I've got a chipper/shredder which attaches to the back of my Countax lawn tractor. So i have a little experience of these devices.
All I would add to the suggestions is to get yourself a hard hat with mask and ear defenders like people use with chain saws. The seasons for this are that the machine is very noisy and it throws bits of twig and wood chips back at you some of the time.
The ear defenders may leave you feeling a bit cut off from the world but after an hour or so, you will still have some of your hearing. Without them, you will be 50% deaf for a week!
The wood chips make a good soil conditioner. They attract worms (as already noted) and breakdown slowly (1-2 years) in the soil improving its structure (better drainage etc.).
The shredded greenery seems to compost faster provided it is a good mix of dry and green material. But be careful with blackberry vines as the shredder pulls them in very fast and you don't want to get pulled in as well or have the thorns shred your hands and arms.