Wood chippers have been around for quite some time now. It has become, through time, an essential equipment on the fleet for jobs like pruning, waste removal and general tree care. Here we explain why the advantages of owning a gravity feed wood chipper makes it a sound investment if you are in the lookout for a machine like this.
Wood chippers can be of different feeding types, and we explain briefly each of them.
Push feed: means you have to manually feed the chipper and push the sticks through the chute. A push chipper is not very convenient unless it’s a very small job. These are generally the cheapest chippers on the market. They are noisy and usually tend to kick around dry branches and left overs.
Gravity Feed: These are manually fed chippers also, with the difference that the design comprises specially positioned blades and blade tips along with the chipper chute to create a feeding effect. This is very convenient and safer, since you don’t need to push the branch. It also improves the blade’s life since there is more cutting and less impact action involved.
Mechanical Feed: Chippers are fitted with a mechanical device that grabs the branches and feeds the rotor. This mechanical device usually comprises a mechanical gearbox and tends to be one-speed only. They require maintenance often and are hard to engage and disengage.
Hydraulic Feed: Modern commercial chippers bring this system as standard. This is a hydraulically powered system that can be fitted with electronic control if needed to variate the feeding speed. This system, while being a great option, makes the chipper very expensive as well.
Of all four types of feeding systems, we recommend investing a little and getting a chipper that is able to self feed. This applies for homeowners and entry level commercial tree care of landscape businesses. A chipper like this makes it easy for you to accomplish the job without excessive strain and be able to complete it within a timely period of time.
A difference that is important to note between gravity and mechanical or hydraulic fed chippers is safety. The utilization of mechanically actuated feeding devices makes the chipper more dangerous and to offset the risk is necessary for anyone utilizing these machines to undergo training in the operation and procedures during emergency situations. In contrast, a gravity fed chipper is only pulling the branch by gravity so the operator is able to quickly untangle from a branch and not worry about being dragged into the feeding chute.
Their simplicity in design makes gravity feed chippers cost effective and easier to maintain and repair. Also, their simplicity makes learning how to operate a chipper easier. The operator is able to focus more on the chipping operation than in the controls.
We recommend looking at this line of chippers that make very good use of the gravity feed principle. These machines are not cheap but deliver great value through heavy duty built features and ease of operation for many sessions of chipping in the backyard of your residence or for your commercial business.