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Originally Posted by Gittyup
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The chipper blades are a pain to get at, and are expensive to replace.
I also don't have a blower. I priced a new one: $1395 as I recall.  I thought I needed one but I don't really. Like the OP, I use it to get rid of brush, trimmings, etc., and to service my compost pile. Shoveling can be a pain, especially when chipping because it builds up fast. But, I would never use it just to make mulch, even if I had the blower. It's way too much work just to get a few yards. I use a lot of mulch (50 yards last year). So, I just go get my mulch from the landfill for free.  |
I got lucky when I bought mine. With blower I paid around 1300, if I recall correctly. It was absolutely cherry, bought second hand by a guy with a barn full of perfectly maintained 50's tractors after he had a bad storm. I am the third owner, and I'm sure I've put more hours on it in the last 3 years than the previous owners did put together.
Gittyup, those chipper blades can be resharpened dozens of times. Take them someplace that does planer blades or to a machine shop with a surface grinder. If you've got a steady hand, you can do a reasonable job with a bench grinder, but it is important to keep all four blades approximately the same size, so that the cutterhead remains in balance.
My place is covered with Eastern Red Cedar. I am thinning that out, using the trunks as landscaping timbers and turning the slash into mulch. We can get tub grinder mulch from the city for free, too, and I do. But up close to the house, I prefer the texture, longevity, and fragrance of the cedar chips from my Goossen.
I had to take down a big hickory that was mortally damaged by the ice storm last January. My next chipper project is going to be to turn the slash from that into barbecue chips.