[99flhr]

Currently 2 units offered on e-bay. The C/I description is Chipper/SHREDDER. I`m sure they were spendy when new.
Anyone have any experience with these ? idea as to capacity? 2" branches ?
If the available power when hooked to a 4020 is marginal on 2"/3" I`m better off renting a 6" commercial unit.
Even twice a year @ $200 a day would take 2+ years to equal the purchase price.

Your input welcome.

 

[Hydriv]

I do not own one nor have I operated one.

However, this unit was made for Ingersoll by McKissic...one of the most respected names in the chipper/shredder industry. I have read numerous posts by those who do own one and everyone has raved about them. I have yet to read anything negative.

The chipper opening is three inches square and that should tell you something as far as how large a branch it can handle. But let's face some facts about wood in general. You have hardwoods and softwoods as well as fresh cut vs old dead wood. It should be obvious that hardwoods and dead wood will tougher to chip than softwoods and fresh cut. Also, branches have branches and those can get in the way when feeding any size of chipper made. This is not a unit that someone in the tree business is going to buy. It is intended for the homeowner that has a well-tree'd property and cannot burn the stuff he has to clean up in spring, fall and after a bad windstorm. It sits in the corner of his shed, quietly waiting for it to be needed once again. You don't have to spend time and money running to the rental store to spend more money to rent a chipper that is essentially too big for what you want to do and then spend more money and time to return it after filling up the gas tank on that chipper once again.

If you need a tool like this, then just go and buy it. Renting is a sucker's game unless you just need an item ONCE and I don't mean once a year. Of course, you have to service your Ingy chipper periodically and keep the blades sharp. They hold their resale value very well. In my opinion, any branch that will not fit into the Ingy chipper is called firewood..........either for you or for a neighbour.

 

[99flhr]

^ Thanks.
Care to venture a guess as to weight ?

 

[Bart]

There is no question that they are very well made chippers and will handle anything you can run through it with ease. Having experience with a comparable sized chipper as well as my Gravely 6" chipper I can tell you there is a gigantic difference in what you can chip and how quickly. It is very misleading to think of a chipper as a 3" or 6" chipper because they only thing of that diameter they will be able to chip is a dowel rod. In the real world of trees and bushes branches point in all directions and have to be bent or trimmed to fit through the chute and hole next to the chipper knives. In my experience the 3" chippers will frustrate you if you have more than a few bush trimmings to process because you will spend a lot of time cutting things up to fit through the narrow chute and 3" hole. I rarely run anything through my 6" chipper that is larger than 3" diameter because, as Tom rightly pointed out, it is better used as firewood. I can take a 30 ft maple sapling and run it through in about 5 seconds without trimming it because the chipper has a LARGE chute that helps to fold the branches back enough to fit through the 6" hole. Over the winter I took down seven 60+ foot trees and chipped up all the brush over a period of several days. With a helper I could have processed all the branches in about 1/2 day since the chipper works a lot faster than I do.

Bottom line is you have to realistically match the machine to the job and I have found that most people who buy smaller chippers don't use them much. If you want a chipper that will do a good job that one weekend a year when you trim the bushes on your suburban lot then the Ingersoll chipper should be a handy tool but if you have to deal with a large quantity of brush on a heavily wooded lot or farm then I'd go larger.

 

[xfolkboat]

How about shredding?

 

[Hydriv]

Take a look at this site. http://www.mackissic.com/Three%20Point%20Hitch.html
i'd estimate the weight at 300 # tops.

 

[bhildret]

Last one I shipped was 325 lbs on a pallet. Big flywheel in that machine.

Awesome ... will eat a 12 ft long 3" limb in no time flat, especially with a 20hp Onan in front of it.

Brian

 

[glc]

Best attachment I have, use it quite a bit. The chute size on the chipper does require a bit of trimming, but it hasn't been much of an issue. Found you can chip / shred a 4 ft pile of material faster than burning it in most cases. Great for post storm clean up. The only complaint I have is the low discharge height. But an aluminum "coal scoop" works great to catch the material and makes it easy to shovel in to a dump trailer.

Shredding works pretty good. Avoid fiberous or stringy bushes they turn in to "fluff" that you need to shut down and clean out. Depending on what you use the material for you might want to rerun it through the shredder for a finer size as some of the thinner sticks can get through without getting fully broken down.

 

[xfolkboat]

I'd buy that right now if it were a bit closer, I can't get to Illinois right now. Darn I was almost going to buy a BCS chipper (for my uh, BCS) but it doesn't look much bigger than the little Simplicity we use/have used up.

 

[99flhr]

I appreciate everyones input, certainly valid points both pro & con. The brush pile created by my move-in cleanup is 6' x 8' x 40'. Figure I`ll rent the diesel unit and get this monster knocked out quickly. Still tempted to buy another attachment although storage space is at premium.

Thanks again

 

[Bart]

For anyone looking for a 6" chipper, I'd suggest looking at the DR chippers as they appear quite similar to my Gravely and should be very capable. The next step up would be one with power feed but that comes with a power price as well. I have pondered building a power feeder for mine but that's another project.....

 

[Hydriv]

I appreciate everyones input, certainly valid points both pro & con. The brush pile created by my move-in cleanup is 6' x 8' x 40'. Figure I`ll rent the diesel unit and get this monster knocked out quickly. Still tempted to buy another attachment although storage space is at premium.

Thanks again

The above was an important tidbit of info that should have been included at the outset.

This now becomes a TIME vs COST issue and there is no question that a standard drum-style chipper will reduce that huge pile of brush to something more manageable, very quickly. However, it would seem to me that a chipper/shredder should still be an important addition to your arsenal of weapons. Any property that can produce that much debris, will continue to produce debris, albeit lesser amounts annually. Debris needs to be dealt with and it is much easier and simpler to deal with it immediately after it is picked up then after it is chucked into some huge pile. The screens on the chipper/shredder will also allow you to create a more useable mulching material than what you will end up with when that drum-chipper gets done with the pile.

Anyhow....... the order of the day is for you to work safely. Hard hat, safety GOGGLES (not glasses), ear protection, gloves, safety boots, snug fitting clothing and so forth. If what you are firing into a brush chipper manages to grab onto loose clothing, it will try to eat you alive. This is a job for adult males who understand the dangers chippers pose. Kids should not be within 20 feet of a chipper for any reason and wives should not be the ones shoving material into the throat of the chipper, either.........unless she's beyond her "best before date." :sidelaugh:

 

[Bart]

Today I accidentally bought one of these chippers. :crazy: It is close by and was listed on ebay with a high starting bid or offers along with a statement that he knew what it was worth so don't low ball it. I offered half of his minimum opening bid just for kicks and next thing I know I've bought it! He claims it's never been used and came with a tractor he bought.

Well, I've been curious how well these work so I guess I'll have a chance to find out! After I get a chance to play with it I may offer it here to someone who really needs one.

 

[Hydriv]

Once you use it, then it's only worth 1/2 what you paid for it. :lol:

 

[Bart]

Once you use it, then it's only worth 1/2 what you paid for it. :lol:

OK, I won't use it and I'll offer it here for double what I paid and if no one wants it I'll put it on ebay for 3 times what I paid! I am actually quite surprised that there were no bids because I thought the opening bid was really reasonable and I expected someone to snipe it.

 

[xfolkboat]

As I said, only distance kept me away.

 

[bhildret]

Once you use it, then it's only worth 1/2 what you paid for it. :lol:

OK, I won't use it and I'll offer it here for double what I paid and if no one wants it I'll put it on ebay for 3 times what I paid! I am actually quite surprised that there were no bids because I thought the opening bid was really reasonable and I expected someone to snipe it.

My money is on the following scenario unfolding.

Bart comes back in a week or so saying that Chipper really works nice ... seems like it is going to be hard to part with.

Bart comes back a few weeks later saying he has acquired another nice Ingersoll tractor so that he still never has to change implements ... one tractor for every implement ...

Brian

 

[Bart]

Brian,

There is some precedent for your scenario, I wouldn't part with my 60" deck for most mowing but I now have a 210 with a small deck that will work well for trim work or tight spots. The big chipper really is a beast but I don't use it all the time and it is stored deep behind a bunch of other stuff so getting it out is a bit of a chore and not worth the effort all the time. The Ingersoll chipper may turn out to be handy for cleaning up the occasional storm damage or dispensing with the brush left when my wife gets unsupervised access to the loppers.

The one downside is that I don't currently have any tractors set up with a case drain but I suppose you could find me a 4123 fitted with what I need. :sidelaugh: