Home owner wood chipper?

[alleyyooper]

Bought My Troy built super tomahawk at a auction sale in early 1990. It had a 5 HP Tecumsehm engine about worn out, I was the 3d owner. I used the snot out of that chipper the way it was to get rid of yard shrub trimmings. trimmings from the fruit trees and finall taking it to the woods to chip up limbs from fire wood trees I fell.

But alas that 5 hourse engine finally took so much effort to start it just was not worth fooling with any longer.



Bit the bullet and spent the big bucks for a hemi for it from Habor Freight a predator 212cc 6.5 HP engine.


Took me a while to find a belt that could handle the extra HP but have since found the right type and size and it eats up to 4 inch stuff down that chute part, Yes I have to feed it but it takes care of the stuff. I really need to remove the knives and sharpen them.


I had it out chipping autum Olive last spring and need to get after doing more this spring. Put the chipper in my small trailer and caught all the stuff I ran thru it in the trailer.







Best 250.00 I spent, No waiting for the lifting of burn ban, no pileing and letting the stuff rot and harbor nasty critters. No worrying over a fire once we are able to get a burn permint and th eban is lifted.

I use the chips in the wifes flower garden walking paths, on the paths to the pole barn and honey house.

If I wanted a new chipper today I would go and buy a Echo Bear Cat.
Yes on the pricy side but if you use the thing as much as I do and don't want to be tieing up thre 3 point then having to go back and load wood chips in a trailer to use some place it is the way to go.

Might want to watch of a old Simplicity chipper a Merski or some name simular. The are sort after also.

Wear a dust mask if chipping into a trailer like mine. they found wood chips in my lungs a month later.

Al

 

[JeffHK454]

I used mine to chop corn for the chickens, it was worthless on brush much bigger than you finger. I gave it away.

Yep , I had one of those little DR chipper/ shredder things and it was worthless. It was so frustrating to use I gave It away Like you said.
Now I stockpile stuff to be chipped and go rent a Vermeer , the cost of renting a commercial unit is worth it to never have to mess with one of those POS homeowner grade toys again.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

Alley you said all the wrong things as I have been on the fence as to or not to. Now ASAP will go grab one Thanks

 

[Mustang71]

Alley you said all the wrong things as I have been on the fence as to or not to. Now ASAP will go grab one Thanks

Agreed I already decided I needed to be looking for a log splitter instead because these things were worthless. But the idea of chipping 3 inch branches while I cut trees sounds great. I'm currently burning a pile of sticks 3 years old because its finally dry enough to burn. At this rate I'll be burning sticks when I die.

 

[tla100]

Hope ya don't have mulberry limbs to mulch. They are so wide and Y's all over. Will not fees unless tiny sticks.

 

[Mustang71]

I went the other direction with this one and picked up a 3 point pto log splitter. You guys talked me out of a wood chipper.

 

[Jere39]

Home Owner capable, and affordable Wood Chippers/Shredders are a kind of hit or miss market. Everyone has slightly different expectations, and most everyone have different economic targets. I have a large, wooded property, and have been stacking my brush from storms, pruning, firewood cutting, and just general branch shedding for over 30 years in well over a dozen piles mostly in the woods away from the line of sight from the house, drive, deck, and patio. But, the stacks grow more from additions than they shrink from decay. I've had a chipper in my mind for years, but knew a typical home owner class wouldn't meet my needs. It couldn't chip big enough stuff, and it wouldn't be easy to transport over the roots, rocks, and uneven ground to my various piles. Last year I rented a Bandit x65 (or something like that). It was very capable, quite heavy, had self feed, a massive maw, gulped gas, and took in everything I could lift and chuck into it.



My rental fees for a weekend were more than many of the homeowner chipper/shredder options are to buy. And, I worked my butt off to take full advantage of that investment. At the end of the weekend, I had half my piles chipped (I also towed it to my Daughter's house for a day of chipping there too), I was bushed, and sore from top to bottom, and my wallet was lighter with very little to show for it.

I decided I needed another option, and started looking at Crary Bearcat, Echo Bearcat, DR, MacKissick and several of the offerings mentioned above. I also looked regularly at Craigslist options, and found some pretty pitiful looking options there. The larger options, like the one I rented were still too expensive for my interest. The smaller options tended to look beat. They don't typically have hour meters, and aside from ease of start, can't really be tested. What I really needed was a neighbor to buy one of the Bandits in the class I had rented, manage all maintenance and storage, and loan it to me in exchange for any of my skills such as they are (chainsaw work, snow plowing, roof climbing, . . . ) for a week or two a year. Funny thing is, though several of those neighbors rely on me and my saws, plow, ladders, . . . - none were up for buying a commercial class chipper.

This winter, during the ramp up to lockdown, I spotted a CL listing for a DR 16 Chipper. It was listed as very good condition. I went there expecting to declare it unfit, but with some cash in my pocket and the hitch on my truck. From my sunny day gravel lot inspection I found a Chipper (no shredder feature) with a 16hp B&S Vanguard 2 cylinder with a highway (ok recommended up to 45mph) kit in very good visual condition. It was missing the battery for electric start, but started easily with jumper cables. It also had a pull start, which worked easily after the engine had warmed for a few minutes. I was able to chuck some brush up to 2" diameter in it and it chipped as it should. I was eager, and pointed out my ability to hitch and haul on the spot. I offered about two-thirds the asking price, cash, and he could close his deal in 5 minutes. He went into his garage to get the various manuals, sales literature, and invoice/receipt from when he bought it several years ago. And presumably to think it over. Came back out and accepted my offer.

I towed it home, rehitched to my ATV, and set off for a test chip:



It worked great, but I suspected it could work better. On inspection the chipper knife was dull, like a lawn mower blade gets. It had clean-ish oil, but unknown age. The oil filter might have been original, the air filter looked older than original. I also intended to take advantage of electric start. I ordered a maintenance kit, and new knife from DR. I ordered the least expensive gel battery I could find online and when everything arrived, I did my "tune up" and knife swap. I towed it again into the woods and found the electric start very handy. The engine smoothed out sooner (likely new plugs and air filter), and the new chipper knife was faster, quieter, and actually did the advertised self-feed that the geometry of design, and gravity assist intended.

Just a quick 10 second video:



Now I can work at a more leisurely pace, maybe a tank of gas a week, knock out my piles when the weather and mood is right. It is much smaller than the rental, and maxes out around 4" stuff. It stores easily in my shed. Starts easily. I took the dull knife to a precision grinding place my buddy works at, and it came back better than new. I could have put it in a vice and angle grinded it to serviceable sharpness, but I like to be a good neighbor, and like to support small local business. I was able to do both, and end up with a much cleaner sharpening than I could have done myself. I do the same with chainsaw chain with another small shop and owner who has become a friend.

All in all, I've got maybe 12 hours on it now, and it is doing 95% of everything on my brush piles. The remaining 5%; stumps, rotted rounds, . . . gets pushed into a couple consolidation piles to support the local wild life.

I feel lucky for having found it. And am happy with my investment. by the end of Corona lock-down, I'll have accomplished more than I did last year with the rental. Will have less invested than two weekend rental fees. And, almost surely have yet another reason why my neighbors call me.