The better ones like Bearcat and McKissac do a good job especially in your application. Do spend a few extra bucks and go with the 8hp, many folks with the 5hp find they are too slow.
The flail blades do not need to be sharpened, as they wear they can be reversed then replaced as needed. The chipper knives are a very high grade tungsten steel and often serrated making them difficult if not impossible to sharpen. They will last a long time as long as other debris like steel cable (don't laugh I have seen it happen)is not introduced.

How big of a chipper do you really want? How much stuff will you be chipping? I once had a 2 hp electric model and it worked perfectly for cuttings from a 50-foot bamboo hedge, from a 250 sq ft rose garden, and miscellaneous shrub trimmings. It was small, quiet, light, and easy to set up.

Rain2Fall

CanGuy,

"The chipper knives are a very high grade tungsten steel and often serrated making them difficult if not impossible to sharpen. "

I replaced the chipper blade on my MacKissic 12PT9 and it is a simple non-serrated blade that would be quite sharpenable with a wet stone type sharpener. The cost of the replacement blade kit (blade, Loctite® Threadlocker, & blade spacer gauge) was considerably less than a good sharpener, so I may just keep buying a new sharp blade every few years.

If I give in and purchase a wet grinder like the Tormek Wet Grinder or the JET Slow Speed Wet Sharpener, then I will sharpen and re-use my old blade. I could repeat that "indefinitely". That would let me install a freshly sharpened chipper blade much more frequently. But, as they say, "if it's not broke, don't fix it", and my "Mighty Mac" chipper-shredder is doing fine with its new blade. The old blade was good for three years of frequent use. It is made of some freakin' good tool steel, and still feels pretty sharp after all that use. It probably is time for me to reverse the hammers in the hammermill section, although it still seems to be working just fine.

ZM

(not associated with any product or vendor mentioned)

"I'm particualarly talking about rosebush prunings, other shrub trimmings, weeds, old tomatoe plants, and also small tree trimmings. Do you think thay could handle up to an inch diameter?"

These machines will do all that and more. As usual, the old Troy Bilt Super Tomahawk has not been mentioned even though it has more bang for the buck then either of the other two. Long out of business, but still available used. Parts are available as well.

Anyway, the main reason I'm responding to your post was to point out that even though rose canes can be well shredded, the thorns are so hard that they will not break down with the rest of the compost. Something like a nuclear half life to them! Just wanted to mention that.

As far as one of the three machines (now) mentioned, ... Get one! You will love it.

Hey ,

With what you're looking to do, I'd stick with a flail machine, not a single-blade chipper machine that's commonly on the market today. There are several companies that make or made them - Troy Bilt, Mackissic, Bearcat, WW grinder, Lindig, BCS, RotoHoe, etc.

I second the Troy Bilt Super Tomahawk vote. They probably have the best bang for the buck. As with anything used, you gotta know what you're looking at. Most chippers have been garage queens, having only been used a couple times and parked. Some have been beat to death or extremely neglected. You're better off buying a garage queen for a couple hundred bucks more vs. a "fix'r upper".

Zenman,

A third option vs. buying your own sharpener or buying new blades is to have them professionally sharpened. A guy 15 miles from me sharpens all things and does a fantastic job. I can have my $40 BCS BIO-100 blade sharpened by him for $4. I keep two on hand so I don't have to drop everything and get it sharpened. When one's dull I drop in the sharp one and take the dull one in at my convenience. You should be able to find a local guy in the yellow pages.

Bill

Bill,

"A third option vs. buying your own sharpener or buying new blades is to have them professionally sharpened. "

That's good advice. However, I would want assurance that the professional sharpener used a cool wet sharpening process, because I wouldn't want anyone to take the temper out of my chipper blade with a dry grinding wheel. I'll keep my eye open for a local professional sharpener.

The attraction of a machine like the Tormek is that it can sharpen "everything in the house", including pocket knives, scissors, axe blades, kitchen knives, lawnmower blades, hedge shears, garden hoes, etc. It may not make economic sense, but I am strangely attracted to the Tormek.

ZM

Thanks for the feedback. I'll keep it in mind. Thanks.

Zenman,

The guy who sharpened my chipper blade did it while I watched. As far as I could tell, he didn't use a wet sharpening process. He did use a very low speed stone and kept feeling the blade with his hand every pass. A couple times, he sprayed WD-40 on the blade. I think the worst enemy of blades during sharpening is heat. The blade stayed sharp through a hundred buckthorn trees.

Bill

Possessions owners with lots of trees or saleable landscapers often require a bigger size CHIPPER SHREDDER to handle the measure and size of branches that require chipping. A number of models that fit in this sort are still transferable, a number of are towable, and others are designed for an add-on to a tractor and these are known as PTO chippers. Look ahead to pay over a thousand dollars and as much as several thousand dollars for one of these bigger machines that you can take to work with you. They are built to execute and to last. Merry Mac, Patriot and DR Chipper are instance of WOOD CHIPPER manufacturers with products in this category.

It's good to see that there are others who have respect for the older Troy-Bilt Super Tomahawks. I just can't say enough about how much I love and use mine. They are tough as nails.

If you are new to flail type shredders you will be shocked at how well these things pulverize whatever you drop in to the hopper. The 8 hp "Tommy" will handle up to 1" branches through the shredder. Anything above that up to 3" goes into the side chipper shute.

I will not shred rose canes for the reasons already correctly mentioned. The thorns never break down.

Now even the better chipper / shredders like the Mackissic and the Troy-Bilts require that you learn a few things about feeding them. I can dump freshly pulled wet tomato vines through it but I would have some nice dry stuff like leaves, twigs, or sticks to follow the wet stuff with or, I could take the standard 3/4" screen off and install one of my larger screens. I usually use the wet followed by dry technique unless I have a large amount of wet vine material to process. In that case I change to a larger discharge grate and then re-shred with a smaller grate if I want finely chopped product.

I have been going over these forums, mostly info from 2006, with recommendations for substantial machines, such as McKissicks. I have been looking at the Patriot website. They have 9hp CSV-3090 available with Briggs and Stratton engines, or for more money, with a Honda engine. They also make a 1.25hp electric version, same guts but a small electric motor. Does anyone have experience with this.
This will be for an urban home with a large yard, garden, but not serious tree trimming.

Here is a link that might be useful: Patriot chipper/shredders

I have a Cub Cadet CS3310. It took care of the brush pile that had accumulated over the years. There were rose canes and several other shrub trimmings. Also there were some branches between 2" and 3" which the machine handled well (note there is a 2" Cub Cadet and a 3")

The biggest problem I have had is getting it started after sitting for some months. While it is relatively new, I am still considering the cost of renting or owning a chipper shredder. If it was possible to rent a chipper shredder the size of the Cub Cadet, and assuming the cost would also be low; there would be no question that renting would be the more practical choice consider the amount of use, the storage, and the starting problem caused by long term storage.

I have the same starting issue with my log splitter that sits for a year between uses. And especially since I run the gas tank dry before putting it away. I find that a short spray of carb cleaner shot right into the throat of the carb gives it just enough juice to get it started. On my engine I have to pull the air filter out.