Our backyard backs up to woods. I want to make wood mulch instead of tossing downed limbs back over the fence all the time. Economical is good but it doesn't have to be the cheapest one made. I want something substantial but easy to handle.

While you're waiting, you might trim and lay the limbs so they are as close togther as possible. Add some grass clippings or leaves so the pile tends to hold water. the wood will soften and be easier to chop finely.

Or wait a few years, call it "hugelculture" and just plant on top of the crumbled woodpile.

My plan is to post a request on some bulletin boards and borrow or trade for the use of one.

Tee, we have a gas one that we bought from Sears years ago. It just says MTD on the side. We have a large yard at the lake with lots of limbs falling off the pecan trees and an old elm. We don't have a dump close by up there, so we were hauling limbs home every weekend. We use it at home too for oak limbs and all those leaves. I "can" use it by myself, but only if I get to it first. (You know how helpless women are, right?) You will get very dirty, but it does make great mulch, whichever one you choose!.

All good ideas. I have a limb pile behind the fence but can't get to it easily anymore now that the neighbors fenced their yard for the dog. :(

I hadn't thought about Sears. They have electric too so going to check them out.

Thanks.

Get a good idea of the average size of what you are going to be chipping and buy accordingly. You can't go wrong with DR Chipper, excellent performance and warranty. Also in response to RickCorey's comment about waiting a few years, call it hugelculture and plant on it, instead pile the brush up in a short row about 3 feet high and wide, cover it with a layer of humus or leaves, cover that with a layer of good dirt and plant right away. Plant on the tops and sides. It will be virtually self-watering and self-feeding and will not take up a large amount of space and will produce copious amounts of food.

I've recommended that people go rent one before they choose to buy, Tee. The reason being is that most folks see all the ads and tv commercials showing a chipper/shredder in action and there is always a huge pile of finished product and much glory. When I bought my first one, a larger-than-normal unit I was shocked how slow-going they are. It literally takes hours of work to get any sizable amount of wood chips that you can use. Plus, depending on the type of wood and the size of the branches it takes quite a while just to chip one good-sized branch. Many people think they are like the huge commercial ones that you just toss a branch in and it comes out chipped or shredded within seconds. No so.

I ended up giving mine away a few years later. Even friends who borrowed it brought it back saying they had no idea how long it took just to get a wheelbarrows worth of chipped wood.

If you rent one you can easily decide if you want to keep something like that around, using it once or twice a year and having to deal with maintenance (sharpening the blades is a chore), storage, etc. Sometimes you come out to the better renting one and not being responsible for the maintenance, upkeep, storage, and initial outlay of cost. After all, it is definitely one of those pieces of equipment you'll use sparingly.

Shoe

I have a Simplicity chipper/shredder that is several years old and still works like a new one. It takes limbs up to 2 1/2" I think and eats them quickly and easily. It takes no time at all to get a good pile of mulch with it. Just remember that they have a chipping ratio that will determine the size of the chips are. I think ours is a 6 - 1. The chips are fairly small and make a nice mulch. Renting one is good advice. Because once you get rid of the pile of limbs you have now it may be a couple years before you have that many again. Ours does leaves very will too. If they are very wet tho it will clog up somewhat.

Thanks, Shoe and leaflady. That is good advice and since I hardly have room for one more thing in the garage, I will probably do that for starters. We back up to woods and especially during tornado season when we can have strong winds off and on and also sometimes over the winter if we get a lot of snow and ice, I seem to have a fairly sizable recurring pile of limbs.

Maybe this makes it more effective than some:

"Triangular swinging hammers with more shredding action than rectangular hammers".
I seem to see both chipping "knives" and two kinds of "hammers".

Since prices start over $900, I'll never need to know!

We paid over $800 about 10 yrs ago. Simplicity is or was a USA made brand at that time.

I have a 5 hp simplicity that I love. Unfortunately , at 71 I gave up using it this y ear.

That's another vote for the Simplicity.

Whatever you decide to do, buy or rent, get with a couple of neighbors or friends, rent or buy together to reduce the cost and create "community". After the jobs are done have a big potluck cookout at your place and celebrate.