I have both gas and electric. I started with the electric chipper - a
previous model from a Harbor Freight parking lot sale. It only works on
straight branches and don't expect anything over an inch. It is also
slow. We have green waste collection out here and it is generally
faster for me to cut the branches into 3' long lengths and put they in
the collection bins. I don't think I'll ever use the electric model again.
I have lots of hibiscus trees, which fortunately have long straight
branches and are relatively soft. They are also leafy. With fresh cut
branches, the thing clogged like crazy. I found I had to let the
branches sit for 3-4 days so the leaves dried out to avoid frequent
clogs. You don't want to wait too long or the branches get harder to chip.
A few years ago I lucked into a Craftsman 5.5hp chipper/shredder at a
yard sale. It didn't run, but the price was great. I replaced the fuel
shutoff and supply lines then rebuilt the carb and a few other things
and now it works wonderfully. The gas model is so much better, though
I'd say this is the minimum hp. It says it has a 3" capacity, but those
have to be very straight branches. The thing probably weighs about 70
pounds, much of it flywheel. With the chute, this model is about 2.5'
high x 2' wide x 5' long. The chute drops down to the ground so you can
rake leaves into it. I currently store it under a tarp in the backyard
because my garage is up 32 stairs from the back yard and this thing is
heavy. This model takes up to 1" down the shredder chute, but
practically, about 3/4" is a better limit. Anything over 3/4" needs to
go down the chipper chute. It is so much better than the electric.
I have a giant bougainvillea hedge. You can't chip those branches
because they curve all over the place. Those just get cut in small
lengths and put in the green waste. You have to take into account what
you are cutting.
Tips:
- Let the branches with wet leaves sit a few days so the leaves dry
out. This isn't that important with the gas model, but is a necessity
with the electric to avoid clogging.
- When you cut the branches, try and keep the segments straight. If
there is a bend, cut the branch there when you are lopping or sawing.
- Save a few of the nice straight branches to push the small bendy ones
through the shredder.
- Don't over feed the machine. It will just clog or jam. Save a branch
like a short broom stick for clearing jams. Even with the machine off,
you don't want to touch the blades with your fingers. You may need to
pry the flywheel back to clear a jam, so the good branch is nice.
- Save something without leaves for the end to help clean out the machine.
- The logical way to feed is to start with the big end of the branch,
but then if the machine isn't feeding well, you are stuck with a bunch
of small things in the chute. If you can stick the small end first, you
can push the big end of the branch and send it all down the chute.
- Really hard dead branches just bounce off the blades and may be too
much for even a 5.5hp gas chipper.
If you only have an occasion need, it might be best to just rent a
decent chipper so you don't need to store it. I know most of the people
on this list want more tools, but you have to store them and lack of
storage space is another reason the chipper/shredder lives in the
backyard instead of the garage. You might also be better off just
putting all your cuttings in a pile and having someone else come and
haul it away. I did this shortly after moving in and doing lots of
brush clearance. It cost me $200 to have two guys fill a rack body
truck of brush and haul it away. As I get older and have more time
demands with the family, I'm focusing more on working smarter.
Another source in addition to Craig's list are local lawn equipment
dealers with service centers. They might get a trade or something that
just needed a little work to make it good.
Brian
On 8/8/2016 7:38 AM, Jimmie Mayfield wrote:
> Tangentially shop/garage-related in that I'll have to store it in my
> garage... :) I'm in the market for a small wood chipper and floor
> space in my garage is fairly limited so something with the footprint
> of a pressure washer or small snowblower (or smaller) would be ideal.
>
>
> I'm not opposed to an electric model if they perform well but the
> youtube videos I've seen tend to show them chewing on finger-sized
> twigs fed one at a time. I've also read they often clog when fed
> green material and when the knives dull.
>
> I haven't seen many compact gas-powered chippers come across
> Craigslist. I'm not opposed to disassembling the chutes for storage
> though my first choice would be to find one that doesn't have big
> horizontal chutes to begin with.
>
> So a few questions for the group:
>
> 1) If you have an electric wood chipper, how well does it work on
> branches up to, say, an 1-1.5 inch diameter? I figure anything bigger
> I'll just cut manually but if the real-world limits are 1/2-inch with
> only an occasional branch larger than 1-inch, then perhaps I should
> abandon the electric idea. Are the reports of frequent clogging true?
>
> 2) If you have a small gas chipper, how big is the engine? I've seen
> a couple on Craigslist with smallish 3.5hp engines though most seem to
> be in the 8-11hp range. Roughly, what's the storage footprint?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Jimmie
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