branch logger or chipper.

the_pen_turner

we cut a few trees for ourselves and a few to sell for the local church every year

I hate clearing up all the branch's etc so I was thinking about getting a small chipper and blowing it into the ditch

I was drawling over you tube and came across branch loggers
they chop up branch's into burnable wood.
they are more expensive but you would at least get some wood to burn.

does any one have a branch logger . are they worth it

the_pen_turner

anyone

49801

Not used branching machine but vids on YouTube seem to all of nice straight wood!

Stick with a normal chipper I'd think. Would deal with the odd shaped branches better. Stuff smaller than your wrist not worth bothering with for firewood IMO.

the_pen_turner

that's the trouble . all the videos show ideal timber. so do all the processer and log holding ones too.

the reason I'm thinking about the logger is that we have an outside boiler that heats the house so it would be idea burning . just heal in half a bag .
if you chip everything you get nothing back.
I agree about anything less than 2" for normal burning. you would want to be standing beside the fire throwing it in. not much of an issue with the boiler we have.


I think you would need to sieve out the really small stuff for it to dry faster

I think I will try to get a bag of it and see how it burns.

49801

What % of a tree is suitable for brancher though?

the_pen_turner

I don't know. the videos seem to show them feeding all the branchs into it.
I would still be sawing up any decent timber . this is more to get rid of all the crap that you normally have to draw away or shove into a ditch.
a chpper would be great but it I could get something to burn it would be great aswell

49801

What sorta money involved for each machine?

the_pen_turner

probably around 5000 . could spend a lot more for one that will take a 110mm branch. I think 60mm in enough .

I'm looking at buying the blade and gear assembly on its own . its the only part the need to be precise . the rest is a funnel in and a bag filling part and a frame. I can make them easily enough and save a lot hopefully.

I would try to build some kind of rotating trammel to filter out the really small stuff. the really small stuff can be wheel barrowed to the ditch

the_pen_turner

http://www.lumagireland.com/urban-smv-70/

timfromtang

Howdy Lads,
Interesting discussion.
I agree about the need for a "trommel" rotary sieve thingy, I could do with building one for ourselves here for sieving our charcoal.
I'd been looking into these machines too, to process branch material for charring and final use as biochar.
http://rebak.com.pl/EN/gr-110-with-conveyor-belt0.html#kotwica
This machine appealed to me.

If anyone wants to take on building a rotary sieve in return for some consideration (we have charcoal, planks, hardwood blanks for turning, firewood, cash etc to trade),,,,,,,,"""" pm me please

Oh and OP, I'd go for the branch logger, not the chipper.

tim

kadman

I have a chipper that takes an 8" diameter branch, and chips it for mulching, or
burning.

It runs on a pto from a 2 cylinder Zetor 2511, and turns its nose up at nothing.

Great bit of kit, bought it for 1000 yo yo s second hand on donedeal for chipping some stuff i had.

Renters wanted 250 for 3 days hire. So bought this instead.

the_pen_turner

8 " that's some beast. It must be very waste full. That's a lot of good timber

49801

the_pen_turner wrote: »

8 " that's some beast. It must be very waste full. That's a lot of good timber

More experienced ppl can correct me but advantage of such a large DIA is it can deal with branches with Ys in them and not get caught up in the intake.
6" is prob big enough though.

kadman

the_pen_turner wrote: »

8 " that's some beast. It must be very waste full. That's a lot of good timber

It is wasteful if you are putting in 8" diameter logs.

But large arms of leylandis, conifers ect, it gobbles up,

and makes chippings for garden or wood stove in the workshop.

Showing a seven inch opening at the moment.




Picture shows more room to raise the feed another 1 1/2"

webels

I have a branch logger. It's the urban tr70. Must say I find it great. Have it about 4 years now and hasn't skipped a beat. Cuts around 4 maybe 5 inches and doesn t need to be straight branches. I have a small saw alongside the feed shute to get rid of side branches if they are not going in too easy but oncr soing they produce some really great product. None of the tree is left behind.

the_pen_turner

webels wrote: »

I have a branch logger. It's the urban tr70. Must say I find it great. Have it about 4 years now and hasn't skipped a beat. Cuts around 4 maybe 5 inches and doesn t need to be straight branches. I have a small saw alongside the feed shute to get rid of side branches if they are not going in too easy but oncr soing they produce some really great product. None of the tree is left behind.

sweet. . :):)
did you get it off that company in nenagh , in tipp.

are you putting it in the small bags. this would be my plan.
how does it cope with leafier stuff. does that effect drying . whats it like to burn

webels

the_pen_turner wrote: »

webels wrote: »

I have a branch logger. It's the urban tr70. Must say I find it great. Have it about 4 years now and hasn't skipped a beat. Cuts around 4 maybe 5 inches and doesn t need to be straight branches. I have a small saw alongside the feed shute to get rid of side branches if they are not going in too easy but oncr soing they produce some really great product. None of the tree is left behind.

sweet. . :):)
did you get it off that company in nenagh , in tipp.

are you putting it in the small bags. this would be my plan.
how does it cope with leafier stuff. does that effect drying . whats it like to burn

No I got it from welmac uk. Nenagh crowd weren't selling it at that stage. It's cheaper now than when I got it!!
I put it in plastic mesh bags (got 500 from welmac). I have reused them all at least once at this stage.
I try not to do leafy stuff so my thinning are this time of year. Although I have done leafy stuff but it makes the fire smoke a bit.

It really is magic stuff to burn. I dry in a shed for 6 months and use it to start a stove and a log boiler. A bucket has both going really hot in 10 minutes . I dont really use it to keep fire going but nothing stopping you from that either.
The material 3 to 4 inch lenghts and up to 4 to 5 inches thick isn't for everyone as it can be a bit messy but I load with a coal bucket and it works really well.
Any other advice feel free.
If you happened to be in the Cork area I would give you a demo....

the_pen_turner

what part of cork are you in.
do you think it is possible to rig up some kind of way to run leafy stuff but separate it out from the larger stuff

webels

Macroom area.
Is say not on the leafy stuff. But if not too leafy you could burn away...

the_pen_turner

thanks for the offer. I might take you up on that closer to the time . guys in nenagh might give me a demo. they would be a lot closer

can one guy doing the bags keep up . a few of the videos I have seen only show it working slow or else the bag man gets overwhelmed.

webels

No bother.
It would be ideal if there were 2 but I always work on my own and go at my own pace. There is a bracket you can get to attach a big cube bag which would be handy and i might invest sometime. But honestly i find the small bags handy when using the product. You could also dump into a loader bucket and dry in a bin or cage like an ibc cage lined with chicken wire or the like.

the_pen_turner

i think the small bags are the way to go. it would be slower to fill but you are finished. large bags or loose would be a pain unless you were into it in a big way.
I only want this for ourselves . its more to clean up the bushes more than the firing,


do you pull a trailer with it behind. how strong is it that way

webels

There's a hitch and I have pulled a car trailer.