Wood Chipper Recommendations ?

[Ski220]

I seem to generate a lot of yard waste. Nothing to big, but a lot.

Since I would rather compost and recycle then haul to the town transfer
station I have been wanting to get a home garden chipper.

Looked at a few online.

Harbor Frieght - https://www.harborfreight.com/65-HP-...yABEgLRrPD_BwE

Home Repo has several - https://www.homedepot.com/b/Outdoors...1212,8456,1272

And Lowes - https://www.lowes.com/pd/Country-Pro...per/1001862192

The Harbor Freight is the cheapest in price followedby the Lowes product.

Anybody have any experience with this type of home garden equipment?

Any thoughts or recommendations?

[XXX-er]

thats what everyone sez ... yard waste

[hawkgt]

All the lighter weight stuff is decent for around home. Slow feed and small limbs. Bit slow but work, wore one out in MO over few years, left it at the house when left. It was toast.

You can always lighten the wallet with this......
https://www.drpower.com/Power-Equipm...xoCIsYQAvD_BwE

[bodywhomper]

Not to discourage your tool purchasing, but the 6” chipper that I just rented over the weekend was $150 for a 24hr rental and 8hrs of running time of the engine. It handled up to 5” diameter trunks and limbs pretty well. It sucks at piles of needles. My preference has always been to build up the material and then to an annual chipping day.

[RootSkier]

I hear hogs work better for getting rid of evidence.

[hawkgt]

Not to discourage your tool purchasing

jk

[Dantheman]

Not to discourage your tool purchasing, but the 6” chipper that I just rented over the weekend was $150 for a 24hr rental and 8hrs of running time of the engine. It handled up to 5” diameter trunks and limbs pretty well. It sucks at piles of needles. My preference has always been to build up the material and then to an annual chipping day.

This sounds like solid advice. Ride it hard, give it back wet, and the inevitable breakdowns are someone else's problem. There's a time and place for cheap shit from Harbor Freight but this does not seem like one of them.

[snowaddict91]

This sounds like solid advice. Ride it hard, give it back wet, and the inevitable breakdowns are someone else's problem. There's a time and place for cheap shit from Harbor Freight but this does not seem like one of them.

Yeah. My mom's husband has one of the small ones and it struggles with even medium sized stuff. Back in March he was trying to push some stuff through it without it getting stuck and shredded the tips of his fingers. He was super lucky to not have any major damage, but I don't think it would have happened if he had a bigger one and wasn't trying so hard. YMMV.

[bodywhomper]

Btw, there’s a non-chainsaw land maintenance thread


The land maintenance, non-chainsaw thread
https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...d.php?t=311381

[Danno]

thats what everyone sez ... yard waste

solid work, first post in the thread

[stuckathuntermtn]

A wood chipper from Harbor Freight sounds....dangerous.

[Core Shot]

A wood chipper from Harbor Freight sounds....dangerous.

Or . . .

The opening line for an entertaining post

[XXX-er]

Yeah. My mom's husband has one of the small ones and it struggles with even medium sized stuff. Back in March he was trying to push some stuff through it without it getting stuck and shredded the tips of his fingers. He was super lucky to not have any major damage, but I don't think it would have happened if he had a bigger one and wasn't trying so hard. YMMV.

he should have watched the Fargo instructional video

[Deebased]

Yeah. My mom's husband has one of the small ones and it struggles with even medium sized stuff. Back in March he was trying to push some stuff through it without it getting stuck and shredded the tips of his fingers. He was super lucky to not have any major damage, but I don't think it would have happened if he had a bigger one and wasn't trying so hard. YMMV.

This. If you're dead set on buying one purchase one a size or two larger than you think you need.

[Timberridge]

Back in my Branch Covidian days I had a Bearcat pto drive version I ran off a 38 hp tractor but I imagine a small one being a whole weekend affair for a 6' pile of stuff. Thing was really good but honestly, it was just easier to burn the shit after the first snow.

[BmillsSkier]

Another vote for Harbor Freight, I mean their chopsaws are like disposable tools so what could go wrong?

Or, as TR said, just burn it all in effigy.

[XXX-er]

chipping waste when you need to get rid of it for a business purpose makes sense

but how much sense does it make unless you need to get rid of a lot of bodies ?

Hauling waste to town when you happen to be going anyway will cost nothing

[Timberridge]

Another vote for Harbor Freight, I mean their chopsaws are like disposable tools so what could go wrong?

Or, as TR said, just burn it all in effigy.

I'd imagine when it malfunctions it just chips itself into the chip pile? A sort of chipper version of self immolation.

Though I hear different parts of the US burn more easily than others so please respect your local laws and remember...

[BmillsSkier]

Good point on the forest fires.

I recently saw a clip of Tanner Hall (RIP) skiing where his skis were throwing sparks off his edges with absolutely zero concern for catching his surroundings on fire.

Just careless really; I'd hate to see how he operates a wood chipper.

[zion zig zag]

I can highly recommend a Vermeer Bc1000xl

[Timberridge]

Bmills, if he was out west or in western Canada that was showing complete disregard for his surroundings.

Unless some poor dude was following with an extinguisher or really long garden hose, Candide skiing on grass and rocks in that one video of his is another one.

[Ski220]

Thanks for all the reply's.
The Fargo scene was expected. Not if but when.
Horror Freight was funny also.

Hauling waste to town when you happen to be going anyway will cost nothing

I already live IN town.

This. If you're dead set on buying one purchase one a size or two larger than you think you need.

Was my thinking

A wood chipper from Harbor Freight sounds....dangerous.

Also my thinking.

. My preference has always been to build up the material and then to an annual chipping day.

Certainly a consideration.

I would rather compost and recycle then haul

Currently I get about 1/2 to 1 yard of dirt yearly from what I am able to compost.

The idea is to generate more and to speed up the process.

[BmillsSkier]

Bmills, if he was out west or in western Canada that was showing complete disregard for his surroundings.

Unless some poor dude was following with an extinguisher or really long garden hose, Candide skiing on grass and rocks in that one video of his is another one.

Candice ALWAYS has two trailing skiers.

One for the camera, and one with the fire extinguisher and reggae boom box.

[bodywhomper]

Something else to consider, is there non-ethanol fuel available in your area? If not, with infrequent use, then you will likely need to be dealing with draining the tank and disposing the fuel somewhere else (car) as another step after every use (unless you’re burning through full tanks frequently).

[Timberridge]

Something else to consider, is there non-ethanol fuel available in your area? If not, with infrequent use, then you will likely need to be dealing with draining the tank and disposing the fuel somewhere else (car) as another step after every use (unless you’re burning through full tanks frequently).

Either ethanol or non-ethanol gas is great to get the burn pile going. Diesel not so much.