DR 10 HP Chipper

Took about 45 minutes to chip up this pile. My plans for the chips are for leveling the ground in the new stacking area.

zap

What is the largest diameter that it will chip....

There have been some used ones around me? It would be nice to do something with the Tops. Instead of throwing in a pile and burning, or throwing back in the woods.

I'm gonna own a chipper someday, holding out for a larger diesel with auto-feed (I do a ton of treework on the side). Did I mention how much I hate dealing with branches?). That unit you have there would be great for homeowner use, and if you keep the blades sharp that little machine will earn its keep.

The only shortcoming to harvesting wood IMO is that it removes the source of humus for replenishing the soil. Chippers are great for restoring that compostable material and accelerating the decomposition process and keeping the wood lot neat & tidy.

IMO - If you want to tow it with a lawn tractor or ATV the DRs are probably the best chippers out there. If you can get a bigger tractor or small pickup truck in there, I'd spend a little more on a used Bandit, Morbark, or Carleton 6" chipper with a 6x11 opening and manual hydraulic feed. As much as I'd like a diesel and auto-feed, they are more than most small time homeowners are willing to pay. :-D

I'll look later on in the manual but my guess is 2-3.5.

This is from the manual online,
The Chipper can chip twigs and branches up to 3-1/2" in diameter. Cut your materials into manageable lengths before
feeding them into the Chipper Hopper.
zap

Since we bought the land I cut on a bigger chipper would be nice, like you said this is good for around the house.

zap

10 hp with sharp blades, I'll take one!

Regarding our sandy soil; looks like I'll make use of some smaller cherry branches by chipping them up then spreading them out on that area. I'll throw down some grass seed before spreading the cherry chips out, we'll see how well it works.

zap

You might want to add some nitrogen Zap. Composting material robs the soil of native nitrogen.

If you've got serious chipping needs and a tractor then you're halfway there! PTO models are available that are just as good as the big towables and use your tractor for power.

Might be a great accessory for that tractor on your wish list.

I really want one of those

Looks like chipper action tonight so I can get that area for the fireplace cleaned up again.

zap

I looked at one exactly like this at the hardware store yesterday. I really want one but can't hardly justify the money for the amount of use I would give. Unlike you, I am sure, who can use it a lot. Trouble is, when I need one, the only alternative is to haul all that stuff off, and then in the spring, BUY MULCH

tfdchief, I'm glad we bought it when we did, like the boss would say it's not in the budget!

zap

I love the DR Field and Brush Trimmer commercial.

That DR appears to work way way way better than the MTD I have. It jams so much it's pathetic and the only way to use it is with the shredder . The chipper even with new blades doesn't work for crap, for me anyway.

When I was looking at chippers he (The Wood Chop Shop) told me if the DR was out of my price range to stay away from a chipper/shredder for that reason, I started saving money each week when I could then bought the chipper the next year.

This year we had them change the belt along with some new blades.

zap

zap, exactly which model do you have?
I was on the drpower web site and they have rapid fire chipper only models and also some chipper shredders.
They seem to start at 11.5 hp though.
Thanks.
(And no, they aren't cheap.)
This was where I was looking:
http://www.drpower.com/Content.aspx?N=0&Ntk=primary&Ntt=chipper

velvetfoot, I'm not sure on the model # (I'll put it up tonight) but that 11.5 hp would be similar.

Zap

I have a 20hp Echo-Bearcat, chipper/ shredder( #5720 electric start)), it really does chip to 5". not inexpensive though new are like 8g's, got it used for a great price. It is not a controlled feed but does pull the branches in on its own most of the time in the chipper section, the shredder section pulls it in quick but has a limit there of 3/4" according to manual. I was a bit leary of the specs, having had the experience of one of the 8hp mtd ( months til done) units, as was stated by another poster jam-a-matic if you feed it to fast, and a abosolute pain to try and clear. Main thing I liked about the bearcat was the ease that one could clear it of a jam, 1 bolt to remove and top half of the chambers fold open for any service work.

Nice chipper! Do you always chip all the limbs off of trees you fell? I never have and I usually just pile them up in the woods but often times I have wondered if it ok to do that or if it slows down the forest regrowth.

certified106, we usually just chip up the dead pine branches around the house. Here are tonights pictures of some chipping I did, because of the pine needles I took off the safety shoot so it would not plug, it worked out great the chipper was throwing some of the chips 30 feet back.

All the small stuff on the ground will go back in the woods, the chips will go on the trail leading in to the woods. Pic 5741 was about 30 feet back from the picture, the chipper used just over half a tank of gas.

zap

Got a nice used one off a CL add in North Dakota. Had to clean it up a bit, though.