Chipper Chipper vs Chipper Shredder
- Thread starter cmhyland
- Start date
HomeBrew2
Banned
After following your other thread, I thought I'd mention something that may sound obvious but it wasn't obvious to me at the time I bought my chipper. One really needs to be kindof picky about running dirty material thru a chipper unless you can find carbide blades or don't mind sharpening them quite often. That's not to say it can't be done but to have an efficient chipper, the blades need to be sharp.
So, I don't chip brush that has rolled around in the dirt and if a limb got jammed into the dirt I cut off the end or wait till the rain washes it. I thought that would slow down my operation but, like Highbeam, I find the Bushhog able to chop lighter dirty brush fast and pretty decently.
Nothing is as fast a burning but, I need the [native] mulch for my arid land and am severely limited, by law, as to when I can burn ... not just fire hazard but air quality too. I like my old Ford I6 powered Fitchburg chipper
So, I don't chip brush that has rolled around in the dirt and if a limb got jammed into the dirt I cut off the end or wait till the rain washes it. I thought that would slow down my operation but, like Highbeam, I find the Bushhog able to chop lighter dirty brush fast and pretty decently.
Nothing is as fast a burning but, I need the [native] mulch for my arid land and am severely limited, by law, as to when I can burn ... not just fire hazard but air quality too. I like my old Ford I6 powered Fitchburg chipper
OP
cmhyland
Platinum Member
Thanks Homebrew,
The pic of that pile was the first or second of some whole trees and scrub stuffed there by an excavator. What a mess it was. All the trees were whole roots and all....
I've cleaned that up and burned that stuff... I have lots of brush cleanup to do and lets face it, its ongoing for ever... We have a boat and we're gone all summer so I have real early spring, late fall and winter to clear this stuff...
Limited time means working on my schedule...
Thanks,
Chris
The pic of that pile was the first or second of some whole trees and scrub stuffed there by an excavator. What a mess it was. All the trees were whole roots and all....
I've cleaned that up and burned that stuff... I have lots of brush cleanup to do and lets face it, its ongoing for ever... We have a boat and we're gone all summer so I have real early spring, late fall and winter to clear this stuff...
Limited time means working on my schedule...
Thanks,
Chris
Depends upon what you think you'll be chipping. If it's only tree limbs, the chipper will be fine. If you're going to be doing a brush or small things the shredder really helps.
I have a chipper / shredder and probably use the shredder more than the chipper because I clear brush and trim a lot of shrubs and small trees. The chipper is used probably 30% and the shredder 70% of the time.
I have a chipper / shredder and probably use the shredder more than the chipper because I clear brush and trim a lot of shrubs and small trees. The chipper is used probably 30% and the shredder 70% of the time.
RalphVa
Super Member
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2003
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- 7,873
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- Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Tractor
- JD 2025R, previously Gravely 5650 & JD 4010 & JD 1025R
A guy bought my MacKissic that went on my Gravely to shred his raspberry canes because his DR chipper-only wouldn't do them well. Strangely, that MacKissic, very much like the TPH-122 one I have now for the PTO on the JD, didn't have a chipper blade.
I mainly use the shredder part of my TPH-122 except for bigger, mostly limb stuff. I, like the other poster, probably use the chipper about 30% of the time and the shredder 70%. Of course, for doing leaves, they're 100% shredding. Best thing for leaves is one of those vacuum-them-up shredders. A friend of mine has one of those. However, the TPH-122 (and was identical on the Gravely-mount MacKissic I had) has a 2 part hopper that'll open wide to make dribbling things like leaves into it.
A fellow master gardener has a chipper only machine. He said the cost of getting the chipper blades reground is quite expensive on it. On my TPH-122, it was $5. A new (single) blade for it is $57. I just swapped the new blade, which is in need of a regrind now, for the reground blade. It's a very easy operation. Think the process of changing out the blades on a chipper only machine would be more like the process of changing out or rotating the hammers on a shredder: a little bit more involved. Hammers on my MacKissic seem to be hardly wearing; whereas, the chipper blade doesn't last that long before needing regrinding. Bet it's not much longer for the blades on a chipper only machine.
Ralph
I mainly use the shredder part of my TPH-122 except for bigger, mostly limb stuff. I, like the other poster, probably use the chipper about 30% of the time and the shredder 70%. Of course, for doing leaves, they're 100% shredding. Best thing for leaves is one of those vacuum-them-up shredders. A friend of mine has one of those. However, the TPH-122 (and was identical on the Gravely-mount MacKissic I had) has a 2 part hopper that'll open wide to make dribbling things like leaves into it.
A fellow master gardener has a chipper only machine. He said the cost of getting the chipper blades reground is quite expensive on it. On my TPH-122, it was $5. A new (single) blade for it is $57. I just swapped the new blade, which is in need of a regrind now, for the reground blade. It's a very easy operation. Think the process of changing out the blades on a chipper only machine would be more like the process of changing out or rotating the hammers on a shredder: a little bit more involved. Hammers on my MacKissic seem to be hardly wearing; whereas, the chipper blade doesn't last that long before needing regrinding. Bet it's not much longer for the blades on a chipper only machine.
Ralph
Turnpikeenterprise
New member
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2006
- Messages
- 5
I have a chipper/shredder. It works great with the smaller brush material. If you have mostly chipping to do and want to put it into a trailer or pile it high, then the chipper is a better choice. The unit I have came from DR in VT and the only complaint is cleaning out under it where the chips/shreds are deposited. I use a hoe to do this.
Mike
Mike
Tom_H
Veteran Member
I just bought the DR chipper because I have mostly small limbs and very few leaves to deal with. As I'm already in my 50's and look towards the future, getting a 185 lb. "chipper only" moved to the 3ph and hooked up seems much preferable to a 650 lb. "chipper/shredder combo". The statements above regarding small branches going through the shredder better than the chipper makes me hope that I haven't made the wrong choice. So, this leads to my question, does anybody know of a "shredder only" machine that might be smaller and lighter than the 650 lb. Salsco, MacKissick, Bear Cat models? I've searched a lot and have never seen one.
I realize that a combo makes more sense in terms of price and storage space, but at this point in my life, two separate lighter weight units dedicated to different tasks would be a whole lot easier on my back.
Also, does anyone know where you can purchase carbide blades that would fit the DR?
I realize that a combo makes more sense in terms of price and storage space, but at this point in my life, two separate lighter weight units dedicated to different tasks would be a whole lot easier on my back.
Also, does anyone know where you can purchase carbide blades that would fit the DR?
I'm Trying to make this same decision and have lots of questions. While it appears that a combo unit will be superior to a chipper only I wonder if it is worth the extra cost. I don't know how many leaves and debries I would be shredding. You all who shread, what are you shredding? I mostly trim trees and cut out saplings from oak mesquite, ceder, youpon and elm. They mostly are 1/2-3"'s in diameter, but many oak limbs can be 4"+. Would the chipper make the smaller stuff look like mulch or is a shredder better for that. A 6"jimna chipper is 1500.00 locally and a 4.5" chipper shredder is 2900+ shipping, so 2X the cost.
I hate burning and could use the natural vegitation to make mulch piles, but would also like to do it as cheaply as possible. Any advice? MP
I hate burning and could use the natural vegitation to make mulch piles, but would also like to do it as cheaply as possible. Any advice? MP
dillo99
Gold Member
I really think this depends a lot on your situation (chipper or chipper/shreader). I purchased only a chipper but most of what I am doing is getting rid of small trees out in the woods when I make paths. I use the resulting chips on the trails. For the most part, my dr. easily takes and chips the entire tree - including the top branches. A shreader would probably do that part a little better, but not a necessity. If I was doing more "on lawn" type work where I was clipping bushes and stuff I would probably have wanted a shreader on the chipper.
RalphVa
Super Member
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2003
- Messages
- 7,873
- Location
- Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Tractor
- JD 2025R, previously Gravely 5650 & JD 4010 & JD 1025R
The Mac TPH-122 is only 160#. It's a chipper/shredder.
It's essentially the same machine as the shredder-only version that I had for my Gravely. It was a MacKissic, too. Missed having the chipper on it. Never could understand why none was provided.
The old TroyBilt Tomahawk and the 2 Macs that I've owned, including a tiny motor-driven Black and Decker, all had to have the shredding/chippings scooped out of the way. I have a big scoop for doing this, after 2 to 3 bags of leaves, generally.
Ralph
It's essentially the same machine as the shredder-only version that I had for my Gravely. It was a MacKissic, too. Missed having the chipper on it. Never could understand why none was provided.
The old TroyBilt Tomahawk and the 2 Macs that I've owned, including a tiny motor-driven Black and Decker, all had to have the shredding/chippings scooped out of the way. I have a big scoop for doing this, after 2 to 3 bags of leaves, generally.
Ralph