July 2002
BID LIST
Trimming the Cost in Brush Control
and Recycling
by Rikki Lee Travolta, Contributing Editor

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Manufacturers listed in this feature responded to a special mailing by Better Roads and do not necessarily represent the entire market for this product. 

A Round-up of Chippers & Grinders

Chippers and grinders are a cost-effective way to recycle wood waste into useable mulch.

Wood and brush recycling products, from chippers and grinders to heavy-duty brush mowers, continue to evolve to meet the demands of the market. A single piece of recycling, trimming, or related equipment can be a significant investment and requires consideration of the trends affecting the industry.

“One important trend in tree, brush, and wood waste management is, of course, the fact that in most states this material can no longer be burned or buried,” says Dan Brandon, marketing manager, Mobark Inc. As a result, more and more material is being processed on site.

“As far as grinders go, there has been, and we expect there will continue to be, a trend towards horizontal machines,” notes Leslie Kinnee, public relations coordinator, Bandit Industries Inc. “Safety is the biggest reason. There is less tendency for debris to fly out of a horizontal grinder as with a tub grinder.” Horizontal grinders also have virtually no limitations on length of material they can process.

The trend towards horizontal machinery is echoed in the brush mowing industry. “A horizontal shaft machine directs material downwards which is safer and neater than rotary machines,” explains Harvey Donaldson, sales and marketing director at John Brown & Sons Inc., who also makes a case for telescoping boom mounted mowers.

“A gentleman doesn’t go about his business plowing blindly through the brush,” says Donaldson. By mounting a mower to an excavator with a telescoping boom, the operator is given a clear view of the roadside vegetation. The operator can use over-and-down cutting techniques to avoid obstacles or selectively cut specific areas.

In the chipper market, manufacturers report a trend towards lighter machinery to allow easy towing by trucks of all sizes. “A lot of people are demanding lighter weight chippers,” explains Kinnee, “and those machines are expected to have the same or better production ability as their heavier predecessors.”

A trend that is not new, but continued from past chipper models, is machines being ordered with winches to save on labor and lifting. Some manufacturers offer loader arms on chippers, which eases the task of feeding larger diameter brush materials. According to Kinnee, loaders operated by radio-controlled remotes also are becoming more common.

Morbark’s Brandon says processing wood and brush materials on site through the use of mobile chippers and grinders accomplishes a dual function. “Contractors can take these units on site, operate them by remote control or from an operator’s cab, feed them with their excavator or other support equipment, and process the material where it lays. This not only accomplishes the disposal mission, but it also lays the ground material (mulch) right where the contractors want it for erosion control.”

Bobcat Company
Reduce branch volume 10-to-1

The Bobcat chipper attachment can be placed into remote areas or yards to grind branches, trees, and limbs. Overall branch volume reduction is 10-to-1, allowing faster decomposition due to small chip size. An attachment control allows the operator to start the loader from the ground without entering and exiting the loader, allowing for a one-person operation. Two chipper models are available. Model 5A has a 5-inch feeder opening, a 92-inch discharge chute height, and an operating weight of 1,145 pounds; it handles continuous chipping of up to 3-inch-diameter material. Model 8A has a 9-inch feeder opening, a 94-inch discharge chute height, and an operating weight of 1,525 pounds; it accommodates up to 5-inch-diameter material in continuous chipping. Both models feature standard hydraulic feed, dual front- or right-side mounting locations, 360-degree discharge chute rotation, and four reversible tool steel blades.

Asplundh Highway Division
Cut roadside brush and trees

The Right-of-Way Trimmer from Asplundh Highway Division is designed specifically to control roadside brush. Safety features include double-locked blades, ROPS-approved cab, self-cleaning radiators, and strobe beacon lights. The 215-horsepower machine has a gross weight of 30,000 pounds, can cut up to 30-feet high, and has a maximum horizontal reach of 12 feet. It rides on low ground pressure rubber and can achieve a road speed of 15 miles per hour. The entire unit is counter-balanced for use on sloping terrain. Applications include right-of-way clearing, tree removal, debris removal, roadside hedging, right-of-way hedging, utilities trimming, and railroad trimming.

John Brown & Sons Inc.
Manage vegetation with mammoth power

The excavator-mounted Brontosaurus Cutter/Mulcher from John Brown & Sons handles roadside brush and tree control, eliminating most hand cutting and chipping. Each unit consists of a horizontal-shaft drum flail with free-swinging knives. Brontosaurus models are available in five sizes. Most newer excavators can operate most models without auxiliary power.

Morbark Inc.
Maximize production by grinding on the move

Mounted on a Caterpillar 325L undercarriage, Morbark’s 4600 Track Wood Hog can be maneuvered through rough terrain, and is designed to move and grind simultaneously to optimize production time. The machine is equipped with a 14-foot by 57-inch live floor, and has a 32- by 58-inch crushing feed wheel. Power options range from 475 to 630 horsepower. All grinder functions can be operated via remote control from the cab of an excavator or loader. A 40- by 57-inch hammermill with heavy-duty 22-inch-diameter rotors can handle green waste, logs, brush, stumps, and wood waste applications. The track hog also includes an auxiliary air compressor.

Brown Bear Corporation
Shred hard and soft wood

For use as an attachment for skid-steer loaders with high-flow auxiliary hydraulics, Brown Bear’s Model BC283 brush and tree shredder is a scaled down version of the company’s self-propelled shredder. The new model utilizes a fixed-tooth rotor with either all steel or carbide-tipped, quick-change teeth. Multi-position skid shoes allow adjustable cut height. Field testing indicates the shredder can process 3- to 4-inch hardwoods and 6-inch softwoods. It can be used for utility right-of-way applications, next to fence lines, in pastures, and along wood lots and pipelines.

Bandit Industries Inc.
Chip whole trees

Boasting a 20.5- by 24-inch mouth opening, the Model 2090 Tree Bandit is capable of chipping difficult-to-handle material. The 18-inch drum-style whole tree chipper features a hydraulic feed system and two horizontal wheels. The unit is available with engines up to 275 horsepower. Also available: an optional knuckleboom-style loader with 90-degree swing, 11-foot reach, and a lifting capacity of about 1,500 pounds at full reach.

Ariens Company
Chip with diesel power

Powered by a 44-horsepower Yanmar diesel engine, the Gravely Pro Chip 944 from Ariens has a 30- by 40-inch feed hopper and 9.5- by 12.5-inch throat, eliminating the need to pre-trim debris. A safety lockout prevents the unit from operating whenever the blades are exposed. A proprietary system eliminates side lashing and reduces dead space behind the feed wheel, which reduces wear of the chipper components.

Lang Tool Company
Buzz cut trees and around rocks

Lang Tool Company’s mower can be equipped with a bar and swinging blade cutter for work around large rocks or a disk cutter arrangement with carbide bits that is capable of cutting large trees. Rotor-shaft support bearings are oil-lubricated from the hydraulic system. The metal face shaft seal is comparable to the seal in a bulldozer final drive and is designed to tolerate abrasive material. A grapple is incorporated so that obstacles can be removed from the path of the machine. The unit is powered by a 440-horsepower engine.

Asplundh Railroad Division
Manage brush problems in one pass

Designed to cut and mulch in one pass, the Magnum 500 mulching mower is capable of attacking brush and trees up to 30 inches in diameter with its 8-foot-wide front-mounted cutter head. The 450-horsepower machine is manufactured by Magnum Mulching Mowers Inc. and is available from Asplundh Railroad Division. Its cutter head has five rows of free-swinging, double-sided, split-tooth hammers. The head moves side-to-side for offset cutting situations, and can cut up to a height of 13 feet. Standard features include forward and backward tilt, dual hydraulic power, engine-driven air compressor, hydrostatic carrier, and brush guard package.

Vermeer Manufacturing Company
Rip through high-volume organic waste

Vermeer’s HG525 trailer-mounted, horizontal-feed grinder is designed for large-scale reduction and recycling of green waste and storm debris. It features a proprietary Duplex Drum hammermill cutting system which Vermeer says delivers optimum performance with reduced maintenance. The unit is driven by a 525-horsepower Tier II Caterpillar engine and can power through hardwood, regrind, and pallets. Engine speed and material feed rates are monitored by a proprietary system that automatically stops and reverses material from feeding into the hammermill when engine speed dips below efficient operating range.

Peterson Pacific Corp.
Apply more product in less time

Available with patented push-feed technology or a live floor, Peterson Pacific’s PPC BT 40 blower truck with pneumatic delivery system delivers and applies all types of organic material. The truck is designed to allow a consistent flow of material into the blower system. Used by both private and municipal entities, its applications include distribution of landscape bark, wood chips, erosion control materials, compost, playground impact surfaces, soil-preparation materials, construction-site materials, animal bedding, seed cover, bio filters, aggregate, and turf topdressing.

DuraTech Industries International
The first roll-off tub grinder

DuraTech Industries has created what it calls the industry’s first roll-off tub grinder. The company’s HD-9 tub grinder has been converted to be easily loaded on roll-off trucks and transported to virtually any location for work. On site, it is off-loaded and set up for grinding in minutes. With a 9.5-foot diameter tub, the HD-9 can process up to 100 cubic yards per hour in yard waste.