Recommendations for wood chipper for small material

[beowulf]

Or there is always this option instead of chipping - LAMO every time I see this:
https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=5bf7...BN0M4NzI5MDBFQjNFMUZDNTM5JkZPUk09VklSRQ&ntb=1

 

[ponytug]

I actualy do and my garden is built on wood chips...why make the chips when they deliver them for free?

I have over 400cu yards of chips on my property and didnt pay a dime.

I get free chips as well, but I own a chipper.

Why? 100% fire reduction. There are always limbs coming down, trees that need pruning etc. Here, it is not prudent to leave downed wood because of wildfire risk. Hence, all of my trimmings get reduced in volume, and composted back in the soil.

Different needs in different locations...

All the best,

Peter

 

[plowhog]

why make the chips when they deliver them for free?

The local tree company constantly asks me if I want free chips delivered. I'd like them but turn it down.

My arborist advised to only use chips from material I process on the property. If the chips come from other places, you don't always know what is riding in with it. Various plant diseases, etc.

 

[beowulf]

The local tree company constantly asks me if I want free chips delivered. I'd like them but turn it down.

My arborist advised to only use chips from material I process on the property. If the chips come from other places, you don't always know what is riding in with it. Various plant diseases, etc.

I have read that if you plan to use your own chips for mulch you should wait a year or so (let them age in place) as otherwise the fresh chips can leach nitrogen from your soil.

We will have a lot of chips and I am now wondering if I can use those for some erosion control in some areas - also on roads we cut in the back country.

 

[Captain Dirty]

A friend was advised by his landscaper to avoid darkly dyed or black mulch as it often included wood from building renovations or demolitions that was bearing lead [and other metals] from old paint.

 

[ponytug]

I have read that if you plan to use your own chips for mulch you should wait a year or so (let them age in place) as otherwise the fresh chips can leach nitrogen from your soil.

We will have a lot of chips and I am now wondering if I can use those for some erosion control in some areas - also on roads we cut in the back country.

Chips are high in carbon, low in nitrogen, so yes, the natural composting will draw down some of the nitrogen in the soil. It goes both ways. If you have a cattle yard, or places where animals congregate to pee, chips will absorb the urine, and decay faster, while capturing more of the nitrogen for later use.

I also use chips to hold soil moisture for trees, and a little chicken manure, or other source of nitrogen goes a long way.

If you age the chips in place, turning the piles and keeping them moist will speed up the process, and more completely compost the material. Pallet forks work great, but a bucket or tiller can do a lot.

All the best,

Peter

 

[ultrarunner]

The local tree company constantly asks me if I want free chips delivered. I'd like them but turn it down.

My arborist advised to only use chips from material I process on the property. If the chips come from other places, you don't always know what is riding in with it. Various plant diseases, etc.

I love redwood chips but hard to come by on a regular basis...

 

[ning]

The chip drops I get have a decent amount of greenery in them, lots of shredded oak leaves and pine needles. I realize this isn't a lot of nitrogen compared the the carbon content, but it's something. I've been filling my chicken run with chips, and have found it to be a perfect bedding for them - chicken poop doesn't accumulate on the surface but ends up breaking up and falling through the top layer - the chips on top stay very dry, but scratch the surface and the chips are obviously rapidly breaking down. Basically twice a year I scoop it out and it becomes a "compost/dirt pile" (which the chickens help turn when they're outside) and I put "new" chips into the coop. Of course my "new" chips that are sitting in a big pile are themselves already starting to turn into soil, I keep the best and newest ones for garden paths and the older danker ones go into the chicken coop.

I really wanted a chipper for a long time and definitely wouldn't turn down a gift but I've done enough clearing on my land by hand & fire that it's no longer economically reasonable for me to buy a new one for what's left (at least that's my thought, though what's the resale like for 3ph chippers?). Considering the stuff I have isn't typically very straight (lots of scrub oak) I was looking at a 8800 type

 

[beowulf]

Again, thanks for all the advice. I just learned that my Woodland Mills WC68 arrives on Tuesday. In advance of that I downloaded and read the manual, watched four Youtube videos about the unit (and learned about a nice safety feature), and bought the required hydraulic oil (it runs the automatic feeder) so I should be somewhat good to go. I also required that the rest of the family - those who will likely assist with some of the work - also watch the videos. We have a lot of work ahead of us. I rely on you all so much I think I would be wandering around in perpetual confusion without this forum.

 

[34Willys]

I received mine 2 weeks ago. Been raining mostly since, but was able to get it assembled, fluid filled, PTO shaft cut to size and did a dry test run. No leaks and the unit is very quiet. The packaging was amazing. I really like how the shoot folds onto itself for transport through the woods, and parking takes up very little room.
Got 4 trees on the ground this past weekend, so when the weather
finally clears, we'll be chippin.
Patrick

 

[2manyrocks]

WC68 looks like a nice chipper that should be able to chip so much faster than one of the small gas machines. Brush clearing is enough work as it is.

Looking forward to your opinion after you get a chance to use it.

 

[beowulf]

2manyrocks,

I finished preparing the chipper - Woodland Mills WC68 - arrived a few days ago - trimmed the PTO shaft, filled with hydraulic oil, checked and rechecked everything, took it to the first of many, many brush piles, and started it up. It worked well.

I cannot compare or provide the ultimate advice on chippers as this is the only one I have ever used, but my assessment: very well made - quality is evident; manual very thorough; love the safety bar (pull out to activate roller, in for neutral, and farther in to reverse it - and you can use your upper legs to bump-shut it down quickly); very happy that I got one with a self feeder; it takes in the material faster than one person can drag stuff over and feed it so having a couple of helpers would really speed things up - there were two of us (the roller speed is adjustable and I ran it at half speed which was plenty)' it seems to work best on drier stuff; I learned that there are ways to insert the branches to make it easier, e.g., what kind of branch configurations may need to be trimmed, etc. Anyway, in about an hour and a half we chipped up a whole lot of branches.

We don't plan on chipping anything much over 2-3 inches as we like to keep that for firewood, but I did try one at about 4 inches and the roller did not seem to want to pull it in - a very short trial - likely a technique issue - I will rewatch some videos and I want to try this again but it started raining.

The way this is packaged for shipping tells me the company takes pride in their product - a steel cage - now becoming a workshop table.

 

[Gem99ultra]

2manyrocks,

I finished preparing the chipper - Woodland Mills WC68 - arrived a few days ago - trimmed the PTO shaft, filled with hydraulic oil, checked and rechecked everything, took it to the first of many, many brush piles, and started it up. It worked well.

I cannot compare or provide the ultimate advice on chippers as this is the only one I have ever used, but my assessment: very well made - quality is evident; manual very thorough; love the safety bar (pull out to activate roller, in for neutral, and farther in to reverse it - and you can use your upper legs to bump-shut it down quickly); very happy that I got one with a self feeder; it takes in the material faster than one person can drag stuff over and feed it so having a couple of helpers would really speed things up - there were two of us (the roller speed is adjustable and I ran it at half speed which was plenty)' it seems to work best on drier stuff; I learned that there are ways to insert the branches to make it easier, e.g., what kind of branch configurations may need to be trimmed, etc. Anyway, in about an hour and a half we chipped up a whole lot of branches.

We don't plan on chipping anything much over 2-3 inches as we like to keep that for firewood, but I did try one at about 4 inches and the roller did not seem to want to pull it in - a very short trial - likely a technique issue - I will rewatch some videos and I want to try this again but it started raining.

The way this is packaged for shipping tells me the company takes pride in their product - a steel cage - now becoming a workshop table.

If you have trouble with the larger pieces, use a smaller piece like maybe a 2"-3" piece started, then run the larger piece in before it finishes the small piece. I often run larger pieces jammed up one directly behind the previous one being chipped giving the unit a continous run. That works better than running one piece completely through, then start another one.
If running the continous pieces end to start is too fast for you to reload it's fine to simply pause the chipper before it finishes the first piece while you get the next one lined up and ready to follow.
Another tip I've found to be helpful is to cut the butt of the larger pieces at an angle to give the rollers something to bite and pull in the tree. That makes for a little extra chainsaw work but it helps the chipper.
It won't take you but a short while before you'll be an expert chipper

 

[2manyrocks]

FWIW, I prefer using a battery powered pole saw to trim branches in brush piles to make them more manageable. The reach of the pole saw means I avoid bending over and I can reach into the pile to cut branches. The instant/on off means I can set the saw down to drag the brush, etc without having to recrank the saw. It's no big deal to pick up the saw to cut off some branch that is stuck on something. I also think it's safer from kickback.

 

[Hughman]

Cutting the butt ends at an angle helps with the feeder. I saw one guy on YouTube that loosened the springs on the feeder to help with feeding larger pieces. Thought I might try that next.

 

[ponytug]

I use an electric saw to trim as well. I really like the quick stop, and no concerns about fire from a hot muffler.

I went the other way on the spring; I added a pair of heavy duty rubber tie downs to increase the down pressure. That makes the teeth on my roller engage better on the big logs. My original intent was to improve the the feed and control of small twigs/brush. Along with the added tension on the roller, I adjusted the gap down to about an 1/8".

All the best,

Peter

 

[beowulf]

I use an electric saw to trim as well. I really like the quick stop, and no concerns about fire from a hot muffler.

I went the other way on the spring; I added a pair of heavy duty rubber tie downs to increase the down pressure. That makes the teeth on my roller engage better on the big logs. My original intent was to improve the the feed and control of small twigs/brush. Along with the added tension on the roller, I adjusted the gap down to about an 1/8".

All the best,

Peter

Peter, we also use electric chain saws- usually for the smaller stuff and trimming and cutting up what we want to save for firewood. A couple of Echos work well. A smaller Craftsman battery power saw from Lowes not so much - we have to keep returning it for a new one. And we have gas powered saws for the big stuff.

I will think about the roller adjustments after I have more experience with the chipper.

 

[ponytug]

Peter, we also use electric chain saws- usually for the smaller stuff and trimming and cutting up what we want to save for firewood. A couple of Echos work well. A smaller Craftsman battery power saw from Lowes not so much - we have to keep returning it for a new one. And we have gas powered saws for the big stuff.

I will think about the roller adjustments after I have more experience with the chipper.

FWIW: I went for years before I adjusted the roller. After the heavy snows last year that brought down lots of limbs, I was chipping a lot of fallen green live oak and bay branches that had thin twigs that weren't feeding well for me. YMMV.

All the best,

Peter

 

[319Quahog]

I have to just shake my head at buying a chipper if you can burn it. Less time, money, energy and labor to burn it.

I have been burning. Probably about one a week for the last couple months. I need to go stir the coals from yesterday's.

It gets old. Breathing smoke, dodging sparks, feeding more brush onto the fire etc. Trying to be responsible and keep an eye on it is boring too.

It also isn't legal here when there is no snow cover on the ground, but I have a large enough lot in mind your own business country that it doesn't matter too much.

I'm about to say eff it and buy a gas chipper from Home Depot that i can tow behind my UTV. PTO won't be an option for a few years until I get my trails firmed up and the chips will help with that.

DK2 6 in. 14 HP Gas Powered Kohler Engine Certified Commercial Chipper Shredder with Extended Axles and Trailer Tow Hitch OPC506 - The Home Depot

Do toughest yard debris clearing jobs with Detail K2 Gas Powered Kohler Engine Certified Commercial Chipper Shredder with Extended Axles and Trailer Tow Hitch.

www.homedepot.com

 

[ultrarunner]

I’ve tried small chippers and the only one worth a darn is the small PTO chipper.

Without at least 30+ hp behind it I tire of it quickly.

I tried to rent a Bandit 65 but no go as a consumer even when it was hooked up to my truck.