Hello, For a quick parts breakdown, try this link: http://www.partsandservice.com/html/TroyBilt/cs/cs15016.html I too am looking for owner's manuals for 2 Super Tomahawks, models 11087 & 11478. Both 8 hp made in 1987 & 1989. If anyone has the manuals and would be willing to photocopy them, I'd gladly pay for the expense. Please let me know. Cheers! John

I have some literature on the Roto-Hoe, and I have the shredder and the tiller. Years ago, I should have written down the belt number in the "manual". Now I know better, and just about every manual is short of info and must be edited by the owner. The manufacturers can also do a better job here. Take some string and measure from pulley to pulley,same path as the belt, then measure the string... this should be sufficiently adequate. I will have to do the same.. If you go to a good store they will tell you the same.. Good luck in finding a good place...

It's good to see that there are others who have respect for the older Troy-Bilt Super Tomahawks. I just can't say enough about how much I love and use mine. They are tough as nails. If you are new to flail type shredders you will be shocked at how well these things pulverize whatever you drop in to the hopper. The 8 hp "Tommy" will handle up to 1" branches through the shredder. Anything above that up to 3" goes into the side chipper shute. I will not shred rose canes for the reasons already correctly mentioned. The thorns never break down. Now even the better chipper / shredders like the Mackissic and the Troy-Bilts require that you learn a few things about feeding them. I can dump freshly pulled wet tomato vines through it but I would have some nice dry stuff like leaves, twigs, or sticks to follow the wet stuff with or, I could take the standard 3/4" screen off and install one of my larger screens. I usually use the wet followed by dry technique unless I have a large amount of wet vine material to process. In that case I change to a larger discharge grate and then re-shred with a smaller grate if I want finely chopped product.

As has been mentioned, "Huskee" and "Husquvarna" are not the same. Totally different companies and differing qualities of build. Huskee is, or at least was, a rebadged MTD mower. They may still be making it or they might have changed to a new contractor. Husquvarna is a much better quality and better built machine. Regardless, mowing over leaves should have nothing to do with the engine. The only time I've seen leaf debris kill an engine is when mice have created a nest from leaf debris by packing it between the cylinder heads and the engine cooling shroud. The cooling shroud is the thin sheet metal that surrounds the engine, it's designed to funnel air past the cylinder head to aid in cooling. The mice nests, made from built up of leaf matter, essentially eliminate the cooling air flow and instead insulate the cylinder head, leading to overheating. Enough about that. Of the ones you listed, I'd recommend the MacKissic. Not only can you rake the leaves on the ground right into the hopper, but the internal air movement actually helps to suck the leaves into the hopper, making it easier. You have a huge volume to shred. I have a mackissic 12PT1100, an updated but similar version of the one chas045 has. I have an old table the same height as the top of the hopper that I use as a feed table when doing volume work. The leaves get loaded from the "back" edge of the table top. Toss a bag up there and dump it out. There are raised sides on two sides of the table, about 6", to prevent matter from sliding off the sides. An operator with a hoe then pulls the leaves along the surface of the table and into the hopper, which is under the "front" edge of the table. It goes pretty easy, there's only one lifting of each bag. The nice thing about the 12pt1100, or any other 12PT model, is the hammermill section. It'll pulverize the leaf matter and reduce it more than any of the models you referenced, plus between the hammermill and the chipping function, it's much more versatile. You can shred dry leaves, then toss in a few green branches, it'll blend them nicely. If the hopper does clog with leaves, I just feed a whip of a branch down the hopper, the hammermill grabs it and pulls the leaves through, shredding everything and clearing the clog. You can get a used 12PT for around $500. You'll never need to worry about the hammers, shredding leaves will not dull them at all. When I've done a lot of dry/dead matter, I'll sometimes sprinkle a bit of high-nitrogen fertilizer into the hopper as I'm feeding the leaves. It'll give the composting a kick start. I'd recommend gas over electric just for location versatility. But you know your situation better, and sound reduction would indeed favor the electrics. Sounds like you'll be putting a lot of hours on your machine, watch the lubrication schedules.