Recommendation for a Chipper/Shredder for Greens
I am a member of a large community garden, about 150 plots. We have been making compost by chopping up material with a lawn mower. It is labour intensive. We were thinking a chipper/shredder would help. We are willing to invest $1,500 to $2,000 on a larger gas powered unit. Trouble is we can't find anyone that has used a chipper/shedder for mostly green material. Most people use them for trees and branches. All videos I have found shown the same. Any advice or recommendation for a commercial grade chipper/shredder for breaking down green material ranging from sunflower stalks to potato tops would be appreciated.
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jal_ut
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 7447
- Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
- Location: Northern Utah Zone 5
I have never had a chipper/shredder. The Troybilt tiller does a great job of tilling down standing corn stalks and cutting them up as it goes. Till in the fall, by spring that organic matter is mostly broken down. Here, during the growing season, I use spare organic materials as mulch between rows. In the fall the leaves get raked and put on the garden, and its all tilled in.
The larger chipper shredders are designed for trees and tree trimmers to use.
Smaller machines are designed for smaller branches up to 3 inches and has a hopper for green waste.
It is good to have a chute so the chipped material can be directed to a collection truck or area.
https://www.bearcatproducts.com/products ... rs/sc3206/
https://www.bearcatproducts.com/products ... s/sc5720b/
These are not maintenance free. You will need to do regular maintenance and the blades need to be changed when they get dull.
Our community garden considered getting one of these but we have a lot of theft in the gardens. Someone with a tow hitch would have to keep it at their house and bring it in when it was needed. Tillers, tools, chain saws, wheelbarrels, ladders, and even backpacks have been stolen from the garden along with the bananas, chayote, and other produce.
Smaller machines are designed for smaller branches up to 3 inches and has a hopper for green waste.
It is good to have a chute so the chipped material can be directed to a collection truck or area.
https://www.bearcatproducts.com/products ... rs/sc3206/
https://www.bearcatproducts.com/products ... s/sc5720b/
These are not maintenance free. You will need to do regular maintenance and the blades need to be changed when they get dull.
Our community garden considered getting one of these but we have a lot of theft in the gardens. Someone with a tow hitch would have to keep it at their house and bring it in when it was needed. Tillers, tools, chain saws, wheelbarrels, ladders, and even backpacks have been stolen from the garden along with the bananas, chayote, and other produce.