Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Need advice on Leaf Shredder Chipper

Good morning All,

I have about a week before I'll be ready to do some yard cleanup. 70% leaves (50+ bags) and the rest brush up to about 2". I'm debating between something like the Worx vs Harbor Freight gas powered chipper. Pros/cons? I've seen a ton of videos but I think there is more expertise here. Any advice would be appreciated.

Use the money for the chipper and hire a lawn service.

Did a lot of research on chippers and shredders last year and ended up not buying any of them. Unless you go high dollar commercial, the shredders don’t chip well and all of them seem to have trouble with material that has much fiber in it, like corn stalks and a lot of the larger flower stems, etc.

I bought a Craftsman gas mower/mulcher (garage sale) and use it to chop/shred most of our garden debris into coleslaw size. I pile the stuff to be shredded beside our large compost bin, raise up the front of the mower over it and lower it at full power. It works well. We have over an acre of garden, 8 fruit trees and huge flower/shrub/berry beds and patches, so we have a lot of pruning, grass and leaves.

I may build a box around it open on one side for a bit more safety and the shredded debris will spit out into the compost bin. So far I’ve used the mower bag. I am thinking of cutting a hole in the deck above the mower blade and install a stovepipe feeder chute. It shreds leaves well, and I decided to give up on chipping most wood debris and just burn it.

I tried a harbor freight that was supposed to be rated for 3in. Really means 1in, maybe 2 if limb is half rotten or softwood like pine. I got rid of it, insanely loud.

We had a couple bradford pears at the last house and the wife bought me the worx one that uses weed eating line, actually did pretty dang good on the leaves. But of course wouldnt handle brush.

I have a 6 HP chipper bought it at a garage sale 15 years ago payed $100 was like new....it's basically only used once a year to do leaves, garden plants and some branches from the neighbors tree that fall in my yard....
Have a garden that I run the leaves and plant stalks threw usually twice to get fine and brakes down easer...I'll do 30 yards when done chipping theres less than 5 yards just enough to cover my garden with a couple inches then rototill in for the winter....

I think you are better off taking the money and renting one for a day or so. That or burning them if you can.

Once a year for a couple of days or even a week- RENT. You'll probably be able to rent a better machine for $100-150 a day than you'd be able to buy for $1500.

RogueH - are you going to use the end product as yard mulch?

They're worthless if they jam..