Vermeer’s new gas brush chipper out-powers its diesel predecessor

Updated Sep 16, 2016
The new gas-powered brush chipper is designed to process limbs up to 12 inches in diameter. Photo: VermeerThe new gas-powered brush chipper is designed to process limbs up to 12 inches in diameter.
Photo: Vermeer

Vermeer has introduced a gasoline engine option for its BC1200XL Tier 4i (Stage IIIB) brush chipper. The 135-horsepower, PSI 4.3L EFI engine offers 23 percent more horsepower than its diesel engine predecessor, the company says, while maintaining similar production rates.

Matt Hutchinson, the manufacturer’s product manager for tree care, rental and landscape, said the gas-powered BC1200XL enables Vermeer to provide a quieter but equally reliable machine at a competitive price point.

“The electronic fuel-injected (EFI) engine performs well during cold-weather starts and provides improved fuel economy over comparable carbureted gas engines,” Hutchinson said.

In a news release about the new brush chipper, Vermeer says it has “observed an industry trend” in which tree-care contractors are switching to gasoline-powered chip trucks. The company notes that its BC1200XL gas engine offering allows those tree-care businesses to standardize their brush chipper and chip truck fuel usage.

The new gas-powered brush chipper is designed to process limbs up to 12 inches in diameter.

“The BC1200XL is a lightweight brush chipper, which makes it easy to pull behind a standard half-ton pickup truck,” said Hutchinson. “Its compact size also allows it to fit onto narrower jobsites.”

Like its diesel engine counterpart, the gas-powered BC1200XL has a drum speed of 2,000 rpm and an infeed speed of 110 feet per minute.

Vermeer says the BC1200XL features the company’s “EcoIdle” engine control system, which helps reduce fuel consumption when material is not being fed into the chipper. The EcoIdle system also aids in noise reduction, the manufacturer says.

The new chipper also is equipped with Vermeer’s “SmartFeed” system, which monitors the engine rpm and automatically stops and reverses the dual horizontal feed rollers to prevent jams and reduce strain on engine components.

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