Great real use review. I have a natural area that has a few years of “leef” buildup and small twigs and branches. This will definitely take care of it.
For sure, and it is light weight enough to take to the job rather than having to try to drag the materials to the chipper like those big towable models.
Excellent lesson on useing chepper/shredders in general. The recip saw is necessary to make things run smoother. Those engines on comsumer grade chippers/shreddeers seem to be barely large enough to do the job. If I ever get a free one, I'd look at getting a larger engine if the crankshaft matches the machine. I got a used one with an 8.5 hp engine and it's barely enough.
Yeah, they definitely don't go overboard with the power. I think the machine is engineered to have the flywheel soak up the larger branches. When the inertia runs out, the machine quits. I am tempted to see if I could swap a little diesel engine onto this. Maybe someday!
I find that a 240cc (~13HP) engine is about right for chipping up to 3" diameter branches. A unit that will handle up to 4 or 5 inches is handy since you don't have to do all that trimming of the branches before you can feed them into the chipper.
Hi. I have a 25+ year old MTD shredder that's dying. I most likely get HF. I was going to tell you about wearing gloves because of the vibration, but you learned that on your own. One tip that I always did was sharpening the chipper blades every year and the mulching blade every other. Actually, everything on a chipper is rather simple so you should get a lot of use out of yours.
I have a very old chipper/shredder which has nothing but flails in it, I think it has 4 rows of flails, all of which need removed and flipped to a new cutting edge, but for the life of me I cannot get the dang thing apart to do so LOL. I was thinking of getting one of these Chipper/Shredders from HF, but I'm going to hold off and get a PTO powered one for my tractor...I have the tractor may as well make use out of it LOL. Nothing wrong with the HF Chipper though, IDK I may still get one, for smaller quicker jobs it might be worth having it as well....the PTO powered ones are usually for much larger materials which I very seldom have.
I have this machine, it’s been OK slow and takes awhile to learn what it will and won’t do. My main comment is don’t loan it out , unless you don’t mind if it comes back broken. They will not be as careful as you are. Mine came back with a broken shaft. I didn’t explain enough about its limitations and to big of stuff was fed in at the top. It was past warranty and I don’t think it covers abuse anyway. 1/2” and no bigger at the top.
Used to work at a trailer dealership. As the happy customer was about to leave we gave them one last piece of advice, "If you love it, don't loan it.".
It's unfortunate that so many of these machines don't at least have a bearing assembly to support the crankshaft on the non engine side of the grinder / chipper. Bent and broken crankshafts are not at all uncommon on these and similar directly coupled chippers. Belt drive from the engine to a bearing supported chipper assembly is much better when it comes to shock loads.
@NuStreamzMedia fresh wood goes through reasonably well. I have found that green branches can overwhelm the brush hopper side of the machine, causing it to clog at the discharge port. Going easy on how quickly I feed green branches seems to make it manageable. I also noticed that letting fresh cut brush sit for 3-4 days really cuts down on clog potential.
Good advice. Frequent oil changes (and air filter too) will be needed due to all the dust. An electric chainsaw would be nice. I'll have to add that to my wishlist!
I have like seven electric chain saws. I have them already to go sharp oiled. I use one for 15 minutes, and go to the next one. I'm using a good generator. This idea of pullalot chain saws , suck. The electric cut just as fast for what I'm cutting, and the generator is like 18 feet away so the noise is not even a factor. I'm 62 years old and cut about a half cord of mesquite wood when I cut. I need a chipper to get rid of the smaller stuff. I have 55 acres and over 1,000 mesquite trees on it. They feed the goat herd most of the time.
Great explanation video, the machine has its purpose. I think the feed for the 3" could be wider, but sometimes in some cases I don't understand what comes to the mind of the designers, but whatever, you got to use a lot of common sense in order to be sucessful...
I thought about buying one of the Predator Wood Chippers, but I am going to hold off and purchase a PTO model for my tractor....there are a few options out there, that I think would better serve me.
Great video and especially great general advice for how to use a chipper. After watching this video, I'm thinking it's easier to load my car with yard debris and take it to the Yard debris dump. About 5 mi from my house they take the yard debris for free and chip it up and return it as mulch for free in the spring. Can't be free. 😂
I'm torn. The yard waste facility charges me $3 (depending on their mood) for a hatchback full of hedge trimmings but i need to knock about 4ft off a hedgerow.
Bought this machine and used it twice over the course of a year. 3rd time we used it, the massive weight of the cutting head was too much for the 1" crankshaft and it snapped right off. Now looking for a machine that is clutch driven or at least has a crank support on both sides of the cutting head.
I'm surprised I haven't had the same results yet. I've stalled my engine many times now, and I'm ready and waiting for some catastrophic failure. There are more durable machines, but not in this price segment!
Looking for a machine with the clutch is going to be difficult I think, most of these are direct drive unfortunately. Maybe if you can find a larger model that is belt driven you may find that it has a clutch, if not, at least the belt would slip if the chipper head gets jammed.
I'm using this exact saw: DeWalt 60V MAX FLEXVOLT Cordless Brushless Reciprocating Saw Link: www.acehardware.com/departments/tools/power-tools/reciprocating-saws/2493377?store=17598&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiArfauBhApEiwAeoB7qECdWRFs7lyf8cvSfU3Bt7HGlt9GqWvB0Rtfr29CH4E_tFCpn8yuYBoC2KcQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds It's completely overkill for this type of work, but I use it for general demolition and metal work as well and it's always up for the task. They make a 20v one that would work for trimming branches that is more affordable.
Hey now, it was my first time! Now I've lost my fear of it and I'm clearing jams with the damn thing running. Hopefully the camera is rolling when I sacrifice a finger to the harbor freight gods!
It definitely has an easier time with dry stuff and I would say if you let the branches sit for a few days, you'll have an easier time. It can do green stuff, but be ready to go easy with feeding, especially leafy stuff. The discharge port loves to get clogged with green leafy stuff.
They are a POS. I bought one. I would barely chip anything. It plugged up 3 times in 30 minutes with barely feeding it. I dumped a small handful of it's own chippings into it, and it plugged. I took it back and bought one for my tractor.
I think it's a fine machine for the price point and works well enough once you know its limits; but there is no way I would ever put up with this machine if I had a tractor!
Oh yes, it's much easier to burn, but I would have a never-ending bonfire going with all the wood out here! It's a lot of work, but the wood chips are useful for mulch and composting. If you need ground cover for landscaping, driveways, or compost for gardening, your work is rewarded with this little machine.
I purchased this earlier this year and it's been a great addition to my property. The cord lock disappeared on mine as well. Ordered a lifetime supply for $5 online. Safety glasses are a minimum! I've been wearing arborist headgear lately (mesh face shield and hardhat) as it throws a lot of chips from the hopper. The rubber guard in the hopper sags over time allowing more chips to ejected. Also, good call on prepping the material. I've had to clear a few jams due to skipping this step.
