FIT TO A TREE
Bandit chippers have come a long way since their humble beginnings in 1983. The very first product, the Model 100 Brush Bandit, was built in a converted repair shop staffed by six employees. Nearly four decades later, the Bandit team of more than 400 produces chippers — plus stump grinders, horizontal grinders, track carriers and skid steer attachments — for tree care companies, land clearing operations and municipalities worldwide from a 280,000-square-foot manufacturing space in Remus, Michigan.
Bandit chippers have come a long way since their humble beginnings in 1983. The very first product, the Model 100 Brush Bandit, was built in a converted repair shop staffed
by six employees. Nearly four decades later, the Bandit team of more than 400 produces chippers — plus stump grinders, horizontal grinders, track carriers and skid steer attachments — for tree care companies, land clearing operations and municipalities worldwide from a 280,000-square-foot manufacturing space.
To no one’s surprise on the Bandit team, that very first chipper is still on the job 37 years and hundreds of demanding jobs later — as are thousands of other Bandit machines racking up decades of front-line use. “Our chippers are better than anyone else’s on the market, because they’re built with integrity in mind,” says Derrick Davis, Bandit’s design engineering manager.
Today, the successful chipper and grinder company offers a wide range of chippers.
One of the most popular hand-fed models, the IntimidatorTM 18XP, is an 18-inch-capacity, drum-style chipper powered by the Cat® C4.4 engine. Like all Bandit hand-fed chippers, it features the unique Slide Box Feed System that provides direct down pressure to pull in, crush and compress branches and trees with little or no trim work required. A powerful dual-feed wheel system delivers nearly 4,500 pounds of pulling power to process limbs and fibrous material with ease — perfect for taking down big trees, lot clearing and cleaning up storm debris. A standard hydraulic lift cylinder provides additional downward pressure to reduce chainsaw work for faster, safer jobs.
The 18XP’s big brother, the Intimidator 19XPC, offers a step up for tree services that need more capacity in an easy-to-maneuver design. Available with the Cat C4.4 or C7.1 engine, the 19-inch-capacity 19XPC has a larger-diameter top-feed wheel and a bottom-feed wheel roller that generates more than 10,000 pounds of pulling power, making it easier to pull in larger material — even whole trees — to reduce trimming time and costs.
THE POWER AFTER A STORM
It only takes moments for a storm to decimate a town. In the minutes, hours and days that follow, clean-up begins. That’s where the 18XP and 19XPC shine. Both chippers are mobile, so they’re easily towed from site to site by a truck. And because weight matters when it comes to maneuverability and keeping the cost of registration down, the lightweight C4.4 and C7.1 were ideal for the job. The engines’ compact footprint also allows Bandit to maintain a design that’s proven to meet customer expectations. “Because the engine sits under the discharge where the material comes out, a larger engine would have required a taller discharge, which is prone to plug and won’t throw as far,” Davis says.
Ahead of the curve. Aside from the small package size, another advantage of the C4.4 and C7.1 is their industry-leading torque. The longer a chipper’s engine operates at peak torque, the longer a user can process trees or branches without slowing or reversing the feed. That’s critical in an industry where every customer’s number-one priority is minimal downtime. “They want it to perform every time they turn it on,” Davis says.
Sized to work. Both the C4.4 and C7.1 meet U.S. EPA Tier 4 Final, EU Stage V emissions standards. Packaging the new design into the two Intimidator chippers called for much collaboration between Bandit’s engineers and the team at dealer Michigan Cat, including an in-depth application review process. “They worked with us to develop a package that fit our size envelope without having to make the machines larger, and despite the extra liquid requirements with Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF), overall fluid consumption is excellent,” Davis says.
Backed by the best. For a company that’s built its legacy on products that run and run, Bandit recognizes the importance of having support ready for the engines that power those machines. Knowing there’s a Cat dealer nearby to take care of any issues quickly gives chipper operators even more confidence in Bandit products. “Having the Cat brand associated with our product is a huge benefit. The name sells itself,” Davis says.
Click HERE for more about the Intimidator 18 XP and 19XPC. Click HERE for more about the Cat C4.4 and C7.1, the power of the 18 XP and 19XPC.