Seeking inexpensive way to get rid of LOTS of dead branches

I'm looking for the most practical way to get rid of a huge amount of dead brush. My husband and I have just moved to a neglected four-acre farm. The previous residents have left huge piles of dead trees and branches in the corrals. In addition, there is a large amount of overgrown brush around the house and sheds, creating a fire hazard. By clearing it away, I'm adding to this enormous amount of wood.

I've checked into renting a truck and taking this wood to the dump. It would take several trips, be very expensive (several hundred dollars), and require a lot of work.

I'd prefer to chop up these branches and make mulch for use in our garden, compost pile, and chicken coop. I'd hate to buy a wood chipper, as they're expensive and I don't think I'll need one in the future, after this brush is gone. The branches I have range from 1" to 4" in diameter. I'm new to this - are there services that would convert this to mulch for me? Would it be better to rent a wood chipper and have it delivered and then picked up, when I'm done?

In short, is there any somewhat inexpensive way (under $200) to get rid of several large piles of dead branches? I have about four 10 foot by 8 foot piles. Thanks!

Can you rent a chipper nearby? 1 to 4 inch sticks would be no problem for a good chipper.

I would look into a rental. It might take a couple days... to chip all of that.

Simplest method, make a smaller pile and put a match to it, then feed the fire from the larger piles, of course keep safety and legality in mind. First check and see if there are any regulations against open burning, then make sure you constantly supervise the fire and have a hose and shovels in the immediate vicinity to make sure you can keep the fire under control. Pick a day with as little wind as possible and make sure you do your burning in an open area away from buildings trees or other brush. A garden area would be ideal as wood ash has lots of phospherous, potasium, calcium and trace minerals. Cost. $0

Second method. Get a chainsaw and cut it up into 12"-18" legnths and use it for firewood or stack it in your front yard with a sign that says free firewood. Cost. $0 if you already have a chainsaw, $100-$500 depending on the model purchased but it sounds like a chainsaw would be a good investment for your property anyway.

Third I agree with the others that renting a chipper would be a good option but renting one capable of chipping 4" branches for the legnth of time you may need it could run you over $200.

More work, but cheaper than a chain saw is a medium or large bow saw - $35-75. I find I can cut almost as fast as a chainsaw for about an hour, but not all day any more.

Firewood was always in demand when we lived in CO (83-84).

But I agree with you about the shreader, spot, I have a 5 hp Sears, and use it for everything from leaves to pruned and dropped limbs from our trees. It will handle up to 2" diameter, so I cut the larger limbs into short lengths as you suggested. Our humid climate and native bugs quickly reduce them to dust - less than 2 years, for anything on the ground.

I consider it a great investment - the trees won't quit shedding once the initial pile is gone - I usually have 2-3 all-day sessions a year, and I only have 8 trees, and fifty feet of hedge.

Well now that you mentioned it Bubba, a chainsaw wouldn't be a necessity. Have you ever tried the newr pruning saws? Sometimes they call them turbo saws. They have very agressive teeth that resemble sharks teeth. Much faster and easier than a bow saw. I have a landscape business and do a lot of small tree pruning, believe me, I have several of the small pruning saws and got rid of my bow saw long ago. Here is an example of one but they can be purchased at most hardware stores.

http://www.amazon.com/Razor-Tooth-Pruning-Saw-RS7120/dp/B000H5XSG6/ref=pd_bbs_sr_11/002-7089729-4356821?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1173996558&sr=8-11

Another thing you might want to consider is a good pair of Fiskars Power Gear Loppers, worth their weight in gold IMHO. Cheapest place I have found them is Amazon, read the reviews on this product.

http://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-91546935-PowerGear-Bypass-Lopper/dp/B00004SD74/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-7089729-4356821?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1173996822&sr=1-1

But personally, considering the amount of brush and the size of the material in question, and considering HobbyFarmer has four acres, I would still recomend the chainsaw.

Spot,
I have one of those on a pole - it may be Fiskars. Bought a new blade a couple years ago - big difference. I use it to prune tree limbs away from the house. Spent a bunch o a new roof, don't need trees tearing it up.

Also have the loppers. Also a GREAT investment. Makes quick work on the Crape Myrtles, and limbs that are too big for hedge sheers and too small for a saw.

Best advise I ever got when I thought I wanted to be an auto mechanic - "Don't buy a whole tool box - buy the one tool you need at the time, but buy the very best you can afford". It does not take long to have a good assortment of top-notch tools and not break the bank while doing it. Quality lasts a lifetime.

Over the years, I have replaced lesser quality tools the same way - one at a time.

You are also right for checking online sources - craigslist often has exactly what you are looking for at a much reduced price.

Have you looked into having a tree service do the chipping for you? You might be surprised at the cost; with their large, heavy duty equipment it would only take them an hour or two to clear those piles. I would at least call and get an estimate. Be sure and tell them you want the mulch as they can give you a better price if they don;t have to pay to dump the wood chips.