Echo Bear Cat SC3206

This is a good machine – As some have stated, this machine makes a pile at the discharge shoot. The reason for this is that this machine does NOT have an integrated blower, like so many other backyard chippers do. As a consequence, it makes piles instead of discharging the chips at much higher velocity. That is both good and bad. If you want to chip only and do it as… Read more

efficiently as possible, this is your machine. It has a low parasitic load when compared to other chippers. However, it causes it to handle wet debris very poorly. I purchased this chipper for dry tree limbs and other yard debris. Because of that, I can still give this a 5 star rating. If you are looking for a dependable machine that chips wood, this is a great little chipper. If you are looking for a machine that resembles some of the older, blower integrated machines, this probably won't be the machine for you. I purchased mine in 2008 and have put thousands of limbs through it. I sharpen the knives as needed and change the oil. That's all I've done other than spark plugs and air filters and this chipper has never failed me. It is built like a tank.....solid steel, heavy construction! In conclusion: I would not recommend this machine for any wet debris. A machine needs an integrated blower for wet stuff. If you are looking to chip green tree limbs and rose/brush prunings, this is the perfect machine!

Poor design – I agree 100% with the previous review. The engineering design is so old fashioned Awkward to work on. May have been acceptable in the 1960s but not 2020s. Pain is poor and rapidly peels. No sign of any primer. Not recommended

Don't buy this machine! – I bought this through a local dealer. They had to special order it. I have had chipper/shredders before and this one looked like it would do the job. I doesn't! I tried putting in dry leaves and it doesn't suck them in even in small handfuls. You have to stick your hand in to move the leaves around - very dangerous. The discharge bag is so… Read more

small that it fills too quickly. If you don't use the bag the pile builds up too fast. You have to kick it out of the way to prevent blockage. You then have to put the debris into another bag to move it to a site you want mulched, then blow the leftovers away.

Neither the company I ordered it from or the manufacturer would take it back. Bad design. Don't get this machine!

Get a bigger one – I just got the sc3206 3 weeks ago and was told the rule of thumb is if it will fit in the chute it will chip it. Well it can't handle a 1 1/2 limb without bogging down the engine and dies. The top chute dose great with the small stuff but the small chute for bigger limbs is a joke, anything 1 1/2 and bigger it will jerk it out my hand and chip a… Read more

few inches and dies. I took it back to the dealer that sold it with a 2in limb so they can try it and they were shocked how it done and said the blades must be angeled to much but I looked and it has fixed angel blades so anyhow it's been there for 2 weeks now.

A voyage of discovery – The Bear Cat 3206 chipper shredder is rated as able to chip three inch timber. Mine choked at that diameter but managed to chip a two inch branch with some effort. Nevertheless it chipped and mulched smaller stuff with consumate ease and also chewed up cardboard into easily compostable pieces. the Briggs and Stratton engine hums smoothly without… Read more

any nasty resonances and a bigger capacity model would probably deal with the bigger material without a problem. I filled a big tractor bucket very quickly.

However, I have edited this review and reduced the rating in the light of my need to replace the shredder knives after something caused the originals to shatter. Simple maintenance has always been an issue with this machine. Clearing a jam involves too many nots to be undone that I dispensed with some of them without too much compromising of safety. However, changing the knives involved an almost complete dismantling of the machine, not assisted by the retention collars on the shaft being so bound on that I had to use a blowtorch and a cold chisel to free one of them. I was also intrigued that the replacement shredders were hardened steel, unlike the castings that came with the machine and which disintegrated so noisily. I have yet to see if these new blades work better than the old ones. All steel construction; smooth running Small 'footprint' makes it a bit wobbly. Needs to be on a raised platform to be able to get a bin under the outlet.