Powerful, modern engine, stoutly constructed, but flawed
Written: Jun 10 '04 (Updated Jul 15 '04)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Sturdy, relatively quiet, starts easily, 10HP Intek engine makes short work of chipping tree limbs
Cons: Shredder section is only suited for dry leaves and the smallest items of yard waste
The Bottom Line: Recommended for chipping thick tree limbs or shredding large quantities of dry leaves and twigs. Anything that falls between those two extremes will likely jam in the feed hopper.
|
|
|
| green_machine's Full Review: Troy-Bilt Chipper/Shredder |
This is a new model that does not look like the picture shown. It is manufactured by MTD, which now owns Troy-Bilt. It features sturdy, all-steel construction, pneumatic tires, a tow hitch, and a 10 Horsepower Briggs & Stratton "Intek" engine with Overhead Valves (OHV).
The towing hitch and inflatable tires are a nice feature, as pushing the chipper/shredder around a yard would be strenuous. It weighs nearly 180 pounds, so towing it by tractor is almost mandatory. The unit comes with safety goggles and a nylon collection bag that fits over the discharge chute. It does not, however, come with hearing protection or heavy gloves, both of which are necessary for safe operation.
The engine is reasonably quiet, compared to the older L-head engines found on most power equipment, and is both powerful and easy to start. The chipper section of the unit literally sucks thick tree limbs in and turns them into tiny wood chips with amazing ease. However, limbs with small branches attached may need to be trimmed in order to fit into the chipper chute. The feed chute is large and square as it faces the user, but narrows down as it attaches to the body of the unit.
The shredder portion of the machine is not well thought out. The hopper is mounted almost vertically, so that material to be shredded must make a nearly 90 degree turn before entering the cutting blades. Unfortunately, this provides a natural jamming point for just about anything but dry leaves and very small organic waste. Branches and vines jam and back up into the chute when making the turn into the cutting blades virtually every time. Very wet items stick to the steel surfaces before they enter the shredding chamber. Because the hopper is tall, it is not easy to unjam the shredder from above. However, amazing quantities of very small materials, such as dry leaves and tiny twigs, can be dispatched with ease.
This unit could be improved by simply mounting the shredder feed hopper on hinges so that it could be lowered to a more horizontal position. It might also be beneficial to coat the inside of the hopper and chute with a non-stick substance, like Teflon, to reduce the occurrence of jams. A layer of automotive wax applied to the the inner surfaces of the hopper might improve its performance and reduce jamming.
I recommend this unit for heavy duty work chipping large (up to 3" thick) branches and huge quantities of dry leaves. It will not even break a sweat, and will probably prove to be very durable. If your intended usage involves other types of organic matter, a smaller unit with an adjustable, more horizontal, feed tray would be a better choice and less expensive.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
green_machine
|
|
Reviews written: 11
Trusted by: 0 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.