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View Full Version : Semi-Blasphemous, yet Wood Related!



Russ Filtz
07-02-2006, 12:19 PM
Looking for a small wood chipper for annoying dead branches that seem to continuously fall off some old growth oaks in my back yard. Branches litter the yard and range up to 1" diameter or so. Makes mowing an obstacle course!

Any good, small, cheap, chippers out there?

Ken Garlock
07-02-2006, 12:36 PM
Oh Russ, didn't you learn anything from watching the TV show Home Improvement.:) ;) What you need is a bigger mower that will just eat the branches.:eek: :D

Bob Childress
07-02-2006, 12:46 PM
Russ,

Try this link. They have stand alone and combo types. Don't know what you would consider cheap, though.:p I own the CSV 206 and it does a good job with both leaves and branches.

http://www.troybilt.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category2_10001_14102_17688_17680_17680_-1

Brad Townsend
07-02-2006, 12:59 PM
I just bought one last year and IMHO to get something decent, plan on spending $500+. I was looking for the same thing you are and found out that "good" and "cheap" don't go together. I was also frustrated that none of the rental places seemed to have anything smaller than the tow-behind monsters the pros use. I ended up getting a (dare I say it?) Craftsman on sale. Basically the same as a Snapper. The same units are sold under various other brand names as well. Is 7.5HP and will supposedly handle branches up to 3", but that is really stretching it. For 2" or less and normal garden waste, it works great. It is more than I wanted to spend, but have used it a lot and has really taken care of our garden waste problem. All the branches and green waste get chewed fine and put back on the garden.

Cliff Rohrabacher
07-02-2006, 1:03 PM
I use my mower. I have over 6 acres and I only pick up dead falls if they over 6" diameter or so.

Of course, ya gotta have a brute of a mower.

Jim Becker
07-02-2006, 1:11 PM
Mighty Mac (http://www.mackissic.com/) has a very good reputation...and buying their green machine is usually more cost effective than the versions they OEM to other brands which sell for more money. Robert Tarr just bought one...it's a sweet machine!

Frank Fusco
07-02-2006, 1:36 PM
Ye tryin' to get a contract with the White House? ;) :D

Wes Bischel
07-02-2006, 2:00 PM
Well Russ, good is a relative term.;) I know there are those that hate Harbor Freight, but I have found some items that work well. A friend recommended this chipper as decent for small stuff:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=92281

It's electric, goes on sale for $100 every so often. We have two huge ash trees that have the same habit as your oaks. Nothing too big, just a pain to deal with. So I bought one (with the 20% off coupon of course).

Pro: It works as advertised. It has a small footprint for storage. If it jams (and it did a few times) it is easy to clear and easy to restart. No seasonal mothball or other maintenance necessary. It is quiet when running (and not chipping)

Con: The feed chute has a restrictor which means sticks with multiple branches won't feed easily - usually they need to be cut down. It's electric which means you have to drag a cord around - I set mine up behind the garage so it's not an issue for me. It isn't a high powered machine, so it takes a bit longer to digest the bigger sticks. It did jam a few times, but took less than a minute to clear each time.

For my situation, it was a better choice than collecting them, bagging and taking them to the township recycle station. Buying a large gas chipper would have been overkill for me.

FWIW, just another option,
Wes

Tom Hamilton
07-02-2006, 5:19 PM
Russ I bought a used 5HP Troybilt in 2000 and used it regularly until last year. Sold it this spring for 60% of purchase price.

Always started on first or second with the Tecumseh engine, ground everything that would fit in the chute.

They are noisy and will not discriminate between branches and hands.

I would buy a Troybilt again in a minute.

All the best, Tom