I was dreaming of using a chipper/shredder to fill my compost bin. I use 4 foot long wooden pallets and thought it would be handy to have the shredder dump directly into the bin. Sounds like there's too much force for that.

When I used to do a lot of shredding with mine I ran into the same problem, always having to shut down to empty the bag. I ended up parking the machine in the doorway of an old 8 X 14 wooden granary and discharging directly into it.

I wonder if a person could use a tarp and some poles to make a trap of some kind.

Lloyd

I have a similiar built Troy-Bilt and this is what I do. I have a large leaf enclosure (8'x8'x5'high) made of heavy security wire. I took some plastic bird netting and wrapped it around three sides. I set up the shredder about 4' on the open side and shred away. I found that a tarp or shade cloth across the top helps. As the enclosure fills up I unbolt the downward blowing chute and blow the shredded material straight out. NOTE: This is dangerous, use this technique at your own risk. Other lawyer stuff applies.
When I shred horse poo I have a old metal tray 4'x8'x12" that I use. The discharge chute hangs over the inside edge and I cover the tray with a piece of shade cloth. The shade cloth allows the air and dust to escape and sure beats emptying the bag every 5 minutes.

I have exactly the same problem. Might be solved if you could find a humungeous burlap sack. Have even thought of getting some 3' x 50' landscape fabric, folding it in half lengthwise, and having my better half sew the edges together(which could be a problem either way you look at it). I imagine it would only work with leaves.
Currently, I pick up leaves with my bagger/mulcher.
Jus' some thots,
thanks,

I guess I could build a structure like ron62 using plastic chicken wire instead of bird wire. I am now familiar with working with the plastic chicken wire since I used it for my 3 bin compost bin. I could place a large tarp on top as I am shredding the leaves. I can imagine the area may become quite dusty as I am shredding the leaves.

vabeach neil,

I have the Troybilt CS4210. I bought it new back in 04. I had to replace the impeller assembly twice already. The original ones had what I believe to be a design flaw. It self destructed both times. The new impeller assembly is designed differently and seems to be holding up so far.
Hopefully, your's is the newer design.
To keep the material from flying too far I just take my wheelbarrow and lay it down about 8 feet from the discharge chute, it helps somewhat. I have to rake everything into a pile after that. If you are working in a tight area, that might not help you.

Glenam,

Somewhere (and i can't find the link now) on this forum is a description and picture of someone who used an old bedsheet (twin? double? folded in half vertically) to do what you are describing with the burlap.

I believe there was a heavy duty zipper involved or you could use velcro on one side and also as a way to velcro the top opening to "exit" chute.

There was also a picture.

This person was using it with a leafhog vac/blower, I believe.

Pennymca,
Now that is something I didn't think of, bedsheet, I was trying to think of something that could be used that would 'breathe'.
I double-shred all leaves by bagging them, dumping them and bagum again.
thanks for idea,
Glen

Here's the thread.

pt03..THANKS! Bookmarked it!

Now I love my 15 year old, 8 hp WW Grinder for another reason. It drops its litter right on the ground in a neat mound. I pull it back and start a new mound or clean up the old mound. Nothing gets blown around. It rarely gets clogged---I'd say never, but sometimes I let other people feed it.

The other reason I love my WW grinder is that it's the reason I'm here. Back in the late 90s, I wanted to order new flails, so used Excite Search or something for "Chipper flails"---which brought me to Garden Web's Tool forum. I was there about three months, hanging out with tractor owners, before I knew that there were other forums. Thank gosh I did or I would never have learned the importance of changing the air in my chipper tires each fall.

Penny, Lloyd,
I found the thread after I replied earlier. One pic is a Ryobi shredder/vac, just like I have (actually two), laid on it's side with sheet affixed to discharge,

now this has three advantages, 1) it has good force but not overwhelming as my regular chipper/shredder, and, 2) prudent feeding of chute will shred leaves finer than bagger mower or shredder and 3) put little bag on vac and get every last leaf easily.

Thanks for your help,
this is a great forum,
Glen

If I have a bunch of stuff to shred, I like to use a tarp. I stake the tarp down to the ground on two corners and the tie it up to two trees on the corners. About 3/4 of the tarp is laying on the ground. I shoot the chipper into the tarp... when I'm done, I drop the corners, pull the stakes and can drag the tarp around the yard... to move the mulch around.

Joepyeweed - could you post a picture of how you setup the tarp?

Might be solved if you could find a humungeous burlap sack.

Fouton cover. Works like a charm.

Duvet covers. You can find them for under $20.

I had a huge bag made once - the problem is that it was too heavy to move around - even to empty. What I do now is just lower the speed to less than half, remove the bag and dump it, put it back on, raise the speed, and resume shredding. Three shredder bags fill one heavy duty garbage bag I use to temporarily store the shredded leaves in. I also have 10' lengths of 2"X4"X5' fencing that I form into rings for my compost - I use some of these to fill completely with shredded leaves that I use as cover material through the year as I build my compost piles. Power down - Dump - Power up. Very quick.

I just got a chipper shredder and was thinking of a big burlap potato sack when shredding leaves. Mine didn't come with a bag. Thought I'd just use a bungee to attach it and see how that works.

I used to use a semicircle of chicken wire or hardware cloth (finer gauge than chicken wire) for shredding branches. It lets the air through but stops the chips.

Always good to feed branches in 'big end first' so you're holding the flexible twiggy end, which transmits less vibration into your hands.