Chipper/Shredder best Features/brands

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I'd like to buy a chipper shredder that is under $200 (new). What features should I be interested in. Do you have experience with a particular brand that you could share? Where are the best deals?

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), December 10, 2001

Answers

Let me know what you find. I doubt, though, that you'll find anything powerfull enough to chip small twigs for that price! Good luck, tho.

-- joj (jump@off.c), December 10, 2001.

For $200, about all your going to get is a leaf shreader and small twig snapper. Most in this price range are electric. A gas engine will drive the price up quite a bit.

-- gary (gws@columbus.rr.com), December 10, 2001.

Ann,

I investigated chippers/shredders extensively and purchased one earlier this year. I truly don't believe your could get even a poor new one for even close to under $200.00. Not even the smallest one. I did once, however, order a $69.00 tripod mounted one that was essentially a large kitchen disposeall unit into which you could supposedly feed small branches and leaves. It was so poorly made the the parts (it came unassembled) had drilled holes so out of place that they could'nt be aligned and I had it sent back.

I purchased a Bear Cat over Troy Built, DR, and others because I absolutely, postively needed it to work on demand and to keep working during a project. Features I was interested in: stability (no tipping over), powerful motor that would not stall given the feed dimensions for the chipper and for the shreeder hopper, at least two cutter blades on the chipper (some come only with one), turnable cutter and shredder blades (i.e. a cutting surface on both sides so that thay can be turned for cutting before needing to resharpen, resharpenable cutter and shredder blades, a greater number of shredder blades (12 or more), a heavy weight and thick "flywheel" (the metal disc upon which the cutter blades are mounted) for smooth non-bogdown operation or motor stall, heavy guage metal with welded contruction (not bolted together - I've used a TroyBuilt that rattles and vibrates its parts loose), relative ease of start without electronic starting (the Honda motor is great for this); capacity to chew up at least 3 inch maximum diameter limbs/branches, larger hooper entry to the shredder to allow for larger masses of leafy material and of limbs with masses of small branches, larger throat at entry to shredding chamber so that the above would actually go down, NO BAFFLE or other function-defeating safety device in hopper throat, self- feeding (i.e., you don't have to be shoveing and pushing things into it - it pulls).

One can downsize from this to the size of material you expect to bea handling but good advice I read on a users forum was to estimate what you needed and go one size larger.

I found the best deals on the internet by following up with price quotes from dealers around the country.

You will get more chipping and shredding capacity at a much cheaper price if you got a tractor mounted pto driven model (assuming you have a tractor)

Hope this helps Good Luck

-- charles (cr@dixienet.com), December 10, 2001.


We just bought a used chipper for $200. The guy said he paid $700 for it originally. It did a great job on sticks - it can handle anything up to 2". But the leaves were another story. It didn't shred them nearly as fine as we would have liked. In fact we ended up skipping the shredding process because it just didn't seem like it was doing enough without running them through 2-3 times. Next year we're going to plant a lot of trees and I'll use it for shredding sticks to use as mulch around the base, but after that it's probably going back in the for sale ads. Maybe we expected too much, or didn't get a good enough chipper, just something to think about before you invest. Make sure it does what you want.

-- Stacey (stacey@lakesideinternet.com), December 10, 2001.

Ann, Just this weekend I was using my chipper/shredder and thinking that it was the best investment I've made in 6 years for reducing the burden of dealing with plant material. Now, I will state up front that the unit I bought was around $400. But I had one of the tripod types ($100, electric) for the 5 years before that. It worked okay when I lived in the city and only had small plant and tree trimming to chop. But now I live on a 2 acre avocado ranch and have enormous piles of plant and tree matter to compost regularly. The tripod (Black and Decker) could not handle the job.

I bought a 5 HP (MTD engine) from SEARS about 6 years ago. I buy replacement blades from Sears when needed, too. It still starts on the first pull. I love it. I decided one year to use all the proceeds from the fruit harvest to buy something useful to help maintain the property. I would give up many items in my arsenal of farm tools before parting with this treasure.

-- Dwight (summit1762@aol.com), December 10, 2001.



I sure would like to hear more on this subject. So all of you lurkers out there speak up. I have also research this. So lets here it. I agree that I don't think you can get much for $200.00. Thanks Charles for you input.

-- Bill (Sticky@2sides.tape), December 10, 2001.

Idea: I used to work at a renter center awhile back.. The trailer type 16 HP mulchers were awsome- we used to occasionally sell broken or no longer needed machinery. Check with some renter centers and you might get a deal on one- Side note on the before mentioned Beat Cat mulcher... stay away from bear cat! the one we had at the renter center was AWFUL- it broke down everytime we rented it (the MTD and other one... I forget what the third one was) were much better units, and MTD really isnt that great a name in itself. (The bearcat got dubbed the Cat Crap)

-- Kevin in NC (Vantravlrs@aol.com), December 11, 2001.

BearCat makes shredders for Woods and I think Northern Power. The one I have runs off a tractor pto. Bearcat rates it up to 50hp. So far no problems running it off 30hp.

-- Darren (df1@infi.net), January 03, 2002.

I am currently trying to research chipper/shredders for a small 1/2 acre home lot with not a lot of space to store lawn equipment. I have lots of oak leaves and currently shred them with a string shredder which produces great leaf mulch. Now I want to shred the clippings from my perennial, wildflower, ornamental grass, and vegetable gardens, plus trimmings from shrubs like my butterfly bushes, viburnums, etc. - as well as fallen twigs and branches from the oaks. I've received information from Red Ox, but don't see any reviews of their (expensive) products anywhere. Small chippers for brush are not readily available at rental centers here - you need a trailer hitch and a desire to eat trees. I'd like to know if anyone has tried a Red Ox, Mighty Mac, Yardmaster, etc. Also, has anyone used the vacuum kits that go with any of the chipper/shredders?

Thanks for any advice.

-- Marcia Hallwood (hallwood@charter.net), February 15, 2002.


In Chipper/Shredders, you get what you pay for. I'm not even sure you can buy a Briggs & Stratton 5hp for $200, let alone a chipper/shredder that will last more than one season. I would suggest that you hold off for another year and save up for a good one. The best deal that I have found is a MacKissic product called the LeafCycler LC6000. This is a Mulcher/Chipper/Shredder, it has a 6" vacuum hose attachment for leaves and cones, and will chip up to 3" limbs with it's 6hp Briggs & Stratton engine. It has a blower (150mph) for gathering leaves into rows and a 2.5 bushel bag for collecting the mulch. It has pnumatic tires and is much smaller than most Chipper/Shredders... Downside, it costs about $790. It is the best built unit I've found and has the features I was looking for. Best of luck in your persuit.

Dave

-- Dave Brownscombe (davjavue@hotmail.com), March 11, 2002.



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