Wood Chipper & Shredder Shopping

[LeftyTom]

Not exactly a wood working tool, but I figured folks in here are a good source of information.

I am looking for a chipper with a 8-10 HP motor, which can chip (wood) limbs up to 3" in diameter, and shred leaves from my 1/2 acre "wildlife preserve". I liked the Troybilt 10HP model, but I (or LOML) would have to lift the leaves 5' off the ground to feed the shredder. I am now waiting to see the MTD 10HP model (a lower/larger leaf chute), which should arrive at HD in 2 weeks.

Who has used a chipper/shredder around their property? PTO-driven and electrical models are out of the running, as are the units which cannot be towed by a 18HP mower.

 

[wilkesland]

We have the Troy built chipper/ shreder and have been reasonably happy with it. The only problem I have had is that the pivot point for the feed chute for limbs is not very robust, I had to replace the hinge with something beefier - not a big problem. As far as starting and operating, it has been very reliable and we have given ours a lot of use.

Regards

Barry

 

[Bernhard]

Tom,

Unless you are planning to shred twigs, you will be wasting your money.
I tried one of those 15hp chippers, advertised to shred up to 3 in. Fat chance! So I replaced it with a PTO driven woodchipper on my tractor (47hp). Well, that was another disaster! Feed mechanism didn't work right, unless the branch was perfectly straight, it wouldn't feed anything bigger than about 2-3". And it was pathetically slow. So finally I got a Morbark 2070 Twister. Now that one works! But even this chippers is overrated. According to the manual, it is supposed to chip 9". Realistically, it will do 6" fine.
Before you buy one of those things, you may want to rent one first and try it out...
..my 2 cents
Cheers,
Bernhard

 

[sapwood]

Tom,
I don't have experience to the scale of Bernhard, but I seriously considered the purchase of a 10hp or so. Several friends have tried them and been sorely disappointed. One friend spent an entire day stuffing twigs and branches into the shute. After reviewing the small pile of resulting mulch he took it back the next day. The retailer reminded him the unit was now "used", but my friend responded: "But it doesn't work" :saw:He got his money back!

Roger

 

[NCPete]

Roger, that is funny. I have borrowed a 5 hp chipper shredder for an afternoon. It was painfully slow, but otherwise effective at making large piles of small branches and leaves into small piles of mulch. Had I borrowed it earlier, I might well have only needed to make one trip to the landfill with my yard trash, instead of the 4 or five. that is the order of volume reduction one can expect with nearly any of these machines. More power should be faster, and handle somewhat larger branches, but I generally considered anything 3 inches or bigger to be either firewood, or fodder for the 400 hp shredder/mulcher they have at the landfill.

 

[McRabbet]

In my humble opinion, you'd be better off renting a Vermeer chipper from your local rental place for the few times a year you'll need to clean up brush and deadfalls -- we rented one a year ago for about $200/day with fuel following a substantial ice storm and in 5-6 hours, a group of six of us aremd with chainsaws and the chipper cleaned up a mile of roadways in our neighborhood -- it took 8-10 inch logs easily and spit them out in wee pieces...

Just my .02 .... Rob

 

[NCPete]

I meant to say that, in my post above, that renting, or borrowing, a large chipper is the only way to go. No need to keep one of those around under cover for the 363 days of the year you won't use it

 

[LeftyTom]

Thanks guys. I considered this because I have lots more leaves than 3" limbs. Most of the limbs that fall off or are pruned, are under 2". I am not sure my 4-cyl truck would have the grunt to pull a bigger chipper around.

 

[rbdoby]

Tom,

I've got a Husky 8 hp chipper/shredder I'd be willing to part with. It hasn't been cranked in 2 years and has very little use. Contact me if you are interested.

 

[WoodWrangler]

Make sure you check CraigsList ... they are listed often at much lower prices that the store! :icon_thum

 

[DaveO]

In my humble opinion, you'd be better off renting a Vermeer chipper from your local rental place for the few times a year you'll need to clean up brush and deadfalls -- -- it took 8-10 inch logs easily and spit them out in wee pieces...

Just my .02 .... Rob

Not to mention that they are just plain fun to operate...Grunt, grunt mo' power :-D :-D
We rent them all the time. The ones we generally use handles up to 6" limbs easily and can easily be manuvered by hand around the job-site
Dave

 

[LeftyTom]

Tom,

I've got a Husky 8 hp chipper/shredder I'd be willing to part with. It hasn't been cranked in 2 years and has very little use. Contact me if you are interested.

You have a PM

 

[striker]

Tom,

There is a couple troybuilts in the Wilmington. CL. Here is link to one of them. Troy-Bilt 12 HP Tomahawk Pro Chipper .

I have a 13 hp. BCS tractor with a chipper attachment that does a good job.

PS. Don't watch "Fargo" prior to chipping - you might get ideas!

Stephen

 

[sapwood]

I meant to say that, in my post above, that renting, or borrowing, a large chipper is the only way to go. No need to keep one of those around under cover for the 363 days of the year you won't use it

Good point Pete. And the same goes for garden tillers and pressure washers. You use them 10-20 hours a year. So after 2-3 years, you roll 'em out and there's water in the gas, dried out gaskets, dry rotted belts, etc. :BangHead:

YMMV,
Roger

 

[LeftyTom]

Tom,

There is a couple troybuilts in the Wilmington. CL. Here is link to one of them. Troy-Bilt 12 HP Tomahawk Pro Chipper .

I have a 13 hp. BCS tractor with a chipper attachment that does a good job.

PS. Don't watch "Fargo" prior to chipping - you might get ideas!

Stephen

Stephen, too late! I watched Fargo when it first came out. Thanks for the link, but I am 1 hr west of Greensboro. But if they are "free to good home"! ;-)