If you're looking to start a tree service or landscaping business, or to expand an existing one, adding chippers and grinders will give you the opportunity to take on more jobs. Chipper equipment allows you to clear lots, remove stumps and even create and sell mulch. Although you may have to lay out a large amount of cash for this equipment, most particularly for industrial or commercial wood chippers, the income potential far outweighs the initial pricing and costs of chippers and grinders.

From wood chippers and stump grinders to tree chippers, prices of chippers and grinders vary greatly depending on what you're looking for. You can buy smaller wood chippers for under $1,000, or spend as much as $20,000 on large industrial wood chippers or tree grinders. When shopping for chippers and grinders, do the following to stay within budget:

1. Price both residential and industrial wood chippers.

2. Choose from portable chippers and grinders, or larger units pulled by tractors or trucks.

3. Keep pricing and costs of chippers and grinders down by buying used equipment.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Avoid spending more on chippers and grinders you may not need by pricing both small and large units

If you're planning on simply tree trimming and chipping or grinding some branches, you likely won't need large lot-clearing industrial wood chippers or stump grinders. Decide exactly what you're going to be using chippers and grinders for when you're investigating the pricing and costs of this equipment.

I recommend: Chip branches over two inches thick with an electric chipper on wheels, available for under $1,000 from MyGreatHomeandYard.com. Find industrial wood chippers, forestry chippers and forestry grinders, priced from $6,000 up to $20,000, at Hud-Son Forest Equipment.

Select from a variety of portable tractor- or truck-pulled chippers and grinders

Invariably, you'll need chippers and grinders that you can get to and from job sites, and again the type of machine you choose will depend on what kind of work you're doing. You can choose from portable chippers and shredders that you can move by hand, by tractor or even by truck, depending on your needs. The pricing and costs of chippers and grinders will ultimately depend on whether you specialize in tree-trimming or decide to go into tree removal.

I recommend: Select from a long list of portable or tractor-mountable chippers of various sizes and shredding capacities, from $500 to $5,000, at Northern Tool + Equipment. Buy a tractor-pulled wood chipper that works with most any kind of tractor, on sale for under $2,500, at Liberty Implements. DR Power Equipment sells a commercial wood chipper for around $3,000, which can be pulled by tractor or ATV.

Consider buying used chippers and grinders to stay at or under your budget

As with most any other type of equipment, you can save hundreds and even thousands of dollars when you shop for used chippers and grinders. Most importantly, used does not have to mean cheap or unreliable, as you can in some cases find used equipment from the top wood chipper manufacturers. If the pricing and costs of chippers and grinders seem out of reach, turn to used equipment to get the job done.

I recommend: Find used industrial wood chippers and grinders for between $6,000 and $25,000 at Area North Equipment. Top manufacturer Bandit Industries offers several used commercial wood chippers and grinders as well as stump grinders for between $15,000 and $60,000, well under new equipment prices.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If wood chipping and grinding aren't going to be mainstays of your business, but you still find you might occasionally take on jobs that require you to perform these tasks, consider renting or buying used chippers and grinders.

Industrial wood chippers, tree grinders and tree chippers are all types of money-making equipment for those in the tree service or lawn-care business. Small wood chippers and wood grinders capable of chipping up to 3 or 4-inch logs usually do fine for small businesses such as yard maintenance.

Most wood chippers and grinders run on gas-powered engines. Some run by hooking up to the back end of a tractor. The tractor motor runs and turns the wood chippers, causing their blades to cut. Large industrial wood chippers normally pull behind big trucks. The bigger ones run off of diesel engines. Gas-operated ones are available, too. When deciding to purchase this industrial tool, consider the following:

1. Chippers and grinders (including wood chippers stump grinders) are expensive pieces of machinery. Know how much your budget can reasonably afford before shopping for chipper equipment.

2. Tree chippers and tree grinders are huge drums that pull behind tractor trailers. Rotary chippers of this type clean up large areas where timber is completely removed from land.

3. Residential type tree service businesses fare well with basic wood chippers. They won’t grind up trees, they simply chip up the branches. Then you haul away the tree trunks.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Look inside the workings of wood chippers

Wood chipper manufacturers make various types of chippers that chip not only wood, but plastic and other materials as well.

I recommend: View models and their insides to see the different capabilities.

Don't get stumped; use stump grinders for those hard-to-remove stumps

Wood chippers stump grinders offer additional help with large jobs such as removing and grinding large stumps while land clearing.

I recommend: See a picture of a stump cutter and request a quote on this amazing piece of machinery.

See Dr. Chipper for models and accessories at factory prices

Educate yourself on all the add-on features of chippers and grinders and make an informed decision about your business needs.

I recommend: Complete the form and receive a free DVD and catalog from Dr. Chipper. Chipper equipment such as a chipper blade grinder accessory and other parts are available at direct-from-the factory prices.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Stump grinders pull behind trucks. They are hydraulically operated and have a cutter wheel that actually moves back and forth across the stump to grind it down.
• •  Some stump grinders nowadays are completely automatic. Set them to certain positions, hit the button and it takes care of business.
• •  Commercial wood chipper machinery, and most types of chippers and grinders are high-maintenance equipment. You need someone who knows how to work on this type of machinery and is knowledgeable about maintenance. Upkeep on these machines is also expensive.

Tree grinders and chipper equipment can give your landscape a much cleaner appearance. Chippers accomplish this by shredding distracting leaves and brush. It also gives you uniform, nutrient rich organic matter that is perfect for recycling in your compost bin. Grinders can improve a yard by removing down the stumps that are too big and too tedious to dig out.

Having the proper chippers and grinders education and training is imperative, though, as both of these machines can be dangerous to operate if you aren't familiar with how they operate or if you don't take the proper safety precautions when using them.

To make the most of wood chippers/stump grinders education and training:

1. Find out how to select the proper chipper equipment.

2. Observe all safety instructions regarding industrial wood chippers.

3. Learn about the basics of tree grinders from popular online publications and home improvement sites.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn about selection of residential or industrial wood chippers

Whether you are looking for a commercial wood chipper or a residential one, make sure that you review features and reviews before making your purchase.

I recommend: Learn from Lowe's how to select the right chipper or shredder. You will find out what you need to purchase, how they work, and you will find out about your bagging options. Take advantage of the Consumer Buying Guide on chipper shredders from howstuffworks.com.

Follow safety instructions regarding industrial wood chippers

See what national organizations recommend as far as general safety best practices regarding chippers and grinders. Don't become another workplace statistic because you didn't familiarize yourself enough with the equipment beforehand.

I recommend: Follow the chipper safety guidelines from the United States Department of Labor Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). Find out the hazards and the safe work practices surrounding this piece of equipment. Take advantage of the National Ag Safety Database's Kansas State University Research and Extension's chipper shredder safety guidelines.

Find out the basics of tree grinders

Learn how to operate tree grinders from popular publications and other home improvement sites.

I recommend: Find out about do it yourself stump grinding from Popular Mechanics. Follow the stump removal instructions from Savvygardener to beautify any landscape.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Take your training one step farther than that offered by wood chipper manufacturers. Read your instruction manual, but also consider additional training by your local forestry or home improvement expert to help give you more of a hands-on approach.
• •  If available, take the time to read the online comment section on posted instructions or tips. It may help you decide if a particular chippers and grinders education and training method is worth trying. Something that may sound overly simple online may be in all actuality overly hard. Let someone else try it first and live to write about it before you try it out.