[MickyB]

I was following a thread on the forum relating to what to use for paths on an allotment plot - wood chippings was one suggestion which got me wondering if it would be feasible/practicable to make your own using a wood chipper?

I have a combination of wood chipped and grass paths but I would like to replace all the grass to cut down on the maintenance - I have been buying bags of wood chippings but to do it all it will be quite expensive. I would also like to use it to shred items for the compost bin (sweetcorn canes for example) I have had a peak on eBay and second hand 'chippers' are selling quite cheaply, bearing in mind what I want to use it for, would the machine be a good investment?

[muckshifter]

I have a 5 HP Allan shredder (like the one shown in Johns book  The complete vegetable grower),while it is a good machine for shredding compostable material, compost and  peat it is a tad slow at shredding small  branches for woodchip in quantity at speed  a somewhat industrial machine needed I suspect.

[MickyB]

Thanks for the tips, the electric ones sell for peanuts on flea bay but I have to consider if it is worth the effort, I can get two bags for £11 locally which covers quite a bit, I think six to eight bags will cover all that I need so £33 to £44 should see it done - I might just put purchasing one on the back burner for consideration at a later date.

[dmg]

You should try contacting your local tree surgeons who sometimes gives woodchips away free. We have 2 that deliver to our site several tons at a time.

Dmg

[grinling]

try the council.

[cadalot]

Down here they now sell woodchips for bio fuel and get paid so are reluctant to give it away.

It takes an awlful lot of nagging and pleeding to get any from the council via their contractor and our site is a council owned one. I have had a request in for weeks and have remineded them again last week.

[Trillium]

Considering their cost, you'd need access to a lot of free wood to make it worthwhile. I have an electric chipper just for twigs since my ancient acers shed them like dogs shed hair. My parents had a big Tomahawk chipper on the farm as they had 18 acres of bush and heated with wood, so the chipper came in handy. But someone left it uncovered under the drip line of the drive shed, and water got into the engine/hopper area and rusted out. Now it's expensive garbage   

[Amilo]

I have an old electric plane that I was thinking of fabricating a metal frame around it and using it to take twigs and small branches. I don't think it will work on soft stuff but wood and the harder material should be OK but probably slow.

[Swed]

Petrol or electrical (1-phase or 3-phases) ?