Wish List: Chipper/shredder
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Scooby074
Super Member
I have a Original TroyBuilt Tomahawk. Its OK. It does good with small branches, leaves and clippings. i use the 3/4- grate when doing loose materials otherwise they go right thru the machine with little processing.
Where it lacks is in performance with larger sticks, like tree trunks. It has the power, but trying to feed anything other than a straight stick into it is an exercise in frustration and it takes forever to limb a tree before putting it thru the machine. This is due to the layout of the infeed chute. I intend on getting a machine with a larger infeed chute with self feed for trees. Another annoyance is the machine's outfeed is on the bottom. This causes you to have to constantly move the machine to keep the outfeed clear. Ive noticed that some of the Bearcat chippers are available with a blower, That would be worth the money 10x over to me.
A used commercial machine is what im holding out for. If you have any amount of whole trees to do, and time is important to you then a self feed used commercial unit might be a better purchase, but it wont be usefull if you have leaves and clippings to chip.
Where it lacks is in performance with larger sticks, like tree trunks. It has the power, but trying to feed anything other than a straight stick into it is an exercise in frustration and it takes forever to limb a tree before putting it thru the machine. This is due to the layout of the infeed chute. I intend on getting a machine with a larger infeed chute with self feed for trees. Another annoyance is the machine's outfeed is on the bottom. This causes you to have to constantly move the machine to keep the outfeed clear. Ive noticed that some of the Bearcat chippers are available with a blower, That would be worth the money 10x over to me.
A used commercial machine is what im holding out for. If you have any amount of whole trees to do, and time is important to you then a self feed used commercial unit might be a better purchase, but it wont be usefull if you have leaves and clippings to chip.
bontai_Joe
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I also have an older Troy-Bilt Tomahawk chipper shredder. My experience with mine is very similar to Scooby's, the shredder hopper will munch up everything up to about 3/4" dia with little problem, the chipper section will do 3" limbs, but they have to be very straight to get thru the chute. Unfortunately these have been out of production for several years now, but do pop up on Ebay and other sites for sale. If you don't need to proccess anything bigger than 3/4" dia stuff, a shredder will do the job without the expense of the chipper section. MacKissic is still making good machines and you might want to check out their web site.
deereman64
Silver Member
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I had a chipper/ shredder and I found it to be the most frustrating machine purchased to date. The idea being all that garden waste turned into piles of mulch. It never worked out that way. For a lot of effort the production was minuscule. I would feed an over sized stick and it would get stuck and the next hour would be spent unblocking the blades etc.
I then discovered that I can burn brush in my area ( with a permit), more efficient and quieter. May I suggest that you rent one for a start and see how it works out
I then discovered that I can burn brush in my area ( with a permit), more efficient and quieter. May I suggest that you rent one for a start and see how it works out
BigE_
Platinum Member
I started out with a little electric 1.5HP Black and Decker chipper / shredder. This worked great on my little 3000 sq ft lot in the trailer park. It could take up to 1" sticks.
When I moved to a house and a 15,000 sq ft lot, I moved up to a 5HP chipper/shredder, the kind you find at Home Depot or Lowes. This was quite a step up from the little electric number, and suited my purposes just fine.
I then moved to my current place where I have 5 acres, 4 of them wooded. The 5HP chipper/shredder did an OK job, but it was slow going. I upgraded to an 8HP Duer commercial duty chipper/shredder, and this was a nice improvement. However, it was still slow, and even if you were only feeding it 1.5" branches (could take up to 3"), whenever you came to a "Y", you'd have to either force it in or bust apart the "Y". Putting the little branches (up to 1/2") in the top worked great, and I got some really fine mulch out of it.
Trying to run leaves through the chipper/shredder was an exercise in futility -- it would plug up in no time, and then you'd have to take apart the grate and clean it out. This would waste the better part of an hour.
I finally upgraded to a 25HP chipper with a 6"x8" opening. No shredding capabilities. I don't miss the shredding portion -- I just stack the leaves where the garden goes, and till them into the soil in the spring. Much easier. I don't think you could pay me to go back to one of those 5, 8, or even 10hp chippers. What used to take me 8 hours to chip up can now be done in 30 minutes. Night and day difference.
One problem with the 25HP chipper is that it weighs 1600lbs and can be a pain to move around. I've seriously considered selling it to buy one that attaches to my tractor simply because it seems whenever I'm using it I leave it attached to my tractor anyway.
Here's a photo of my current chipper (minus the engine, which I just replaced).
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bVGGTY5HGmY/SUm7KYWcsvI/AAAAAAAADV8/GsJNQSGwSaI/s128/IMG_4069.JPG
When I moved to a house and a 15,000 sq ft lot, I moved up to a 5HP chipper/shredder, the kind you find at Home Depot or Lowes. This was quite a step up from the little electric number, and suited my purposes just fine.
I then moved to my current place where I have 5 acres, 4 of them wooded. The 5HP chipper/shredder did an OK job, but it was slow going. I upgraded to an 8HP Duer commercial duty chipper/shredder, and this was a nice improvement. However, it was still slow, and even if you were only feeding it 1.5" branches (could take up to 3"), whenever you came to a "Y", you'd have to either force it in or bust apart the "Y". Putting the little branches (up to 1/2") in the top worked great, and I got some really fine mulch out of it.
Trying to run leaves through the chipper/shredder was an exercise in futility -- it would plug up in no time, and then you'd have to take apart the grate and clean it out. This would waste the better part of an hour.
I finally upgraded to a 25HP chipper with a 6"x8" opening. No shredding capabilities. I don't miss the shredding portion -- I just stack the leaves where the garden goes, and till them into the soil in the spring. Much easier. I don't think you could pay me to go back to one of those 5, 8, or even 10hp chippers. What used to take me 8 hours to chip up can now be done in 30 minutes. Night and day difference.
One problem with the 25HP chipper is that it weighs 1600lbs and can be a pain to move around. I've seriously considered selling it to buy one that attaches to my tractor simply because it seems whenever I'm using it I leave it attached to my tractor anyway.
Here's a photo of my current chipper (minus the engine, which I just replaced).
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bVGGTY5HGmY/SUm7KYWcsvI/AAAAAAAADV8/GsJNQSGwSaI/s128/IMG_4069.JPG
J_J
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Scooby074 said: Ive noticed that some of the Bearcat chippers are available with a blower, That would be worth the money 10x over to me.
I have the 3pt Bearcat chipper shredder that you mentioned above, and it does a great job, and has the blower on it.
I have the 3pt Bearcat chipper shredder that you mentioned above, and it does a great job, and has the blower on it.
jeffinsgf
Veteran Member
BigE,
Instead of replacing the motor, why didn't you convert to PTO?
Instead of replacing the motor, why didn't you convert to PTO?
BigE_
Platinum Member
I thought about it, but the way it works, the entire thing swivels on its base, and I would lose that functionality.
Also, I still may sell the chipper and buy one that attaches to the tractor. Converting this one over would be a significant loss in value on it.
With the new engine, this one I could sell for around $6k. I can pick up a 3pt chipper off CL for around $1k - $1.5k. But, from reading here on TBN, the 3pt one would be a compromise unless I spent a lot more $$.
-Steve
studor
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My answer would be not much
Unless you get a really large unit, I have found the ones up to and including 12 hp a PITA. If you want mulch you would be better off to buy it than use one of those -- belts spin, blades jam, screens clog -- and thats on the name brand ones. Chipping is even worse unless you have a bamboo forest
(ie straight and small diameter)If you use a tractor powered unit (or large, expensive standalone) you will wonder why you ever tried one of those "consumer models".
First time I used one of the standalones I thought maybe I was doing something wrong -- now after about 20 years of trying them out and helping friends and neighbours with them I figure it is just a bad idea
Save your money and buy a real one
JMHO
Regards
I searched and found this few weeks old thread, so rather than start another one, I will add my question:
I am going to need a chipper the way we are spending money for mulch. As I have learned and have been told re. farm equipment - 'buy the biggest, strongest of whatever that you can afford'
With this in mind and with regard to the last post, I am looking for a PTO chipper. Besides, I don't want another small engine to have to worry about maintaining from year to year.
I have a Kubota 8540 with roughly 70 HP available to the PTO.
What brand and model does anyone recommend as a PTO chipper?
I have about 150 acres, mostly pasture, but plenty of big oaks that are always shedding limbs and occasionally falling down.
Thanks.
I am going to need a chipper the way we are spending money for mulch. As I have learned and have been told re. farm equipment - 'buy the biggest, strongest of whatever that you can afford'
With this in mind and with regard to the last post, I am looking for a PTO chipper. Besides, I don't want another small engine to have to worry about maintaining from year to year.
I have a Kubota 8540 with roughly 70 HP available to the PTO.
What brand and model does anyone recommend as a PTO chipper?
I have about 150 acres, mostly pasture, but plenty of big oaks that are always shedding limbs and occasionally falling down.
Thanks.