Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Looking at getting a mulcher, wondering what sort of luck others have had and what they would recommend?
I don't need the super duper petrol models (I don't have trees that big in the yard ) I'm just tidying up all the smaller things.

So will be looking at the smaller electric models.

Any suggestions, things to look for, units to stay away from etc etc would be welcome.

Cheers

Lucky

A lot of people buy one and use it once and never use it again. I have not tried one yet. But will borrow it from them.

Unfortunately, I don't know anyone with one, what's the going rate then?

a 6 pack of crownies

I had a Black n Decker once. It didn't like green things and it wouldn't cut big things. After lots of effort the pile I ended up with was pathetic and after storing it in the garage for years I decided to sell it. These days when we have to cut down a tree or branches we get the serious people in and end up with a truck load, that is worth it.

Are you talking about like a wood chipper shredder type thing or just a leaf mulcher?

Have a check at the big box hardware/home improvement type stores, you might be able to rent one for a day or something. That is probably better than trying to store and maintain one yourself unless you really expect to use it each and every weekend.

If you are talking about a chipper for grinding up branches and stuff, all recommendations I have ever heard for them say....
If you really must get one, get the biggest most powerful thing you can possibly afford since a smaller one will always be just a little too whimpy. But there is a drawback here, the really big ones might be ok for chopping up big branches into large wood chips but often you might want smaller mulch. Chippers that are good at dealing with larger branches might not be good at dealing with leaves, especially if they are damp.

I have usually found that it isn't worth the cost and space for the little pile of mulch you get. I usually just drag the brush out under the trees at the edge of the property to rot down naturally on their own.

In my neighborhood I can usually get lots of leaves to use as mulch and since most off the leaves are live oak, they are small enough and work well in the compost too even if they are slow to break down.

I've read lots of reviews on different chipper shredders or other such stuff. Most of the small electric ones are very limited, requiring sticks to be clipped down to small straight bits to feed into the thing and they can only really handle things up to about thumb thickness anyway, and leaves can only be fed into them a hand full at a time. Larger ones are gonna be noisy and most still have limitations so it will really depend on what you want from the thing.

So every so often I think again about buying one and then remember it isn't worth it for my situation. Now if you have lots of ornamental gardens that need had pruning every week, it might be worth having something to chips up the weekly pile of pruning but I don't see it being worth it if you would only use it 4 times a year.

Electric ones aren't worth a cracker. Even the larger ones which pull the same as a three bar electric fire. There was a discussion on mulchers do a search on chipper mulcher

Renting sounds like a better idea. You get to use a big petrol model and can throw everything through it. Branches, plants, rubish old toys, annoying neighbours. Or better than putting them through the chipper tell evey one in your street that you are getting one for a day and they can bring all there branches and you'll end up with a huge pile of mulch.

OK, issue solved, no mulcher for me.

Always good to get a second, third, fourth opinion.

I wonder if I could get away with getting some more AP gear without the wife noticing???

Cheers

Yep... I'll add in here that the smaller electric are useless. I have used mine a few times and it jams constantly, is slow and takes so much work just to get a little mulch. Rather green bin the cuttings and just buy mulch.

My father also has a large petrol one and again... its such hard work for little return, not to mention a mighty dangerous bloody thing that you need to be VERY careful with when using... arm protection for when it grabs and rips things out of your hands, eye protection for the chips that fly everywhere and ear protection (it bloody loud).

Lucky

If you really want one I have a Viking GE220 you can have for free, just PM me. Slightly dicky saftey switch (stops it going unless you screw the top release down hard). About as big as you get in the electrics.

In my area at the local tip you can take your braches and other stuff there and swap it with mulch already done for you. It does have all differents kinds of plants from other peoples gardens so if you need it for something a little touchie that the plants don't want or need its not advised to use it for that. But anything for nothing is better in most cases