Would you buy a chipper.....

momtomany · #1 04/12/10, 10:28 AM

That wouldn't spark, at a deep discount?

There is one on craigslist that is a 10hp briggs and stratton, not used much.

If I go look at it, should I try putting a few drops of gas down the spark plug hole and try to get it to turn over (therefore isolating that it needs carb cleanin posssibly).....or?

I'm totally not a small engine guru and am just muddling thru. However, I have a great guy that fixes my riding lawnmower for cheap and could probably fix anything I throw at him, for cheap.

Price is 220....... what would u do?

Would u run to or avoid this?

Sue

Windy in Kansas · #2 04/12/10, 10:58 AM

If there is no ignition spark then there is no reason to add fuel.

If I were in the market for such I would give the starter rope a pull to get a general idea how much compression it has meaning engine wear.

I would also look for general wear of the item to attempt to determine how much usage the machine has had.

Strictly my opinion and it would have to be based on knowledge of exactly what is being offered, i.e. chipper or chipper/shredder, Troybilt or ?? But it should be worth that if a decent machine originally.

momtomany · #3 04/12/10, 12:16 PM

Briggs and Stratton 10 hp. Can't tell from the pics, but I am thinking troybuilt.....(but aren't they all red?)

http://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/grd/1682617815.html

Not sure if we can cut/paste here, but I'll make a go of it.

I'll go take a gander, any other hints?

Caz · #4 04/12/10, 01:32 PM

I would walk away. Rent one first as they are a lot of work and slow for the results given. There is a reason so many are for sale with little use and cheap. This one is too much $$$ if you do decide you want one after you try one out for a weekend. Just my opinion. John

momtomany · #5 04/12/10, 01:54 PM

really?

in my area, that is a pretty good deal for a 10hp, unless i find something at a farm auction.

I really need one. I also need mulch or woodchips.......and they kind of go together. My dad is happy with his, and it is a 8 hp I think. Renting is

I have so much small branches on my land, that it fills up a space maybe 20x20feet. and i haven't even done any cleanup on the front land lately (had many trees go down by the meadow this year). I have this continuous issue.

Out by us, 250 gets a chipper for the weekend 4 hours: $100
24 hours: $180. Gotta get a hitch to tow it to my house, so add some dollars.

My thought was, buy one for 220.......have my small engine guy fix it if I can't......high amount for fixing....say 40 bucks. Around the same money, except I don't need to pay it again come fall, and next spring, and next fall......guess you get the idea.

If a larger one is so much better that it isn't worth the money to buy a 10hp one, then I get what you are saying. But it is expensive to rent it. I am working alone, and for the amount of wood I have, it would take me a weekend at least.

How bad are the 10 hp ones vs. the larger ones?

Sue

**alleyyooper** · #6 04/13/10, 08:35 AM

$200.00 is cheap in my part of Michigan too. I went to several farm auctions and estate auctions and saw them selling for as much as $400.00 for good brands like troy built and WW with 8 and 10 hp engines. I finally got a nice Troy built with an 8 hp for $250.00.
If you have a use for wood chips every year and you have down limbs to use then they are well worth buying. Renting never seemed to work for me. I would want one tomorrow but the rental center wouldn't have one for me to use for a week. Or I would drag the thing home and the blades were so dull I got crappy chips all hung together as It appeared some one had used it to chip concrete. They sure don't want to refund the money when you return it in less than an hour with that complainet either.

BUY it you can always get your money back.

Al

catahoula · #7 04/13/10, 08:50 AM

I have a Troy-bilt chipper shredder vac. Bought it new, I can laugh about it now, but there have been times when I was so angry with it I felt like kicking it over and setting it on fire.

Nice idea poor execution. No clutch, underpowered, knives are hard to access and dull quickly. I took the vac part off and covered the hole with plywood, cut the plastic chute off so I can actually shove branches into the thing, and lastly I ditched the bag. Now it mostly functions, dry branches are a booger to chip, and most large branches will stop it butt cold.

The only decent thing about this chipper is the fact that the engine will start on the first pull.

So my advice for what it is worth, is to save up and buy a PTO powered chipper, and in the mean time rent a chipper.

Windy in Kansas · #8 04/13/10, 12:07 PM

A chipper shredder vacuum is different than a chipper shredder and comparison would be like apples and oranges.

After seeing the photo of the machine in question it is one that I would walk away from. Reminds me of a lightweight, small production unit that is for small amounts of yard debris in a city, not what is found in quantity on country property.

Might work very well for you. Far too much plastic about it to suit my taste. My Troybilt unit has no plastic.

OkieDavid · #9 04/13/10, 12:58 PM

Only you can price the item for your market. Saw another poster comment that the price was reasonable. Here that would be on the upper side. I wouldn't hesitate to buy it provided it had decent compression... No spark or not starting are easy enough to fix. No compression makes it un reasonable. BTW- Stumbled into a chipper/shredder/vac at an estate auction that I didn't even want to buy.....Happen to notice other folks pulling on the cord and grinned at their reaction to the "horrible" metal banging sound coming from it. Auctioneer came around to the item and no one took his starting bid, when he said "help me out here", I offered $25.00 for it and got it. The banging was simply the cutters falling over as only running produces enough centrifugal force to keep them out....Clean fuel and two pulls of the cord and I have a perfectly good unit for $25.00LOL.

**alleyyooper** · #10 04/13/10, 01:15 PM

This is mine.
Would you buy a chipper..... - Shop Talk

Hearing protection is a must when useing it if you want to save your hearing. I load it in the trailer and head to the woods after I have fell the winter wood. It chips real nice, kare says the small screen is to small and makes me use the chips in the paths and use the large screen to chip stuff for around the plants. I've got a picture of the small chips some where if I can find them.

Would you buy a chipper..... - Shop Talk

Al

HermitJohn · #11 04/13/10, 01:16 PM

I want one of the old commercial ones powered by a Ford 300 straight six..... the kind the mafia used to chip up bodies, cement overshoes and all... Actually have seen them sell used, bit beat up, but in good working order for what the homeowner toy described above would sell for new.

catahoula · #12 04/13/10, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HermitJohn

I want one of the old commercial ones powered by a Ford 300 straight six..... the kind the mafia used to chip up bodies, cement overshoes and all... Actually have seen them sell used, bit beat up, but in good working order for what the homeowner toy described above would sell for new.

exactly those babies could chip up a Buick, my first choice would still be a PTO powered unit.

To be fair, my little Troy-bilt held it's own pretty well for about the first nine yards or so of chips, I'm probably asking more of it than it's intended use.

The engine is quite reliable it just doesn't have the horsepower.

**clovis** · #13 04/13/10, 11:45 PM

I'd definately talk to your small engine guy before buying the unit. He might be familiar with the problem, and might even be able to guesstimate a price for you.

I'd also negotiate pretty hard on that price of $220 for an unrunning machine.

Is there a way to see if the engine is not locked up? Make sure it spins before buying!!!!

Blu3duk · #14 04/15/10, 12:40 PM

the unit is built by "Yard machine".

I personally would not put fuel in it, i would try to pull it over and see if the crank is broke, bent or something is stuck, there could be a carb problem if the fella used "bad" gas and a new carb for a 10 horse is about $100.00 give or take. Ask questions of the person who has it, and see if they think the engine is bad or is they just dont want to run it anymore [it does take effort that a lot of folks do not wanna put forth any more]

finally if you just have to have it, ask if the fella will take $100.00 cash, or $150 cause you are gonna have to do some work to it...... last resort is to take your mechanic friend long for the ride to check it out and see what he/she says an esitmated cost of fixing wil be and adjust your offer accordingly..... asking price vs taking price these days is 2 different worlds it seems.... money is tight all over and folks are willing to take less to get the cash most of the time..... of course there are exceptions.

William
Idaho