Man's $100 Facebook Marketplace gamble on old wood chipper pays off

A Reddit user's gamble on an old wood chipper is drawing attention for two reasons: It turned a pile of branches into fast-heating compost, and it cost just $100.

What looked like a junky yard tool from the 1990s turned out to be the kind of secondhand score that makes thrifters and gardeners instantly jealous.

What happened?

According to a Reddit post in the r/composting forum, a Facebook Marketplace buyer said a worn-looking Craftsman 5-horsepower wood chipper/shredder turned out to be an unexpectedly strong purchase. 

The seller said the machine was from the 1990s, and the buyer noted that despite its rough appearance, the engine had been "well maintained."

"Took a chance on this Craftsman 5HP Wood Chipper/Shredder on Facebook Marketplace. $100," the user wrote. "It runs like a champ and outperforms my neighbor's new $500+ chipper."

After running overhanging branches and leaves through the machine, the user said they sprayed the output with water and ended up with "a premixed, prelayered compost heap." They also said "it got up to temperature in less than 24 hours" and advised others looking for a similar deal to "have the seller run and demo it for you before the transaction."

Why does it matter?

Instead of paying full price for a new machine or paying for repeated rentals, the user picked up an older tool for a fraction of the cost and kept it in service.

Buying used tools helps extend the life of products that might otherwise be discarded, while chipping branches and leaves creates material that breaks down faster in a compost pile instead of being hauled away as waste.

Compost can also reduce the need for store-bought soil amendments in the garden, making it a practical way to cut costs while putting organic material to better use.

For shoppers looking to stretch their budgets, TCD has more on why it pays to shop at thrift stores, plus stories on surprising secondhand treasure hunts and how used purchases can deliver major savings.

What are people saying?

Commenters were quick to share their envy and some of their own secondhand victories.

"So jealous. I routinely troll Craigslist looking for that size.  I once rented a chipper for what I thought was a huge pile of brush … and wound up with less than a cubic yard of chips for about $1000 in rental fees," one person wrote.

Another Reddit user added: "Looks like it paid off."

"That was definitely a good find," another commenter wrote.

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