Cohousing-L Mailing List: Chipper shredder

[Mary English (Mary.English]

To answer your question
>As part of Grounds, was asked to see if any of you have a
chipper/shredder 
>and if so:
>do you find it useful?

At Wasatch Commons, we have twice rented a hugh chipper shredder to
take down big piles after construction.  Our neighbor also has a small
garden chipper shredder, which I have borrowed to use in the community
garden.

As has been pointed out, the big machines work well, but they are
dangerous machines and the potential for serious injury is substantial. 
Considering the cost of renting,  the number of people needed for the
chipping, the time requirement, and remembering a couple of  the close
calls we had, and the fact that we had the safety equipment, but I could
not get most of the guys to use it........my choice would be to hire
professionals to chip, should it ever come up again.

Bear in mind I am an avid do it yourselfer, but I am also a former EMT
and an RN, and I  have seen the results of working around hazardous
machinery.  The extra dollars  for professionals are easier to come by
than new cohousing members.

As for the small shrubbery limbs, twigs, sunflower stocks, etc, the
neighbor's little garden shredder does ok with dry stuff, and jams with
green sticks and material. It took much more time than I thought it
would, and then there is the cost of gas.  It would be much easier to
toss the stuff in the dumpster, if I wasn't so determined to add it to
the compost.