Homeowner-size Chipper/Shredder Suggestions

[computeruser]

I’ve been thinking about picking up some sort of leaf/twig/small branch chipping machine to help with cleaning up after some of my non-commercial tree and shrub trimming and removal. Up to this point, I’ve always just hauled my debris out in my trailer and chopped it up later, but this makes for a lot of work and takes a ton of time. Occasionally I will rent a 6” chipper from Home Depot and this has been enough in all but two instances over the course of many years.

I do not need to buy a chipper, as I would only be using it once or twice per month and only on really small stuff. I do not do this for a living and I do not intend to in the future, I'm just looking for something to use around the yard, with friends/family, and at the cemetery I care for. I would like to find a better way to condense twigs and branches under 2” into chipped up stuff that can be thrown in my trailer before I toss in the larger branches and logs. Most anything larger than 2-3” will be kept for firewood, but the other stuff often takes up a lot of room in my trailer and ends up requiring multiple trips to dispose of. The 5-10hp chippers that MTD/TroyBilt/Craftsman market to homeowners seem like a bit less machine than I would prefer, but I haven’t used them enough to know for sure.

I would like something that can be placed in my trailer and could be moved about by hand. Any suggestions for products to consider, products to avoid?

 

[clearance]

I remember the little Vermeer V-twin gas chipper we used 25hp I think, what a joke, watching paint dry. It cost lots as well, you are better of hauling it to the dump untill you get a chip truck and a real chipper. I have put a chain or choker cable in the box of my pickup, filled it up over the roof with branches, dicing them up as I went to make space, stomping them down. Backed up to a tree in the bush/empty lot hooked the chain/choker to a tree and yarded the branches off by pulling ahead. You can move a lot this way. Using a small/tiny chipper is going to be a waste of time.

 

[RaisedByWolves]

I have a 5hp troy bilt chipper vac that I use around the yard and to reduce some of the waste from the small jobs I run into every now and then.


I cant say enough good things about it. The only thing I dont like is the noise, Sweetwigglinjesus this thing is noisy!!

It is rated to take a 3" branch (green) and it will, but it sounds like the worlds coming to an end.


I would lean twords the 8hp model if I had it to do over again, but I got a killer deal so I cant complain.


edit, Its also self propelled.

 

[Plyscamp]

Crarry Bearcat

While the Troy Built Chipper is better than Sears, MTD & others the stongest small Chipper Shreaders are built by Crarry Bearcat. These units are often purchased by commercial accounts & cities where a full sized chipper is over kill. The 8 H.P. unit will chip up to 4" limbs. You can normally find these at a good quality Lamnmower Shop.

 

[hd_rmblz]

hey computeruser, If you haven't already purchased a chipper it sounds like an older AUTHENTIC troy built chipper/shredder would been what your looking for. For around the yard i use the "tomahawk" It was set up with the 5 hp briggs but when i found that they also powered them with an 8hp i immediately repowered it. AWSOME cheap upgrade. The 5 worked well, it did have a tendancy to bogg if fed 2 1/2 in. to quickly. Also the blades must! be kept sharrrrrp! Not a big deal as theres no adjustment on them and they R/R easily. A quick run by hand over a sharpening stone block and your off again. Theres also a chute on top which feeds a drum with multiple "hammers" that that shred anything up to an inch, leaves, small branches and such. Now, the 8 will take a 4 inch green 15ft pine limb and wip it out in 3 sec. Mind you this is by far a commercial mach. but will do wonders at home. It extemly mobile with wheels and a tow kit which makes it a lot easier for me than moving around my V8 drum. Beware: The original troys are the only troys to buy, they're Built like the old cub cadets and wheel horses, strong. Hope i could help a fellow michigander.

 

[04ultra]

While the Troy Built Chipper is better than Sears, MTD & others the stongest small Chipper Shreaders are built by Crarry Bearcat. These units are often purchased by commercial accounts & cities where a full sized chipper is over kill. The 8 H.P. unit will chip up to 4" limbs. You can normally find these at a good quality Lamnmower Shop.

That Bearcat sure is a nice machine ..

 

[pesimon]

Troy built shredder

I borrowed a 8 hp Troy built chipper shredder[Tomahawk model] from a friend of mine to grind up some chips into mulch for my wife to use in here flower garden. I don't know how well the chipper part works but the shredder/ hammermill works great. I was throwing in small chunks of wood [approx 1 inch square x 3 to 5 inches long] that I get from grinding up old pallets. It produced a nice wood shredding. The machine does have inter-changeable screens from 3/8 holes to 1 1/4 holes and also a coarse bar type screen, so you can get different size output material.
The major draw back to this unit is the noise level. With the machine running at speed but doing no work it is very noisy, add the material into the machine and it is insanely noisy. Even with ear muffs it was loud. Sounded like using a lawn mower with a large engine cranking super fast , no muffler, and blade set to low and constantly hitting the stones on the ground. Also I hear alot or rattling probably because most of the machine is bolted togather as oppossed to being welded.
I think if your looking for a small "yard" machine than it would work for you, Just get a very good pair of ear muffs

 

[Bill G]

I am completely amazed at what the little chippers are claimed to take. The manufacture claimn it will take 3 inch bramches with a 8HP engine. I have had 12" and 16" drum chippers with V-8 engines I guess they should therefore take enormous trunks. In reality 6 inches is their capacity. It seems a bit skewed to me.

Bill

 

[chennen]

tow bar for Craftsman 8hp wood chipper

anybody have any idea where I could find a bolt-on tow bar for an 8hp Craftsman wood chipper? I want to be able to two it with a garden tractor.

 

[computeruser]

I am completely amazed at what the little chippers are claimed to take. The manufacture claimn it will take 3 inch bramches with a 8HP engine. I have had 12" and 16" drum chippers with V-8 engines I guess they should therefore take enormous trunks. In reality 6 inches is their capacity. It seems a bit skewed to me.

Bill

Yeah, I never understood where they get the sense that these machines can legitimately handle branches. I've run the 8hp TroyBilt that my father-in-law has, and it does OK on 1" branches. But anything larger than that needs to be soft and green, or it's going to either be slow going or impossible. The 37hp Bandit 65AW that I usually rent is working pretty darned hard when feeding it 5"+ alianthus or green pine, or 4"+ green hardwood.

I have kinda given up on the idea of a chipper that will meet my wants, so I'm going to stick with my freebie Craftsman chipper for leaves and trimmings and just rent a commercial unit for the bigger jobs. The Craftsman does a great job on leaves, grinding them into a superb mulch ideal for tilling into the soil or suitable for very rapid composting. But it is useless for any other purpose, owing in no small measure to its 4hp Tecumseh engine. But the price was right, so I have no complaints.

I'd be interested to see how those chippers that run off a BCS tiller platform work in reality. If it worked pretty well, then that might be enough incentive to sell my brushcutter, snowblower, tiller, and chipper and roll that cash into a single BCS tiller with a variety of attachments running of the same engine/transmission setup.

 

[Tekko]

I have said it before but DRPower makes nice little chippers sized and priced for the home owner, from 10HP up to 19HP and a capacity of 4.5" material.

 

[chennen]

Craftsman 8hp chipper - fuel overflow problem

someone mentioned they have Craftsman chipper. I purchased a used 8hp Craftsman Shredder wood chipper a couple of days ago. It runs well, but after I turn if off, if I forget to turn the fuel supply off it continues to feed fuel to the carb, which then runs out of the carb and onto the chipper's chassis. Anyone know how to fix this or if this is simply how the carbs on these things r constructed. Tx.

 

[Plyscamp]

Inside the Carburetor float bowl there is a float which controls the opening and closing of the needle & seat. If the fuel continues to flow through the carburetor after you shut it off the needle is not closing fully on the seat. This can be caused by a damaged needle or simply foreign debris in the seat. Pull the bowl and clean the needle & seat. Usually this will solve the problem.

 

[mockswede]

Troybilt chipper/vac

I have original 5HP, which I wish were an 8PH. But that's for chipping, not for vacuuming. I also have newer smaller mower deck style 5HP Troybilt chipper vac, too. The former is good for only 3/4 inch wood, expecially old and dry wood. Will handle fresh, especially softwoods, better. Smaller unit handles 1/2 inch wood and had a properly [narrow] throat which leads to trying the proper size. Both are great homeowner units. I've had first for 15 years and second for 7. These are excellent, with different attachments for different job types, for leave cleanup particularly. I collect over 22 cu yds of 10-to-1 mashed leaves each with them. If you're looking for chipper and these restrictions fit your bill, okay, otherwise, go with the other folks suggestions.

 

[Evan629]

i own a 5hp troy bilt tomahawk and it work great for me, going to be getting the 8hp engine on it soon because power is an issue