What are the uses for a wood chipper?

A wood chipper is a large outdoor tool used for breaking down tree limbs, trunks, and branches into chips. The use of a wood chipper is an excellent way to reduce the work of cutting down parts of a tree and turning them into something useful, especially during yard work or simply cleaning up debris after a storm.

Short History of wood chipper

Peter Jensen is credited with the invention of the first wood chipper in 1884. His invention of agricultural machines and special machines was originally designed for local authorities to maintain public areas. Since then, the invention continued and in a little village called Maasbull, Northern Germany, the brand Jensen (from Peter Jensen’s family name) became popular in the production of wood chippers. 

How does a wood chipper work?

Orange wood chipper machine

Wood chippers are often portable, mounted on wheels on frames appropriate for towing behind a truck or van. Wood chipper’s power is provided by an internal combustion engine. Some models contain high-power chippers mounted on trucks and powered by a separate engine. They usually have a hydraulic crane. The large industrial size of wood chippers can devour up to six inches of diameter in branches. While smaller units can handle branches up to two inches in diameter

Woods, pieces of brush, or tree limbs are fed into a hopper with a collar (the collar serves as a safety mechanism to keep the human body away from the chipping blades). They slide down into the actual cutting mechanisms: blades set on a rotating impeller. The wood is then spewed out from the chute as chips into a truck-mounted container, or onto the ground. 

Uses of Wood Chipper

Alternative to burning waste

Burning produces a lot of emissions and can take hours, but a wood chipper can quickly remove unwanted wood. Burning wood produces sparks that can prove dangerous in dry, windy environments. Wind-borne ash can pose a public health hazard by contaminating groundwater, soil, and water bodies. Using a wood chipper instead of an incinerator saves the environment and yields a valuable by-product. This by-product can be used to care for nature around your property.

Empowers recycling

Wood chippers allow one to convert organic materials that end up in landfills or incineration into useful recycled materials. This option saves money as one doesn’t have to pay someone to dispose of their waste. It also has the added benefit of leaving you with a useful by-product that you can use or sell yourself. The wood chipper is most commonly used to create mulch that cares for and protects your crops without the added expense of fertilizers or herbicides. By shredding instead of chopping, you can turn waste wood into compost. Wood chips can also be used to make compressed wood used in pallets and some furniture. This feature makes selling wood chips a viable option and helps offset wood chipper rental costs. wood chips are also valued for their use as renewable energy. When converted to biofuel, wood chips can even power automobiles and other equipment.

Makes material easier to transport

Trees are bulky and difficult to remove from properties, often requiring a professional to move and dispose of the debris. Wood chippers make waste easier to transport by shredding it into small, manageable pieces. They also do not need professionals to do the job, as long as one knows exactly how to operate the chipper and wears protective eyewear and gloves, then there are no more problems with wasted trees. 

Does not require a lot of effort

As debris is already annoying and messy, using a chipper is a convenient way of getting rid of all that mess with a little effort. Just a little configuration and you have all those branches in different sizes. 

Final Thoughts

The use of wood chipper in cutting down trees to produce a by-product is a smart way of getting people’s work comfortable and easier and is a smart way of turning tree waste into something useful.