I have been using my 12PT1100 Hammermill chipper-shredder since 2008. It replaced a MTD hammer-mill type chipper-shredder, which I had worn out. We have about 1.25 acres of yard, with lots of trees, azaleas, vines and bamboo, which produce many cubic yards of material from pruning and windfalls. I like to convert this to mulch and compost, rather than send it all to the landfill.
When I went looking for a replacement, I wanted something tougher and more powerful, but still self-powered and small enough that I could drag it around my hard by hand. I was also looking for something made in the U.S.A. The MacKissic 12PT was just what I wanted. I have used this machine to chew up Azaleas, Pindo Palm Fonds, Azaleas, Aspidistra, Smilax, Wild Grape, and Virginia Creeper vines, Bamboo up to 3 inches thick and 50 feet tall, Spanish Moss and Pine and Live Oak branches up to about 3 inches. (To avoid raising unrealistic expectations, I should mention that the material needs to be either crisp or dry. Sogggy fibrous material, such as partially rotted Aspidistra, Bamboo shoots or Green Palm fonds, or material that is sticky wet like compost, will cake up inside the hammermill. The only way I’ve found to process such is to alternate with crisp sharp-edged material, such tree and shrub prunings, to clear out the wet fibrous stuff.)
What I didn’t know when I purchased the machine, but has proven to be most important over the 10 years I’ve owned it, is the quality of customer service. As with any heavily-used piece of machinery, my 12PT has worn with age, and needed replacement parts. Whenever I called MacKissic for support, they were able to help me find the right part, and provide advice on how to install it. Better, they were in some cases able to provide me with upgrades to take advantages of improvements in the product made over the 10 years since my original purchase!
