You know it’s the time of year when temperature warms up and you find loosened and dried trees, trunks, limbs around your property.
To get rid of them and use them for mulch, compost and other beneficiary purposes, a wood chipper is the best choice.
But..!
A lot of people don’t know how to use a wood chipper safely, how to sharpen the blade and how often you should do it and how much it can cost you and rent expenses.
If you are looking for anything related to a wood chipper, you are at the right place.
So, let’s have a look at the details.
How To use a wood Chipper?
Wood chippers are good for cleaning large piles of trunks, wooden limbs and turning them into small chips which one can use as a compost for gardening purposes.
Although using a wood chipper is pretty easy, it doesn’t mean one can start it without having knowledge straight away.
In this guide, we will be showing you how to use a big wood chipper, if you understand this, you can operate any size wood chipper easily.
Whether you are dealing with a commercial wood chipper or even a small wood chipper in your home garden, you will be able to handle everything easily.
So, let’s have a look at what you should need before using a wood chipper.
What you’ll need
- Wood chipper (pretty obvious though).
- Fuel for your wood chipper (depends upon the type as well; either gas powered or electric).
- Safety goggles.
- Helmet.
- Safety gear (boots, gloves, etc).
- Tight clothes (with zero ragged ends).
Now, let’s get straight to working on it and how to use it safely and getting the best out of it.
Also, if you are looking for cheap and best wood chippers for you without having to get one on rent, make sure to check our detailed guide and consumers reports on wood chippers under $500.
Step 1. Position the wood chipper on a leveled ground
Do remember that wood chippers are huge in size and it would be best to place them on a leveled ground when using them. This will help you to perform the task easily and safely.
Anyhow, if there is even a slight uneven surface where you are going to place it, make sure the face of the hopper is downwards to be on the safer side.
In this way, the limbs or wooden sticks wouldn’t fall back on you while using the chipper.
TIP: Don’t forget to wear the safety gear, goggles and ear cuffs while using the wood chipper.
Step 2. Adjust the deflector and chute
The next step is to make sure the adjustment of the deflector and the chute of the wood chipper.
Most of the wood chippers come with adjustable chutes (hoppers) and deflectors (a large screen which is draped over the hopper).
The function of both, chute and deflector is to manage the speed and direction of the mulch or wood chips.
Adjusting both of these will help you to operate it safely and smoothly.
Step 3. Adjust the parking brake
This step is for those who are using the wood chipper with a tractor in order to haul(pull or drag) the chipper. Adjusting the parking brake would allow you to use it safely on a commercial level.
Furthermore, a lot of wood chippers for personal use come in smaller sizes so you wouldn’t be worrying about the parking brakes.
Step 4. Check the power source
Well, this step is important as well for safety and efficient use of the wood chipper. If your wood chipper is gas powered, make sure it has enough fuel so you can do the job completely.
Similarly, if your wood chipper is electrically corded, make sure the cord is long enough and not crippled so you can do the job smoothly.
Step 5. Start the machine
Now that you have made sure each and every step is taken care of, now start the wood chipper and in order to check whether it is working accurately or not, take a long stick (according to the recommended size on the instruction manual).
Never try to put any stick/limb bigger than recommended size as the chipper will spit back at your face.
Step 6. Put the contents in it
Another important consideration to keep in mind when adding the contents in the machine is to put leaves and dry sticks altogether in it.
This will lubricate the chippers and blades for smooth chipping.
However, try to not put too many green leaves as there are chances of them getting clogged on the blades.
Just make sure to put the right proportion of green leaves and sticks.
Step 7. Don’t stand in front of the hopper
It would be best to stand at the side of the machine; neither in front of the hopper nor from where you put the contents in it.
Now that you are done chipping the woods, make good use of the chips now.
How To Sharpen Wood Chipper Blades?
Now the other important thing to consider when using the wood chipper is to sharpen the blades. Sharpening the blades is necessary on a daily basis to get the best out of your wood chipper.
However, in order to sharpen the blades/chippers, first you need to detach the blades. So, let’s have a look at the steps.
- The most important and foremost step is to wear your protective gear as safety comes first. Make sure to wear heavy duty gloves to not get harmed by a blade.
- The next step is to remove the hopper with screws, it is very easy (irrespective of the size you have), one needs to unscrew the nuts and bolts only.
- Loosen the bolts and which are securing the blade on the housing of it.
- Now carefully remove the blade from the housing and sharpen it.
How to sharpen the blade?
There are certain tools available easily in the market which one can use to sharpen the blades like;
- Disc sanders.
- Wet wheel grinders/sharpeners.
- Whetstone (which is specifically made to sharpen any metal).
- Belt sanders (for professional use).
You can use any sharpening tool according to the size of the blade. Now you must be wondering about the types of wood chipper.
Right?
Well, the size of the wood chipper is basically its chipping capacity.
That means, if the size of wood chipper is 6”, the chipper can only cut 6 inches in diameter of sticks/wood accurately.
The sizes of wood chippers which are mostly available in the market are;
- 2”.
- 3”.
- 6”.
- 12”
Any size above 12” is used for cutting trees.
How Much Does A Wood Chipper Cost?
Small and residential wood chippers can cost you from $100 to $2000, depending upon the brand and size you choose. In addition, heavy duty wood chippers can cost you above $3000. Also keep in mind, the cost of the wood chipper depends upon the chipper size as well.
The bigger the size, the higher the cost.
Related: Best Log splitters under $100
How Much To Rent A Wood Chipper?
Well, rental prices of a wood chipper could be a good debate. The rental prices of the wood chipper depends upon some factors;
- Size of the chipper.
- How long you want it for rent.
- Rental stores.
The smaller the size of the wood chipper, the less rental cost it would be. For example, if you want to rent a 3” wood chipper, the average rental price on a daily basis would be around $140.
Similarly, the rental cost depends upon the rental length as well, for example if we consider a 6” wood chipper, the rental cost would be;
- Daily rental cost: $205
- Weekly: $550
- Monthly: $1000 or above.
However, the rental prices vary from store to store as well. In our opinion, it would be best to invest in purchasing a wood chipper once and for all. It would be fruitful in the long run.
Safety Practices while Operating a Wood Chipper
Most of the users forget to take safety measures when using a wood chipper. So, keep in mind these following practices and everyone should follow them when using a wood chipper either for the first time or hundredth time.
1. Wear the safety gear
The first thing to practice when planning on using a wood chipper is to wear tight clothing with no ragged fibers.
Wear heavy dirty gloves, goggles, ear cuffs, furthermore, always make sure that the dress of yours shouldn’t have any strings which can get gripped by the chippers.
Furthermore, if you have long hair, then make sure to tie it up as well.
2. Carefully use it and pay attention
Another important thing to consider while using the wood chipper is to always pay attention to what you are doing. Be careful about the length of stick, lims, branches you are putting in the hopper.
It would be best to read the instruction manual carefully before operating the wood chipper. However, the important thing to remember is, always stand at the side of the machine.
Also, make sure that the area around the deflector and the machine is cleaned.
How To Maintain A Wood Chipper?
Maintenance of every human-made machine is necessary to enhance the shelf life of it and a wood chipper holds the same importance.
After using the machine, make sure there are no remains of contents present in the hopper.
Make sure that the filters get cleaned on a daily basis and you keep sharpening the blades from time to time.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions regarding wood chippers.
What is a wood chipper?
A wood chipper or tree chipper is a tool which is used to convert the wood specially, limbs, branches, woods into small chips which can be further used for compost, mulch for gardening purposes.
These machines are helpful to maintain the gardens, lawns and huge areas where removal of excessive wood is needed. Nowadays, residential wood chippers are portable and smaller in size. Professional and commercial ones are huge.
What are the types of wood chippers?
- Disk chipper.
- Drum chipper.
- Screw chipper
What can one put in a wood chipper?
- Wooden sticks.
- Branches.
- Wet wood.
- Paper.’
- Cardboard.
- Dry wood.
- leaves.
Wrapping Up
Owning a wood chipper makes it easier for you to take care of your garden and lawn easily.
However, one still needs to be cautious while using it. Make sure you follow the above mentioned steps and stay away from the hopper while operating it.
Moreover, sharpening the blade on a daily basis (if you use it frequently) is good in order to get the best out of it and of course maintenance of it as well.
In addition to the cost of it, we would recommend to opt for buying a wood chipper rather than renting it as it would be beneficial in the long run.
Still confused?
Ask away.
