does anybody out there use a 9" - 12" chipper and blow into the back of a good ole 1/2 ton truck. i know its not as fancy as a big dump box bohemoth, but does it do the job. looking at getting a chipper, but want to know if its doable with a little ingenuity and some plywood to catch the chips. any insight appreciated.
t low

Reply to post by trevor lowthers, on December 03, 2002 at 20:09:13:

I'm a little rusty on equipment specs, but I think you have three issues.

A 9-12" modern chipper could be a fairly heavy machine. You need to understand both total weight and tongue weight and know your 1/2 ton will tow it... that's both a power and stability issue.

Then you need to add chip weight to the equation. It might improve stability... your front wheels touch the pavement again... but put too much load on engine and power train when added to the chipper weight. So How big will your plywood box be?

Third is productivity. A chipper could fill the back of a 1/2 ton pretty quickly. How big are your jobs? How many truckloads per job or day or hour? How long does it take to unhook the chipper, drive to a disposal site, shovel out the chips (no dump on your 1/2 ton right), drive back and hook the chipper up again?

There are a lot of options bigger that a 1/2 ton but smaller and less expensive than a "behemoth."

Reply to post by Scott, on December 03, 2002 at 20:09:13:

i actually have a3/4 ton dodge w/ cummins diesel. a chipper ways 5000-6000lbs. i've pulled them w/ ease and i could get a dump box for the back of truck. i'm looking for people who do it. anybody out there.
t low

Reply to post by trevor, on December 04, 2002 at 07:43:32:

You're right. That's a beefy truck and will easily handle the pull. I think the limiting factor will be the volume of the box and how often you fill it.