Using a 3 Point Wood Chipper for the First Time? 5 Things to Know

Are you the proud owner of a durable new 3 point wood chipper? Congratulations—you’re about to make your acreage management much more efficient. But be prepared for a bit of a learning curve with your new equipment. Correctly and safely operating your PTO wood chipper will take some preparation.

3 Point Wood Chipper

From safety concerns to effective use, there’s a lot to consider. Be sure to carefully read through the owner’s manual before setting up and attempting to operate it.

As you get started with your new wood chipper, here’s a list of four things to keep top of mind.

Wear Appropriate Clothing

By now, you understand the importance of using the right tool for the job. When it comes to using wood chippers, it’s also essential to wear appropriate clothing.

In general, your clothing should fit tightly. Wear a long-sleeved shirt and jeans or long pants—save the bell bottoms for Saturday night. Ensure everything is zipped and buttoned up, with no ragged or loose ends.

If you’re going to be working in cold weather, don’t reach for your favorite hoodie. Instead, go with a jacket that closes in the front and doesn’t have anything dangling from it.

Don’t forget your safety goggles and work gloves. Also, consider boots with a hard toe.

Start by Trimming the PTO Shaft

Odds are you’ll need to trim the PTO shaft that shipped with your new wood chipper so that it fits your tractor. Follow the instructions in your owner’s manual to determine whether you need to trim the PTO shaft.

Calculate the amount you’ll need to cut, then mark both halves of the safety cover and trim them first. Then, remove the same amount from both shafts and remove sharp edges or burrs using a file.

As long as the two halves telescope freely, you’re ready to attach the shaft to your PTO chipper and tractor.

Mind the Discharge Chute and Chip Deflector

Before investing in your new wood chipper, you likely thought about whether and how you’d use the wood chips. Before you start using your chipper, you’ll want to adjust the discharge chute and chip deflector to ensure those chips end up in the right place.

Hopefully, you purchased a chipper with a chute that swivels 360 degrees and stands high enough off the ground to get your chips into a trailer or truck bed if that’s your intent.

Consult your owner’s manual for instructions on manipulating the chute and chip deflector.

Chip Like a Pro

When you’ve completed all the necessary setup, you can finally get to work. Make sure your chipper is running at full speed before you feed any material into the infeed opening.

Follow some general best practices as you feed branches into your chipper:

● Don’t overreach.

● Keep your face and body away from the infeed opening.

● Maintain your balance and keep your footing.

Don’t force oversize branches into your chipper and feed from the side as opposed to directly in front of the infeed chute. Never use your body or tools to push branches into the chipper—use another branch instead.

About Woodland Mills

Sawyers worldwide turn to Woodland Mills for the best-valued forestry products available. From stump grinders and wood chippers to the flagship HM126 portable bandsaw sawmill and the versatile Multilander trailer, Woodland Mills uses innovative designs and cost-effective manufacturing to deliver the equipment you need at a price that hobbyists can justify. When you join the Woodland Mills community, you aren’t just purchasing versatile products that are built to last—you also receive unparalleled customer service that keeps people coming back to Woodland Mills. By providing quality products and exceptional performance with direct-to-customer sales and flat-rate shipping, Woodland Mills delivers “value through design” to help you make your mark.

Find the Woodland Mills 3 point wood chipper that’s right for you at https://woodlandmills.com/

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