Get FinancingWhat To Look For In A Wood Chipper
Posted On: December 29, 2020
A wood chipper can turn fallen tree limbs and branches into valuable mulch, chips, or pellets. It also reduces the space the debris occupies by 90% to 95%, which is important for efficient disposal.
Let’s take a look at the features and specifications to pay attention to when you’re in the market for a chipper for home or commercial use.
Types Of Chippers
Small wood chippers for residential use are generally rolling or walk-behind models that are light enough to physically move around on their pair of wheels. They’re powered by either an electric motor or a gasoline engine. Prices for rolling chippers generally range from $100 to $1,500.
Medium and large chippers get their power from a gasoline or diesel combustion engine or from a tractor or other vehicle’s hydraulics system or power take-off (PTO). Most commercial chippers are towable models on one or two axles. These may need to be licensed for road use if they’re large enough. Some chippers are meant to be mounted on a skid steer or a tractor’s three-point hitch, while others are self-propelled units on tracks designed to operate in marshy areas or on rough terrain. New towable commercial models typically range from $15,000 to $120,000.
Specs To Know
The feed capacity of a wood chipper indicates the general diameter of limbs it can process. For example, small electric units are often rated for limbs 1.3 to 1.9 inches (33 to 48 millimeters) thick, with the caveat that they may only be able to handle thin branches of green wood and hardwoods such as oak. Commercial chippers are more robust, with rental and tree care units starting out with 3-in. (76-mm) feed capacities on up to 21 in. (533 mm) or more for large machines used by forestry operations.
A chipper’s feed capacity relies in part on how much power its motor or engine provides. Horsepower ratings often fall into the 1- to 2-horsepower (0.75- to 1.5-kilowatt) range for electric models, 4- to 12-hp (3- to 8.9-kW) for small engine-powered rolling chippers, and 25 to 600 hp (18.6 to 448 kW) for larger towable and tracked units. In the forestry equipment market, Morbark’s giant 50/48 whole tree wood chipper comes with up to 1,200 hp (895 kW). Some manufacturers provide engine displacement figures in cubic centimeters or liters; larger figures generally denote more power.
The throat size of a chipper is the physical width and/or height of its intake hopper. It’s important to know that the throat size is often larger than the diameter of branches a chipper can actually handle, so be careful not to overload the machine. A bigger throat is better if you plan to mulch leaves, bushes, and leafy branches. Rolling, residential chippers usually have 2- to 3-in. (51- to 76-mm) throats; commercial models range from 6 to 21 in. (152 to 533 mm) or more.
Cutting & Chipping
Wood chippers typically use one of two cutting mechanisms. Disc chippers are often more fuel-efficient, but they can whip branches around in the hopper and may require the chipper to have a larger housing. Drum chippers, on the other hand, are reputed to be more productive and better able to handle irregularly shaped branches and palm fronds, and can be more compact. The knives and anvil of a drum chipper are usually easier to replace or adjust, as well.
Another figure bandied about in the chipper world is the reduction ratio, or how much the chipper is able to reduce the volume of the debris. Typical reduction ratios range from 10:1 to 20:1. A chipper’s number of blades, knives, or flails (Y-hammers, J-hammers, or tri-hammers) can make a difference. More cutting tools increases a chipper’s reduction ratio and reduces the frequency of the need for resharpening. Some large “whole-tree” drum chippers may have 20 knives or more.
Finally, inexpensive rolling chippers use a basic gravity feed or hand-feed method, while more advanced and larger machines are usually self-feeding or have controlled feed mechanisms. Commercial and forestry chipper manufacturers may tout the pulling power of their units’ feed mechanisms.
Other Features
Safety is paramount when using a wood chipper, so many models feature automatic safety locks to prevent operation when the hopper is open or the machine is being unclogged. Altec’s Panic Bar, for example, is a manual lever the operator can use to stop the feed rollers. Easy and safe unclogging features such as Vermeer’s SmartFeed stop-and-reverse feed roller are desirable, as well.
For a smaller chipper, a tow bar kit can let you pull it around with your mower or small tractor. Some models feature reversible blades for longer service life or self-sharpening blades to lower maintenance requirements.
Engine-powered wood chippers may feature an electric starter or an idle reduction feature such as Vermeer’s EcoIdle that reduces fuel usage when there’s no material in the hopper. Finally, some commercial towable and tracked chippers can be operated by remote control.
Find The Right Wood Chipper
TreeTrader.com provides an easy-to-search online marketplace where you can find new and used wood chippers by Altec, Bandit, Morbark, Vermeer, and many others. Don’t forget to use hearing and eye protection.