This year I bought a Craftsman chipper/shredder, and it works like a charm. Last evening my neighbor and I had a chipping party. In an hour a huge pile of his tree trimmings became my layer of chipped wood and leaves.
I am finding that green wood chips easier than old dried wood. Soon I will start reducing twelve bushes of leaves to one. Next spring - "Black Gold."
BIRD
Chip and Shred
I dream of someday getting one...lucky you, have fun
You are going to laugh over this one. I have a 5 hp chipper. Now understand I live in a city. When I fire it up my neighbor's don't speak to me for a month afterwards!
Olds
I guess I should consider myself rather fortunate to have a neighbor who is my co-gardener and enjoys our chipping parties.
I hear tell that even gas powered generators can make quite a sound. In St. Petersburg perhaps your neighbors are closer to your property than mine.
Kathy - I took a look at your marvelous web site. We have several things in common - pets, genealogy, and marriage encounter. We are no longer active in the latter, but the latter continues to be active in us.
I recommend a Craftsman chipper/shredder. My chipping party got rained out last evening, so perhaps we can arrange one this afternoon.
Heh close? Ha ha! What you say to twenty feet between houses!
Of course when a pineapple or two are about to ripen it is a different story!
That is close. Thank goodness for air conditioning or the neighbors could hear each other cutting wood as well as chipping it.
BIRD
Heh it is not the wood cutting you worry about them hearing....LOL! (Opps that is GP rated.) :) All of us married folks understand though...........
Hey Oldman - Now you got me wondering about those pineapples getting ready to ripen.
BIRD
ya I will have 3 to eat in another couple of months or so...they are about 60% now!
Olds and Bird:
My boss has a troy built tomahawk junior he wants to
sell me (I need one) - do you have any idea if that is
a good one?
Roxroe: I checked with my neighbor who has a Troy Built with a leaf vacuum shredder and chipper combination. He used it only as a leaf vacuum shredder, but the part that shreds the leaves neads replacing.
He told me that Troy Built was sold to Murray company and that they no longer stock the part he needs. The no longer make his machine.
I do not know anything about the Tomahalk Junior, but I can recommned a Craftman chipper/shredder.
BIRD
Sorry I cannot comment on the Troy. I would bet though that the craftman would be around for some time to come.
Next if the Troy he wishes to sell is priced right then you might want to give it a whirl!
Good Luck
Olds
Bird
I've had the 8HP Sears shredder for 4 years. I love it.
Don't know how I got along without it.
Paul
Paul - Does your shredder work well with leaves? Do you just lower the hopper to the ground and sweep them in? I hope mine works well for leaves, because they are beginning to fall. They are probably falling on your side of the state as well.
BIRD
Bird
No leaves falling here yet, just barely starting to change color.
What I've discovered with my chipper, don't try to overload it, small amounts at a time.
You really have to feed wet leaves slowly.
What they say about a 12:1 ratio is not true, I've found its more like 6:1. Its really a great machine once to get used to it.
Paul
Thanks Paul,
I am gradually getting used to mine. Had no leaves to shred yet. I wonder where they get their 12 to 1 ratio. Is it different for wet leaves or dry leaves?
I find chipping and shredding to be therapeutic for stress relief.
BIRD
Stress relief....naw. Now stress relief is spelled...taking out a 20 ton Mech with weapons that range out to 200 clicks and removed the new paint job from a 100 ton Mech that has weapons that range out to 1000 clicks. And live to tell about it at breakfast! LOL!!
Just in case you missed it in the morning's paper, below is a pic of my 65 tonner called Hellbringer!
BTW. Now stress is a when your in that 20 tonner, in a league match and there is 100,000.00 worth of C-notes on the line. The two minute warning has just gone off and this is the make or break match.
At the end of game you see not only just how well your team did but your own score. Then you see that your team beat the other by almost 25%. It is then you realize the burning in your eyes is your own sweat. It is then when you feel drained...almost weak. Kind of makes a few yellow leaves on your Hibiscus look like child's play!
Gaming is very stessfull at time, and yet is relieves the same...strange.
Sorry about jacking this thread. *Oldman smacks himself and says, "Boy this is the gardening forum not a gaming one!"*
(However if anyone would like to see the difference between a 20 tonner and a 100 tonner I will post a pic. :) )
This message was edited Oct 8, 2003 2:54 AM
???what was that all about?????????????
paulgrow,
Sorry I lost ya. Birdsall posted I find chipping and shredding to be therapeutic for stress relief.
My two replies were an effort at funny with him. I will try to keep my warped humor more in check.
Sorry again!
Olds
Birdsall, dry leaves are a breeze to shred but wet leaves are very difficult and even when small amounts are fed into the hopper the chute quickly clogs and has to be cleaned out. Wet leaves make the job a chore but dry leaves are really relaxing. I keep a very large tarp over my pile of leaves until I am ready to shred. I always end up with a pile that is 4 feet high,15 feet long and 10 feet wide - and that's after settling for weeks until the last leaves have fallen. It amazes me how much the pile is reduced by shredding. I use a pitch fork to feed the leaves into the hopper; it really takes the strain off of my back.
Thanks NoH2O, I am looking forward to shredding my dry leaves.
BIRD