When I price bag mulch for the flower beds, It makes me feel good about the chipper/shredder.

[CalG]

I've got the MacKissic 3pt pto drive chipper/ shredder. Have had the unit over ten years iirc.
It gets a good workout every summer, then just sets out back under a plastic drape. (an old air mattress)

Though it was brooding rain all day, the "material" piles are inside the drip line now that the trees are all leafed out. So the rain that came didn't stop the operation, but I did get dripped upon, and sweaty from the labor.

I spent a couple of hours forking sticks and leaves into the shredder hopper, and then "chip blasted" clean the working chamber by running a couple dozen winter fallen branches through the chipper.
The stuff that comes out looks mighty nice. I put out maybe two yards of good mulch. Fuel costs add up, I bet I burned $10 worth. The B2601 doesn't seem to be as frugal as the B7200. (First time using the B2601 with this attachment.)
I set in a couple rows of asparagus yesterday, trenching down nearly 3 feet to give space for composted filler below the roots. It got me thinking about the amount of mulch and compost on hand, and the years ahead.

Raining now again, more coming tomorrow. A couple inches they say. I guess I won't get to the brush pile to make good clean wood chips.

Another day!

 

[nyone]

Why buy the cow when the milk is free? I can get free chips delivered here. I can also make a pile of brush disappear with a match.

 

[Oaktree]

I can get free chips delivered here. I can also make a pile of brush disappear with a match.

I've gotten free chips a couple times when they trim around the power lines. The contractor needs someplace to dump it, I've just asked them and got 'em. Of course, it's on their schedule and they only come around ever 5 years or so. Got a neighbor that runs a tree service, could always ask him too.
As far as brush piles go, I just pile it in windrows around the perimeter of the property. Rots down pretty fast.

 

[CalG]

Ahh, chips are not mulch.

They can be used as such, but they are not so pleasing to SWMBO.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

I've got the MacKissic 3pt pto drive chipper/ shredder. Have had the unit over ten years iirc.
It gets a good workout every summer, then just sets out back under a plastic drape. (an old air mattress)

Though it was brooding rain all day, the "material" piles are inside the drip line now that the trees are all leafed out. So the rain that came didn't stop the operation, but I did get dripped upon, and sweaty from the labor.

I spent a couple of hours forking sticks and leaves into the shredder hopper, and then "chip blasted" clean the working chamber by running a couple dozen winter fallen branches through the chipper.
The stuff that comes out looks mighty nice. I put out maybe two yards of good mulch. Fuel costs add up, I bet I burned $10 worth. The B2601 doesn't seem to be as frugal as the B7200. (First time using the B2601 with this attachment.)
I set in a couple rows of asparagus yesterday, trenching down nearly 3 feet to give space for composted filler below the roots. It got me thinking about the amount of mulch and compost on hand, and the years ahead.

Raining now again, more coming tomorrow. A couple inches they say. I guess I won't get to the brush pile to make good clean wood chips.

Another day!

Nice. You must be southern VT, up in NEK, leaves are just developing, maybe a week away from full leaves.
I have been burning my branches, but always wanted to chip, use as pathway cover. Soft to walk on. (with shoes) This may be the year I rent a chipper...
Looks like a couple more days of rain.

 

[kenmbz]

I have a small chipper I use for sticks and branches.
Dump it on the trails to keep weeds and growth down.
Works really well.
Breaks down in 2 years, by then I have enough to cover it again.

 

[RobertN]

Why buy the cow when the milk is free? I can get free chips delivered here. I can also make a pile of brush disappear with a match.

I do all three as it fits our needs; chip with pto chipper/shredder, get tree company free chips delivered, and burn.

We've had tree service drop chips. Most of the tree companies around here have long, large chips. We like them a bit finer. And, you're liable to have poison oak in the mix.

I burn, but it is usually things that don't fit thru my chipper easily, or if time is limited. A burn pile is faster. . On the other hand, I can chip year round. But burn piles are usually only November to June, depending on rainfall.

Between garden, paths etc, it works out great for us to have the chips. The Bearcat PRO chipper makes a nice small chip that is perfect for our needs. The shredder hopper also works great for the garden composting and leftovers seasonally.

 

[kozal01]

It will take me years and years to get the ROI with my chipper over buying mulch, I get it by the dump trailer load locally for pretty cheap. But, now I don’t need to do that and it makes cleaning up limbs, brush and trees much easier. The chips aren’t as pretty as the mulch I can buy but it’s good enough for me.

 

[Jstpssng]

I have a chainsaw debarker to clean up logs for my sawmill. When sawing hemlock, it makes nice orange bark mulch. All that you need is a coating on top of your chips, if you want color.

I'm thinking about a chipper because as previously mentioned we can only burn at certain times of the year; and except for winter, that means standing in the rain.

 

[Carl_NH]

Ahh, chips are not mulch.

They can be used as such, but they are not so pleasing to SWMBO.

This is the same way here - we have 20 yards of wood chips 2-3 years old and wife still wants the hemlock bark mulch as she says the wood chips pull nitrogen from the soil around plants.

I do make compost from leaves 2 year old stuff, and top dress with that then "mulch" over that - happy wife happy life.