Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Whether to purchase a home chipper...

I own a little over 90 acres. Three acres or so is the yard. There's a 2 acre pond that is over grown. The field edges have been neglected and are overgrown. I recently bought a batwing that should help reclaim the field edges. But still think some help may be needed. Also the batwing will help with the pond, but first I have to knock it back to wear I can get the batwing around it.

The yard alone is a losing battle....lots of old landscaping that needs to go.

I have always cut and burned. The reality is that a quarter of the time at best is spent cutting, and the rest hauling and burning. That inefficiency makes it hard to get anything done. If could knock it down to 50/50 I would get twice as much done.
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Also I know that I will need to hire an excavator to get the edges of the pond under control. This will cost an unknown amount. But if I can put a good dent in it, or even get enough of it done to hold off on the excavator, then I can probably cover the cost of the chipper.

From looking around at reviews and youtube, these things are far from perfect. I would want one that I could haul with the atv as opposed to PTO. Looks like would cost close to $3k. Power King 14 hp with Kohler engine is one that has my eye.

Still having a hard time pulling the trigger on this for some reason. Just don't want to be in a regret situation. Also don't want to fall further behind on the yard. Anybody have experience with this one way or the other?
Thanks

Theyre handy...



Or footy

How big in diameter is the stuff you're going to chip up?

Anything firewood size I would just cut for firewood. Up to 4-5" but mostly 2-3" and below. Want to keep it moving.

Rent one. As soon as the worst it done, it will sit in storage from now on.

Get diamond teeth for any bone contact

I have woods 3 point wood chipper, it will take 5" it works great I would get one with a Hydraulic feed and a chute you can aim the chips. Mine just shoots out the bottom. Doing it over I would probably rent a large chipper when the need arises, or burn. Although it's handy to clean up branches that come down during the winter

Have you heard of a bonfire?

Hell yeah. That’s a very handy piece of equipment. It will save you time and generate a ton of mulch.

I tried that cut the schit throw it in a pile and burn it

I've flogged one of these mercilessly for 5 years. But 3" is about as much as it likes to cut.

https://www.ruralking.com/yardmax-chipper-shredder-yw7565

We have a DR chipper and it gets used quite a bit. Had it for about 6 years now. 3" and below, just throw it in and grab more. 4" you may have to work it.

E.
Chipping is a lot of work, especially with a small home chipper. The material still needs to be cut to size to fit machine, moved and inserted piece by piece. Chipping is a high hp power, high fuel consumption situation. Feed speed will be slow when feeding a stick that matches max diameter. Be cautious to mix affordable and chipping performance into the same thought.

Like mfast said, it's alot of money and time of this is a one time use. If all your worried about is the pond, if you have solid shores on the pond, rent a mini with a thumb and burn everything.

Our mini reaches 14 foot and if you have a solid shore, home Depot rents the same or similar size.

Like this one from last month?

I have looked into rentals but not cost effective because I would need over an extended time, no one and done. Also the rental tools I have got in the past have always been beat up junk. I think I'm just going to pull the trigger on this and will report back after I have something to report back on.

The first job I did with my chipper was a fairly large Bradford Pear tree that came down in my front yard. The Yardmax chipper was the perfect tool for chipping up all of those limbs that make up a Bradford pear tree.

Got a tractor and brush hog? They'll mulch that up good.

Only a suggestion... try a rental one?

If I was trying to maintain 90 acres... maybe buy one?



Keep the cutter off the ground... i.e. speed is your friend.