The All New Greenmech Quadchip 160 MK 2 Review

See our review below regarding The Green mech Quad chip 160 Mk2 Wood chipper

T.H Tree Services demo’d the Quad chip 160 Mk 1 back in 2012 when the machine was around 3 years out of production. Back then we decided to go for a safer option the tried and tested Timber wolf TW125, although that was an entry level wood chipper it did us very very proud for 4 solid years of work.

Now in 2015 we had a trip to the Arb show and see the new 2015 Mk 2 Quad chip 160, this had some very useful improvements which were very welcome and it had proven to be a reliable machine by now.

Why did we choose this wood chipper over others?

After much thought and reviewing many competitor chippers T.H Tree Services decided This new Mk 2 was exactly what the company needed to move forward and increase productivity.

With a turbo charged 34hp Kubota engine we knew that was a brand of engine that was reliable and has a Stella track record for reliability. Although we have only had the wood chipper for around 2 months we can see our decision was a good one.

Its only when you own a machine can you really mooch around it and inspect its build quality. Being under the 750kg tow limit this machine can be towed by most drivers. However due to this weight restriction we did wonder if build quality would suffer.

After much pondering it is clear the guys at Green mech have built a very smart machine and many of our tree surgeons admire the design. The welding is tight and the construction although built to a weight limit seams very strong and up to the task of daily towing behind a truck.

The folding shoot and exhaust exiting through the chip chamber are just a few unique features of this wood chipper that set it apart.

Sub 750kg wood chippers are vital for younger drivers that do no have a B+E trailer towing test pass.

Did we mention this is a sub 750kg wood chipper on a turntable ! That means we can move the wood chipper in any position without uncoupling it from the truck. You don’t realise how handy this feature is until you use it. For our younger drivers legally they require the B+E trailer towing test to be able to tow heavier machines so this machine avoids that extra cost.

Noise is reduced compared to competitor machines, fuel consumption is incredible. We fill it once a week and it keeps going.

Are Green mechs Disc Blades Any Good?

This machine uses disc blades, now we were sceptical but they actual work really well and being round instead of the typical flat blade they don’t blunt as easy. You get three turns on the disc so three times longer between blade changes and they last longer than normal flat blades.

The 6 by 9 inch letter box in feed works very well and is so much nicer and easier to the feed brash in compared to our old Timber wolf TW 125.

Overall the Green Mech Quad chip 160 Mk2 is a very good machine, all operators much prefer using it over our old machine. It is much faster and chips up to 5 ton per hour, not that we will ever feed that much that quick.

Our Initial Verdict!

T.H Tree Services give it a 9/10 score, Build quality on some of the plastic panels are not as flush fitting as you would expect for a machine that is nearly £20,000. The alko towing head is cheap and again for such an expensive machine it does let it down a bit.

If you was starting a small tree surgery business the Timber wolf TW125 is simply fantastic value for money, reliable and easy to maintain. However once you grow in size it will become a bottle neck when you need to process large volumes of brash.

For the reason above we needed something with more power and throughput and we believe for our set up the Green mech Quad chip 160 Mk2 provided exactly what we needed.

See it in action:

Update On The Green mech Quad chip 160 After 100+ Hours Of Use (2016)

We purchased our Green mech Quad chip in mid 2015, after 100+ hours and 1 year we now have a much better idea of our 18k investment into this woodchipper. I’m very pleased to say it has performed as we expected, tho a few minor issues did occur.

Update On The Green mech Quad chip 160 After 198+ Hours Inc Warranty (2017)

So far the QC160 has been a great chipper, recently we did arrange for green mech to collect our chipper and honour its very useful 2 year warranty. It was only for a small paint defect and rivet which they did really quickly.

Whilst they had our machine they also replaced the alko tow bar which had suffered premature rusting, only superficial. It was upgraded with a brand new galvanised one which is now standard from new. They also upgraded the flywheel to a version which does not block as much, not that it ever did. Of course repairing the paint defect and rivet as well.

They arranged the collection or my machine and the use of a hire machine all free of charge, something i wont forget. Excellent customer service.

So i can state first hand that they offer a fanatic warranty which can be relied upon!.

Teething Issues With Our Quad chip Wood chipper

We noticed a slight crack in the superficial bodywork after 6 months, tho were talking mm,  easy to fix. The internal heat shields have peeled off, again a simple fix. The heat loosens the glue so maybe it needs a better way of holding the foil panels in place. The paint has peeled off in the slots that locate the top cover panel, tho and easy fix.

We have had a pop rivet bust on the outer air filter housing, tho again an easy fix i can do.

The disc blades are very good, much better than standard knives but no as long lasting as quoted. Tho 2-4 times longer than standard knives which normally loose their edge after 5-10 hours.

The turntable is just a joy to use and the folding spout is handy. The engine is kubota so does its job very well, chips 4-5 ton per hour, tho in use we can fill the average transit tipper in under 30 minutes of average chipping.

So some little niggles but nothing that cant be solved very cheap and very quick. Overall the quad chip is in our opinion the best sub 750kg chipper in the UK. Its also British made!.

Maintaining The Green mech Quad chip 160

A you can see access to the entire machines has been well thought out and make blades changes much easier than some competitors. Having full access to the rotor housing is really helpful. Having access to the engine and rear belts makes maintenance simple.

Changing the anvils is yet to be done as outs are still nice the sharp, tho it looks to be the most difficult job on the machine due to the build up of woody materials.

In Summary

As with any new wood chipper there are some minor tweaks that would ensure a quality machine, most new machines have little faults that need fixing. This is no exception!. Tho we have a 2 year warranty so that is very reassuring, knowing these can be fixed foc any time.

For the above niggling problems we give the Green mech Quad chip 160 Mk2 a 8.5/10. Should the small issues noted be resolved this would be a 9/10. To find a 10/10 machine will be a long wait as no single machine does everything perfect.

There is talk of a Green Mech Quad chip 200 (7-8 inch) For Those Who Can Tow Above 750kg!

The QC 200 is promised to be under development (late 2017), however its not here yet. I would be very keen to seen a 7-8 inch turntable from Green mech which continues where the QC160 leaves off. We will just have to wait and see!.

We hope this review has been useful, it is our opinion as a commercial tree surgery contractor and we have no affiliations with either Company mentioned.

T.H Tree Services hopes this review of the Green mech Quad chip has been helpful, informative and unbiased.

Ivy & Wisteria Removal By Essex Tree Surgeons

Safe4site Gold Accredited Tree Surgeons in Essex, East London & North Kent