Is chipping supposed to be this hard??

[jgrreed]

I spent yesterday chipping up all the tree branches I had pruned the day before. I'd never used a chipper before. I rented a gas powered chipper from Home Depot - a surge master 424 I believe. Not self feeding. Rated up to 4" wood. It sucked.

I had visions of this thing sucking in almost anything I put in its mouth and sending nice chunky mulch out the chute. I had nothing even close to 4", and I struggled all bloody day to get this thing to feed. I had to push, and readjust, and push some more, and sometimes use a 5" fencepost to use as a plunger.

My question is: Are all non-self-feeders this miserable to work with, or is thing just not maintained well (ie - a sharp blade)?? Do the self feeders make that much of a difference??

If not, I'd say all chippers without self feed should be outlawed!!! I'm really sore!! That was a workout. Joking aside, It's kinda dangerous with all the pushing and "hands in chute" work I had to do.

-Jer.

 

[clemsonfor]

since it was a rental, id say the knives were dull, that will make a difference

 

[jpm]

i've used a small chipper -2 in cap- and it worked your hands from vibration but it would self feed a little at the end of the piece.the blades were problaly dull. my tractor chipper is a differant story

 

[Treemonkey1000]

Those self feed units are a pain in the tookis. They work and chip stuff up but they aren't going to gobble up everything you put into them. I bought one with about an 8hp motor. It would chip up long straight cottonwoods and fir branches. Stuff with knots and bends you would have to cut down smaller. Green fluffy stuff clogged up the feed chute.. I sold that unit and bought a nice Towable 6" Vermeer.

 

[inveresk]

I believe Clemsenfor identified the problem. With my own chipper, dull knives causes issues with feeding. if the knives are sharp, the machine pulls the largest stuff through without a problem. Other clues to dull knives are the size of the chips - much smaller if the knives are dull (same as a chainsaw) - along with occasional longer, stringy pieces.

The knives are usually reversible. If you've still a lot of stuff to push through, might be worth whipping one out and turning it around to see if the reverse edge is keen.

 

[beppington]

Yep, prob dull knives. On my dad's Troy Bilt chipper, the knives are reversible. Maybe you could've looked to see if yours were, & done that. A complaint to HD might get you another free day? With sharp knives. Can't hurt to ask.

 

[gwdixon]

The others have identified the problem quite well - dull blades.

Usually you can see the blade through the feed chute with the machine OFF! Run you finger along the blade (with the machine OFF!) and you will likely feel how dull it is along with many chips and rolled parts of the blade. Some machines have several blades.

Sharp blades will act almost like a self-feeding machine.

In any event, chipping is "labor intensive" at its best.

 

[fish6942]

While I've never used a chipper, I can't imagine it's faster than my method of throwing them in my 10' fire pit.

 

[Porkie]

Limbs and braches also should be dry! Just cut stuff tends to mess up the works!

Sure looks quick and easy when ol' Billy Bob does it on TV, to sell his super chipper work of art!

Sam

 

[jgrreed]

While I've never used a chipper, I can't imagine it's faster than my method of throwing them in my 10' fire pit.

I thought that many times yesterday....

-Jer.