Dr Chipper opinion

[todddrummey]

I'm looking for any comments about a 3ph Dr Chipper. I saw one on craigs list for $750 and was currious if they are worth the money. I have 25 acres of forest with lots of brush to clean up. I realize that it won't be as fast as a big chipper, but will it cleanup brush faster than piling and burning?

Todd

 

[GWD]

A friend that I am helping clear some eucalyptus trees has the DR 18 HP stand-alone chipper and I have a Bearcat 70554 3 PH chipper. Both are very labor intensive and much, much slower than stacking and burning. Plus, while a pile is burning you can keep cutting.

The brush all should be stacked with the ends in one direction to feed a chipper otherwise you'll be twisting and rotating almost each piece of brush.

If you make some brush forks for the tractor's bucket you would be amazed at how fast it is to clean up piles. The money would be better spent that way than on a used chipper.

Burning is banned in our area from May through November so there is no choice but to chip for half a year. Of course, during the winter it is hard to access the trees and almost impossible to keep a fire going. That's the government for you.

 

[GWD]

Here are some photos of a homemade set of brush forks to consider.

They are made of simple channel iron and can be longer, shorter, or whatever you want for around $100.

 

[Theekillerbee]

That looks great GWD! Those would probably work well for light bail forks as well!

 

[traildust]

Here are some photos of a homemade set of brush forks to consider.

They are made of simple channel iron and can be longer, shorter, or whatever you want for around $100.

GWD, great looking mod on those forks!


Scott

 

[GWD]

Gee, thank for the compliments. The last picture shows that my wife likes to use them as well.

Just so you won't think there is only one possibility - below is another brush fork (of four) built for a L-series tractor. The black water pipe tends to bend if anything solid is struck hard is its only weakness.

The other option is a set of discarded, second-hand, forks from a forklift repair place that were modified for use on a tractor's bucket.

The last photo is of a log carrier built on a forklift frame for hauling logs straight off the front end. It is for getting between trees, going down a road, loading a trailer, and for bucking logs into splittable length with a chainsaw at waist height (a real back saver).

 

[todddrummey]

GWD thanks for the reply and photo's. I have a set of forks which I use now to move brush and logs. I found a video of the DR chipper at work, and agree that it is very slow.

Besides, there's nothing like a roaring pile of brush on a cold winter day!

Todd

 

[traildust]

GWD thanks for the reply and photo's. I have a set of forks which I use now to move brush and logs. I found a video of the DR chipper at work, and agree that it is very slow.

Besides, there's nothing like a roaring pile of brush on a cold winter day!

Todd

Very much agreed. Man's basic instincts are gathering around big fires, pretty women and tractors

Scott

 

[traildust]

GWD,
Thanks for posting those follow up pictures. I can't afford to buy the new stuff and those pic's really help with making our own.

Scott