Vermeer now offers its BC1500 brush chipper with a gas engine. The new model is equipped with a powerful 165-hp (123-kW) PSI gas engine and delivers comparable chipping productivity to its diesel counterpart. Using a precision-balanced drum with two A8 double-sided knives, the new Vermeer BC1500 gas brush chipper is capable of chipping logs up to 15 inches (38.1 cm) in diameter.
"Faced with emission regulations, many arborists are converting their equipment fleet to gas," explained Todd Roorda, Tree Care/Rental/Landscape sales manager for Vermeer Corporation. "We've designed the BC1500 gas brush chipper, along with the other gas models in the Vermeer brush chipper product line, to be efficient to operate and optimize productivity."
The Vermeer BC1500 gas brush chipper uses vertical feed rollers with helical cleats to help firmly hold material to the infeed table, helping reduce vibration, shock and structural loading toward the rear of the machine. A four-position upper feed control bar allows the operator to start, reverse and stop the feed rollers. The unit also comes with a patented bottom feed stop bar that will shut off the feed mechanism either intentionally or automatically in an emergency situation.
Vermeer has incorporated several intelligent features into the BC1500 gas brush chipper. The onboard SmartFeed system monitors engine rpms and automatically stops and reverses the feed rollers to optimize the productivity of the Vermeer brush chipper. In addition, the chipper comes with the Vermeer EcoIdle engine control system that will automatically lower engine speeds when the chipper is left idling to reduce fuel consumption and noise.
Optional features for this equipment include a 150-foot (45.7-m) winch line to help improve handling of heavy logs and the Tree Commander remote control that allows the user to operate chipper functions from a distance.
