Old Corn Chopper Makes Great Brush Chipper

Old Corn Chopper Makes Great Brush Chipper WOODLOT EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous 22-6-26 When Randy Hay went looking for a brush chipper for his Christmas tree and wreath-making business several years ago, he decided he couldn't justify the cost of a commercial unit. Instead he built his own out of an old 1-row pull-type corn chopper. "It lets me chop brush up to 4 inches in diameter with no problems," Hay told FARM SHOW. He bought the pto-driven chopper at an auction for $10, removed the head, and bolted a chute (the hopper off an old corn grinder) on front. He also repositioned the tongue so the chopper trails directly behind the tractor. "It works fast and has been virtually trouble-free. In five years all I've had to re-place was one shear pin," says Hay. "I use it on our tree farm where we make up to 800 Christmas wreaths each year by cutting the tips off branches. It'll rip branches out of my hands as fast as I can feed them in. In two hours I can make a pile of chips 4 ft. high. I wear a logger's helmet equipped with a face shield and ear muffs for protection. I was able to sell the chopper head for $9.50 at a scrap yard so I tell people that my total investment was only 50 cents. A comparable commercial pto-driven brush chipper sells for about $3,000. "The chopper I bought has a big flywheel with a lot of power. Newer choppers with smaller flywheels might not work as well. One time I tried feeding a 6-in. dia. poplar into it. It would've worked if the tractor hadn't stalled." For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Randy Hay, 163 Alexander Rd., Chenango Forks, N.Y. 13746 (ph 607 692-2179).

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