I've read with interest the various posts on chipper/shredders available via the search engine here. I know that I would be very happy with a Mackissic 12PT10. However, I can't justify the expense. My wife and I are planning to have our first child this year and build a home soon after. Dropping $1,800 on a wood chipper isn't going to fly at this point in my life.

That said, my local Home Depot rental shop will sell me a very-used Bearcat 70380 for $500. They'll even throw in a new set of blades. The catch: The thing is broken down and needs about three hours of work. They'll fix it, if I'm willing to wait a few weeks. Or they'll sell it to me as is. Either way, it's $500. The manager is tired of customers misusing it and them having to fix it. The problem is that people try to pick it up by the handle on the chipper chute, which bends the metal underneath. The thing weighs 250 pounds. So, now the blade starts hitting the metal when it gets spinning. They'll have to take the Bearcat apart and straighten out the metal again to provide clearance for the chipper.

Certainly, buying a used chipper/shredder from a rental place isn't optimal. It went into service in 2004 and has been rented 49 times. And the fact it has issues isn't very attractive. But it's $500. The belt was recently replaced. It's a machine that retails for $2,200. And I have a 2.5-acre lot that will always have lots of leaves, tree limbs, large sagebrush, grape vines, etc., that need to be chipped. (At the moment, I have a colossal brush pile that I'll probably just dispose of by renting a tow-behind Vermeer for four hours for $100 or whatever. But once that's gone, I won't have any massive jobs. Just seasonal stuff.)

ANYHOO, am I an idiot for considering this Bearcat? Am I naive in thinking that I, unlike most Home Depot people who rent machinery, will know how to operate it without screwing it up? I watched the manager start it. It started first pull. It just needs that metal straightened out. My thinking is that even if I decide it's a lemon, I'll be able to sell it for $300 or $400. Bearcats seem to fetch a few bucks. And they're throwing in an extra set of blades.

I've looked all over the place locally for another used one. Nothing. My local Mackissic dealer only stocks the LSC506. I love the price -- $675 -- but I don't think it will handle garden debris. I would really like my chipper to be able to gobble a cornstock without choking, not to mention a 3-inch three branch. I'm guessing that the Bearcat would do that. (Any Bearcat owners out there who can give me feedback?)

Any input would be appreciated. I'm trying to decide whether to pull the trigger.

Thank you.

I personally would never consider or recommend to anyone for that matter buying anything from a rental place.

'ANYHOO, am I an idiot for considering this Bearcat? Am I naive in thinking that I, unlike most Home Depot people who rent machinery, will know how to operate it without screwing it up?"

An idiot NO, naive, maybe. I say rent a machine for now and keep looking for something to buy.

"My local Mackissic dealer only stocks the LSC506. I love the price -- $675 -- but I don't think it will handle garden debris."

I'm not sure either but others will be along to say for sure.

Good Luck - Kris

MacKissic's Mighty Mac SC763 is their smallest product that has a genuine hammermill shredder. The SC763 sells for about $1189.95, so even it may be out-of-budget for you.

You might want to read the Shredder Design message thread, the Bearcat Chipper Shredder thread, the Chipper/Shredder thread, and the Bear Cat message thread. I usually recommend MacKissic, but Home Depot's offer to fix up the old BearCat 70380 might be the most cost effective way you can go right now.

MM

"...but my big problem is paying $1,200 for a machine with a 6.5 hp engine. ...whether it's underpowered or fairly capable."

My old MacKissic 12PT9 swings 24 hammers with 9 hp just fine. The SC763 swings 16 hammers with 6.5 hp. Considering that data, I would be very surprised if the SC763 were underpowered. But I agree with you. It is spendy at $1200.

MM

As you know, the Bearcat doesn't use hammers. Have you tried running grape and tomato vines, cornstalks or other garden debris through it? How does it handle that aspect of the shredding?

Maineman,

Maybe I should call Mackissic and feel them out. Problem is, once I get to that $1,200 point, I may as well grit my teeth and get the 12PT10. Which, like I said, just isn't a justifiable economic decision for us.

For what it's worth I agree with you, at $1200 your to close to the 12pt10 (imo). If you can't swing it, I would scout e-bay for something used. Something is bound to come along. - Kris

http://cgi.ebay.com/MacKissic-10hp-Briggs-I-C-chipper-shredder-SAVE-150_W0QQitemZ280049743643QQihZ018QQcategoryZ42228QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

- Kris

MM

I spent $10 and took out a three-line "want to buy" ad in the local daily newspaper to see if I might find something else out there. If not, I may take a $500 chance on the Home Depot Bearcat (assuming they ever get it repaired), even though I know it's been used and abused as a rental. Even with its history, it's possibly still better than buying anything new under $1,000. I dunno.

If not, then keep a watch on craigslist and the local papers. Others will turn up.

Just my 2 cents,
John

(Personally, I'm moderately capable with machinery. But I stop before I ever touch a carburetor.)

The other issue is that, so far, nobody here has been able to give me any thoughts about how the Bearcats do in the shredding department. I want to be able to feed it corn stocks, grape vines, tomato vines and garden debris. Nobody here apparently has used one of these Bearcats for that. I'm going to try to keep this thread alive long enough for a Bearcat owner to show up and give me specific advice. :)

"The other issue is that, so far, nobody here has been able to give me any thoughts about how the Bearcats do in the shredding department. I want to be able to feed it corn stocks, grape vines, tomato vines and garden debris. Nobody here apparently has used one of these Bearcats for that. I'm going to try to keep this thread alive long enough for a Bearcat owner to show up and give me specific advice."

Well, no BearCat user has come forward yet, and I have never used or even seen an actual BearCat, but I am going to venture that if Home Depot makes good on their promise to put that BearCat 70380 in working order, that it will be able to handle your corn stalks, grape vines, tomato vines, and garden debris just fine. It could also process dead leaves from trees very well. I am basing that statement on this BearCat Model 70380/70580 Spec Sheet. (If the print is too small, you can magnify it, because that is a PDF document.) Or you can read this BearCat 70380 information.

Notice that the 70380 has swinging serrated knives and a shredder exit screen with holes. It's not exactly a hammermill because it has knives instead of hammers, but the principle is basically the same. The swinging hammers or swinging knives keep "punishing" the material until it is able to escape through the holes in the screen. Also, notice that interchangeable screens are available to let you control how fine or coarse your product will be.

If you do buy that BearCat 70380 from Home Depot, you might want to consider purchasing at least one of the optional screens with smaller holes to get a finer product with more surface area for faster composting. I notice it also has an available screen for wet material. If it were me, I would get all of the optional screens: the .75" screen, the .375" screen and the Wet Debris screen. But I would for sure get at least one extra screen and, in my case, it would be the three-eighths screen for the finest possible product texture.

MM

FWIW, I used to have an old 5HP Roto Hoe and it did OK with a 3" branch, but it would bog down if I rushed it - especially if the blade/knife wasn't sharp. The same is somewhat true of my PTO mount MacKissic 12PT though. You get used to shoving things in there as fast as you can, but then when you get bigger branches you still have to take your time a little. Certainly this is more the case with a 5hp, but you still have to slow down a little with a bigger machine. I personally don't find myself chipping all that many 3" branches anyway. I often just chip a branch to a certain point and the throw the rest of it on a pile for kindling.

You make a good point about the swinging serrated knives. I just may take a chance on this rental unit. I may live to regret it, but what the hey. Also, I just started my wanted ad in the local newspaper, so we'll see if anything else pops up in the next week before I take the plunge on the used Bearcat.

I'm thinking that buying a used chipper/shredder is a smart way to go for those of us on a budget. You simply get more machine. I will warn any other prospective buyers, though: The Bear Cat is 250 pounds. I had to drag it up an incline into the clearing up above my house and barely made it. If I wasn't still a relatively young, strong guy (I turn 39 next week -- aaaagh!) it would have been a problem.
But, so far, I'm glad I got this Bear Cat. Best of all, my wife and her brothers and parents sneakily bought it for me for my birthday.