The New Vermeer AX17 Brush Chipper Is Easy To Transport, Reduces Crew Size

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With mechanized feeding, horizontal off-set feed rollers, a fixed-infeed table, and a remote control, the AX17 allows smaller crews to handle big jobs. (Photo courtesy of Vermeer.)

Vermeer's new AX17 brush chipper provides very portable power with a weight of less than 10,000 pounds (4,536 kilograms). With mechanized feeding, horizontal off-set feed rollers, a fixed-infeed table, and a remote control, it allows smaller crews to handle big jobs. The AX17’s 26-inch (660-millimeter), two-knife drum has an 18-in. (457-mm) material capacity. The new chipper features Vermeer’s SmartFeed and SmartCrush systems.

“Vermeer AX chippers offer the latest innovations for arborist work,” says Steve Weldon, product specialist for Vermeer Environmental equipment. “The AX17 offers many of the same advantages as the larger AX19 model, but with a smaller footprint, making it a great option for contractors doing a lot of city work or looking for a high-production chipper that can be pulled behind a vehicle and does not require a CDL.”

Smart Chipping Power

The AX17’s wide infeed throat capacity of 19.5 x 20.5 in (495 x 521 mm) allows it to digest large logs and tree limbs. Its intelligent feed system applies more than 6,500 lbs (2,948 kg) of pull-in power. The chipper can also be equipped with a 3,200-lb (1,451-kg) pull-in winch boom that can be raised out of the way during mechanical feeding.

The new Vermeer automatically stops, reverses, and moves timber back and forth, making manual labor at the rear less necessary. The four-position upper feed control bar over the feed table has two stop positions. The operator can use it to stop the feed rollers and shift them into forward or reverse. Vermeer’s SmartCrush system raises down pressure on the material to combat branches and forks. For safety, the chipper has a bottom feed stop bar.

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The Vermeer AX17 has an 18-inch material capacity and more than 6,500 pounds of pull-in power. (Photo courtesy of Vermeer.)

The AX17’s full-function remote can also move the chipper’s feed rollers forward or backward and control the infeed crush. The remote can also rotate the chute and stop the machine. Vermeer says the operator can use it from the seat of a skid steer or loader for efficient use of manpower.

Fuel Economy

The single-axle AX17 is powered by a 130-horsepower (97-kilowatt), Tier 4 Final, 3.8-litre diesel engine made by Cummins. Vermeer’s EcoIdle engine control system reduces fuel consumption when the machine is running but idle. Another Vermeer technology, the SmartFeed feed-sensing control system, keeps tabs on the engine’s RPMs.

After the work is done, the operator can use a side lever to access the chipper’s convenient lower cleanout door.

Source: Vermeer