CornShucker, "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

Thanks for the input greenhobby. I've got 40 acres, and most of it it wooded. The part I mow is mowed and vacummed with a large collection system on the mower. The collected grass, and leaves in the fall, has given me a hug compost pile. I dump the grass/leaves on one end, and pick black dirt off the other. Occasionally I 'stur' the composting part with a front end loader. Some of the stuff likes to stay in grass like clumps, and isn't composting well. I figure that stuff would be really nice if run thru a shredder. I also heat my house and domestic hot water 100% with wood, for about 9 months of the year. So there is alot of 'trimmings' that I don't use for heat. I have been burning them in a burn pile in the winter. But local fire officials frown on these types of activities unless the ground is covered with snow. I would like to chew up some of this stuff to make mulch to put around some smaller pine trees. I planted some pines on the boundry line some years ago. I mostly have oak, maple, elm, cherry, and cedar here. So I think the 12PT-10 is about the size I could use, without financially destroying me. Where can I go to get the best deal on-line? I like the "no tax" I usually get by ordering out of state. Free shipping is a plus on this type of thing too. :-) Lloyd

The EY28 is a good engine, as are all of the old Wisconsin and Subaru Robins. Being a flat head is OK, just somewhat less efficient than an OHV or OHC engine. Your EY28 produces 7.5hp from 280cc, the current EH25 OHV produces 8.5hp from 250cc. The OHV also uses about 20% less fuel. More importantly to Robin/Wisconsin, the old flat heads are not as clean emissions-wise, and can no longer be certified. That's why all of the engine makers have pretty much replaced flat heads with OHV construction, especially in California where CARB standards are even more stringent than EPA. The type of ignition is more important to me. The EY28 came fitted with both electronic and the older breaker-point ignitions. The electronic is almost idiot proof, unless the coil fails. If the electronic fails, it easy but expensive to replace. Breaker points, however are a maintenance item. The need to be cleaned and re-gapped periodically, and are located under the flywheel, which makes it a bigger job. If engine is equipped with electronic (transistorized), forget everything I said. Your regular small engine mechanic should be fine, provided he's competent. I'd pull down the manuals from Subaru (Parts, Service, and Operating) so he has something for reference. I'd also chase the internet to see who handles parts. While things are much better now that Subaru is directly involved, parts are still more expensive and harder to find than Briggs, Honda, or Kohler. No harm trying to light it up, as long as oil is good. Carburetor may be gummed up from sitting, particularly if not stored properly. You may have to disassemble and boil everything out. Check for ignition, then squirt a little gas down the air horn and see if it lights. Then put some gas in tank, and see if it will run. If not, you or your mechanic will probably have to go through the carb.

It may be a model made only for a specific retailer or a special buy. Email or call at customer service Bearcat or Echo. They should know which model is similar. They may want the serial no. Due to liability, mfrs usually provide operating manuals free.