by AJB Temple » 19 Oct 2020, 12:40
Chipper / shredders are a right pain. I have a large one (that too obvs) which can be towed behind a garden tractor and allegedly will deal with branches 2" thick (which it does) and Leylandii trimmings (which it kind of does after a fashion). Its got a 15hp B&S motor and I suppose is a step below a proper small machine that tree surgeons use. But it is slow and you have to stuff Leylandii branches through with a stick, or it just jams up. It is also incredibly noisy.
In practice, for large gardens, all chippers are pretty hopeless unless you get the large man sized ones that tree surgeons tow around.
It's traditional to have a bonfire on 5/11 so I doubt the neighbours will have a problem, especially if invited round to put their jacket potatoes in the embers.
I don't blame people for having bonfires. The local councils around here make it as difficult as possible to dispose of rubbish. We now have to pre-book, can only go once a month, has a limit on vehicle size, and you have to pay to dispose of various things. So, surprise surprise, there has ben an epidemic of fly tipping. Hence I use a bonfire too now, as a lot of stuff does not compost very well.
Don't like: wood, engines, electrickery, decorating, tiling, laying stone, plumbing, gardening or any kind of DIY. Not wild about spiders either.