Michael Ledford

Maintaining peak wood chipper performance requires knives that are sharp, balanced, and well-maintained. Proper wood chipper blade maintenance will extend the life of your wood chipper and improve the quality of your output.

Often, operators consider wood chipper blades to be a disposable item. However, wood chipper knives can and should be sharpened to maintain the integrity of the cutting surface. It is a common misconception to believe that precision sharpening requires too much effort or is too costly. As a result, wood chipper operators often throw away blades or utilize imprecise sharpening methods.

However, when sharpened correctly, wood chipper knives are restored to like-new condition for less than the cost of purchasing new blades. Wood chipper knives can be sharpened several times at a price that is 30 percent less than the cost of buying new blades.

Are Your Wood Chipper Blades Dull?

Irregular wood chips are a sign

Are your chipper blades providing the performance you need? When blades are dull or damaged, the chips produced are inconsistent and are torn, instead of cut. When your customer sees that your chips are not consistent, the entire order may be rejected. Even worse, your customer may look to find another supplier.

Small business owner-operators, rental warehouses, and large-scale forestry and debris removal companies face the same question: How can I maximize the life of my chipper blades without compromising product quality?

Before you replace your next set of chipper blades, consider how these five areas impact the life and performance of your knives.

1. Are you operating within the specifications of your machinery and your blades?

Review the specifications of your wood chipper with everyone who will operate the machine. Doing so increases job site safety and can improve the overall life of your wood chippers and chipper blades.

When was the last time you reviewed your chipper blade supplier options? Most forestry and debris removal experts use the same supplier without routinely evaluating their options. If the knife is available and seems reasonably priced, why not order it? The decision is as easy as deciding to buy gas for your truck. You need the gas, it is available, and the price is consistent with your expectations. Done.

The decision regarding where to purchase your replacement chipper knives shouldn't become so routine that it's made out of habit or based solely on price. Putting a little more thought into your supplier options could have a significant impact on your bottom line. Here are some critical things to consider when evaluating your supplier relationship.

• Are you getting the right value for your purchase? There's more to a product than just price. If you're a dealer, does your supplier offer

Tree care professionals are well-acquainted with the importance of maintaining and replacing wood chipper blades on a regular basis. However, there's more to maintaining the performance of your machine than keeping up with your knives when they start to dull. One of the most neglected chipper parts, your anvil should be at the top of your maintenance list as well. Properly maintaining the anvil in addition to the knives helps your chipper's engine run efficiently and allows your equipment to do its job.

The anvil is a stationary metal bar mounted to the chipper's housing that supports the end of the logs as the chipper knife cuts them. Proper fit and condition of the anvil is absolutely critical in order for your chipper to function and perform as it should. For every three to four sets of replacement blades, the anvil needs to be completely replaced. Because of this part's longevity, it

Arborist and tree care professionals have a tough job to do. Most balance managing a crew and ensuring safety guidelines are followed with running a profitable business.

On any given day, you may be hiring new employees, ordering parts, implementing a new procedure, climbing and trimming a tree, or meeting with your accountant.

Keeping your business running like a well-oiled machine is both an art and a skill. To help you simplify this process, we have quick answers to your top five chipper blade questions. Get the information you need and get back to work.

Price is what you pay. Value is what you get. Warren Buffett

1. How much is it?

Business owners need to know.

How much is this blade going to cost?

Is it cheaper to order from someone else?

Here's the quick answer.

American Cutting Edge chipper

A global blade expert in a variety of industries for over 50 years, American Cutting Edge has supported the medical industry for more than a decade. Our experience and in-depth knowledge of materials, cleaning processes, and bevel geometry ensure high-quality, cost-effective blades are supplied to the medical industry. Our commitment to quality and our dedication to our customers enables us to understand the unique challenges facing this heavily regulated and complex industry and offer best-fit solutions.

Our medical blades support the development and production of medical devices, capsule cutting, laboratory use, medical processing, and medical manufacturing. With a wide inventory of off-the-shelf solutions and a robust team of experts, American Cutting Edge offers both stock and custom medical blade solutions.

Recently, we had the opportunity to enhance the business of one of our long-term customers in the