Got a wood chipper

[SHOZ]

I have tons of yard waste from my trees and bushes and high weeds. I use to burn this but the last three years have been making piles of the stuff on my collapsing pond bank. I've been lucky as the ash trees are all dying and the local tree services will gladly dump their chips usually as otherwise they have to haul them somewhere a pay.

But I will continually need to be replacing the mulch that is the final layer of the bank piles. So I ordered a DK2 Kinetic 9.5-HP Gas Powered 277-cc Kohler 5-in Steel Gas Wood Chipper from Lowes. Hope it last as it will get a workout. Not necessarily 5" logs but plenty of smaller stuff.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/DK2-Kineti...Kohler-5-in-Steel-Gas-Wood-Chipper/5013805503

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[cptbarkey]

That is a very nice unit and tow-able to boot. Coincidentally won a barely used PTO chipper yesterday at auction at an unexpected low price, picking it up tomorrow.

Its about that time again.

 

[SHOZ]

The reviews say it is top heavy so you have to be careful towing over uneven ground. For the most part this will just be parked down on the bank as I drag the trimmings there now anyway.

 

[nwjones18]

That's a heavy duty chipper.. I'm going to be doing a lot of clearing this weekend and will end up with a burn pile the size of a school bus, would be nice to just shread it.. I've been considering a pto one myself.

 

[DriveHard]

That looks like fun...wish I had one when I lived in the country. No need now, as our small property has two tiny trees, not even 3" in diameter.

 

[Leo99]

Reading threads like this are a real eye-opener. I live in suburbia. My neighbors are taking down some branches. They have them piled on the curb in the hope that sooner than later the township will come along with their wood chipper and take care of them. I dump branches and stuff like that in the woods behind my house.

 

[supton]

Nice. If I had a shed to store one in, I'd probably have one too. 5 acres, mostly wooded, with a wet area that likes to breed skeeters and so I have a perfect dumping ground.

 

[Urshurak776]

@SHOZ that reminds me. My wife said she hasn't heard from your wife in last couple of weeks, which is highly unusual. When did you get the wood chipper?

 

[SHOZ]

@SHOZ that reminds me. My wife said she hasn't heard from your wife in last couple of weeks, which is highly unusual. When did you get the wood chipper?

I was just thinking my nosy neighbor works third shift. This will be right down there by their house.

 

[Urshurak776]

I was just thinking my nosy neighbor works third shift. This will be right down there by their house.

Then that will be PERFECT! LOL

 

[doitmyself]

Negative Nancy here. My experience with those small chippers is that they are barely good enough for small 1 to 2 inch brush (con). The "pro" is that you have it on hand whenever you need it and can avoid brush piles. I question the quality of the chips also - sometimes stringy (not chunky), at least the one I tried.

You can rent a beefy outfit for $130 per half-day. You could chip a mountain in 3 to 4 hours as they chip as fast as you can feed them.
So if you rent it 2 times a year, you might be ahead of game vs. owning the small one at $2,000 +.

Just my opinion based on my experience. The commercial unit below is only rated to 6 inch diameter...........just saying.

https://www.acerentalsinc.com/product/6-inch-woodchipper/

 

[gfh77665]

...Oh my. Where? Yeah? Aw geez. Okay, there in a jif. Real good, then...

 

[SHOZ]

I would love a big one but it's not what I need. I need something always available and just reduce the structures. I was looking at used one at an action and was aghast....

Chipping would be nice but this is basically just fill. I have big logs now but thy just get cut to length and covered up with debris. Some of this is 8 ft deep with branches some 4 ft deep in chips. But chips or mulch will be what's going on the top.

And I have no way to tow anything.

 

[cptbarkey]

Negative Nancy here. My experience with those small chippers is that they are barely good enough for small 1 to 2 inch brush (con). The "pro" is that you have it on hand whenever you need it and can avoid brush piles. I question the quality of the chips also - sometimes stringy (not chunky), at least the one I tried.

You can rent a beefy outfit for $130 per half-day. You could chip a mountain in 3 to 4 hours as they chip as fast as you can feed them.
So if you rent it 2 times a year, you might be ahead of game vs. owning the small one at $2,000 +.

Just my opinion based on my experience. The commercial unit below is only rated to 6 inch diameter...........just saying.

https://www.acerentalsinc.com/product/6-inch-woodchipper/

All depends on the goals. Have 20 acres which is mostly cedar. I've used some cedar mulch already in strategic spots and its doing a good job with drainage. A single day of slinging brush under pressure with a rental does not make sense. I am a bit intimidated at the lengthy service PDFs that came with it, but such is tractor life.

 

[SHOZ]

I can imagine maintenance is a bit above the lawn mower stuff. The blades are reversible and the chutes are cast iron.

Last two trimmings I did were cedar and I have maybe 20 that I would like to cut down but getting that done is a maybe. I would like the trunks as base to be covered up. Mid summer on is tree trimming season here. But I already have a list of after a frost trimming to do. And something is killing my oaks. Got a red oak that died suddenly maybe 25 years old and another swamp oak that is over 100. It's been slowly dying out for the last ten years though. I would not plan on chopping that monster. It's in the township ROW anyway.....

 

[#18FAN]

Negative Nancy here. My experience with those small chippers is that they are barely good enough for small 1 to 2 inch brush (con). The "pro" is that you have it on hand whenever you need it and can avoid brush piles. I question the quality of the chips also - sometimes stringy (not chunky), at least the one I tried.

You can rent a beefy outfit for $130 per half-day. You could chip a mountain in 3 to 4 hours as they chip as fast as you can feed them.
So if you rent it 2 times a year, you might be ahead of game vs. owning the small one at $2,000 +.

Just my opinion based on my experience. The commercial unit below is only rated to 6 inch diameter...........just saying.

https://www.acerentalsinc.com/product/6-inch-woodchipper/

I fully agree I wouldn’t expect much out of the unit after using the largest rental units you can rent.

 

[SHOZ]

Sorry rental is very inconvenient. 20 miles one way. Have to get something to tow it home. $259 all day for a 8" with 25 hp gas. $679 all week. Maybe I could get a 3 year lease?

I'm now wanting to throw tree trunks into it.

 

[doitmyself]

Don't pay attention to us naysayers . I mentioned above that the convenience factor of having it always available is one of several benefits. And, it seems that you are getting enjoyment out of demolishing tree branches into oblivion, lol.

Although, you did miss an opportunity to need/own an oversized, overpriced pick up truck! Your man license is in jeopardy of being revoked ! Enjoy your chipper.

 

[repairman54]

I've got a 5.5hp MTD that was given to me 10+ years ago. I've beat the snot out of it, and it keeps on going. Never have changed or sharpened blades, just engine maintenance. Feed it until rpm's start dropping too low so it doesn't stall out jammed is the routine.
Would I buy a 5.5, no. I've used an 8hp in past before I got the freebie and it's a minimum size for basic homeowner use. Person who gave it to me bought it to chip up a willow tree.
I consider it my yard garbage disposal, even if it takes longer to chip up branches and brush it's better than looking at a brush pile that will be long there after me.
In my new current place, I had to trim off a ton of lower pine branches, at least 20 trees, so I could walk under the trees and be able to see into the woods for bears and coyotes to keep the small dog safe. The freebie is still going strong for what it is, now for the brush piles that I inherited, sigh.

 

[SHOZ]

Making brush piles on the bank is what got me started with this. I found they are excellent filter/catchers of any debris and dirt. But only from their footprint uphill. Where I put them to restore the bank, when we get our major floods that carry silt they will trap a lot. Great for the birds and every other small critter too. Well some end up as lunch for the other critters....

And there still is a lot of dead ash hanging in the air nobody wants to do anything with. That makes most excellent chips as it's pretty rot resistant and light colored.

Another thing this is doing is keeping the clay bank wet and not drying out. It's been very difficult to get anything worthwhile to grow because of this. Any tree I have planted since does quite well even with 2 ft of mulch over it and our on again off again droughts.