chipper question on best technique

10 years ago

Hello all. I picked up a used 10hp DR chipper in good shape a few years back and have about 8 hours of use on it. After replacing the belt and sharpening the blade, it worked pretty good for up 1 to 2 1/2" branches. It did not like fresh elm as the tough stringy nature of the elm would twist up and clog up the machine. So last year did a huge amount of tree clearing and pruning of my fruit trees and let the branch pile sit to age for a year thinking aged branches would chip down easier.

So today I changed the oil, plug, installed gas filter, cleaned air filter and put new gas in the chipper. The well aged branches seemed to vibrate horribly and split and jam pieces between the blade and the flywheel. Blade still had a reasonable edge but I pulled it and manually sharpened it w a large diamond stone like I had done before. I will install the blade tomorrow and see if it will chip without the vibration. Wondering if I over aged the wood so that it is hard and brittle?? I tried some cottonwood that I thought would just disintegrate and also some apricot which was even worse. Motor running great, belt good??? I have some Carpel tunnel and rheumatoid arthritis which can flare up w vibration and trying to figure out best way to get this done. I can run my 20" still chainsaw easier than trying to force the vibrating branches into the chute. Somewhere I have some antivibration gloves and maybe the sharpened blade will help when I try again tomorrow. Did I wait to long w the branches? Maybe I just torch them and start cutting back new branches for garden chip??? Any clue what is going on, sure do not remember it being this difficult.

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Comments (5)

chas045
10 years ago
I have not actually resharpened my chipper blade (it will be hard to remove) but both logic And experience suggest that your probably dull blade is part of the problem. My vibration has increased some. I have also noted that old branches cause far more vibration then fresh ones. However, my chipper also has the big shute with flales that beat small branches into submission. Doesn't the Dr Chipper do the same?

Burning does seem like a good solution though. Mulch is great but too much work/pain is too much.
mcmars
Original Author
10 years ago
thx for your help. I got tied up getting a load of manure today and need to spread some now before I release my irrigation water as is my day to flood the property (every 5 days). I will see how the sharpened blade does tonight after I get the water done. My blade is a single blade 3 1/2 " long mounted to a flywheel. It may just be my arthritis being flared up a bit, good day/bad day thing. I really thought the longer I aged the branches, the easier they will chip, but there may be a opportune window of time where they sit for a month or so to not be green, but before they get hard and brittle.

Maybe I just try running the pile over with my ford F 150 and chip them that way, lol. Might be quicker and easier, who knows. I will let you know if I come up w an answer. Maybe I try watering the pile to "soften" the wood before I run them thru the chipper????
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mla2ofus
10 years ago
With my MTD chipper if the knives get dull I have to push the wood thru. If they're sharp I have to hold back on the larger limbs so it won't bog down.
zen_man
10 years ago
You might want to use some Loctite when re-installing a chipper blade. All that impact vibration could loosen almost any bolt threads and it could be very hazardous to have a blade come loose while operating the machine. I use red Loctite on mine, which needs to be heated to unscrew the threads.
mla2ofus
10 years ago
Not saying it can't happen, but I've had the knives out 3 times to sharpen and haven't had any problem. The bolts have self locker nuts and I don't spare the torque tightening them.
Mike