Re: [gardeners] chipper/shredder

Margaret Lauterbach (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Mon, 16 Sep 2002 08:13:56 -0600 

Matt Trahan, is this you?  those leaf shredders don't hold a candle to a 
lawnmower's shredding ability.  Some people put leaves in a metal trash 
barrel, then lower a regular weedeater inside.  That does as well as the 
weedeater-type of leaf shredder.  But it's still inferior to a lawnmower 
that exerts some suction as it passes over dry leaves.  Margaret L

>  In a 50' by 60' yard, we have a 30' Bradford pear, a 20' honey locust,
>and on the sides are a 40' maple tree, two 40' pecan trees and a 40'
>gumball tree. The front yard has two 15' dogwoods and a 30' live oak.
>  It's incredible in the summer! The back yard is almost 10 degrees
>cooler and its wonderful to walk under the cool dark canopy and work
>all day out of the heat.
>
>  The soil is good clay loam, about a foot deep till you hit clay you
>could throw on a potters wheel.
>  Now that it's fall I want to get some use out of all the leaves! We
>haven't added mulch (pine bark nuggets) to most of the beds yet and I
>wanted to add the leaves first.
>
>  I have been surfing for a small leaf shredder/mini chipper for several
>days. We mostly need the leaf shredder, but there are electric
>chipper/shredders for $170 and $200 at
>
>http://www.composters.com/docs/lawncare3.html#cec
>
>http://www.composters.com/docs/acc.html
>
>  The other choice so far is a "Flowtron" leaf shredder for $120 or $160
>at
>
>http://www.unclejoes.com/leaf_eaters_for_less.htm
>
>  Can't decide between either model of "Flowtron" or either model of
>chipper/shredder yet.
>
>  Does anyone have any experience with the pros/cons of a hammer/blade
>chipping system vs the weedeater type spinning line system?
>  I would like to try the chipper, but 95% of the use will be for
>leaves. I was afraid the blade system will spend most of it's time just
>gumming up.
>
>TIA!
>
>Matt in Norfolk, Va.  USDA zone 8
>
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