But I have some excellent new nbrs who have offered to help. Barter is alive and well. Lol

I figure that you boys (and gals) know what holds up, what might work for a small operator-landowner like me. As I get educated through you all, I can keep my eyes on Uncle Henry's Swap, or Craigslist....hey, who knows.? Some great deal might turn up.. 

I appreciate you!

[Ron Wenrich]

I bought a used mulcher style to put on my pto.  It's an Echo Bearcat.  It will chip up to 5 inch.  I have other brush I put through it.  The mulcher shreds the material.  Chippers have knives that only last so long before they need to be sharpened.  It will be almost a daily chore.  The mulcher is better suited for material up to 1½".  The chipper to 5".  The stove for anything bigger.  You can get blowers for the unit that will load it onto a wagon or pickup truck.  Found it on Craigslist.

There are some bigger PTO chippers that will take up to 8" material.  I've never seen any used.  The drag behind chippers that are used are generally hammered.  Your area may be different. 

[kwendt]

Thanks Ron.... Where I'm at everyone uses equipment to death, but generally seems to take care of stuff...the nearest tractor store is two hours away. I'll keep my eyes open for a small mulcher.... I've never sharpened chipper blades...how hard can it be? Lol but daily? Hum ...

[landscraper]

I've owned and operated several 12"-15" capacity tow-behind chippers in the 80-150hp range and they excel at reducing trees to chips quickly.  It is amazing how big of a brush pile you can turn into a chip pile in short order.  Compared to a mulcher/shredder type unit there is no comparison, and compared to a PTO chipper it's still a big advantage unless you have a big tractor.  However....a couple of points - a big chipper is about as DANGEROUS as any powered machine a landowner will ever be around.  The hydraulic infeed rollers will grab a 1000lb+ tree and drag it into the blades in no time, and if you get caught up in a tree (limb caught in a glove cuff, stob catches on a belt loop, etc.) it won't even notice your extra weight as it force-feeds you into the machine.  I've chipped more acres than I can count, and I've had a few close calls along the way.  There are "safeties" built in, but just google "chipper accident" and see how frequently they use terms like gruesome, grisly, horrific and fatality.  The machines also can be quite loud, more so the intense staccato sound of the knives chopping wood than the motor.  They shoot chips out like a machine gun, and if you get peppered by the discharge you better be wearing some serious protection.  Don't even want to think about a chip hitting your face or eyes at close range.  Some rental centers in my town will rent 6" chippers like a Vermeer 620 to homeowners, they are decent and might accomplish what you want.  I'd be wary of anything bigger unless you have run them before.  On sharpening, if the wood is clean you can chip a good while (like days) before sharpening.  Rocks don't chip.  Nor does metal.  Most of the bigger chippers have double sided blades so if you dull one side you can get a flip and run some more before replacing or sharpening. 

How about doing all your limbing and trimming and pile the brush up and then hire a tree guy to come in for a day to chip it all for you?  Just point all your butt-ends pointing the same way towards where the chipper will be.  You could chip into a truck or wagon and take it to where you are doing your hugelkultur. 

Also I agree with many of the other folks - firewood out as much as you can.   I only chip limbs and tops when I am clearing, everything else that is worthwhile goes for sawlogs or firewood.

[Brad_S.]

Kwendt,
Although I live in Western New York, I work in Maine. A couple of months ago I bought a used Bearcat chipper that was being sold on the side of the road near Medway and hauled it home so there is used equipment out there.
Had I not picked up that chipper, I was going to buy a Woodmaxx brand chipper. I have read a lot of good things about them and they are reasonably priced.