5-1/2 Horsepower Chipper Shredder

Comments about Central Machinery 5-1/2 Horsepower Chipper Shredder:

I bought this based on reviews. I have several very large shrubs that need regular pruning. Most branches are 1" or less. This chipper ate them up. No more dragging them curbside. I had a pile of branches about 4 feet tall by 8 feet long. I turned this pile into about one cubic foot of fine mulch. Couldn't be happier. Now I'm looking for other stuff to prune just so I can use this thing. I didn't ever grind to a halt as some others have mentioned. It did get bunched up but I used a 2x4 to shove the branches/leaves into it. I only had it about 1/2 throttle and it ate the end of the 2x4 off. The engine is very quiet and started on the 2nd pull. I'm very happy with this one, especially since I got it at 20% off,

Comments about Central Machinery 5-1/2 Horsepower Chipper Shredder:

great for disposing of yard waste and disposing of un-wanted shrubery small oak branches
good for general yard clean up

Comments about Central Machinery 5-1/2 Horsepower Chipper Shredder:

I own this machine for over two years now. I still like it like the first day I bought it. I did a lot of reseach before I settled on this one based on the high ratings and low price.

It is built on heavy gauge steel. The engine is solid and always starts on first or second pull even after storage. I used it to shred/chip leaves, twigs, vine, prunings up to 1 inch. It does the job nicely.

It does jam occassional but only when I stuff wet and rotten leaves in it. Maybe all shredder will? The only thing I don't like is once jamed, you have to remove several nuts at front panel to clean it. But once I got a hold of it for what shouldn't go in there, it never jam again.

Overall, this is the best shredder/chipper for the money.

Comments about Central Machinery 5-1/2 Horsepower Chipper Shredder:

This machine starts on first pull every time and runs perfectly...Shut the fuel off and let it run out, EVERY USE! Bought this for kitchen waste, yard debris and log splitter debris. Screen will clog if any wet material is processed. Remove screen and process material, then allow to dry several weeks, reinstall screen and double grind material and it produces a fine even mulch. Not really practical for branches because of it's limited size of 1.25", but it will grind anything else that you throw at it! Use a 12" 2x4 as a push tool. This works best for me. I did not have any problems adding fuel or oil as others have claimed to have had. Overall a great machine for a great price, within it's limitations.

Comments about Central Machinery 5-1/2 Horsepower Chipper Shredder:

The best idea I had was to read these reviews.
To trick out this baby consider getting bigger wheels to improve ground clearance or build a stand. I did this for my last c/s and it worked well. The other opportunity in getting this baby off the ground is that it makes it so much easier to maintain. I made my stand out of 2x4s and landscape timbers. Cut timber to 24 long/need 4. lag screws them together face to face.Then cut 2x4'long enough to lag to end grain of landscape timber.This should create 6-8" of ground clearance depending on the timbers. Same for front stand with enough room to hole the U shaped leg. For extra safety I drilled holes on each end of the stands and drove rebar into the ground. Sandy soil/no problem. As to fill issues, I bought a 60 cent plastic articulating neck that screws on to my plastic bottles of oil and it worked great. I also bought a funnel with a long flexible spout at HF threaded the long spout between the handle and the outside top of the chip/shred hopper and rested the end of extension tube inside the gas filler. Pour slow and it works like a champ. This is a great home gardner unit. It's unrealistic to think this unit is going to chew up a tree

Comments about Central Machinery 5-1/2 Horsepower Chipper Shredder:

Simple assembly. Added the oil via a transmission fluid funnel and bought a plastic funnel with a long tube to put the gas in the tank. Fired right up on first try. Used it to mulch up some over grown crape myrtle trees. Works great. Load, use earplugs. And safety glasses with gloves. Would recommend a long sleeve shirt too as the branches will scrape your arms as feeding them into the hopper. It will grind up larger limbs through the top if you feed them in slowly. At about 1 1/2 foot length is as short as you can the bigger limbs. If you let it go in the top the hopper it will jam the machine and stop in. Easy fix, just take the 8 screws off on the side and clean out the blade area. Without this today I would have generated 3-4 big bags of tree limbs for the trash guy. Now I have some great mulch to use in the back yard. It grinds it up very finely.

Comments about Central Machinery 5-1/2 Horsepower Chipper Shredder:

this is a sweet chipper use the hell out of it put the hurt to it. I haven't had any problem with it. don't complain you payed three bills for it, so if it craps out buy another one, its better than buying on for grand or more for the same job :)!!!!!!!! harbor freight you got my vote keep up the good work...... beside you get what you pay for, for the people that have small yards this is the best thing to buy its quiet small and will shred anything you can get down in the hopper, if it break's down I will buy anther one I just love it... hopeful this is some help to others, ive had mine for three years I use mine alot in the summer time

Comments about Central Machinery 5-1/2 Horsepower Chipper Shredder:

Works much better than expected. Like the other reviewers say, you will need to remove screen before grinding too much green stuff or it will definitely clog up.

Much happier with this than the auger I got.

Comments about Central Machinery 5-1/2 Horsepower Chipper Shredder:

Took it out of box put wheels and front stand on added oil and gas and on second pull it started.
came with wrenches just added oil. Had to tip on its side to add oil but not that bad.
as long as you know what you can mulch this worked GREAT. And it was on sale

Comments about Central Machinery 5-1/2 Horsepower Chipper Shredder:

Before I bought this Chipper I was considering a $1,000.00 unit, but that's a huge chunk of my budget so I kept "sleeping on it".A few days later I received a Harbor Freight flier that listed this Chipper for [$], I read the reviews on their web site as well as those listed else where. Armed with the information learned, I bought a little Harbor Freight 20oz oil pump that comes with a flex line $5.00, a fuel funnel that also comes with a metal flex line another $5.00, and of coarse, the chipper. The chipper was packaged well and complete. The simple assembly went fine with the included tools. I definitely needed the oil and fuel tools I mentioned earlier. After setting the choke, throttle, and start switch to their proper position, the engine started on the first pull.I readjusted the throttle and gave the unit a quick test by feeding it a few branches and a 1 1/4 inch limb. It ate them up. Gloves and eye protection are a must. So far I'm very pleased, and we've gotten off to a great start, we'll see how it continues to handle my over grown yard. For the money it seems like a great addition to my growing yard tools.