What to look for when shopping for a chipper/shredder?

[hummingbird3d]

I had an opportunity to try out a chipper and was very pleased as to how it chopped down the branches to almost nothing in short time. I have had quite a few jobs where I would trim tree branches, bushes or lots of vines only to be faced with lots and lots of yard waste to either get rid of or have the customer face a long time of slowly getting rid of the waste via weekly trash pickups.

My customer has allowed me to borrow his chipper for 2-3 months, but probably longer and I like the prospect of being able to reduce yard waste very quickly and for most likely an additional charge to the customer for quick removal or mulch.

Now that I have had this experience, I'd like to know what type of cutting methods are used for chippers/shredders and what size engines I need to look at to do this on a regular basis. The one I will have to use is an old one, stickers gone, paint blistered, but has a fairly new 5 hp briggs and stratton engine. The cutting method looks like there are 4-5 sets of "flail?" blades, in other words there are rectangular pieces of metal that swing from a bar which is then mounted in a ring, something like a ferris wheel. Sorry about this bad discription, but I don't know how to describe this chipper.

What I like even more than how this chipper works, is that this can be wheeled around sort of like a wheel barrow and would fit in a small pickup very easily. I hope that this is still made, as I like this portability which I don't see in other makes that have long shoots that would take a lot of space.

So, bottom line is that I want a strong chipper that can be wheel around by one person and into a pickup truck and handle branches up to 2-3 inches. Please send links of models of any you feel qualify.

[2brothersyardcare]

i had one and hated it

[White Gardens]

http://www.patriot-products-inc.com/products.htm#progascsv

Here's my suggestion, I've heard nothing but good things about them.

I've contemplated getting one, but i can't really justify it. I have a small skip trailer I pull behind my S-10 and can get 4 yards of brush in it.

If you think one works for you then go for it.

[hdtvluvr]

I am also looking for a chipper/shredder. Mine would only be used occasionally and for 4 inch diameter material and smaller.

I found this online the other day and wonder how well it works:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_07143532000P?keyword=chipper

The manufacturer website is www.dekpowerusa.com. I've attached the owner's manual.

It is 14 hp and reasonably priced compared to DR and others.

Would a belt drive be better than a direct drive unit? After reading about small chippers, it seems that with a direct drive unit one must be sure to get all of the stuff out of the chipper or it will 'lock' the chipper apparatus and cause a problem with starting the engine.

Anyone familiar with this unit or perhaps another one of similar size that does a good job?

[albhb3]

how fast will your "buddy" go through it?

[ed2hess]

Those small chippers are simply a waste of your money. We had a Troy built and it took MUCH longer to run stuff through it then to bundle it for trash. Then we bought a used Vermeere for $5K and used that off and on but now it sits. The reason is we can load stuff onto a trailer and drive to a recycle place and they pull it out with their loaders and the cost is $30 for a big trailer load. The chipper you are asking about is nice for a homeowner that
has plenty of time and wants to make some mulch. But actually that mulch isn't worth much either and usually can't be used.

[White Gardens]

Those small chippers are simply a waste of your money. We had a Troy built and it took MUCH longer to run stuff through it then to bundle it for trash. Then we bought a used Vermeere for $5K and used that off and on but now it sits. The reason is we can load stuff onto a trailer and drive to a recycle place and they pull it out with their loaders and the cost is $30 for a big trailer load. The chipper you are asking about is nice for a homeowner that
has plenty of time and wants to make some mulch. But actually that mulch isn't worth much either and usually can't be used.


Good post Ed.

[Runner]

It IS true, that for the time it takes, the gas being burned through them, the cost of the machine, and the wear and tear (and you STILL end up with chips), makes it a situation that defeats it's own purpose for practicality. You can haul ALT of brush in he back of a truck or trailer if it is thrown in right and cross cut if necessary.

[hdtvluvr]

Well, I have a ditch that I am using currently for limbs and brush. If I could chip/shred the material, I could put more material in the ditch and the chips/shredded material would decay faster than whole limbs.

I currently fill the ditch every 2 years and have to pay someone to come pick it up and haul it off. That isn't bad but since I want to fill the ditch to its fullest, I must throw the material towards the opposite side and build the pile from there. Due to this activity I have injured my shoulder (throwing stuff I shouldn't have) and will no longer be able to do this. Therefore, I am looking for a chipper/shredder.

Would the one in the link I posted above be sufficient? Is a belt drive the way to go or should I be looking for a direct drive unit. It seems commercial units are designed to handle stuff larger than I will have since if I lose a tree, I will get someone to cut it up, grind the stump and haul it off. Also, they are too much money. That said, I have been looking for a small used commercial chipper.

I would use the unit probably 4 to 6 times a year.

[kaferhaus]

We use a old Troy Bilt Super Tomahawk with a 8HP briggs that's belt drive. It will handle green stuff up to 4" diameter without problems and is very fast at reducing it all to a pulp. Dry wood is a different issue.... dry branches of about 2.5" dia will work through it quickly but larger ones aren't worth the trouble.

What we actually use it the most for is when we have a large pruning job or trimming job. We discharge the chips unto a large tarp and then use either a feed shovel to load them into bags or just drap the tarp up onto the trailer and head to the dump. Folks within the city limits here get a "trash pickup" every two weeks.... for those we bag em IF we chip it at all.... if it will amount to less than 3 CY then we just pile it on the curb and the city picks it up.

Most of our chipper use is in late summer after the azalea's and Camellia's have bloomed and need to be cut back.

[hdtvluvr]

Do you think the belt drive is better than direct drive? Is it easier to start?

Can you put twigs and limbs less than say 1 inch in the shredder bin? Or does everything but leaves/grass need to go in the side chute? What do you use to push stuff in the shredder bin?

[1993lx172]

You should be fine putting anything less than a half inch in the hopper. But anything over that should go in the limb chute. My grandpa has a flail type chipper that he primarily runs chestnut hulls through and it handles small twigs through the hopper just fine. With the flywheel type chipper you are looking at you should be fine running small twigs through the hopper because the hopper is designed for lighter material and twigs aren't as tough to cut through as limbs. But limbs should be run through the chute because it will contact the knives while they are on they are traveling downward where more cutting force is applied.

[Den69RS96]

I have a Mackissic 12PT10 that I use for my yard. I bought it a few years back. It's chipper handles 3.5 limbs and the shredder handles sticks etc 1 inch or smaller. The shredder is a hammerhill so it has swinging hammers to smash everything up. While its too small for most commerical jobs, its perfect for cleaning up most yard waste. I paid about 1500 for mine a few years back. Check craigs list for used ones if your interested. Mackissic has a few different styles as well. Its a well built machine.

http://www.mackissic.com/HSC_12P.html

[fishfacejr2]

if you get one, stay away from mtd/ newer craftsman as they have way too much plastic now days. i got a old craftsman that is all metal, its a good unit and i only paid $150 for it. it handles good size limbs and turns it all to very small chips. in the shredder bin it has a blade like a mower and behind that is the flail blades that push it all out. i am happy with it :)

[borwicks]

Those small chippers are simply a waste of your money. We had a Troy built and it took MUCH longer to run stuff through it then to bundle it for trash. Then we bought a used Vermeere for $5K and used that off and on but now it sits. The reason is we can load stuff onto a trailer and drive to a recycle place and they pull it out with their loaders and the cost is $30 for a big trailer load. The chipper you are asking about is nice for a homeowner that
has plenty of time and wants to make some mulch. But actually that mulch isn't worth much either and usually can't be used.

I agree. I had Goossen. http://www.deweze.com/Goossen/chippershredder.html It did the job but was to time consuming. Sold the unit and bought a 16' dump trailer with 5' sides. faster and almost no maintenance. We have fell over 10 trees this year with this setup. 4 of those trees took my 42" stihl and were over 70'. The big trees take 3 loads to dispose of.

[hdtvluvr]

Well, after much searching I finally found a used chipper. It is a BearCat 71020 with a 20 HP Honda engine. Specs claim it will chip up to a 4.5 inch limb. The hopper will handle up to 1.5 inch material. It has 4 chipper blades and 36 shredder knives.

The unit appears to be well maintained and stored inside. I have started it (electric start) but haven't had the opportunity to use it yet. Still recovering from shoulder surgery.

Here's a photo.

[equip4u]

Take a good look at the echo bearcat units. They have belt drive units, this makes them much easier to start than direct drive. The belt drive is also easier to take care of if the unit gets clogged. I would recommend you look at the model SC3342. Has around 11hp briggs engine. Our customers our very happy with this unit. We have not had any trouble with them.