How useful are chippers?

nepa · Sep 15, 2015

I will soon need to clean up a lot of debris from my garden including 500 corn stalks, and growth from broccoli, tomato plants, horse radish, etc. Someone near me has a used Craftsman 5hp chipper for $150. Do you think this can help me, or would it be just a waste on money? Thanks.

RedNeckRacin · Sep 15, 2015

I don't think a chipper would work well on non woody plant material.

tractchores · Sep 15, 2015

You need a shredder for that type of material or a combo shredder chipper. Unfortunately a good one is a lot of money and you generally get what you pay for. maybe rent something to try it before buying.

ultrarunner · Sep 15, 2015

I tried a small chipper/shredder and it was a lot of work with things like palm fronds getting stuck all the time.

Was really looking for a small commercial unit and a neighbor asked why... he said all I needed was a big compost pile in one of the ravines... and it has worked... no matter what I toss down there... it all disintegrates...

CobyRupert · Sep 15, 2015

Yeah, throw anything in a pile and it will either dry and be chip-able or it rains and it rots.

KubotaToy · Sep 15, 2015

I bought a commercial Bearcat 8", works great, chips anything you can get in the hydraulic feeder. One big drawback, it is work. Fire is easy, compose pile is easier.

jeff9366 · Sep 15, 2015

nepa said:
I will soon need to clean up a lot of debris from my garden including 500 corn stalks, and growth from broccoli, tomato plants, horse radish, etc. Someone near me has a used Craftsman 5hp chipper for $150. Do you think this can help me, or would it be just a waste on money? Thanks.

I had an 12-hp MacKissac shredder and it would not handle the material you have listed.

Sawyer Rob · Sep 15, 2015

Best thing I've found for my "end of the season" garden waste, is my tractor and a rotary cutter! Then I till it all in/under, and it's pretty much composed out by next season...

SR

KennyG · Sep 15, 2015

I think you are looking at a chipper/shredder. I have a 8.5 HP Craftsman. It works pretty well and will shred (not chip) most of the garden waste you are talking about as long as it's dry and you don't feed it too fast. As long as the quantity is not too large, it may be OK. These machines are really meant for leaves and only work well with those if they are really dry.

boggen · Sep 16, 2015

not sure if it would work.... i saw a "leaf shredder" you feed leaves into it. and it would shred them up.
google key words..
leaf shredder
lots of shredders.

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always seen and have used the regular finishing mower, (riding lawn mower, etc...) blades take a beating, but it does not take much to sharpen the blades. just take half passes ((only use half of the deck to cut with)) with deck all the way up, for first pass over it all, then drop it down to mulch everything. keep it slow, and keep an eye on the spindles (i generally have shields off so i can see the spindles) this is a safety issue be careful if you do so. so i can keep an eye if something gets caught up and stops the blades.

heck a "push mower" can do some mighty damage. it is work, but slightly push down on the handle to raise the front of the deck up some. and push it into tall weeds to what ever. and then let it slowly down some. it generally means a few back and forth with push mower to get stuff knocked down to point you can just push.. the push mower like normally cutting grass.

overall to above... wait till everything has DRIED OUT. and wait for a few windy dry days, to dry everything out. then mow it down.... trying to mow stuff while green and wet = lots of extra work for mowers to get through it all.

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be careful if you go with branch / twig mulchers. size of the chips can be "very large" "cheap" to smaller "expensive"

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a "STRAIGHT SHAFT" weed eater. with a metal brush cutting blade. can be used as well. straight shaft's generally are required due to the shaft from engine to blade = a sold piece of metal. if the shaft has a bend in it. then the shaft is more like a very heavy duty spring. and those type of shafts can quickly break when using them to cut larger bigger stuff.