I have never suffered nerve damage in either hand from vibration, however, I have had temporary symptoms of nerve incapacity in my hands from bicycle riding. There is a tendency to lean on the hands, and if they are kept in the same position for too long, some of the nerves don't work so well. So far, it has gone away after I got off the bike, and rested for a day or two.

Dull blades on the chipper make you have to push the wood in. If they're sharp you have to hold back on the larger pieces to keep from bogging the engine down. Wearing heavy cotton gloves will help also.
Mike

I have some gloves with a very thick layer of insulation that do a good job of isolating my hands from the vibration.

ZM

Your symptoms sound exactly like mine, which turned out to be compressed discs in my spine. Once properly diagnosed, a few sessions with my chiro. for traction and other treatments cured the pain.

A friend of mine also had similar symptoms and his was traced to carpel tunnel.