Chipper/shredder advice please

I am really hoping for some expert advice please. I live in Scotland and had severe gales last week. As a consequence I have lost (very sad) an enormous, ancient, Beech , must be over 10 ft in girth plus a huge Whitebeam and will have to take down a like wise huge Ash as it has been badly damaged when the Beech fell. I have employed a neighbour who knows how to wield a chainsaw to fell the Ash and cut up the trees. He reckons we have over 30 tonnes of wood...oh well we won't be cold next winter!
I will have "mountains" of branches and think it would be a good idea to buy a chipper/shredder to chop up the branches and use the material as a mulch/compost when it has weathered for a couple of years. I want to buy something which will be able to cope with branches of around 2 to 3 inches in diameter and it will need to work hard not only for this particular job but I'd use it for a huge amount of prunings etc which previously I burnt. I don't mind if it's electric or petrol altho I have doubts as to whether an electric chipper/shredder would be strong enough for the tasks. I had thought of hiring a machine but I would use it a lot even after this huge job is finished so would be better to buy I think. I suppose I am looking for a top of the range domestic type, just short of a commercial one which cost £1000s! Any advice/ personal knowledge of good or bad ones would be much appreciated. Thank you.

 

I borrowed a mate with one, his struggled (but did it) with anything much over 30mm. I just looked most will only take up to 40mm, I think you are going to have to hire one.
I am wondering how much an "arborist" would charge to come round with their shredder and how much they could shred, i have seen them things going and they do seem to make short work of what goes in.

 

All domestic shredders will only cope with 40mm branches (a bit over 1 1/2") but Bosch does a shredder that goes to 45mm (nearly 2") with a turbine cutter. AXT 25 TC and it will probably cost you £300.

This one has a removable hopper so you can clear blockages - and no matter what anyone says, they all block now and again so its really worth having.

The hopper also removes for storage in its own collection box so will be small enogh to go under a bench or table.

Anything bigger and your into semi professional and way more expensive.

 

I had a Bosch one and, frankly, I wouldn't bother unless you've a particularly long hedge which produces lots of thin clippings.

I only really wanted it for occasional use (to 'deal' with fairly thin branches of less than 2" thickness from my neighbour's overhanging sycamore tree) and it was a complete waste of money. We spent longer chopping up the stuff and clearing blockages than we did actually shredding it.

Personally, I'd go to a tool hire place and hire something 'beefy' enough to cope with what you want to shred, that way you know it will deal with thicker branches and, not only will you not have to spend a fortune, you won't have to find somewhere to keep it for those 10 months of year when you have no need of it.