If you are a user of new equipment, learning how its components work is preferred. In the case of the wood chippers, a hopper is one of the parts of the chipper that determines how effectively the machine runs.
Hopper or inlet feed is where you put your feeding material to transform into chips. Based on the mechanics used in hopper designing, various feeding types are available in wood chippers.
The following details will give an insight into self-feed and hydraulic-feed wood chippers. The below information will help you comprehend both designs to make a better purchasing decision.
The Inside wood chipper team recently posted a detailed review of the best wood chippers by type, price, varieties, workload and brand.
This guide helps you choose the best one according to your requirement and help you to save your money by the right selection.
Comparison Of Self Feed Vs Hydraulic Feed Wood Chippers
Wood chippers on the market can have more than one different feeding type. Here we analyzed two different categories and compared them to get readers a brief, clear understanding.
| Self Feed Wood Chipper | Hydraulic Feed Wood Chipper |
|---|---|
| This system only allows for the self-feeding of material. | This system allows for self-feeding along with automatic control over the chipping process. |
| In an emergency, no such features are found in the self-feeding model. | The forward-reverse bar is added to reverse the rollers to avoid danger in an emergency. |
| You must be vigilant enough to ensure that branches do not get stuck. | With hydraulic-feed models, you do not observe the chipping process. Instead, the machine handles it all. |
| They are less expensive due to their compactness. Maintenance and service are relatively cheap. | Their automatic hydraulic system makes the price higher. Maintenance and service cost is high. |
| They are recommended for domestic as well as small scale landscaping businesses. | They are highly beneficial for commercial grade. |
Self Feed Wood Chipper
On the one hand, technology is persistent in improving vegetation, and on the other hand, it is relatively a problem to manage the accumulated waste with ease.
A wood chipper with additional features is a helping hand to its consumer. Self-feeding hoppers are one such addition.
As its name suggests, in these types of wood chippers, the feeding hopper has a mechanism that pulls the feeding material towards the cutting blades to chip them.
The working mechanism is based on the two rollers fixed in the chipper assembly. On movement, these rollers function as conveyor belt works.
Pros
- Their operation is relatively simple.
- Only a few parts need maintenance and service.
- While operating these chippers, it is not required to push the material inward with a stick.
- Small materials like sawmill waste chips are uniformly smooth in these wood chippers.
Cons
- It would be best if you kept a vigilant eye on its operation to ensure that no material gets clogged.
- Feedstock material should not exceed 2 inches.
- Extra time and effort wasted in preparing material for chipping.
- Sometimes, uniformity is affected, and the size of the chip can be adjusted as in the hydraulic feed system.
Hydraulic Feed Wood Chipper
If you want your wood chippers to do most of the task itself, you may find self-feeding wood chippers not enough.
However, wood chippers are available that contain an automatic gearbox with self-adjustment features and self-feeding.
These hydraulic-feed wood chippers contain two hydraulic in-feed rollers. These rollers help feed the material and control the material’s speed.
These automatic systems are suitable for commercial grade and heavy tasks. For example, fruit farming, trimming of tree falling, landscaping, and management of forest waste can be best performed using hydraulic-feed wood chippers.
Pros
- These designs are considered more productive and effective.
- Uniformity is obtained because of the controlled feed rate system.
- The forward-reverse option in the control box allows its user to manage the chipping processes safely.
- The reverse option in auto-feed protects the engine, v-belts and drum.
- The material preparation is not challenging, and the bushy feedstock is quickly taken in.
- The continuous operation does not affect the functioning. It can transform chips over and over without bogging down.
Cons
- They are expensive wood chippers due to their high-tech hydraulic system.
- It adds an enormous burden on your bank account as its maintenance and operating costs are high.
I hope! You Like This Guide: Sun Joe Vs Earthwise Wood Chipper
Conclusion
The above explanation is a guided step while buying a wood chipper. Before investing in tech products, it is an excellent way to take all the technical details to clarify what a product offers to you.
Do you want a wood chipper for domestic purposes? Or do you work at an industrial level? You need to assess how hopper feeding technology can reduce your chipping working hours in both of these.
