"Certainly, buying a used chipper/shredder from a rental place isn't optimal"

I personally would never consider or recommend to anyone for that matter buying anything from a rental place.

'ANYHOO, am I an idiot for considering this Bearcat? Am I naive in thinking that I, unlike most Home Depot people who rent machinery, will know how to operate it without screwing it up?"

An idiot NO, naive, maybe. I say rent a machine for now and keep looking for something to buy.

"My local Mackissic dealer only stocks the LSC506. I love the price -- $675 -- but I don't think it will handle garden debris."

I'm not sure either but others will be along to say for sure.

Good Luck - Kris

CornShucker,

MacKissic's Mighty Mac SC763 is their smallest product that has a genuine hammermill shredder. The SC763 sells for about $1189.95, so even it may be out-of-budget for you.

You might want to read the Shredder Design message thread, the Bearcat Chipper Shredder thread, the Chipper/Shredder thread, and the Bear Cat message thread. I usually recommend MacKissic, but Home Depot's offer to fix up the old BearCat 70380 might be the most cost effective way you can go right now.

MM

Thank you, maineman. I have read those threads. I am familiar with the Mighty Mac SC763. I actually considered it -- it's still danged spendy -- but my big problem is paying $1,200 for a machine with a 6.5 hp engine. I just can't get past that. There also seems to be a huge lack of people on this board (or anywhere) who own the SC763 and can comment on whether it's underpowered or fairly capable. Sigh. It's just really tough to know what to do. But thank you ...

Not sure about the one you are looking at. I purchased a 70380 that only had a few hours on it..actually looked brand new...for $700 from an individual on Ebay but who happened to live near me..it was a big hog to move but it has served me well...can you tell for how many hours that Home Depot machine was rented during the 49 rentals to estimate how many hours may be on that machine...at least I know they clean them up between rentals...but not sure how well they maintain them..good luck

CornShucker,

"...but my big problem is paying $1,200 for a machine with a 6.5 hp engine. ...whether it's underpowered or fairly capable."

My old MacKissic 12PT9 swings 24 hammers with 9 hp just fine. The SC763 swings 16 hammers with 6.5 hp. Considering that data, I would be very surprised if the SC763 were underpowered. But I agree with you. It is spendy at $1200.

MM

derbyboy,

As you know, the Bearcat doesn't use hammers. Have you tried running grape and tomato vines, cornstalks or other garden debris through it? How does it handle that aspect of the shredding?

Maineman,

Maybe I should call Mackissic and feel them out. Problem is, once I get to that $1,200 point, I may as well grit my teeth and get the 12PT10. Which, like I said, just isn't a justifiable economic decision for us.

"Problem is, once I get to that $1,200 point, I may as well grit my teeth and get the 12PT10."

For what it's worth I agree with you, at $1200 your to close to the 12pt10 (imo). If you can't swing it, I would scout e-bay for something used. Something is bound to come along. - Kris

Here's a new one on e-bay for $1600

http://cgi.ebay.com/MacKissic-10hp-Briggs-I-C-chipper-shredder-SAVE-150_W0QQitemZ280049743643QQihZ018QQcategoryZ42228QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

- Kris

That one isn't a really great bargain (IMO), particularly because it doesn't address the shipping cost and you can get it with shipping included for $1699.95.

MM

Good catch MM, At the bottom of the ad they want $140 plus $75 for a residential fee for a total of $215. - Kris

Guys, thanks, but I've seen that eBay 12PT10 chipper. The same seller actually had a good deal on the LCS506. You could get it for about $610 shipped.

I spent $10 and took out a three-line "want to buy" ad in the local daily newspaper to see if I might find something else out there. If not, I may take a $500 chance on the Home Depot Bearcat (assuming they ever get it repaired), even though I know it's been used and abused as a rental. Even with its history, it's possibly still better than buying anything new under $1,000. I dunno.

I think the issue here is not whether this is a good buy as a chipper/shredder. It probably is a good deal in this price range. The question I'd ask is whether you are willing to dive in to do small engine repair work in the future on a machine that has probably seen some abuse. If this does not faze you, then buy it.

If not, then keep a watch on craigslist and the local papers. Others will turn up.

Just my 2 cents,
John

(Personally, I'm moderately capable with machinery. But I stop before I ever touch a carburetor.)

Well, Sawdust, you're right. I would rather not have to be Mr. Small Engine Repair Guy. But I guess I could. I already have enough fun time in that department with my two lawn mowers, rototiller, Mantis, chainsaw, air compressor, etc. It's really not the engine I'm worried about. Those Hondas are pretty sturdy. It's the chipper/shredder itself, which has that "bent metal" issue that Home Depot still needs to fix. I'm worried that it could be a chronic hassle.

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. :)

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
{{gwi:308025}}

In case anyone is interested, I've got a LCS505 (?) I was planning on selling in the fall. I am not sure about the model number off the top of my head, but it is the same as the 506 except it is the older model with the 5hp engine. I just picked it up not long ago and haven't even run it yet, but it seems like it is in very good shape. I will give it a go with a 3" branch if anyone wants to know how they handle it.

FWIW, I used to have an old 5HP Roto Hoe and it did OK with a 3" branch, but it would bog down if I rushed it - especially if the blade/knife wasn't sharp. The same is somewhat true of my PTO mount MacKissic 12PT though. You get used to shoving things in there as fast as you can, but then when you get bigger branches you still have to take your time a little. Certainly this is more the case with a 5hp, but you still have to slow down a little with a bigger machine. I personally don't find myself chipping all that many 3" branches anyway. I often just chip a branch to a certain point and the throw the rest of it on a pile for kindling.

Maineman,

You make a good point about the swinging serrated knives. I just may take a chance on this rental unit. I may live to regret it, but what the hey. Also, I just started my wanted ad in the local newspaper, so we'll see if anything else pops up in the next week before I take the plunge on the used Bearcat.

We purchased a Bearcat 70380 8HP Honda Chipper/Shredder from our local Home Depot 3 years ago for $ 860.00. It was used by us very little but has worked like a champ. The only downsize is it's weight! We have a small garage and have had to move it occasionally. We plan to sell it as soon as we can get it listed. I don't think you could go wrong with one of these.

So far, the Bear Cat is pretty beasty.
The 12 shredding knives are dull and definitely in need of reversing, but I'm too lazy to do that right now. They simply beat the stuff until it's small enough to come out the grate. I managed to kill it once by tossing a big armful of wet stuff into it: Leaves, compost, etc. ... I'm not sure exactly. I was getting so confident that I wasn't worrying about it. I unclogged it, and other than that single incident, it's been great. It shreds tomato vines and garden debris, no prob.
The chipper is very solid. Again, Home Depot didn't sell it to me with newly sharpened blades. But it really eats branches. I'm shoving everything I can into the chipper: Small branches several at a time, sagebrush, tree branches, the works. I noticed that after about four hours, it was starting to vibrate on very hard wood, though. Home Depot tossed in an extra set of reversible new blades, so I'm going to throw those on tomorrow and let the Bearcat dine on some fresh saplings. Sharp blades are the key to these things, I'm discovering.
The 8 hp Honda engine starts first pull every time. And it handles the job fine.

I'm thinking that buying a used chipper/shredder is a smart way to go for those of us on a budget. You simply get more machine. I will warn any other prospective buyers, though: The Bear Cat is 250 pounds. I had to drag it up an incline into the clearing up above my house and barely made it. If I wasn't still a relatively young, strong guy (I turn 39 next week -- aaaagh!) it would have been a problem.
But, so far, I'm glad I got this Bear Cat. Best of all, my wife and her brothers and parents sneakily bought it for me for my birthday.

Update: I've spent about 10 hours chipping and shredding with the Bear Cat. Eliminated the huge brush pile. At this point, I have to say that this was a great decision. I'm sure the Mackissics are awesome machines, but if you can find a used Bear Cat 70380, jump on it. It starts first pull every time and, as long as the blades are sharp, it gobbles up branches -- mostly self-feeding. The 12-blade shredder is a lot like a hammermill. Like I said, I haven't changed those blades -- and they definitely are beyond dull (thanks, Home Depot) -- but they still beat brush, leaves, etc., into a pulp before spitting them out. Changing the chipper blades takes about 15 minutes. The shredder blades will definitely take longer, considering that there are 12 of them. But it will be a nice Saturday afternoon project. I have absolutely no regrets about acquiring this machine. I also see no need to buy any other screen for it. I now have a mulch pile the size of Mount Hood in my garden. I'll just Rototill in whatever I don't use as mulch. Or let it sit and compost. It will definitely compost soon enough. I may change my mind about needing another screen when I start dumping wet leaves into it this fall. We shall see.

Saw these old posts and hoping someone still follows them. I recently bought a used Bearcat 70380 for $675. It has seen some use and was also used as a rental unit. A few of the swinging knives I could feel from the shredder chute opening had a few gouges out of them, but otherwise still had a nice edge. The chipper blades were still fine too, as were the belts. My question is that the unit stalls when the handle to engage the blades is raised too quickly. It needs to be raised V-e-r-y slowly or it stalls, otherwise it is fine once engaged. Owner's manual says simply to slow down engaging it, but I'm wondering if there's any other maintenance necessary. I'm going to put new belts on it and an overall tuneup with sparkplugs, filters, etc.

I also have a rental unit 70380 and indeed you have to raise the handle very slowly (so keep those old belts). I found that resetting the chipper clearance and the pulley alignment as specified in the manual made a huge difference in the machine's performance.

Bought a used Bearcat 70380 from HomeDepot. they sold it because their new rentals had a tow capability. they included new blades. ive used it for sevaral years and sharpened the blades several times. chopped uo a lot of garden waste, leaves etc no problem jost dont feed too fasr. ive also cut up the branches from at least ten larger Douglafs fir trees some near to 3” thick but only up to 2”” if they are hard and dry. love it i wouldnt worry if they repsired it well.. im in bc, Canada approx 10 years of use.