Bought mine last Friday, 10/16/20. Used it the next day for 2 hours straight on fresh cut pecan branches that I had prune. Worked great and didn’t falter. Dry happy I bought it.
This thing looks like it’s running a 8 hp! But it’s a 6.5hp. What a champ. Plus it looks really easy to maintain and fix. Looking forward to buying one of these.
Thanks for the video - bought mine yesterday based on it. Straight old stuff up to 3” is a breeze. Make sure there are no bends in the wood - so cut them straight. It did give me a hard time on fresh cut - birch and lilac - I would avoid anything fresh over 2” (unless soft wood) as it does bind up and stall. I also needed to pull out some wood chunks that got trapped in the holes in the chipper/shredder wheel. But I imagine this is common to all these smaller machines. Nevertheless, suitable for my needs, was on sale and used a coupon.
@@buyerofsorts still works for me. I had one bad jam when I put thick palm tree branches in - not a good idea. I was able to remove the rear easily to remove the jam no problem. Other than that one time, it’s been great.
@@ibronca3725 No. It gets jammed. I tried dry palm leaves twice and it did the same thing; it wrapped around the spindle and I had to take the rear plate off to remove it. Not good for dry palm leaves at all.
Some of those branches look a little larger than the 3 in. that they suggest and it did not seem to slow down at all. This is exactly what I needed to see. I'll be getting one this weekend. Thanks!!
You're welcome. With the large pieces you do need to pace it by feeding them in by hand. If you just let it pull the wood in freely it will go too fast and bog it down.
Thank you for making this video and showing that you can actually put 3-in pieces of wood in there. It's like everybody's scared to put s*** in there. They only put twigs 😂
Much of what I’ve got to chip is like your branches, mostly dead stuff and a little bigger than the 3” branch 👍🏻 I’ll be getting one of these soon! Thank You for the video 👍🏻
Your wood is much deader than the average youtube chipper review, which makes this one look even more impressive. Most ive seen are people putting green wood in which jams quicker. Think i am sold though on this.
I am actually. Still use it often, and though it is in need for new or sharpened teeth it still gets the job done. Just a bit slower than it used too. It'll still chew through soft woods with ease, but the hickory and oak are bit more troublesome and jam it more frequently now days.
Thanks for the info. My FIL asked me if I wanted a chipper from HF and I was hesitant. May consider it seriously now. I prefer to buy US made, but they are all 2x the $$.
You're welcome. I know the feeling, I don't typically trust HF either. I've had great luck with this chipper and a few of their other small engine products.
just bought one. They were out of stock at my local store so I got stuck with a $90 shipping charge to have it sent to me directly, but that was offset by a $60 coupon that brought the price down to $429 - a ridiculous deal compared to other comparable (or even less effective) machines. Thanks for posting the video - this was proof positive that this machine will be up to the task Ive got for it
I noticed everyone who posted a video of reviewing this Shredder no one is attempting to use the top portion I wanted to see what is the top portion used for
I was curious to know how easy it is to un-jam if something should lock up inside the blades? I used to have to do it on my old one frequently, and it was a pain in my rear.
Depends, but as the chipper ages and begins to get a bit more dull it jams more often. There is an access plate on the back or you could remove the chute if you REALLY get it jammed. Usually it gets jammed at the chute right up against the flywheel/teeth and you can use a stick to spin the flywheel the opposite direction and free it up. Hard woods like oak and hickory tend to cause most of the jams, so taking it slow with those is your best bet to avoid jams.
mine jammed when I made the mistake of putting thick palm branches - huge mistake! But, if you remove the back plate, you can remove the debris with no problem. If I could change anything I would make a latch for the rear so removing the rear plate is easier - not that it's hard it's just removing all the bolts, removing the jam, then putting it back slows you down. Overall, just be patient and don't overstuff it and don't put palm branches or thick wet or green branches and you'll be fine
Predator 6.5hp from Harbor Freight. Regular price they normally run just under $500, but they often have coupons for around $430 or less. It'll run for a few hours on one tank. I've never timed it, but I really don't add gas very often.
This low dumping type of chipper makes you work twice. Once to pick up the branches and twice to pick up the chips off the ground. I prefer the type that dumps high, that way you bring a 32 gallon bin next to it and it fills it up as you chip.
For most, the price would justify a little bit of extra work. The bag actually holds quite a bit though, roughly 30 gallons. Or if you're like me, just let it pile up and rake it out across yard.
Well, we just recently had an ice storm that left us with several truck loads of downed branches. I ran it almost nonstop for a day and half during the cleanup, and it's still working great!
@@TheMetalheadHomestead Really huh? Well damn, I've always been under the impression that Harbor Freight sold poor quality tools that were only meant for a limited amount of use if you know what I'm saying. I may have to rethink this one. Thanks for the answer.
They definitely do sell a lot of poor quality tools. Screwdrivers and air tools come to mind. I've had really good luck with their Predator line and engine stands and hoist though.
Yes it is pine, so fairly soft wood. With hard woods like oak and hickory it is a very time consuming process to feed large limbs through it. I no longer even bother trying to feed it the post and blackjack oak I have around here. I do put a lot of hickory through it though, probably more so than any other wood.
The augers do not last in these machines. Its the hard wood that does it. I've seen one so far where the auger fractured. Be careful Chinese steel is not like the old MTD machines... Its 10 times worse.
Just remember, you get what you pay for! I don't care how much your coupon reduces to purchase the Harbor Freight Chipper/Mulcher. ITS NOT WORTH IT! I had mine for one year and it worked ok. It DOES NOT TAKE 3" limbs...... The shaft sheered the following year and of course i did not take the extended warranty. The Customer Service line is a joke. You have to have a lot of time to stay on hold until anyone answers. Once answered, the Customer Service rep. stated i could purchase another shaft for it. I did and it was not really that expensive. They also sent it pretty fast. Well, that was a joke. You literally have to be a small engine mechanic with all the tools to tear the entire engine apart to install the new shaft. A friend told me it was cheaper to purchase another engine with the shaft. So, i called back, waited an hour and they took the part back. I ordered the engine for $120 but now the shaft does not smoothly fit the hub. Very long frustrating time latere, i sold the entire piece of crap on Facebook to someone for $50 and bought a REAL CHIPPER!.
I've put both through it. I really don't notice much of a difference from fresh cut to dry wood. The only noticeable difference is from different types of wood. Wood like pine, hickory and cottonwood are a breeze, while harder wood oak and maple are slower going.
You can drop them in the hopper. You might have to keep a big stick around to stir them up though. I imagine they'd like to stick together and clog it up a bit.
@@TheMetalheadHomestead thanks for replying so fast. 20+ years of pine cones and can’t mow anymore without breaking something. I will leave a reply how it does. Thanks again.
Very much so. In my opinion this is one of those rare Harbor Freight gems that is simply too good of a deal to pass on. Especially if you can catch it on sale at around $450 or so.
Definitely not a typical homeowner tool, but can generally be had for $460 on sale. Compare that to the box store chippers which run $500ish and have many plastic parts, and it doesn't seem too bad. It makes sense if you live on a heavily wooded lot, and are in an area that has a lot of burn bans.
I may be lazy and I may be a guy, but I'll have you know I was using that machine well within it's factory parameters! Seriously though, thanks for watching and commenting. Have a great day.
Fuck off. You chose to watch his video. No one asked you to come here and talk shit. Im glad he posted this video it has actually convinced me to purchase one.
@@TheMetalheadHomestead I want to retract my previous comment. After purchasing this machine I realized that you weren't being lazy, nor abusing the machine. I'm not deleting my previous comment because it was an shit thing to say and I should have to own my words. Thanks for the vid and review, please accept my apology, and keep on keepin' on.
Bought mine last Friday, 10/16/20. Used it the next day for 2 hours straight on fresh cut pecan branches that I had prune. Worked great and didn’t falter. Dry happy I bought it.
Yup this was enough to convince me.
This thing looks like it’s running a 8 hp! But it’s a 6.5hp. What a champ. Plus it looks really easy to maintain and fix. Looking forward to buying one of these.
Thanks for the video - bought mine yesterday based on it. Straight old stuff up to 3” is a breeze. Make sure there are no bends in the wood - so cut them straight. It did give me a hard time on fresh cut - birch and lilac - I would avoid anything fresh over 2” (unless soft wood) as it does bind up and stall. I also needed to pull out some wood chunks that got trapped in the holes in the chipper/shredder wheel. But I imagine this is common to all these smaller machines. Nevertheless, suitable for my needs, was on sale and used a coupon.
Me too, I bought one yesterday. I will say make sure you follow the break in period instructions. It's awesome.
So how is your working so far? The host of this video said his is working great still. I'm trying to gather some more opinions.
@@buyerofsorts still works for me. I had one bad jam when I put thick palm tree branches in - not a good idea. I was able to remove the rear easily to remove the jam no problem. Other than that one time, it’s been great.
@@Jermaine_Jones Can you tell me if it chip dry palm leaves well, I need it for that. I can't find any reference to palm leaves
@@ibronca3725 No. It gets jammed. I tried dry palm leaves twice and it did the same thing; it wrapped around the spindle and I had to take the rear plate off to remove it. Not good for dry palm leaves at all.
@@Jermaine_Jones Thanks, you save me
Some of those branches look a little larger than the 3 in. that they suggest and it did not seem to slow down at all. This is exactly what I needed to see. I'll be getting one this weekend. Thanks!!
You're welcome. With the large pieces you do need to pace it by feeding them in by hand. If you just let it pull the wood in freely it will go too fast and bog it down.
I believe it can do 3 inches or a bit bigger if the wood is completely dry.. if it's wet it can barely do 2 inches
Yup , apparently we’re getting a harbor freight wood chipper 👍🏼
Thank you for making this video and showing that you can actually put 3-in pieces of wood in there. It's like everybody's scared to put s*** in there. They only put twigs 😂
I need one so I can compost faster!!!!!!
Is it still working good? I’m about the pull the trigger on getting one.
Much of what I’ve got to chip is like your branches, mostly dead stuff and a little bigger than the 3” branch 👍🏻
I’ll be getting one of these soon!
Thank You for the video 👍🏻
Your wood is much deader than the average youtube chipper review, which makes this one look even more impressive. Most ive seen are people putting green wood in which jams quicker. Think i am sold though on this.
Game changer...
It's been over 2 years now. Are you still happy with this wood chipper?
I am actually. Still use it often, and though it is in need for new or sharpened teeth it still gets the job done. Just a bit slower than it used too. It'll still chew through soft woods with ease, but the hickory and oak are bit more troublesome and jam it more frequently now days.
Thanks for the info. My FIL asked me if I wanted a chipper from HF and I was hesitant. May consider it seriously now. I prefer to buy US made, but they are all 2x the $$.
You're welcome. I know the feeling, I don't typically trust HF either. I've had great luck with this chipper and a few of their other small engine products.
just bought one. They were out of stock at my local store so I got stuck with a $90 shipping charge to have it sent to me directly, but that was offset by a $60 coupon that brought the price down to $429 - a ridiculous deal compared to other comparable (or even less effective) machines. Thanks for posting the video - this was proof positive that this machine will be up to the task Ive got for it
You're welcome and thanks for watching! I'm sure you'll enjoy it, it really is a very impressive tool for cost.
Hey. What coupon did you use? I can't find one that applies to the chipper
Current coupon code is 99512361and it is for $429.99. Good until 6-30-20.
The Metalhead Homestead
Awesome. Thanks for the quick reply and great actual video of REALLY using it
@@TheMetalheadHomestead beat me to it! should have included in my original post. Thanks again
def buying on when taxes come back! wish i wouldn't have waited so long
The best chipper review on YT. None of that blah..blah... none sense talks that take half of the time of the video. Just chip and shred and repeat.
Great video!
Thanks
I noticed everyone who posted a video of reviewing this Shredder no one is attempting to use the top portion I wanted to see what is the top portion used for
It's just for small twigs and leaves.
@@TheMetalheadHomestead thank you. 😊
I wander how this thing would do against palm tree fans ,,,, thnx for input
It’ll really shine if you remember to feed it seasoned dry wood
I was curious to know how easy it is to un-jam if something should lock up inside the blades? I used to have to do it on my old one frequently, and it was a pain in my rear.
Depends, but as the chipper ages and begins to get a bit more dull it jams more often. There is an access plate on the back or you could remove the chute if you REALLY get it jammed. Usually it gets jammed at the chute right up against the flywheel/teeth and you can use a stick to spin the flywheel the opposite direction and free it up. Hard woods like oak and hickory tend to cause most of the jams, so taking it slow with those is your best bet to avoid jams.
mine jammed when I made the mistake of putting thick palm branches - huge mistake! But, if you remove the back plate, you can remove the debris with no problem. If I could change anything I would make a latch for the rear so removing the rear plate is easier - not that it's hard it's just removing all the bolts, removing the jam, then putting it back slows you down. Overall, just be patient and don't overstuff it and don't put palm branches or thick wet or green branches and you'll be fine
What model, brand, and how much.. also how long does it run on one tank of fuel
Predator 6.5hp from Harbor Freight. Regular price they normally run just under $500, but they often have coupons for around $430 or less. It'll run for a few hours on one tank. I've never timed it, but I really don't add gas very often.
Thats about right, an el cheapo harbor freight beats the pants of the 2 to 3 thousand dollar models Ive looked at, lol.
Some harbor freight stuff is badass! I’ll be purchasing this machine in a few weeks. This video convinced me to purchase it.
@@MadTrax572 yeah, ive been seeing a lot of.good reviews on a 110 welder theyve got as well
Is that your accomplice in the chipper?
And it's a beautiful day out.
This low dumping type of chipper makes you work twice. Once to pick up the branches and twice to pick up the chips off the ground. I prefer the type that dumps high, that way you bring a 32 gallon bin next to it and it fills it up as you chip.
Or you could use the bag that comes with it. Problem solved
@@fakename7570 How many bags does it come with? one I am guessing right? Fill one bag and then what?
For most, the price would justify a little bit of extra work. The bag actually holds quite a bit though, roughly 30 gallons. Or if you're like me, just let it pile up and rake it out across yard.
@@freddyrosenberg9288 then dump it into that 32 gallon bin you were talking about
@@freddyrosenberg9288 Um...let me think...uh...well I guess then you wouldn't have to pick them up off the ground? Does that sound right?
Dang it did good
So how's it running now? Still good or?
Well, we just recently had an ice storm that left us with several truck loads of downed branches. I ran it almost nonstop for a day and half during the cleanup, and it's still working great!
@@TheMetalheadHomestead Really huh? Well damn, I've always been under the impression that Harbor Freight sold poor quality tools that were only meant for a limited amount of use if you know what I'm saying. I may have to rethink this one. Thanks for the answer.
They definitely do sell a lot of poor quality tools. Screwdrivers and air tools come to mind. I've had really good luck with their Predator line and engine stands and hoist though.
@@TheMetalheadHomestead So noted! :)
Is the film speeded up, or does it eat wood that fast?
It's sped up, but with smaller limbs it pulls fast enough to yank them out of your hands.
It likes the taste of wood! Wow! Must be turning over a heavy plate of steel with sharp blades!
Is that pine limbs?
Yes it is pine, so fairly soft wood. With hard woods like oak and hickory it is a very time consuming process to feed large limbs through it. I no longer even bother trying to feed it the post and blackjack oak I have around here. I do put a lot of hickory through it though, probably more so than any other wood.
@@TheMetalheadHomestead Thanks for your reply.
The augers do not last in these machines. Its the hard wood that does it. I've seen one so far where the auger fractured. Be careful Chinese steel is not like the old MTD machines... Its 10 times worse.
Just remember, you get what you pay for! I don't care how much your coupon reduces to purchase the Harbor Freight Chipper/Mulcher. ITS NOT WORTH IT! I had mine for one year and it worked ok. It DOES NOT TAKE 3" limbs......
The shaft sheered the following year and of course i did not take the extended warranty. The Customer Service line is a joke. You have to have a lot of time to stay on hold until anyone answers. Once answered, the Customer Service rep. stated i could purchase another shaft for it. I did and it was not really that expensive. They also sent it pretty fast. Well, that was a joke. You literally have to be a small engine mechanic with all the tools to tear the entire engine apart to install the new shaft. A friend told me it was cheaper to purchase another engine with the shaft. So, i called back, waited an hour and they took the part back. I ordered the engine for $120 but now the shaft does not smoothly fit the hub. Very long frustrating time latere, i sold the entire piece of crap on Facebook to someone for $50 and bought a REAL CHIPPER!.
What is the top bin for
Small twigs, leafs, really anything under a half inch in diameter.
I noticed in your video everything used was Drywood. Have you use this on fresh cut wood? Was it as affective with fresh cut? Thank you for the video!
I've put both through it. I really don't notice much of a difference from fresh cut to dry wood. The only noticeable difference is from different types of wood. Wood like pine, hickory and cottonwood are a breeze, while harder wood oak and maple are slower going.
The Metalhead Homestead ty!
Will it chip 2x4 wood?
Largest it will take is 3 inches in diameter. Even at 3", if it is really hard wood like maple or dried lumber it'll be slow going.
don't do it! that shit's worth gold these days!
Dimension lumber is too dry, it will quickly dull the blades.
I don’t think any consumer woodchippers like green wood.
Looks like it does the job. I have a huge problem with pine cones at the cabin. Thoughts how it would work with pinecones?
You can drop them in the hopper. You might have to keep a big stick around to stir them up though. I imagine they'd like to stick together and clog it up a bit.
@@TheMetalheadHomestead thanks for replying so fast. 20+ years of pine cones and can’t mow anymore without breaking something. I will leave a reply how it does. Thanks again.
Still happy with it? I may buy one tmrw
Very much so. In my opinion this is one of those rare Harbor Freight gems that is simply too good of a deal to pass on. Especially if you can catch it on sale at around $450 or so.
I estimate he ran it for 40-80 minutes long.
I like this but 550.00$. Holy crap that's one expensive pencil sharpener!
Definitely not a typical homeowner tool, but can generally be had for $460 on sale. Compare that to the box store chippers which run $500ish and have many plastic parts, and it doesn't seem too bad. It makes sense if you live on a heavily wooded lot, and are in an area that has a lot of burn bans.
Am in the Marshall, zip code 96969 can I purchase.
My impression was that this video is ten solid minutes of a lazy guy abusing a machine.
I may be lazy and I may be a guy, but I'll have you know I was using that machine well within it's factory parameters!
Seriously though, thanks for watching and commenting. Have a great day.
My impression is that you are a douche bag.
Fuck off. You chose to watch his video. No one asked you to come here and talk shit. Im glad he posted this video it has actually convinced me to purchase one.
@@TheMetalheadHomestead I want to retract my previous comment. After purchasing this machine I realized that you weren't being lazy, nor abusing the machine. I'm not deleting my previous comment because it was an shit thing to say and I should have to own my words. Thanks for the vid and review, please accept my apology, and keep on keepin' on.