I have the exact same chipper. Would not be without it. My trees either go to my sawmill, cut for firewood and the rest go through my 9900 WOODMAX and then enhance our soil one way or another. Next implement to get sold will be the finish mower when my chips cover the ground.

I like the idea of building soil with wood chips instead of ash. I plan to put my chipper on an old tractor so hours count isn’t too important.

I have 82 acres and burn the brush I cut to maintain the roads and trails. Burning sounds good but I have to cut, stack and use my grapple to haul to where I burn it then I have to babysit it while I burn it. I plan on buying a chipper, I cut stack and chip then move the tractor to the next spot. This will save a huge amount of time of hauling and burning due to how far I have to haul to where I burn, plus it's safer.

Our fire pit is 30 feet across with a 12 foot fire line - we burn what can’t be chipped and feed the fire using an 84” grapple on the FEL of one of tractors . I would strongly suggest keeping the chipper if you haven’t sold it. Hours on the tractor are a small trade off for the bio nutrition the chipped (vs burned) wood will do for your land. Tractors like to be used and while we love a great fire, I personally believe there is more non controlled risk with a fire than a PTO driven chipper. My .02.

This week I bought a MX-8800 for just the opposite reason that you are selling. I only have 5 acres and am not clearing oak. The oak is only being trimmed. However, some of the large oak have some LARGE dead branches that I will trim off. The oak will be burned and not chipped as much of it is larger than the capacity of the chipper and old dried and hard. I just don't want to stress the chipper. I have been working for 5 years to trim and thin the cedar. By my estimation, I am about 1/2 finished with the cedar. I can only burn when there isn't a burn ban. Last year there was a burn ban for more than 1/2 the year. Without a chipper, I can't continue clearing the property. My strategy: All oak will be burned. Small cedar will be chipped. Large cedar will saved and given away after I delimb it. (this week I gave away 20 limbs/logs) Cedar stumps burned with the oak trimmings.

Fwiw, Looking to buy a chipper for the opposite reason - So many “No burn” days in my county of California that we sometimes can’t burn the piles before summer.

Excellent review, choices at the end were greatly appreciated

Biochar is different than a big burn.

The hours won't hurt your tractor. It should go easily up to 5000 and beyond. If you're worried about tractor hours vs resale, spend 2000 bucks and get an old MF35 to run it. OR, there are always good used commercial chippers at the auctions for 10K or less.

Use a grapple and make compacted brush piles or “rabbitat” as Greg Judy calls it.

I also live in California and yes we can burn, but for only half the year so if you need to trim during the summer you have to chip or store until burn season… and you’re burn pile can only be 4x4 although I tend to go bigger… with that said, I think I’m getting a chipper for my tractor so I can trim all year and not have to drag everything to the burn pile…

Just curious what pto hp is your tractor ?

stick with the chipper, that puts the carbon in the soil and feeds the plants, if you don't want to chip them make Hugelculture.

There's shredder machines that could come in and maybe clear your whole property into chips, they do a few acres per day depending on the size. I'd love to hire one but none in my area and expensive to truck over with an operator, if you have one in the area worth looking into

We hired a local company to come out with a masticator and clear a good portion of our 6 acre piece of heaven. It wasn't cheap, but well worth the money. Chips it and mixes it into the ground. check them out - V-Belt and Son on youtube

Have you sold it yet? I’m interested.

And look at the fires now

Did you end up selling your chipper ?

I bought my tractor to use it, that's what they are made for. Hours only matter if you trade frequently and want top dollar at trade time. If hours really matter that much to you, buy a cheap tractor that will run forever. And if you ever price a commercial chipper , you will see that the price greatly exceeds the few hundred bucks extra for a lower hour tractor. Just my opinion but do the math before you sell it.

Is this chipper still for sale?

Hire a forestry mulcher. Don't burn. Not following your eco friendly claim.

Im not buying your eco reasons for getting rid of the chipper. I do both chipping and burning sucks. I have to get out h2o hoses and if the wood is green it doesnt burn and it takes a long time to burn up and a watchful eye, burning is a natural way and im not going to complain about the pollution but Ill keep ALL the nutrients in my land.

Here chips can be delivered free. I see no reason to buy a chipper when a match works just as well.