I think we won't get around without a mulcher, especially as I'm cutting branches of weeds for my sheep daily. However we have no idea of mulchers. It should be a sturdy machine, maybe second hand but quality. How much petrol does a mulcher uses? I would prefer having something hand driven, but this does not seem to exist.
It seems like you need to get something decent to do this job. I got advice on gardening australia (check it yourself). I can't remember hte name of hte thing but it costs about $2000 and the guy is happy with it. The cheap ones sound dodgy. There are battery driven ones but they don't seem to be as good if you've got a lot of work to do. I wouldn't have a clue how much petrol a mulcher uses. Probably something comparable to a lawnmower but its just a guess and of course lawn mowers differ too in pretrol consumption. the thing is compared iwth chopping stuff up by hand, the efficiency of a decent muclching machine is incomparable.
Check out ebay- some very affordable , decent looking, motor drive ones there. 5.5hp , 15hp etc. I'd stay clear of the electric ones, more trouble than they're worth I reckon The PTO driven ones look good, hook up to the linkage on the back of a small tractor.
G'day heftzwecke Eat the sheep, and get in some goats. This way you get milk, cheese, a jumper and some socks, manure, and eventually a roast dinner or three out of your 'mulchers'. Just a thought... Marcos
We search a butcher for the male and the female I think we would give away maybe in return to butchering.
Its hardly permaculture principles but I am using an electric chipper, $310 Ryobi one. It chips what I cant pile into sticks/leaves to rot down and sticks/branches smaller than what are useful in the garden as supports and timber. It cuts 2" segments as its a gear/sprocket cutter against a steal plate so you end up with chunky bits rather than minced up sawdust. Yes its a token chipper but I find it good for city use. IT allows me to return most of what I take off the plants/tree back to the same tree, hence it gets all the specific nutrient it requires and I am not bringing in organic material to make up for what was wasted/taken away etc. If you have the space or a farm get animal labor, OR prune more often so your cuttings are not so large, or wait longer until the prunings are usable timber/poles. Anyway I just thought I would say that a couple of the silent electric chippers are effective in built up areas and urban blocks. Cheers, Charles Otway
the best damn machine on the market the greenfield peacemaker, not cheap but you get top of the line reliability and endurance. if you get the 10hp model get the electric start. len
I asked Len the same question a year ago and took his advice. Mine has a Honda GSV 190 motor - pull start. It cost $1749 and it's a little ripper. I'm not very good with power tools but I can operate it easily. It uses very little petrol - I think the tank is 2 L and that lasts me probably 10 hours of use (I have never used it more than about 1 hour at a time though as it just flies though the stuff).
That sounds great eco. Certainly OP in this business, (mulching/chipping) you get what you pay for. If you've got a big place and a lot to work through, don't waste your money on a cheap gadget that wont' be up to the job. I FOUND the post from garden oz. Here's what he told me. I bought a greenfield piecemaker 10.5HP about 18 months ago and have been quite happy with it. approx $2000. I had one of the little $400 electric chippers before that and as long as you're happy to chop your bits up with secateurs first they do an OK job, however if you have things like palm leaves, banana leaves or large amounts to do then it's worth the extra money. For example on a small chipper I'd expect a 6 by 4 trailer filled up but not heaped on would take around 3 - 4 hours to put through a little chipper and 20 - 30 minutes in the piecemaker. You have to make sure you never put any dead stuff through as this dulls the blades of any chipper quickly and the duller the blades, the slower the chipping and the more blockages. and don't get too carried away throwing stuff in, slowly is best. The piecemaker has a chipper chute on the side that easily chips anything up to around 5-6 cm in diameter (about as thick as half way up an average forearm . For large branches like that, I'll push it through the side chute till I end up with a pile of small branches left in my hand, then drop them in the top and they just shoot straight through. I have just over 2 acres with about 40% coverage by gardens so far and it easily handles everything I have. $2000 sounds like a lot of money but after you've spent 4 hours bending over breaking up branches, feeding through an electic mulcher to get a one or two wheelbarrows of mulch, you won't think so. I also hear that Hansa make a good chipper too, but I think they are more expensive. Also on a big block, having a petrol one can be great as you just wheel it to where you have to mulch. ( has a catcher bag like a mower if you want the wood chip somewhere else)
Under $2000 that sounds a tiny bit nicer, but I guess worthwhile. What do you mean not to put any dead stuff in it? Mean cut branches are dead stuff. We have got only half acre and the thing should go through a normal door into our shed and be pushed up a ramp. I could get a whole lot of organic matter cutting environmental weeds.
I think he means green wood is ok but not wood that has been lying around and drying out for a long time. This is what blunts blades.
Looking to get a chipper this or next weekend. At the moment I've got my eye set on a Hansa C7, which will set me back $2600. https://www.hansachippers.com.au/?page_id=45 Anybody able to steer me in the right direction? Planning on spending my weekends searching the planet for anything that I can mulch to make compost. Cheers
chippers are another kettle of fish, just to differentiate the common garden shredder as previoulsy mentioned of which the greenfield is about the top of the bunch is just that, a shredder yes it does have a chipper shute thingy to accept green only branches to the recommended size, now keep in mind gum tree branches are lots tougher so be carefull, but yes green material only and fresh cut green all the better. now chippers that is a seperate department, always dearer so with that sort of outlay best be sure it will do what you want it to do, ie.,. it says chips branches to 65mm thick does that also mean gum tree branches and also would suggest the smaller chippers may have restriction on chipping dry stuff, garden type chippers not in the same league as those big commercial jobs tree loppers etc.,. use. just as a thought once you own your shredder or chipper then you need the work for it to do so it returns on investment, 2 or 3 times a year may not fit that bill and doing less than say a trailer load of shredding/chip return probably also not efficient use?? dunno, the purchaser needs to work all that out prefferably in advance of the purchase. still need to change the oil at least once a year. having said all that something that others do, is save their money and get a bloke in with a professional chipper say once a year he does all branch lopping with his chain saw he chips all vegetation he collects, you sit back in the shade of a tree feet up with a suitable cold drink in hand. last i heard they cost around $200 but he then takes 1 load of any rubbish that can't be chipped to the dump as well you gt a load of chip (which is better presented than shredded material), too easy hey? len
Hi, I see this post is a bit old, but maybe people like me are still looking. Question is, how is the Greenfield chipper going? I'm in the market for a new one (have a flail type at the moment but it's not really the best)? So, I'm looking at the Greenfield with the 10.5hp B&S, but also the Hansa C7 which is dearer and not really as highly spec'ed, but looks better built. All the second hand Greenfields I see on the net look a bit the worse for wear and I'm a bit worried about the direct drive, having seen a broken crank on one the other day. I'd be really pleased for some up to date feedback. Many thanks Grant
g'day grant, the greenfield mate you won't go wrong, also has a honda engine both should be electric start len
I got a greenfield piecemaker 11.5hp. It is a ripper. Also looked at the hansa but the old guy I bought it from knew his stuff and recommended the greenfield.