wrote in message
oups.com...
I have a 8hp chipper. its at best a mixed bag kinda purchase.

its very hard to chip dried wood. my machine will take 4 inch branches.
but with dried stuff even a 3 will tend to be tough and perhaps stall
the machine plus its rough feeding in the branches, arms ache from
vibration. running it is DIRTY and NOISEY.

I wanted a chipper since I was a kid, spent 800 bucks and have come
close to selling it.

I thought I was the only one. I got an 8hp for $125. Sharpened the leaf
blade and the two chipper blocks. Bought four chipper block screws to the
tune of $4 each, freed up the swinging claws that were rusted in one spot,
put in a new plug, and thought I had a great buy. I put several maple
trimmings in it and it ate them so fast I hardly had time to blink. The
chips were nowhere to be found!. I guess it just turned them into sawdust.
The bare dirt stripe under the chute convinced me I should not put my foot
there, nor try to shoot the chips onto the grass anymore. I tried some 1½"
limbs from last year, and the vibration and whipping I got was less than a
pleasure. If the limbs are green, it goes right through, no problem. If they
are cured, forget it. Mine is advertised to take 3", but that is
questionable, and they would have to be green. I have yet to try it though.