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GreatCircleUSA Wood Chipper Shredder Mulcher Heavy Duty Gas Powered 3 in 1 Multi-Function 3" Inch Max Wood Diameter Capacity EPA/CARB Certified Aids in Fire Prevention - Building a Firebreak
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Brand | G |
Capacity | 212 Cubic Centimeters |
Special Feature | EPA and CARB certified |
Product Dimensions | 24.1"D x 36"W x 41.6"H |
Color | Red |
Noise Level | 104 dB |
Power Source | Gasoline Engine |
Control Method | App |
Inverter Type | No Inverter |
Installation Type | Split System |
About this item
- MULTI-FUNCTION CAPABILITY - This 3-in-1 Wood Chipper Shredder Mulcher design has a Reduction Ratio of 15:1 when using the top Hopper for 1/2" MAX volume Chipping/Shredding; Side Chute for 3" MAX branch/limbs, or the attachable leaf vacuum for mulching. professional design w/ CR12MoV cutting blades.
- POWERFUL - This Chippers powerful recoil starting 7HP Horizontal 4-stroke Single Cylinder OHV Gas Powered Engine, handles up to 3" diameter wood without a problem; Fuel w/ 87+ unleaded gasoline (NO ETHANOL recommended), 0.7 gallons Max capacity. Max speed: 3600RPM,Max torque: 9.14ft-lbs@2500RPM
- EFFICIENT DESIGN - Hookup your favorite: ATV, lawn mower or small tractor, for easy transportation with a Tow Bar Kit (SOLD SEPARATELY) and use the vacuum inlet for easy leaf mulching with a Vacuum Kit (SOLD SEPARATELY)
- SAFETY - Always operate according to directions outlined in the user manual, always wear the appropriate hand and eye protection; Can be used to aid in fire prevention and building firebreaks; This machine is EPA/CARB Certified
- BEST APPLICATION - Use for Forestry, Gardens, Landscaping or Green Waste Recycling to chip tree branches/limbs, shred brush, mulch leaves and corn stocks; DO NOT use for: fresh greens, pine cones, palm branches (fronds will jam), petrified wood or vines
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Product Description
Product information
Product Dimensions | 30 x 24.1 x 41.6 inches |
---|---|
Item Weight | 127.7 pounds |
Manufacturer | Intradin (Shanghai) China Ltd Co |
ASIN | B075SG6372 |
Item model number | LCE01 |
Customer Reviews |
4.0 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #47,372 in Patio, Lawn & Garden (See Top 100 in Patio, Lawn & Garden) #22 in Wood Chippers, Shredders, & Mulchers |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Capacity | 212 Cubic Centimeters |
Noise Level | 104 dB |
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See it run! Takes 3" pieces of wood - happy so far
Matt W
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Smoking after 6 hours of use
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Review: GreatCircleUSA Wood Chipper Shredder Mulcher
Mack Robertson
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To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the quality and value of the air conditioner. They mention that it runs great, has good chutes and is good value for money. Customers are also happy with portability. However, some customers have reported issues with the filter and the chipper. They also disagree on ease of assembly, size, and shredding.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers like the quality of the air conditioner. They say it's a solid machine, with good chutes for branches and leaves. They also say the bag works well if put in correctly. Customers also say it is a very good unit for homeowners with gardens and lots of trees requiring annual trimming.
"...Pretty amazing. Of course, if the side-branches are very small, you can use normal clippers or just tear them off with your hands.3...." Read more
"...The machine is well constructed, and is heavy/durable enough for what it is designed for. It was delivered within 48 hours of ordering (remarkable!),..." Read more
"...It's a great chipper, though I haven't started using the mulching side yet...." Read more
"...around the hopper, everything wrapped in plastic, and a nice, thick rubber mat to protect the hopper and engine that I'm sure I'll find a use for)...." Read more
Customers like the value of the air conditioner. They say it's a great investment for next years over growth, and the power is excellent and exceptional for the size and price. Customers also mention that it saves the cost of removal and buying wood chips.
"This is a nice machine for the money. Of course there are pluses and minuses, but overall you get what you pay for with this unit...." Read more
"The bottom line is that this chipper shredder is an excellent value for the price...." Read more
"...Waste of money." Read more
"...My other concern is spare parts. While the chipper blades are available for a reasonable price, there is no obvious supply of spare Y-hammers and..." Read more
Customers like the portability of the air conditioner. They mention that it is fairly easy to move from one location to another, the wheels make it easy to maneuver, and it is easy to transport and store. Some say that the wood chipper is easy t maneuver into a corner.
"...The machine is well constructed, and is heavy/durable enough for what it is designed for. It was delivered within 48 hours of ordering (remarkable!),..." Read more
"...I give the unit 2 stars because it was easy to assemble, easy to move around, and started right up...." Read more
"...The chipper is very easy to move around and so far am very happy with it...." Read more
"...The unit always started easily and was easy to move and transport...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the ease of assembly of the air conditioner. Some mention that it was pretty simple to get it started and it ripped through the branches and brush, while others say that the instructions seemed to jump around and left out a step or two. They also say the instructions are vague and incomplete, and it's very time consuming to remove and reattach the bag.
"...More on that later.3. Starts easily, but if the engine is cold (this is the first time you are running it today) set choke ON and speed LOW..." Read more
"...It was pretty simple to get it started and it ripped through the branches and brush pretty readily...." Read more
"...Very time consuming. to remove and reattach the bag.The bag quickly developed holes in it...." Read more
"...Very easy to assemble. It started easily. The engine is more than powerful enough for what it is designed for...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the size of the air conditioner. Some mention that it's good and well built and durable, perfect for 2 inch pieces, and great for small trees. Others say that it is far too small, the feeder is simply too small for their needs, and will not take a 3" diameter piece.
"...It didn’t fit. Why is this engine only partially assembled? To leave this bracket in place, it will only rattle and possibly cause damage...." Read more
"...a strong engine, good design for chipping and mulching, and it does handle up to 3" as advertised...." Read more
"...not 3/4 (2) unless the branch is dead straight it will not take a 3" diameter piece - you must feed in straight pieces, unless they can bend" Read more
"...First the Pros:- I really liked the compact size of this unit. It was easy to assemble and move around once it was put together.-..." Read more
Customers are mixed about the shredding of the air conditioner. Some mention that it does a great job shredging grapevines and leaves, while others say that it doesn't do small branches well and leaves smaller twigs intact.
"...too much stuff at one time - little and often works well (c) it shreds leaves well, again feed little and often...." Read more
"...It keeps the bag on nice and tight and makes shredding life oh so much easier. Finally, the assembly instructions are sufficient, but barely...." Read more
"...Packed in and two-hands to empty. The leaves didn't appear to be shredded and looked like they just shot through the machine...." Read more
"...If the branch is bone dry .. maybe. The shredder works good with branches but don’t don’t load the hopper to much ...." Read more
Customers are dissatisfied with the filter. They mention that the blades were dull and damaged after less than 6 hours use, the bag tore at the grommet on the very first use, and the chipper arrived damaged. The wood packing slats had broken, and several of the air filter came almost torn off the carborator. The air cleaner housing was cracked, and it arrived in a shipping crate that came apart as they were moving it.
"...When I opened the cardboard box I found that several of the wood packing slats had broken, the chipper had broken free from its restraints, and..." Read more
"...The pictures show the poor stitching quality and rip at the screw hole.Now for leaves...." Read more
"...The vibrations of the machine over 30 minutes had cut through the fuel line...." Read more
"...this the unit did sustain some minor dame in transit; the air cleaner housing was cracked...." Read more
Customers are dissatisfied with the clogging of the air conditioner. They mention that it clogs up too easily, and can become jammed if the material is not evacuated efficiently. Some say that the loader works well, but it would jam once and awhile. They also say that it constantly gets jammed by the smallest things.
"...High speed anvil type masticator. Will clog easily if fed even slightly fast. This is due to a design flaw, where the chute is poorly ported...." Read more
"...- a friend of mine disassembled this and realized that the wood chips were getting jammed due to a guard...." Read more
"...In my test , it jammed and killed the motor after about 1 ft. Of branch , the … hassle …..getting the piece out and free up the blades ...." Read more
"...Once that was removed it got a little better, but would clog up very easily with even the smallest of handfuls...." Read more
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Engine:
1. Others say there is no easy way to turn the engine off, but my machine came with a switch that does kill the engine.
2. The engine is moderately loud so if you have good hearing, wear ear plugs. If you wear hearing aids (like me), take them out. The engine is considerably LOUDER if you have the top hopper open. I recommend you close it except when you need to use the hopper or you want to "blow out" the bag. More on that later.
3. Starts easily, but if the engine is cold (this is the first time you are running it today) set choke ON and speed LOW and pull the cord. If engine is warm already, you can skip the choke. After a couple seconds, set choke OFF and increase speed to desired level. DO NOT LEAVE THE SPEED AT LOW. The engine is not happy at low speed. That said, maximum speed is not required. I prefer a little lower speed so there is a little less vibration when pushing branches into the chute.
Bag:
1. Others say the bag is too small and difficult to attach and I agree. The bag fits around a rectangular port and they provide two knob-screws to secure it, but you must be sure the bottom of the bag opening is going over the metal protrusion and also you must cinch the drawstring tight and use a decent clip to hold it. I used these clips: "DYZD Plastic Cord Locks End Spring Stop Toggle Stoppers Multi-Colour" which cost $6 for a set of 10. You only need one, so you have 9 more for other uses.
2. If you are using the bag and the some stuff gets stuck at the front of the bag, you'll notice a change in sound as the machine bogs down and you'll see chips/mulch going sideways instead of in the bag. Usually when this happens, you can simply open the top hopper slider for a couple seconds. When you open the hopper, the machine becomes a strong blower and this can often clear any blockage going into the bag. If that doesn't work, lift the bag off the ground and shake a little. Worst case, remove the bag and clear the blockage directly.
3. After a couple days of use, I got tired of constantly starting/stopping the chipper to empty the bag, so I built a box! See picture. Now I run for over an hour before I have to stop and empty the box with a shovel :) It never gets clogged and the machine never bogs down.
Chipper Chute:
1. True to advertising, it will handle wood up to 3" in diameter as long as its straight enough to fit down the intake tube, but I find it more efficient to cut/saw anything over 2" into 18" lengths and stack it, then run an ad in craigslist for "free wood" when the stack gets big. People come immediately.
2. Keep in mind you will need to pre-process most limbs and branches before you feed them into the machine. Any branches too large to bend parallel with the limb will need to be cut off first. Crooked limbs will need to be cut into sections small enough to feed into the intake tube. I got some "Fiskars 32-Inch PowerGear Bypass Lopper" for $5. They have a decent lever design so it's easy to cut anything up to 2". Pretty amazing. Of course, if the side-branches are very small, you can use normal clippers or just tear them off with your hands.
3. NOTE: The chipper chute leads to sharp metal blades that look like a beard razer blade. They can get dull and need to be replaced. I've used the machine around 10 hours / 4 gallons of gas and the blades are still OK, but I see GreatCircleUSA sells the replacements for $25 on amazon.
Top hopper:
1. The top hopper is for leaves and small twigs. However, if you put a large amount all at once, they might not fall in, so you'll need to shove them down with a medium-size stick/branch. I typically just nudge once side down to get them started. The machine likes to grab them all at once and pull them in, so I don't recommend putting things like ivy into the hopper unless you have already cut it into short lengths.
2. NOTE: The top hopper leads to large free-spinning metal whackers with a similar design as a garbage disposal. These are not sharp and probably never need to be replaced, but if you accidentally put a rock in here, those whackers will take a serious beating before the rock finally falls into the bottom well or gets kicked out. If you hear a rock banging around in there, stop the machine, remove the 6 bolts to remove the hopper assembly, and extract the rock with some grabbers. Also, if you put branches in here or dense ivy or other things that can get tangled up in there, it can wedge the machine and stop it. Again, you'll have to remove the 6 bolts to remove the hopper assembly and clear it.
FINAL NOTES:
1. Use a chair! Otherwise, you are constantly stooping over to push things into the chute, and your back will hurt. I like to pile things up and then feed the machine from my chair. See picture.
2. Wear gloves! The machine grabs most branches and pulls them in, but if the branch has leaves or bends you will have to shove it, and it will be vibrating like crazy.
3. It paid for itself quickly, as it costs $400 to rent a chipper for a week and I have used it for 6 weeks. The build quality is solid and it will last for many years.
Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2021
Engine:
1. Others say there is no easy way to turn the engine off, but my machine came with a switch that does kill the engine.
2. The engine is moderately loud so if you have good hearing, wear ear plugs. If you wear hearing aids (like me), take them out. The engine is considerably LOUDER if you have the top hopper open. I recommend you close it except when you need to use the hopper or you want to "blow out" the bag. More on that later.
3. Starts easily, but if the engine is cold (this is the first time you are running it today) set choke ON and speed LOW and pull the cord. If engine is warm already, you can skip the choke. After a couple seconds, set choke OFF and increase speed to desired level. DO NOT LEAVE THE SPEED AT LOW. The engine is not happy at low speed. That said, maximum speed is not required. I prefer a little lower speed so there is a little less vibration when pushing branches into the chute.
Bag:
1. Others say the bag is too small and difficult to attach and I agree. The bag fits around a rectangular port and they provide two knob-screws to secure it, but you must be sure the bottom of the bag opening is going over the metal protrusion and also you must cinch the drawstring tight and use a decent clip to hold it. I used these clips: "DYZD Plastic Cord Locks End Spring Stop Toggle Stoppers Multi-Colour" which cost $6 for a set of 10. You only need one, so you have 9 more for other uses.
2. If you are using the bag and the some stuff gets stuck at the front of the bag, you'll notice a change in sound as the machine bogs down and you'll see chips/mulch going sideways instead of in the bag. Usually when this happens, you can simply open the top hopper slider for a couple seconds. When you open the hopper, the machine becomes a strong blower and this can often clear any blockage going into the bag. If that doesn't work, lift the bag off the ground and shake a little. Worst case, remove the bag and clear the blockage directly.
3. After a couple days of use, I got tired of constantly starting/stopping the chipper to empty the bag, so I built a box! See picture. Now I run for over an hour before I have to stop and empty the box with a shovel :) It never gets clogged and the machine never bogs down.
Chipper Chute:
1. True to advertising, it will handle wood up to 3" in diameter as long as its straight enough to fit down the intake tube, but I find it more efficient to cut/saw anything over 2" into 18" lengths and stack it, then run an ad in craigslist for "free wood" when the stack gets big. People come immediately.
2. Keep in mind you will need to pre-process most limbs and branches before you feed them into the machine. Any branches too large to bend parallel with the limb will need to be cut off first. Crooked limbs will need to be cut into sections small enough to feed into the intake tube. I got some "Fiskars 32-Inch PowerGear Bypass Lopper" for $5. They have a decent lever design so it's easy to cut anything up to 2". Pretty amazing. Of course, if the side-branches are very small, you can use normal clippers or just tear them off with your hands.
3. NOTE: The chipper chute leads to sharp metal blades that look like a beard razer blade. They can get dull and need to be replaced. I've used the machine around 10 hours / 4 gallons of gas and the blades are still OK, but I see GreatCircleUSA sells the replacements for $25 on amazon.
Top hopper:
1. The top hopper is for leaves and small twigs. However, if you put a large amount all at once, they might not fall in, so you'll need to shove them down with a medium-size stick/branch. I typically just nudge once side down to get them started. The machine likes to grab them all at once and pull them in, so I don't recommend putting things like ivy into the hopper unless you have already cut it into short lengths.
2. NOTE: The top hopper leads to large free-spinning metal whackers with a similar design as a garbage disposal. These are not sharp and probably never need to be replaced, but if you accidentally put a rock in here, those whackers will take a serious beating before the rock finally falls into the bottom well or gets kicked out. If you hear a rock banging around in there, stop the machine, remove the 6 bolts to remove the hopper assembly, and extract the rock with some grabbers. Also, if you put branches in here or dense ivy or other things that can get tangled up in there, it can wedge the machine and stop it. Again, you'll have to remove the 6 bolts to remove the hopper assembly and clear it.
FINAL NOTES:
1. Use a chair! Otherwise, you are constantly stooping over to push things into the chute, and your back will hurt. I like to pile things up and then feed the machine from my chair. See picture.
2. Wear gloves! The machine grabs most branches and pulls them in, but if the branch has leaves or bends you will have to shove it, and it will be vibrating like crazy.
3. It paid for itself quickly, as it costs $400 to rent a chipper for a week and I have used it for 6 weeks. The build quality is solid and it will last for many years.
SHIPPING PROBLEMS
1. The package was delivered by UPS. It doesn’t look like they were particularly careful in shipping as the box was canted in the truck and the driver complained about the weight (130#). He had no dolly nor automated lift so I offered, and he accepted, my help in carrying the box to my garage. When I opened the cardboard box I found that several of the wood packing slats had broken, the chipper had broken free from its restraints, and there was visible cosmetic damage to the unit.
2. The shredder hopper had several dents and one corner was dinged pretty badly with a shard of steel protruding from the side of the hopper. Presumably this is related to the shipping.
3. There was packing material (wood and plastic wrap) jammed inside or bolted into the exhaust manifold. It wasn’t clear that this was related to the shipping. Perhaps when the unit was packed this occurred. There is no way to tell for certain.
PRODUCT PROBLEMS
4. There was a steel bracket suspended from the air intake filter box but attached to nothing else. The other end was near the oil plug so I even tried removing the plug to see if I could make the bracket connect there. It didn’t fit. Why is this engine only partially assembled? To leave this bracket in place, it will only rattle and possibly cause damage. It serves no functional purpose in its current configuration.
5. The assembly kit was short one nut. The chipper cone was to be attached to the chipper body, but there were only two nuts on the three threaded studs. I looked everywhere for the final nut, but was unable to find it.
6. One of my biggest surprises was the fact that the axle on one side didn’t even have a cotter pin hole. How exactly am I supposed to attach the second wheel? How does something like that get overlooked? This, along with the other complaints above, really make me question the quality and workmanship of this product.
At this point, I can’t speak about the performance of the unit. I’m afraid to start it without first talking to the manufacturer. I also fear that should it start, the second wheel may fall off (not secured) and create new problems or void any warranty. I also want to remove the wood and plastic packing materials stuck in the engine manifold after talking to Great Circle.
Assuming that I can edit this review, I’ll report back after talking to Great Circle tomorrow. For now, I’m sorry to report, buyer beware!
UPDATE (Tuesday, 6/26/2018): I spoke with Great Circle today. They said that they are going to send a replacement unit and it should arrive in the next 5 days. Will update you and the review when chipper #2 shows up...
UPDATE (Tuesday, 7/3/2018): As promised, Great Circle shipped a replacement unit and it arrived a day early. There was still extensive damage to the packaging and minor damage to the product. I maintain that their shipping protection is substandard given the weight of the chipper. As others before me have found, the air filter was damaged and I ended up duct taping it which worked adequately.
The reason for the bump up from 1-star to 4-stars is related in part to the amazing customer service in which they shipped a replacement right away. The other reason is the performance of the product. I gave the chipper its maiden voyage today and it worked like a charm. It was pretty simple to get it started and it ripped through the branches and brush pretty readily. The resulting chips/mulch was much finer than I expected, and I suspect that will make it perform better where I placed it on bare soil. The large branch feeder (<3") worked best, though the branches had to be pretty straight to fit. The small branch hopper (<1/2") was more difficult to feed and it sometimes took a bit of work to get the blades to engage with the branches and pull them into the chipper.
All-in-all, I'm happy with the purchase and, once again, tip my hat to Myesha and the Customer Service Team for addressing my situation so promptly.
Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2018
SHIPPING PROBLEMS
1. The package was delivered by UPS. It doesn’t look like they were particularly careful in shipping as the box was canted in the truck and the driver complained about the weight (130#). He had no dolly nor automated lift so I offered, and he accepted, my help in carrying the box to my garage. When I opened the cardboard box I found that several of the wood packing slats had broken, the chipper had broken free from its restraints, and there was visible cosmetic damage to the unit.
2. The shredder hopper had several dents and one corner was dinged pretty badly with a shard of steel protruding from the side of the hopper. Presumably this is related to the shipping.
3. There was packing material (wood and plastic wrap) jammed inside or bolted into the exhaust manifold. It wasn’t clear that this was related to the shipping. Perhaps when the unit was packed this occurred. There is no way to tell for certain.
PRODUCT PROBLEMS
4. There was a steel bracket suspended from the air intake filter box but attached to nothing else. The other end was near the oil plug so I even tried removing the plug to see if I could make the bracket connect there. It didn’t fit. Why is this engine only partially assembled? To leave this bracket in place, it will only rattle and possibly cause damage. It serves no functional purpose in its current configuration.
5. The assembly kit was short one nut. The chipper cone was to be attached to the chipper body, but there were only two nuts on the three threaded studs. I looked everywhere for the final nut, but was unable to find it.
6. One of my biggest surprises was the fact that the axle on one side didn’t even have a cotter pin hole. How exactly am I supposed to attach the second wheel? How does something like that get overlooked? This, along with the other complaints above, really make me question the quality and workmanship of this product.
At this point, I can’t speak about the performance of the unit. I’m afraid to start it without first talking to the manufacturer. I also fear that should it start, the second wheel may fall off (not secured) and create new problems or void any warranty. I also want to remove the wood and plastic packing materials stuck in the engine manifold after talking to Great Circle.
Assuming that I can edit this review, I’ll report back after talking to Great Circle tomorrow. For now, I’m sorry to report, buyer beware!
UPDATE (Tuesday, 6/26/2018): I spoke with Great Circle today. They said that they are going to send a replacement unit and it should arrive in the next 5 days. Will update you and the review when chipper #2 shows up...
UPDATE (Tuesday, 7/3/2018): As promised, Great Circle shipped a replacement unit and it arrived a day early. There was still extensive damage to the packaging and minor damage to the product. I maintain that their shipping protection is substandard given the weight of the chipper. As others before me have found, the air filter was damaged and I ended up duct taping it which worked adequately.
The reason for the bump up from 1-star to 4-stars is related in part to the amazing customer service in which they shipped a replacement right away. The other reason is the performance of the product. I gave the chipper its maiden voyage today and it worked like a charm. It was pretty simple to get it started and it ripped through the branches and brush pretty readily. The resulting chips/mulch was much finer than I expected, and I suspect that will make it perform better where I placed it on bare soil. The large branch feeder (<3") worked best, though the branches had to be pretty straight to fit. The small branch hopper (<1/2") was more difficult to feed and it sometimes took a bit of work to get the blades to engage with the branches and pull them into the chipper.
All-in-all, I'm happy with the purchase and, once again, tip my hat to Myesha and the Customer Service Team for addressing my situation so promptly.
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It doesn't seem to like being shut off and restarted a few minutes later so plan. Cut "Y" branches pile with the thick ends in one direction, two people might help if you can work together. I am very happy, ask again in a couple months, but wow at this time I am very happy. Buy one, electric will chew thin branches, this thing eats 20' long branches soooo easy and it spreader anything I could fit down the round shute. The big hopper takes car of the bits and pieces, take it a bit slower so the don't clog up and you too will be happy.
Does the trick, but its got issues. The bolt holding the shredder actually came RIGHT OUT during use. Lots of banging and smacking, had to get our mechanic to take a look at it and fix it up.
If you buy, highly recommended to not trust the fit and finish from the factory. Take it apart, tighten bolts, add loctite. You'll be thankful you did.