Letters

CUSTOMER LETTERS

Welcome to our "Customer Letters" page. The statements below are just a few of the great things people have had to say about our machines!
If you or someone you know have something to say about MacKissic products, please don't hesitate to write us at info@mackissic.com for your chance to be published on this web site. Feel free to send pictures of the things you've done with the machines as well. Flaunt those beautiful lawns and flowerbeds!

The following was shared with us from a former Roto-Hoe owner who needed a new unit and purchased a Mighty Mac®.

“I bought a 12PT series machine. They (the dealer) serviced it and carefully loaded it in my pickup. We took it home with us. I had a lot of brush, leaves, and garden residue to shred and it worked fine. I got some wet squash plants in it and plugged it up. I was able to shut it off quickly and remove the screen by pulling the two pins, something I could never do with the Roto-Hoe. I was able to finish shredding and now it is all tilled in for next year.

I am sure you have heard praise for your machines before and I will add mine as well. I am very happy to have bought mine and look forward to using it again.”

C. Fyrberg - Maine

We bought your Chipper-Shredder 12PT10E in April of this year. We have used it extensively already - 5 hours a day, every day to make from tree trimmings mulch for our 1 acre garden. Once the trimmings are shredded with a 1" screen, we let it sit for 5 months and then we shred that with a 1/4" screen to put in the garden to become soil. The MacKissic is so well built, it is an engineering marvel. The motor and chipper-shredder are well balanced where the motor never stops. We had other brands of chipper-shredders and had a lot of problems with them. The MacKissic 12PT10E is the PROFESSIONAL CHIPPER-SHREDDER WITH 24 HAMMERS. We recommend the machine highly! It is a machine you can depend on. The Mighty-Mac is like Popeye the Sailor’s Man. He ate the spinach and was strong to the finish...so is the Mighty-Mac doing the job to the finish. We thank MacKissic for building such a machine one can depend on.
Sincerely,
Beth and Walter

Sirs,
Sunday afternoon I tilled my garden with my Merry Tiller. My father purchased it in the mid to late 60's from what I can remember. It was used for over twenty years to tend to a garden that was about an acre in size. After my father's death in the late 90's, I claimed the Merry Tiller. Today my garden is much smaller, but the one constant is the Merry Tiller. It still has the original tines, although they are starting to show some serious wear. The ONLY thing done to this tiller from what I can remember is "semi-regular" oil changes and a new belt for the drive about twenty years ago. The engine has had 2 to 3 spark plugs. In short, this has got to be one of the best purchases ever made! I am glad to hear that you folks are still in business. I may have to toughen up and order those new tines in a few more years!

Best Wishes,
T. Frank of Idaho

Thanks to Fred and Mary Story of Engine Power, Inc. of Illinois who shared with us these gorgeous photos displaying the lush produce grown this summer. They used the Merry Tiller® Tiny Tiller to prepare their raised bed garden for the special varieties of tomatoes they grow. Not only do they use the Merry Tiller® for their own tilling needs, these superior gardeners distribute MacKissic Merry Tiller® and Mighty Mac® products throughout Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota to lawn and garden power equipment dealers for consumer sale. Talk about practicing what you preach!! These knock out photos tell the whole “Story”!

Dear Sir or Madam,

Many years ago, I purchased my first and last leaf blower in Wayne, New Jersey, a AMERIND MACKISSIC, MIGHTY MAC, SERIAL # 850A071331. I have used it nearly every week (at least one time) since I purchased it. It has NEVER failed me. This morning I changed the oil, and needless to say, it started up with one pull. On occasion, I have to pull the cord twice, but it is a rarity. That little Mighty Mac is the best piece of equipment that I have ever owned. I was trying to figure out when I bought it. To the best of my recollection, it was around 1988. Am I close? Could you please tell me the age of my unit....I would like to know for "bragging rights" with my sons. It would be greatly appreciated. I'm getting old and so is Mighty Mac. Some time the way age creeps up on me, I think ole Mac will outlive me. Keep up the fantastic work.
Sincerely
J. Barnes Wilmington, NC

I cannot tell you how old this old Mighty Mac, 9P is. I do know that I've had it for 20 years and when I got the Beast the previous owner said that he didn't know how long he had had it. He had an ancient Husquavarna engine driving it and said it was on its 2nd set of teeth. I'm guessing around 30 years or so of service. When one lives smack dab in the middle of Hurricane Alley, it is to one's advantage to have a whopper chopper around. When I got the beast, there were 7 ancient pine trees and one Pecan tree felled by one or another of our visitors from the South. Each had the honor of being slowly dismembered and fed to the Beast. After Hurricane Opal, it took me 2 years of chewing away at the debris before I was done. When clean-up occurs, my courteous? neighbors just toss their hurricane trash over the fence. In addition, I'm wed to Grandma Nature who seems to provide as much yard vegetation as a small hurricane. We are not talking about an occasional grind here. We're talking about a weekly foray out behind the shed where there is always a pile about 10 x 10 x 5' or more. First a screenless rough chop, followed by a 1" screen and into a compost bin. After a good cook, that goes through a 1/2" screen and into another compost bin. Well, if Grandma is not home. If home, she scoops it out as fast as I can grind it. Needless to say, we do have a lush and wild Garden of Eden atop this Florida sand pile. Nothing, except diseased plants, goes to the curb. "Are we there yet" may be the bane of young parents but; "Is it done yet?" is the bane of old dudes married to Grandma Nature. This is the 2nd time I've re-conditioned the old Beast. Since I've had the Beast, I've replaced the teeth on 4 occasions, worn through 2 sets of screens and am now on my 3rd engine. In 1999, after a heart attack that retired me, less than 1 month later I was out behind the shed pushing veggies into the Beast. It was my test of recovery to be able to fire the Beast up and see if I could make it through one tank of gas. Took about a year but I made it. Want a good Cardio workout -spend 5-6 hours on a hot Florida summer day with a pitchfork and try to keep up with this thing. OK, thanks to this old reliable Beast, I am now prepared for the 2006 Hurricane Season. It's been a good one. Thank you.

F. Roshto, Valparaiso, Florida

Chuck from Michigan

Hi, Love my old 12P6. Bought it used for $400. Had a Tecumseh 6 hp engine. Your engineer thinks my machine was 15+ years old. We bought a house with an overgrown lot. After a year of heavy chipping and shredding of small trees and 3/4 acre of leaves each year, the shaft broke. I called and you no longer carry the 1"shaft. However, your engineer said a good toolmaker should be able to make a new one. Found a guy about 2 hours away (6 houses from my in-laws) that took the entire machine apart, made a new shaft from a higher grade of steel, got all new bearings, welded the weak spots on the sheet metal, turned all of the knives; $265. I repainted the outside while it's apart. Works like a charm. In-laws have 4.5 acres (1/2 wooded). Cleaned up all of the spring debris and ran my father in laws compost pile through. Ran it 4-5 hours per day for 2 days. Works as good as new. I know where I am going when this one has had it (in about 20 more years). A new 12P???. Thanks

D. Levett, Westport CT

I have had an excellent experience using your new horizontal bar screen on my MacKissic leaf shredder. Candidly, when I bought the machine for chipping brush (which it does well), I didn't really expect to make a dent in my fall leaves. With lots of deciduous trees on nearly four acres, I was braced to pay someone twice what your machine cost me to haul away the mountain of leaves - this year and every year.

R. & M. Militzer of North Carolina

We had just finished using our Mighty Mac for the first time, and we were looking for more trees to cut down just to keep chipping! It is a great chipper. We had a "Troy Bilt" that blew up and we needed a replacement. There is no comparison. The dealer (WENO Power Equipment) was one of the finest dealers that we have encountered. Overall experience was super. Thank-you for a fine product..

Doug Granstrand, of Yakima WA

"Recently I requested a replacement owners manual and parts catalog for a 1974 12JD chipper/shredder. This unit attaches to the front of my John Deere model 112 garden tractor. The items were promptly mailed to me along with a few extras. A great big thank you to Sharon Christman for her exceptional service! The unit is like new and performs flawlessly (especially after reading the new manual)! The quality, design and functionality of this unit is a testament to a great American company and the quick response to my request speaks volumes to your customer oriented focus. I will recommend your products to all of my gardening buddies and am now planning on purchasing a tiller from you. Thanks again for the manuals and helping restore my faith in great American manufacturing."

Mr. David Sutphin of North Carolina

recently submitted his registration card on his newly purchased Suburban Merry Tiller® with these comments:
“I have previously owned and used Merry Tillers® – MacKissic stands by their products!!” Mr. Sutphin lists dependability, durability, and quality as reasons for his continuing choice of Merry Tiller®.

Mr. Don of West Chester, PA writes:

“My congratulations for still being a “made in the good old USA” company that makes excellent products. I purchased a Mighty Mac® 12PT-5 chipper in the early 1980’s, and it is still going strong and still doing a fine job. I am an engineer so I appreciate good equipment. I have made many modifications to it over the years to extend its life and durability but have only had to purchase a few repair parts. I have used it hard almost every season since I bought it and am glad to see that the unit is still sold and parts are still available. That 5 hp B&S engine could probably stand to be upgraded, but for now it’s still going.”

Joseph Vetrano, Jr. of Brick, NJ says about his Mighty Mac® leaf blower:

“I have a LB9EZ leaf blower which I purchased last November from Neptune Mower in Neptune, NJ. It’s an ass-kicking machine and it weighs significantly less than my old Giant Vac which means I don’t get as tired pushing it. The LB9EZ is also easier to load in and out of my truck.”

Mr. Lawrence Betterini of Kensington, CT writes:

" Two seasons ago I purchased a Mighty Mac Blower from MacKissic and I have been so happy with the product. Every time I need it one or two pulls on the cord and she's blowing leaves like tooth picks in a tornado."

Mr. Michael Franchino emailed the following comments about the LSC506M leaf-shredder-chipper he purchased:

"I thought I should write a note to tell you what I thought of the chipper-shredder I purchased recently. I used it once to try it out. I am totally impressed with the machine! It works better than I expected in both chipping branches and shredding leaves. I can see it is a quality design. The craftsmanship is excellent also. For an inexpensive homeowner model, I don't think there's a better machine on the market."

Jef Crab, Stichting Ecosystem 2000, Suriname, S. America

"During the past two years we mostly operated the SC-183 for several days in a row and for many hours under most inconvenient circumstances. Therefore I can assure you that the SC 183 is a very good piece of equipment; it has never let us down. Much obliged."

Jerri Johnson in regards to a leaf shredder/chipper.

"Thanks for answering my questions...you've given me some directions and I expect everything will be fine. You should also know that the one time I've used this machine, I thought it worked great! Did a nice job and gave me lots of nice mulch to use in my garden."

Karen Raschein sent the following email to our distributor, Canns-Bilco Distributors, Inc.

" I would like to tell you about one of the 1951 tillers. My father purchased one from a friend who had the dealership in 1951. We lived on a farm and of course has a very large garden. That tiller was used on that farm till 1974 when my parents moved to town. They still continued to have a garden, using it every year. My father said all he has ever done to it was take off the head & cleaned off the carbon and replaced belts a couple times. It sat for a couple years, as my parents could no longer have a garden (ages 87 & 84). Our son-in-law took it about 4 years ago, used it for 3 yrs., then it sat for another year. Last year it came here to our farm and my husband pulled the rope and it started right up. This spring the same thing after putting fresh gas in. I then asked my dad about it and he told the story!!! "

Mr. W. M. Todd wrote to MacKissic concerning the Merry Tiller:

"The Merry Tiller is an ideal system for the garden. The accessories allow a combination that will suit every situation. The versatility provided by this tiller commends it. The gardener can change from seed bed preparation to furrowing to cultivation in just a matter of moments. The engine gives plenty or power for any operation without being tiring to use. I have been pleased with my tiller through twenty years of use."

Daniel R. Leonard in Oregon says:

"Really am enjoying the new chipper shredder I purchased last month.....It is just right for my yard and all the things that need to be chipped and shredded. Thanks for putting out a fine machine that does an excellent job of doing the work assigned to it."

Concerning the Vacuum-Chipper-Bagger, Phil Douglas wrote:

"My chipper-shredder vacuum works great. I am amazed at what the vacuum will pick up. Thank you for great yard equipment at reasonable prices."

Referring to her 12PTE unit, Sue Smith of Uxbridge, MA sent by email:

"...I love the chipper, which replaced my old Troybilt. The Troybilt was good but can't hold a candle to the Mighty Mac. Thanks for a great product."

Letter dated Sept. 18, 2002 from Mr. Bob Barnabee of Grand Marais, MN:

"As you know, I recently purchased a MacKissic 12PT chipper/shredder. This is our third purchase of a chipper/shredder. We first purchased a 5 hp Rotohoe in 1983, when we still lived in Illinois, but that particular model proved to be underpowered for the work needed in Minnesota. We then purchased a used W-W grinder, 8 hp, which worked well until the shaft bearings wore out and we learned such bearings were no longer in production.
We have already put our 12PT to good use, and it has produced 3900 cu. ft. of chips for us. It's the best chipper/shredder we've ever owned, and we appreciate its speed and its ease of use. We live three miles from Canada, in the Superior National Forest. The Forest Service provides locations for residents to haul tree limbs and brush, but we find it easier and quicker to process limbs and brush with our MacKissic.
My wife Connie (she also uses the chipper/shredder) and I thank you for making such a fine product. And, after owning chipper/shredders whose manufacturers either went out of business or were absorbed by other companies, we appreciate owning a product whose maker has been in business a long time."

Mr. Frank Robb of Sarasota, Florida has these comments:

"Well, I bought one (12PT shredder-chipper). Everybody (except you) told me that there isn't a chipper-shredder made that will process palm fronds. They are all wrong. It (the 12P) does just fine on the dead/dry fronds of the Sable Palm, which is what I wanted it for. I might add that I put the whole thing down through the shredder hopper. Have been using it all afternoon and see no ill effects. A fine piece of equipment.

I hesitate to tell you how much stuff I have put through this thing already for fear you might cancel my warranty (HA). Seriously, the machine fully meets my expectations and more. I have processed hundreds, probably thousands of palm fronds and seed stalks. No problem."

Lyle A. Block had this to say about his 12PT9 unit:

"I had bought a 12PT9 from a guy who was selling it used. It had about one hour of time on it. I had used it today for the very first time. I was using it shredding pompas grass. I am so very pleased with the unit's performance I just had to let you know this is a fantastic machine. Thanks for making a great machine."

B. Chapman of Texas writes:

“My new Mac is an amazing machine at any price, it never tipped, bogged down, and was relatively quiet compared to either of the other two “T” brand chippers I had unfortunately purchased first.

The lesson for me with this purchase is simply, “It’s not the horsepower, it’s the design that counts. More hammers and more square inches of chipping chamber create a better working, more efficient and safer clean up experience. I had better quality cedar shredding from the same size pile of lopped branches in 3 hours continuous operation as I had in a full day of frustrating stutter starts with comparable two-wheeled vertical models. The hallmarks of the 12PT are: easy to load, no gumming, and absolutely NOWHERE for lateral branches or soft twigs to get lodged. A breath of fresh air after a three-year struggle with a marketplace full of inadequate competitor models. Simply outstanding purchasing decision when combined with your personal attention to new customer inquiries.”