I concur, c. We rented one when we had some freshly cut trees. they worked, but better for the green stuff than dried. Also, if you can find a lumber mill around, they may have some that you can pick up for a very small fee, if it's just a garbage can full. The one by us lets us have it for free, provided he doesn't have to use any machinery to get it to us.

"however 2000 is still a lot when i can go pick up truckloads of decent already ground mulch, i just want the ability to do it on site. "
not only that its just more easy to be apathetic if you dont have one and just let things o to waste... with myclium inoculant chipped wood, a nd limbs can be turned in to compost as well as food, or medicine... with out you just have fire wood, and most people preffer nto to use say the trimmins off their apple trees after pruneing for that... they just have a brush fire... ask or food and medicine....

here you go go get a alone buy your self a good one... start your self a little busniess to pay it off... you dont even have to work and run it you can get volunteers to do it make a non profit, or you can make it for profit and hire peopel to do it to pay it off as well as put some local green economy on the line... either way... you havea chipper as well as a whoel sale line of medicinal and gormet mushroom spawn say from fungi perrfecti and then you adverrtise that you will not only prune some trees or clean up wood yard waste but you will spread a mushroom myclium spawn in there which will as long as its fed by you next year and the year after that with new wood chips, continue to bear the fruit of the land owners choiceof medicinal or gormet or both mushrooms every year... or if they like until the soil is good enough to just beging growing soemthign else there... and viola! you have your self a top of the line chipper and your heling the local ecosystems as well as the local economy, and your human person community as well as perrhaps lineing your pockets once the initial investment is paid off...
a very whole systems approach to obtaining a top of the line chipper...
; )

I also saw a low tech device that was basically a wood bench or saw horse with some pruning shears attached to the end through a single blade by tapping with screws inset. To give more leverage and force to the movable blade, a piece of pipe had been put over the handle and bolted on. Prunings and clippings were slid along with one hand and the blade operated with the other. Looked simple and good for light prunings and probably branches to about 1" diameter. Wouldn't want a finger to get in there if I or a child was careless though. Also wouldn't want it if I had a lot to process as it would be time consuming. My spring prunning from my orchard of 16 trees normally goes to a green waste drop-off site so I don't have to deal with the cost and storage of a chipper.

Wil's idea of getting the stuff delivered is good also if you need large quantities for paths and such. I prefer fairly coarse material for paths since it takes longer to break down and I am in the mud again. Check with your local landfill to see if they have processed green waste. The one we have in town has a green waste facility where I buy wood chips and compost. The compost can be more expensive, but the shredded sticks and branches are a nominal charge. Last year was the first time I ended up with some compost from them that had a problem. Lot's of weeds. Admittedly it was early in the season so probably hadn't heated enough in formation to sterilize the compost. Might be better to apply latter in the season. Wood chips should not have that problem.

Another possible source would be a pallet company. Often when wood pallets break they shred them. Make sure it is nail-free if you go the pallet route. Our green waste facility also has chips from shredded pallets, and they are very cheap.

oysters will