Patriot Products CSV-3100B Gas Wood Chipper Leaf Shredder

DECEMBER 2019 UPDATEThis machine is still going strong. Just used it for about 4 hours over the Thanksgiving weekend. The unit had sat since the fall of 2018. Checked the oil, topped off the fuel and it started on the 2nd pull. Ran like a champ, had no problem handling huge piles of oak leaves and small branches. I really love the mobility of the machine.Maintenance has been a breeze. I use it 2-3 times per year (8-10 hours) so I expect my usage is on the light side. The shred ratio by weight is probably 95 - 5 leaves-to-branches. I change the oil every-other-year but check it before each start and use SeaFoam in my fuel for long storage periods. I am still using the original knives, seem to still chop things up nicely. I purchased an extra bag to allow for extra shredding before needing to empty bags.I stand by my 7 year old review. This shredder does everything I need and does it very well.NOVEMBER 2012 ORIGINAL REVIEWThe CSV-3100B arrived in two boxes and took approximately 30 minutes to assemble. The assembly instructions are well written and easy to follow. After filling the B&S engine with fresh fuel and oil it fired up on the second pull. I let the machine warm up for a few minutes before I began to feed it. After nearly 8 hours of use over 2 days here are my pros and cons:PROS:- Powerful machine, has no problems handling 2" dry branches- Easy to move, one side of the hopper has molded handles which makes it simple to tilt the machine back and push/pull it into place- Makes a beautiful shred product. Most of our leaves were very well shredded. The average size was less than a US Dime.- B&S engine fired up without any problems. The pull start requires a nice, steady pull.- Engine throttle allows the user to throttle down the unit when they aren't shredding. Greatly reduces noise levels.- The standard bag is easy to move and unload. Larger bag is nice, but can get quite heavy.- Unit includes a pair of safety goggles. I already own several pairs, but its a nice touch by Patriot to stress the importance of eye protectionCONS:- Small branches hidden in your leaf piles can cause "bridging" issues in the feed hopper, no tool is included to help clear clogs- Branches must be fairly straight to feed into "cone of destruction" (kids name for side feed)- Bag attachment point appears to be a bit "rough." If the bag is not perfectly placed the unit will blow shredded product all aroundTo expand on a few of the cons - unclogging can be a challenge at first. I found that using a straight piece of wood (in my case a 1.5" dia branch) to stir the material at the point the feed hopper narrows worked very well in clearing the hopper. The unit creates quite a bit of suction so the issue was usually related to small branches in the leaf pile bridging the opening and causing a backup well above the actual shred point. I also noticed that feeding it a bit slower helped greatly reduce this issue.The area that the bag attaches to the machine needs a bit more work. I'm looking into fitting it with a rubber or plastic baffle/collar that the bag would fit over. This should make operation a bit tidier and result in less shredded material being blow around the unit.The Patriot CSV-3100B is not perfect, but the "CONS" are so minimal that they come no where near negating the usefulness of this shredder. It does exactly what you expect it to do and does so very well.

I have about 3 acres of property with mature trees and low growth (e.g., forsythia, etc.). Over the year, there is a steady stream of dead branches, the occasional tree trimming, the occasional tree that needs to be taken down, leaves in the fall season, as well as occasionally cleaning up from storm damage.My goal is to recycle all the organic material and pour it back into mulch around fruit trees and leaf mulch for my patches of berries and garden vegetables.I debated purchasing a chipper-shredder for brush and small branches (~ 3-inch diameter) or occasionally renting a higher capacity chipper-shredder (which would also accommodate larger diameter (~6-inch) branches. Rental of such chippers is on the order of $200 per day and $600 per week. I swayed to the side of purchasing a residential chipper-shredder (on the order of $1,000), as I did not want to see huge piles of brush accumulate over the year and then try to tackle them at one time. Obviously, a residential chipper-shredder cannot handle larger diameter branches, thus, my pile of logs for my fireplace is a little larger.I purchased the gasoline-powered Patriot CSV-3100B Chipper-Shredder in September 2013, which comes with a B&S 10 HP engine. The packaging was secure to avoid damage during shipping. The assembly of the unit took less than 30 minutes, which is essentially installing the plastic hopper and the chipping cone on the unit, filling the engine oil, and lubricating the grease fitting on the shaft.The B&S engine is bullet proof. I have never had a problem in starting it up cold (on full choke) with one pull of the cord. Starting it up warm is equally easy, but the choke has to be adjusted to accommodate warm starting.Having been exposed to commercial chippers that throw material out of a chute, originally, I was not sold on the idea of chipping into a collection bag for the CSV-3100B. When the bag is full, the engine is shut down for the bag to be removed, emptied, and re-attached. The whole process is unobtrusive and takes a minute or two. You should definitely work with larger collection bags. I empty the collection bags into a wheel barrow and then use the wheel barrow to distribute the chipped material.Shredding leaves and thin woody debris is done through the hopper. There is significant suction on dry leaves, pulling the material directly into the flails. Mixing in thin woody debris or damp leaves, however, tends to clog the hopper and it is necessary to use a stick to dislodge the material in the hopper so that it falls through the hopper and into the flails.Unfortunately, I am not always grinding leaves immediately after they fall, and thus, I find myself dealing with damp leaves. I would not use this equipment on soaking wet leaves, as I think you will be struggling with continually clearing clogs from the chute where the collection bag is attached. Even with damp leaves there is build up in the chute where the collection bag is attached and you will have to watch that chute does not become clogged. Also, I find that shredding damp leaves yields buildup of wet material on the walls where the wheel rotates and where the collection bag is attached. To clear this, I keep several branches that I chip through the chipping cone; adding “fiber” to the diet clears blockages and cleans the pipes.The grinding of larger diameter woody debris and branches up to 3 inches in diameter are fed through the chipping cone. The branches need to be trimmed so that they are more or less straight. Thus, one has to keep this in mind while trimming up brush so that you do not have to stop and tend to this step during chipping.There are 2 blades on the wheel to chip branches. When the blades are freshly sharpened, branches are pulled down the chipping cone; one should not have to force or push branches down the chipping cone. If you find yourself pushing branches down the chipping cone to engage the blades, the blades likely need sharpening. The manufacturer says that blades should be sharpened after 8 hours of use; however, I find that the type of wood that you chip plays a big role in how quickly the blades become dull. From my experience, dealing with dead wood or wood that has dried for some period of time tends to dull the blades more quickly. This past weekend, I was chipping for less than 2 hours when there was a noticeable change in the capacity of the chipper to pull branches down the chipping cone. I would avoid trying to chip branches when the blades are dull, as this places unnecessary pressure on the shaft which can ultimately lead to the misalignment and cracking of the shaft.Access to the chipping blades on the wheel is straight forward; it requires removing the 3 nuts that secure the chipping cone to the unit and removing two screws that secure each blade to the wheel. Unfortunately, I do not have access to the equipment or experience in grinding steel blades to avoid excessive heat and maintain the original angle on the blades. I have invested in a second set of blades and accept that I need to visit my local lawn mower repair shop for sharpening the blades. In general, I find myself chipping branches once a month or once every 6 weeks, and I consider it part of the routine to remove the blades and have them sharpened. Thus, the cost of sharpening the blades on a frequent basis should be factored into the routine engine maintenance and greasing the shaft. I am quickly approaching the time when I will need to replace both sets of blades. The cost of the blades is $70 from the manufacturer.In theory, the flails should also be serviced. Accessing the flails is a little more involved process, which I have not tackled yet. I have only been using the flails to grind leaves and thin woody debris and I have not seen deterioration in the operation of the flails over the time that I have owned the machine.Overall, I have been pleased with the operation of the Patriot product. I am accepting of the limitations of residential chippers such as these. It fulfills my need to chip/grind organic material once a month or once every 6 weeks and pour this organic material back into the soil.