Is chipping supposed to be this hard??

[jgrreed]

Yep.. if you want to get rid of the stuff a fire pit is the way to go. If you want mulch then chip with a sharp bladed big (not one of those 8 HP Home Depot units) machines. I have a Big Mac with an 18 HP engine and it is barely big enough.

It was 24HP!!! The guys were adamant that they were "new blades"..... BS I say!!

I need some fresh crushed rock..... good idea! If I run it through a trash pump will it wash it for me??

As for my steel posts, i ripped those up with the chainsaw I rented at the same time.

-Jer.

 

[clemsonfor]

Just a word of caution if any of you want to rent those carpet machines from the grocerystore or walmart look out for the one that my wife rented, her dads shop hand ran it on the greeasy concrete floors not knowing what it was. Luckily she was cleaning a couch with the attachemet feature and not carpets, but some unlucky sole may get it to clean his white carpets and first pass leave a blurry black greese streak!!

 

[o2batsea]

I had to download the manual for the SM424 to understand what your problem could be. I have to agree that it is likely dull knives.
It's pretty much a baby version of my Bandit chipper. The nice thing about a full size chipper with hydraulics is that it actually adds to both the safety aspect and the speed. I would say that a real live full sized chipper...like at least a 6 inch capacity and better yet a 12...will do the job faster cleaner and in the long run less expensively than a small one.
While you may not be doing entire trees at one shot, the "chuck and duck" type have one major drawback: when the stuff stops feeding it is like working with a stick of dynamite that had the fuse go out. There is no way to reverse the feed. You may be OK trying to jab the stuff in there, but then again....Best to shut it down and clear the jam than risk getting a body part pulled in.
Never ever under any circumstance attempt to force feed a chipper by pushing into the feed hopper with your hands feet or a metal tool. Use only wooden push stick. Always stand to the side and not behind the feed hopper a a stick can often whip about causing injury.

My bottom line recommendation is to rent a commercial duty chipper from a bona fide equipment rental firm rather than an abused device from HD. They will even drop it off to you so you don't need to be concerned that you don't have a tow vehicle.

I would put my chipper up against a fire pit any day. It'll make mincemeat out of just about anything and you don't have to worry about wayward sparks setting the woods on fire. The resulting beneficial mulch is far more usable than ash and there is no burn scar left over. No smoke either.
I admit I have to use a little 5 horse shredder for vines and the bypass leaves and twigs that falls out the bottom of the feed rollers.

 

[tractorsanmore]

This is what I use , will keep two people busy feeding it .

 

[o2batsea]

Notice that he is standing to the side of the feed hopper. The hydraulic feed rollers sometimes violently whip material around as it goes into the machine. Standing to the side minimizes the chance of getting whacked, plus he can quickly push the reverse bar with his right.
I can't tell if he has safety glasses on, I assume so. I also wear hearing protection, a hard hat and gloves.

 

[gwjd]

yea i use the the big dogs at work well 8-9 inch so i guess a mini big dog lol

any way they hydrological feed is awesome just move the handle and you are stopped or in revers.

they are loud mean and need respect branches will spin and snap on occasion but you can chip a lot of martial in not a lot of time

 

[clemsonfor]

Some of my loggers have chippers. The largest one is can chip an entire hardwood tree 30"s in diameter! They can full an entire chip van (those 18 wheelers designed to carry chips in 15-20 mins depending on material.

 

[puckgrinder85]

Auto feeders are definatly easier to use. They feed stuff in at a more gradual pace rather than letting gravity push it in and jarring the **** out of the branches. We had a smaller 4" inch self feed one and it was kept up, new blades, it worked well and all but it was a bear to use and very violent. We bought a bigger 8" or more auto feed and its much easier, the worst part is dragging stuff to the mouth, after that its no big deal, catch a branch in the wheel and its all over! The gradual feed ends up easier on the machine it seems, not to mention the operator. We were felling decent sized trees (8-10 inch trees at the base, cutting the branches off and just mulching the whole tree, fun to see.

 

[Kyle241]

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.

Couldn't agree more. Most of my branches are actually in piles in the woods so chipmunks, rabbits, etc. can make homes. I do burn some but feel that mother nature will take care of these piles and they will provide homes for whatever creatures for some time.

As for chippers, I feel unless you get a big industrial one with sharp blades, they are not worth the time, noise and hassle. I've used one of these when I was a student working for a city one summer and that thing could chew through major stuff.

 

[RoyJackson]

As for chippers, I feel unless you get a big industrial one with sharp blades, they are not worth the time, noise and hassle. I've used one of these when I was a student working for a city one summer and that thing could chew through major stuff.

It really depends on how big and how much needs to be chipped.
I live on a wooded lot (2.5 acres....about half wooded). Burning restrictions limit that, so if you want to dispose of fallen branches and brush, it's either taking them to a landfill or chipping.