Thrive Off Grid

Small Engines
#809

No there are a lot more reasons. Manufacturing cost, the price you save getting the pellet fueled version of my machines vs the larger wood chips (especially the auger fed) more than justifies the cost on processing equipment.

Weight pr volume is another.

I cant auger chunk fuels so I cant go down that path and is why I havent. Besides this I cant expect my clients to build a chunker. They buying from me for reason, typically they are not builders.

Machines need to be on the market and lower cost. Pelleting equipment is cheaper than a $2500.00 chipping machine.

I disagree it is great deal less of a process than making chips. Ive done it for 6 years

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#810

I wasn’t referring as much to chips, they are also a sort of manufactured product, though using much less energy. I think the fundamental problem with chips is just their shape, they are shaped to bind to each other, problems from the get go. For flow they need to be fed into a big diameter hearth, or they would need to be quite small. Pellets will have a natural flow.

But the energy consumption and complexity of pellets can’t be ignored, unless the intention is just to buy bags, as you describe.

Charcoal will come out ahead for smaller scale DIY, but I understand that isn’t what you encountered in the market you could serve.

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#811

See you are only factoring the chipping process as your only energy.

I am factoring all energy input. from machine, blood sweat, tears, from mother nature, free or not. Free energy is still energy in. .

They are probably very close to the same. Except the pelleting process is faster and less work for the user.

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#812

You just wait I will automate this, all you will need to do is shove feed stock into the chipper and Ill link the rest to it.

Here is the other thing, the char pellets will provide the power for this equipment.

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#813

There was once a point in my life where I made everything!! I need this: ah ill just make it!!!

Now Im older and now when I need something, Ill just buy it. Oh no money? Ah I can live out for now. lol

I already make way too much stuff. Im tired of making stuff!!

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#814

Good evening Matt, are there facts out on how long it takes too turn 100 pounds of wood chips into saw dust or wood shavings.?? FROM A HAMMER MILL.

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#815

Watch the videos, they speak for themselves

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#816

Ok Matt i watched a few so far, mostly music playing not much else, and the ones i watched, the product looked like a crost between wood shaveing and sawdust, so im am not really fermilure with what a pellot machine needs too survive.

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#817

Note the steam pooring off these pellets. Granted this is a PTO driven unit; however, its still the same mill used with the small engine powered versions. The tractor is bit over kill here.

That is also the beauty of the pellet mill. You not just limited to woody biomass.

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#818

Watch this video too the end, if this can do this to Rocks it can certainly pulverized biomass. It does rather fast and effortless.

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#819

Harbor Fright chipper. Even though they dont make the best chips for gasifying. I love my little chipper and would be perfect for pellet milling. I attach the hammer mill directly to mine and also drive it from this chipper along with the pellet mill. So probably that same PTO driven pellet mill. The engine will be replaced with the 670 Predator V twin with fly wheel.

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#820

Ok thanks Matt sounds like the biomass dont have too be any finer than a hammer mill, you will have too see how works i gess. Well it seems not too bad of investment for fast drying winter time needs, and or getting free wood chips dumped in a trailer out front, from the wood chipper tree trimmer Guys, Save a lot of tree cutting time for sure.

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#821

Yeah this opens up a lot of things for sources.

I did note the guy stating the temp. This is not what some others say in there videos. Also this is great for re-purposing waste engine oil. One of the vendors says to add an oil mist.

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#822

Biomass supply can be a big plus in itself, I mean like what you have from the area or farm waist.The tree trimmer guys must waist in the millions of tons of wood chips biomass solar energy emptying there trucks in any feild they can get the ok too dump.

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#823

Exactly!!..

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#824

Exacty i agree, what price size wood pellot machine would be a good machine too hold up well and fast enough. i got too hit the shop after this Thanks for the info.

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#825

Are them hammer mills hard too make, dont look like it.

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#826

No just some heavy bearings a shaft with chain welded to it. Pretty easy. You could make your own pellet mill as well. There are some good videos how to make them.

I am planning to make a hydraulic ram type press for on-board process machines. I will most likely pursue that before making the all in one unit.

Just search Ebay and Amazon. But before you buy make sure you contact the seller and make sure they understand your usage first.

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#827

I will check out some of them Diy pellot mill vidios, see if i have enough tools too build i have no machine shop machines.

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#828

Just a couple of wood chip comments:
When I tried running my oversize wood chips through a hammer mill, all I got was a stringy mess.
Even with the largest screen I had.

Think twice about having loads of wood chips dumped in your yard.

  1. They start to heat up and to mold almost immediately, from the inside out.

  2. If the chipping was done in the spring, you really have a wet, stringy mess to deal with. Best chips are made after the leaves are off the trees.

  3. The largest wood chips (IMHO) are made with a disk chipper, not a drum chipper.

  4. You need to see where the chips came from. If the tree service is cleaning up brush, don’t bother. You need chips from a site where they are chipping large branches and/or whole trees.
    Greg Manning has said that he won’t ever chip anything smaller than 1 inch in diameter (or is it 2 cm up there in Canada?)

Maybe take a look at:

Pete Stanaitis

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