Vermeer has introduced the WC2500TX tracked whole tree chipper, a compact wood chipper with a tracked undercarriage to aid manoeuvrability on tough land clearing sites.
Although compact in design, the WC2500TX packs a 448kW diesel configured to US Tier 4 Final/EU Stage IV emissions standards. A US Tier 3/EU Stage III version is also available for markets without more stringent regulations, such as Australia.
The chipper can be equipped with either a ‘microchip’ drum that produces chip sizes between 3.2mm and 15.9mm or a ‘macrochip’ drum producing chips between 15.9mm and 31.8mm.
Vermeer says the addition of WC2500TX greatly expands the variety of jobs its machines can perform.
“The release of the WC2500TX continues to solidify our presence in the biomass and land-clearing markets,” Vermeer product manager Matt Hutchison says.
“The versatility of the tracked undercarriage now gives us all-terrain capability, with great traction and flotation in various ground conditions.
“The 600hp Tier 4 Final chipper can rapidly fill a trailer with properly sized chips, or efficiently broadcast material out over a remote land-clearing site, depending on how you configure the drum.”
The WC2500TX sits on a 50.8cm high-mount tracked undercarriage with a ground clearance of around 73cm for increased mobility. Tracks can be either single- or double-groused, and the WC2500TX also has rising chain rollers to aid material cleanout.
The WC2500TX is loaded with Vermeer’s proprietary automated systems including SmartCrush, SmartFeed and EcoIdle.
The SmartCrush system automatically increases downward pressure when difficult material enters the drum and can also adjust conveyor speeds.
SmartFeed monitors engine RPM and automatically stops or reverses the feed roller when it encounters harder materials, and can also fix roller jams by moving material back and forth.
The EcoIdle works by automatically dropping the engine speed to 1400rpm if no material is chipped for 30 seconds, saving fuel. This system will also increase engine speed when it detects a change in loading.