Cedar mulch

[nas]

Hi all

I an looking at buying a chipper for my cedar slabs.  I would like to sell the mulch and am wondering if I should buy the one with the shredder on it so I can put the chips back through the shredder to make them finer.  The chipper I am looking at is a wallenstein http://www.embmfg.com/Forestry/Chippers/BXs.aspx and for about $500 more it comes with a shredder http://www.embmfg.com/Forestry/Chipper_Shredder/BXM.aspx Any thoughts on this are welcome.

Thanks
Nick

[sgschwend]

I looked at your link, those are nice machines.

My wife has a 5" Bear Cat chipper/shredder.  The shredder is  most commonly used, I wouldn't say it makes the chips finer, more the other way around.  The chipper is a flywheel that has four knives that chip the limbs, the shredder is a drum flailer using sickle mower knives, the material goes around until it fits through a screen.

I wouldn't attempt to put my slabs through this machine, it is too small.

I wouldn't go smaller than a 10" Vermeer.

[Polly]

i got a wallenstein chipper the big one for 50 to 100 hp tractor i also was going to sell cedar mulch first off the mouth of the chipper is not wide enought to take cedar slabs secend the material that comes out is more like shavings then mulch third thing is my wife dont like it after i had chipped up a trailer load she told me to go to town and buy some good mulch  :(  does anyone know where i might sell a walenstein chipper :D :D 8)

[Cedarman]

Before buying a machine, find a buyer for the mulch or chips.  Ask them what they want.  Get a sample and use that sample to shop for a machine.  Companies that make playground mulch like to start with a chips, at least they did when we first started.

Our mill slabs and edging strips go through a Montgomery hog and through a 2" screen.
Our West Salem hog that we used in Alabama made better mulch through a 2" screen.

Our rotochopper makes the best mulch.

If the mulch will be run through a bagger, you must have a machine that will not put out long slivers.

There is a company in norther Indiana and another in Michigan begging for cedar mulch.

[SwampDonkey]

It's used a lot around here by lawn and tree care folks in towns. Everywhere along boardwalk trees and gazebos with flowers and shrubs. Dad uses it around all his fruit trees. Never used it here, after all the lawn here is just an old rough pasture.  :D

[nas]

Thanks for the replies.  Cedarman I do have a market but they want mulch not chips, and it must be all cedar.  I called wallenstein and they are confident that the shredder will do what I want, to the point that if it does not they would work with me on a return/exchange for just the chipper model.  I will let you know how it goes.

Nick

[nas]

Got my new chipper shredder



Here are the results of slabs run through the chipper



And then through the shredder



The chipper easily chips slabs up to 3" thick and 10" wide.

Nick

[Chico]

I don't know much about smaller chippers but if you can adjust the knife length and set the anvils in it you can determine your chip size to a degree and there are several ways to break chips behind the pocket though I don't know if I would do it to a new machine
Chico

[beav39]

looks like it does a good job will it meet the specs of your clients?