Chipper Vs Shredder for Hazel

[TattyMac]

I've had confusing feedback from hire shops and I hope the experts will help me please.

My question is:   What's the best machine to hire for chopping up whole hazel branches?

Scenario:   I have a lot of cut hazel that I have to chop up and bag. I have to shred each branch in one go without removing all the little stem branches. So they will be too wide for some funnels I expect. I was going to hire a chipper but the hire man said they have problem with the leaves? 😕

 

[TattyMac]

15 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

I run over my hedge cuttings  with a 16" lawn mower and a freshly sharpened blade, reduces the bulk no end for little cost.

Will it cut hazel though. It's tough stuff.

[openspaceman]

8 minutes ago, TattyMac said:

Will it cut hazel though. It's tough stuff.

I would expect so at 1/2 inch, it's fine on holly, bay and hawthorn and I modified it to shatter bamboo successfully fed in one piece at a time. I posted a picture but cannot remember the thread, I have been given a couple of B&S engined push mowers  and two Honda engined so if one breaks....

[rapalaman]

My little JoBeau M200 would deal with that no problem so long as the blades are sharp, as should any good wee chipper. A 6” towable could be overkill unless there is a large quantity.

whereabouts in the country are you? Someone on here near to you may offer a chipping service?

[doobin]

Hazel burns no bother. 

[Steve Bullman]

1 hour ago, TattyMac said:

Thanks for that. I read hazel is hard to burn.

Anything burns if the fires hot enough. Hazel Certainly won’t be a problem 

[openspaceman]

20 minutes ago, Steve Bullman said:

Anything burns if the fires hot enough. Hazel Certainly won’t be a problem 

Yep The local hurdle maker always burned his tops despite my telling him it was bad practice, he often had a fire on a stool which wasn't very sustainable, he only survived a few years after though.

[Ty Korrigan]

This is a budget Chinesium 15hp drum chipper.

It rarely blocks on leafy material.

Stringy dead dry leylandii will do it but almost nothing else unless you overfeed it.

As for Hazel, I'll often separate the wood from the leafy parts and chip each separately. The clean wood makes sought after decorative chip and the leafy stuff for compost mulch.

Clients who keep chip often appreciate the gesture.

  Stuart

[PeteB]

Half inch Hazel coppice? Apart from the domestic crap things on three legs, any drum or disc type pedestrian chipper would love that stuff including all the leaves!  A dream demo from a salesman's point of view! Sack the hire company! 

[Conor Wright]

6 hours ago, TattyMac said:

The branches have been cut with a good motor hedge cutter. Half inch max diameter I would say. 1m long max but the stems can be 2 feet long out each side.

I'll be taking the chips to waste. There will be ivy in there.

So reducing the bulk to carry in a large car is the purpose.

 

Any chipper will take that, even a wee chipper. Providing it has sharp blades. This is sometimes an issue with hire machines. 

[Dan Maynard]

I hired a TW13/75 once, that would block on anything really whether it had leaves or not. Blunt blades, huge anvil gap, just dragged all the small stuff in and bunged up.