The chipper arrived two days after a 70' red oak fell adjacent to the driveway. It's now time for the 5-hour run time break-in oil change having processed ALL of the slash under 3" in diameter. The machine started right up and ran like a champ the entire time. Now for the rest of the 2500-3000 cubic feet of material I need to chip this summer... The DK2 is only a tiny step behind the large commercial chippers tree companies use and I've used both. Assembly is straight forward and the only action that requires two people is hanging the hydraulic valve units--one to hold up the speed controller while the other wrestles with mounting the forward/reverse controller under the chute. The design is pretty much idiot proof and the machine has engine kill switches at all the critical points that prevents the operator from going stupid. There is a very shallow learning curve to its operation (material feed rate) and the machine "tells you when it's not happy" when you learn the signs and "signals". The few problems I encountered were related to the generic chipping process using a flywheel type chipper, and not to the design of the tool. Cheap advice. You WILL have to open the flywheel shroud and swing away the chute to clear the occasional jam in the normal course of operation so keep the required wrenches at hand. In addition, I've also included a crowbar (to lift the feed roller) and a battery powered reciprocating saw (corkscrew branches can miss the blades and drag on the flywheel) to my go-along toolbox. It saves walking back to the shop...

Engineering design and manufacturing is OK, however there are some flaws. There is no clutch between the engine and fly wheel, so engine starting is difficult. The safety bar at the chute is electrically connected to the engine and shuts is off. A much better and safer design would have been to connect it to the hydraulic valve controlling the roller feed drum, and reverse direction of the feed when it is pushed. Every other chipper I have owned and used, from medium to large size, reverses the direction of the feed roller to avoid sucking a person in and trapping them, or worse. The hydraulic lines were connected while the valves were not in their normal location. They were positioned off to the side over a wheel to enable shipping without the chute attached. As a result the hoses twist when trying to install the valves. I had to remove both hoses from the feeder drive motor, and loosen five connects on the valves. Then I was able to straighten the hoses and mount the valves. It is lucky for the manufacturer that I did this. There was no hydraulic oil in the reserve tank or hose lines, and the installation instructions do not mention having to add hydraulic oil, or specifiy the oil weight. I used AW64. Several fasteners shipped with the unit were lightly placed in position, rather than in a bag. They were bouncing around loose in the crate. I had to purchase one I couldn't find in the crate. This is a PIA in the US because all fasteners are Metric, I could go to my fastener boxes and find a replacement. CHECK ALL FASTENERS BEFORE USE. Half of the trailer tongue is a separate piece which must be connected using the bolts provided. The nuts are already welded in place. One of the nuts was welded out of position and wouldn't accept the bolt. The welds are not accessible, so I can't grind them off. My sole option is to drill out the holes and nut, and use a larger bolt. This should have a tongue jack. The tongue weight is significant. My wife would not be able to hitch it to her Gator. The manual; is a joke. Missing details in the installation instructions, and no operating instructions or maintenance information is provided. The chute is advertised as being tool-free 360 degree rotation. FALSE. You need a metric wrench and it only rotates 110 degrees. Their Customer Service people have no knowledge beyond what is in the manual. They are of little use. I spoke with them last Friday, and by email today. They require the online warranty application and pictures before they will help you. I call Monday morning multiple times. Their telephone system transferred me to Customer Service and then disconnected the call after 3 rings. Unfortunately, I'm repairing and keep this machine. And, will probably modifying it to solve their design and manufacturing problems. I wasn't able to find a better small electric start chipper for use with a UTV. Because it is the best available in this size I'll give them a rating of 3. BUT BUYER BEWARE. You need mechanical knowledge, skills and tools to overcome their failings.