Chippers

Does anyone here use a chipper? I'm so desparate for a chipper to get rid of all the yard debris that has piled up over the 3 years we've lived here, not to mention the 20+ pine trees that fell in the November snow storm that right now I could cry. I really need some recommendations for a brand. Good hp and not too huge for storage purposes and easy to start and I want to be able to move and use it myself without depending on procrastinating husbands.

Please help!
Gwen

i don't own one myself, gut i do know that you could rent them. that may be something you might consider then you don't have to store it! good luck. by the way i live in Spokane WA how far are you from here?

I have a continuing need for one, so renting isn't really an option.

I'm on Whidbey Island and am about 6 hours from Spokane once you get off the ferry onto the mainland. That's another issue. We looked into it and they don't rent chippers here on the south end. :(

Gwen

good luck, someone is bound to help you

Gwen, we have used and abused a very trustworthy Sears chipper/ shredder for going on 19 years. I can't believe how reliable it's been. We let it sit unused for 5 years when we moved away, came back, and it started on the second pull. I don't particularly like how it works on anything more than an inch in diameter ( branches) but for sticks, leaves, hay, and anything else I care to chop, it is simply tops. Can't be beat.

It has never been serviced short of adding oil and adding gas. You can buy bigger collector bags ( great!) for bulk shredding. It is portable, not too heavy to move at all, although I tend to bring my shredding materials to it, rather than moving it about the property.

I don't know if the new millenium models are as trustworthy as this monster, but we have been extremely well-pleased with this model. I see that current Sears.com site shows only a fancy vacuum/shredder/chipper thing not at all like our model, sorry. Watch your local Little Nickel and Craig's list, just in case someone with the old fashioned bin shredder retires. My two cents...

Ok, will do. you'll find one i can feel it. by the way, do you grow any gardenia plants? i need some addvice, having problems with mine don't know much about them. thanks

We have a n upright type 10hp Troy-Bilt we got from Lowes for about 2 years now. It was in the $800 range. It's not too big, I can start it and wheel it around myself. It is LOUD!

It can take up to 3-4" dia. logs and branches. I love the stuff you get when you feed a whole cedar branch in. It's the perfect N:C ratio, smells wonderfully, and beats bark mulch hands down. They can't take vines or even tomato plants, and ours doesn't have a vac because we never use it for leaves.

It works well for our 1 acre lot. However, the stuff that came down in the windstorm around here would have taken a year of months to clear (according to my procrastinating SO), so I hired a 20 cu. yd. dumpster and had it all hauled away.

Good Luck in your search, -AU

AU, I think they're all loud! It can't take vines? That's not good. It should be able to. Have you tried feeding them in different ways? I've read you have to feed vines and stuff like that differently than branches and limbs.

My husband says we can rent one. So we're going to do that this weekend to try it out. We'll see. Last year when we went to rent one, they didn't have one, so I don't know why he thinks they have one now. Maybe they've gotten one in.

Anyway, at least we'll get rid of some stuff this weekend and can see how they work and maybe help narrow down the choice. I've gotten some good recommendations. It's interesting - for every person that has one that loves it, another has one (even the same ones) and hate them.

Gwen

I lurk here because my brother lives in Spokane, and couldn't resist jumping in. I don't know what kind of chipper mulcher I have as the labels have all come off, but it is an absolute workhorse - couldn't do without it. We wear ear protection - the ear muffs for shooting, not those foamy things - when we use it because of the noise. Would also suggest leather gloves. It's amazing how a great quantity of branches and stuff gets chipped down to just a little bit of stuff, but then you've got great mulch for any beds you have. Yvette, have you tried an acid fertilizer that's high phosphorus for your gardenia? Also lots of bright, indirect light. We grow them outside in the shade here, but they tend to do lousy without lots of TLC because our soil is so alkaline.

I would love to hear from someone who has a chipper/shredder that they really love. I heard that Troy built sold to someone else and that replacement parts might be hard to get. Take that with a grain of salt since I haven't researched that....

My brother in law loaned us his 7.5 hp craftsman that is supposed to be able to handle up to 3 in diameter wood. We jammed it in about 5 minutes. maybe it's because we fed it green wood??? maybe the pyrancatha did it, maybe we need more horsepower....I just don't know.

We then hired someone to come to our place and chip the wood. I guess I was expecting it to look like mulch.... am I being unrealistic?

http://www.gardenlines.co.uk/Default.asp/p/Product/1/GARDEN/2/GARDEN+MACHINERY/3/SHREDDERS+CHIPPERS/4/Woodsman+Pro

For what it is worth, this is the shredder/chipper we have. I'm not sure it is available in the states (and we had it made up with the Honda engine rather than Briggs/Stratton) But it gives you an idea of the type you might want to consider - the top funnel grinds and takes material from leaf, cardboard, root balls or dirt clods or branches up to 1 5/8" - the side funnel cuts and takes anything up to 3-4" diam. I find anything larger than that is worth cutting up for fire wood. It is noisy so I save up a lot of material and use it less frequently to save on bothering neighbours - one day every couple months is better than 1 hr a week. I have to say it is brillant - almost impossible to jam (if I am putting root balls through then I always follow it with dry material to stop it getting too damp and clogging). We do have a lot of material because of our hedges, and it takes it all.

As far as being disappointed in the quality of the mulch - it really is dependent on what you put through and whether you are chipping or shredding. Mix in a lot of leaf with your branches and you will find a much finer texture. Mix in dry wood with green wood and you will get crunchier stuff. Green wood through a grinder is quite coarse - great for woodland beds and as weed suppressant in summer beds. Will really hold in moisture. Also good for digging in to heavy clay, or using for lasagne method. I do think getting a machine with both cutting and grinding is really important - means you can handle anything.

Here's my best suggestion - we went straight to the manufacturer and got a 2nd hand reconditioned one half price and with a full warranty. It might take a while to find it, but worth looking around. I love it.

PS - don't use any shredder, no matter how small without ear protection, and full face mask. Gloves too. I wear a full safety helmet - and it has been so valuable. DON'T take risks.

Laurie1, I'm not sure if the one you use is avail in the U.S. I have not seen that one anywhere. We ended up with the 5 hp Bearcat and so far really like it. I didn't get the 8 or higher hp ones because I was not able to manuever them myself and I wanted to get something I could use when the hubby wasn't home. The salesman told me that the 5 hp will do pretty much the same thing as the higher hp's except slower, which I'm fine with.

We've only had it maybe 2 weeks and have only used it twice, but so far so good.

Gwen

that sounds great - I have to say mine is a bit of a pull getting it out of the shed - but once its on the apron i just bring the load to it. But, no mention of safety equipment I note - especially if you are working alone. Hmmmmm.

Laurie, we use all the safety equipment. I don't really see the need to go into great detail on that. I assume it's a given that everyone uses the necessary safety equipment with whatever tool or machine they're operating. Sort of like I might tell you I just bought a new (insert car model here) but I wouldn't necessarily mention it came with seat belts that we are very diligently using.

Gwen

Sorry - Gwendalou, you are right about the car - but then cars have been given the most irritating beepers when you try to drive off without seatbelts. Gardening equip somehow has gotten away without that.

we are a training garden for a gardening association, and you would be amazed how safety UNCONSCIOUS a lot of gardeners are - we work with women wanting to return to work and find a new career - and the simplest thing like DON'T leave a rake lying in the grass prongs up goes completely unheeded - until. And this is after the lesson where I show them to take an extra fork with them to serve as the prop for hoes and rakes so you don't leave them in the grass to trip over.

the other week i was doing the shredding, in full safety gear, turned to get more pile, and turned back to find one of our gardeners - no ear covers, no face cover and no gloves - helping - she was stuffing leaves into the hopper past the rubber guard!! I waved her away, turned off the machine. Explained - gave her safety gear and she put it on balancing it on top of her baseball cap the earprotectors just clipping the top of her ears. I explained again, showed how to adjust it and got the reply 'I'm not taking off my cap - have you seen my hair????' - 'No hat, helmet a must, or no work' - she walked off to weed. It can be an uphill battle - so I guess I have become the beeper for gardening equipment. (I use to find gardeners strimming with the goggles on top of their head 'holding their hair out of their eyes - we now require all of our trainees to wear full helmet face guards for strimming).

Apologies to those who know much better.

My husband and I are both going to get those full helmet face guard things. I think they're a great invention and for many people they may be more appealing than the separate items.

I guess in your situation, with training other people, I would make it a requirement, as you do, and be upfront and rather severe about it at the very beginning of the class. "This is what you will wear when using ___ ___ ___ and if you'd rather not, now is a good time to leave."

As I'm sure we all know from seeing people drive with seat belts and allowing children to do so as well, some people just don't get it and also selfishly believe the rest of us have nothing better to do than mop up their blood after they inevitably injure themselves.

Gwen