Mackissic chipper No. 2

[ebinmaine 67,415]

@Stepney has been a great supplier of many things Wheelhorse for me over the years. 

My first Wheelhorse tractor was his. 

The chassis for my Cinnamon Horse C160-8 was. 

My first hydro. 

More things than I could name. 

 

Well...  a few weeks ago Spenser mentioned that it would be neat if he had a "parts" GT14. 

Don'tcha know maybe 2 or 3 days later @PWL216 Paul, also a great supplier to me, said he had some tractors to rehome. I bought 3. 

One was Spenser's desired GT14. 

 

Well we done some swapping and trading and bartering. 

I ended up with this Mackissic chipper shredder model 12P. 

The side of this one is slightly different from my other one (currently in restoration) because it has 3 small holes to access the knife. 

@gwest_ca mentioned in another thread that may make it an earlier model. 

 

Well today I spent some time getting it hooked up to my Cinnamon Horse C160-8 and trying it out for the first time. 

 

I swapped the belt tensioner flat pulley. 

I only had a belt that was technically too long (several actually) so I drilled a new hole for the tensioner to bolted through. 

 

It seemed to work well. Needed the anvil to knife clearance adjusted. 

Here's the first load in Trina's trailer. 

 

 

Note that there's a fair amount of longer sticks on the ground AFTER they've gone through the machine. I wasn't using any screen. 

 

 

I removed the anvil. Cleaned it up. 

 

Here's where it mounts. 

 

 

For installation I used a home shop made tool to get the 1/16" spacing correct. 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the second pile. 

 

 

 

MUCH better with the screen and proper knife clearance.  

 

 

 

 

[oliver2-44 9,726]

News Flash

Once plentiful, Mackissic Chippers have disappeared from all corners of Maine except for some remote mountain location.

Authorities are perplexed , as it's also been hinted that once abundant,  numerous Wheel Horse C160 tractors also are squirreled away at this location.  

[ri702bill 8,314]

Eric - The keys are a good sharp blade with proper clearance, and the screen to hold the larger processed parts for recutting.

When we got the tow behind Gard-N-Way chipper / shredder, it did not have a lower screen. Made one up and what a difference....

 

[ebinmaine 67,415]

1 hour ago, ri702bill said:

Eric - The keys are a good sharp blade with proper clearance, and the screen to hold the larger processed parts for recutting.

  

 

 

For making small chips... Definitely agreed. 

 

Normally we are only trying to make the big sticks smaller. 

Yesterday the reason for getting this while thing going at this particular time was because Trina wants the fine cut mulch for the garden pathways. 

 

The screen we have is the standard offering 1" round holes. 

It needs repairs but is still basically functional. 

 

I'll be looking for a good solid screen, maybe one with smaller holes. 

 

 

[ri702bill 8,314]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

I'll be looking for a good solid screen, maybe one with smaller holes. 

You might try the "Bay site...... There are (were) several ones a while back with different hole sizes, but - they were rather proud of them with the BIN price...

Use your existing as a pattern to make a new one to your liking??

OR - a "liner" inside the screen with smaller holes that line up with the 1" holes???

[ebinmaine 67,415]

55 minutes ago, ri702bill said:

You might try the "Bay site...... There are (were) several ones a while back with different hole sizes, but - they were rather proud of them with the BIN price...

 

You ain't kidding!!!

I looked a bit this morning. 

I can buy one from Mackissic Company for not much more than the $150++ I see on there.  

 

 

55 minutes ago, ri702bill said:

Use your existing as a pattern to make a new one to your liking??

OR - a "liner" inside the screen with smaller holes that line up with the 1" holes???

 

We don't have the capability of bending the thick steel here but a friend does. 

That might be the way to go.  

 

 

 

[OoPEZoO 520]

Keep an eye out on the ‘bay….they do show up for reasonable prices. My chipper came with the 1/2” screen which was way too small for the stuff I was shoving into it.  I ended up getting one of the 3”x1.5” oblong screens and a replacement blade, both NOS shipped for around $100.  Still a little salty, but the larger screen works soooo much better for my application. I tend to shred a lot of briars and tall stringy weeds.  The small screen would clog.  I also intend to use it to clean out a creek bed and that is going to be a sloppy mess that wouldn’t work with the small screen. I still haven’t put in the new blade or adjusted the anvil clearance, but I know I need to.

[ebinmaine 67,415]

1 minute ago, OoPEZoO said:

Keep an eye out on the ‘bay….they do show up for reasonable prices. My chipper came with the 1/2” screen which was way too small for the stuff I was shoving into it.  I ended up getting one of the 3”x1.5” oblong screens and a replacement blade, both NOS shipped for around $100.  Still a little salty, but the larger screen works soooo much better for my application. I tend to shred a lot of briars and tall stringy weeds.  The small screen would clog.  I also intend to use it to clean out a creek bed and that is going to be a sloppy mess that wouldn’t work with the small screen. I still haven’t put in the new blade or adjusted the anvil clearance, but I know I need to.

 

 

If you still have that fine screen and want to sell it let me know. 

 

 

You may find on disassembly that your blade just needs to be touched up. 

 

The blades on both of my chippers were/are slightly dinged but sharp and usable overall. 

On the one I'm restoring I elected to give it a refreshed edge because it was out. 

Very careful slow hand sanding so as to keep the heat down. 

 

The anvil clearance on the second one here in this thread was quite a bit larger on the inside edge toward the axle than the outer part. 

I didn't measure it. I'd say close to an 1/8" on the closer end. 

It worked. But it was challenging to keep the sticks being fed properly. 

 

 

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,040]

If you shovel the already chipped product plus the long sticks that made it through the screen into the top shredder the long sticks will reduce in size. Seems the chips hold them in better for more effective results. I think my screen is 1" and use an ensilage fork.

[Handy Don 12,210]

4 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

I'll be looking for a good solid screen, maybe one with smaller holes. 

Throughput on chippers goes down faster than reductions in screen size. 

With ¾” vs. 1” holes, chipping time nearly doubles when fed twigs and branches.

[ebinmaine 67,415]

3 minutes ago, gwest_ca said:

If you shovel the already chipped product plus the long sticks that made it through the screen into the top shredder the long sticks will reduce in size. Seems the chips hold them in better for more effective results. I think my screen is 1" and use an ensilage fork.

 

Have to remember that...

 

 

4 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

Throughput on chippers goes down faster than reductions in screen size. 

With ¾” vs. 1” holes, chipping time nearly doubles when fed twigs and branches.

 

Interesting point I hadn't considered.  

Given that the total area of a hole is decreased so much I can see that.  

[OoPEZoO 520]

All interesting points….i know part of my issue is also that I tend to chip/shred stuff the same day it gets cut as that’s how life works sometimes. The few times I’ve let things sit and dry out, the whole setup works so much better. It’s all the bendy green stick stuff that gives me fits. When it’s dry, the chipper just disintegrates it. My whole neighborhood loves having it available……except my immediate neighbor, he’s a grump and curses me out every time I fire up a tractor 🤣

[ri702bill 8,314]

1 hour ago, OoPEZoO said:

except my immediate neighbor, he’s a grump and curses me out every time I fire up a tractor

Funny - the opposite here - and I mow mid afternoon. But... if someone ticks me off, I'll fire up the chipper at 7:01 AM.... And at WOT, it is seriously loud....

[OoPEZoO 520]

Just found another one of these up for sale on a local auction site that ends tonight at 8pm......current bid is $2 with no reserve

 

Really don't have a need for a 2nd one, but seriously thinking about making a run at it.  Even if its junk (which it doesn't look like junk), the few spare parts I could pull of it would be well worth the effort.  

[ebinmaine 67,415]

15 minutes ago, OoPEZoO said:

Just found another one of these up for sale on a local auction site that ends tonight at 8pm......current bid is $2 with no reserve

 

Really don't have a need for a 2nd one, but seriously thinking about making a run at it.  Even if its junk (which it doesn't look like junk), the few spare parts I could pull of it would be well worth the effort.  

 

 

I'd go for it for sure!

 

 

You could resale it for $200 or $300. You could pull the parts out of it and keep it for yours. You could set up another one. Lots of options there.

 

 

If you turn that into a parts machine, I'd buy the screen from you.

[OoPEZoO 520]

I think I will.  I've passed on a few due to them being the models on the cart with bad motors.  I didn't want to deal with all the extra scrap just to get what I would potentially want, but this one is the tractor mount version and still has the chipper side mount attached.  Mine is currently mounted on a chopped up plow frame.  It works, but its big and heavy.  Getting the mounting brackets alone would be a step up in storage space and convenience.  I'll let you know if it works out.

 

 

[Handy Don 12,210]

1 minute ago, OoPEZoO said:

Getting the mounting brackets alone would be a step up in storage space and convenience.

You could probably make some friends by sharing some detailed measurements and pictures of the tractor mounting bits! 

 

[ebinmaine 67,415]

23 minutes ago, OoPEZoO said:

Getting the mounting brackets

 

20 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

You could probably make some friends by sharing some detailed measurements and pictures of the tractor mounting bits! 

 

 

I'd be glad to put up pics of the ones I have.. with careful measurements of course. 

 

 

[OoPEZoO 520]

Kicking myself........got busy last night and forgot about the auction.  It sold for $25 DOH!

[ebinmaine 67,415]

26 minutes ago, OoPEZoO said:

Kicking myself........got busy last night and forgot about the auction.  It sold for $25 DOH!

 

 

There's always next time.

 

 

I started using mine last night. Got just a few minutes into it and the flywheel stopped turning.

 

I have not done proper Diagnostics yet but it looks like the main cross shaft is broken just inside of the flywheel.

 

I'll get a hold of Mighty Mac and check with a couple machine shops to see what can be done with it.

[OoPEZoO 520]

oh man.....thats a bummer.  You would know better than me, as you have had your other one apart already, but it looks like there is some sort of bushing and set screw that goes between the main shaft and flywheel.  I suppose its possible that something is buggered up there?  I doubt the keyway stripped out and I don't see anything resembling a shear pin.  Fingers crossed its not the main shaft

[ebinmaine 67,415]

5 minutes ago, OoPEZoO said:

oh man.....thats a bummer.  You would know better than me, as you have had your other one apart already, but it looks like there is some sort of bushing and set screw that goes between the main shaft and flywheel.  I suppose its possible that something is buggered up there?  I doubt the keyway stripped out and I don't see anything resembling a shear pin.  Fingers crossed its not the main shaft

 

 

I was harboring the key way as a hopeful thought but then when I touched the flywheel it wobbles back and forth at a very interesting angle that matches what the end of the shaft does.

 

One could consider it a plus side that the other unit is still disassembled. I'm hoping I can pop this one apart without too much drama and swap the other whole unit back into place.

 

The other option of course would be to put the restoration of my original one back up towards the top of the list