Best Chipper Shredders of 2022

1. Why invest in a chipper shredder?

While professional gardeners and landscapers know exactly when to use a wood chipper shredder, homeowners often believe this machine is only employed in the fall. The truth is a chipper shredder is useful all year long for:

• Shredding weeds and vegetative material during late spring and summer;
• Shredding and chipping dead leaves and branches in the fall months;
• Chipping branches in winter and early spring.

2. Types of chipper shredders

Chipper shredders are either gas-powered or electric, while a specialty category designed for heavy-duty applications draws power from a tractor drive shaft.

• Gas-powered chipper shredders: Are powerful machines built for performance. Most models can easily handle branches with a diameter of at least 3 inches, while the heavier duty ones shred branches up to 7 inches thick. They are typically powered by motors between 4 and 10 horsepower and come in different styles, including walk-behind vacuum chipper shredders.
• Electric chipper shredders: Are the little brothers of the gas-powered. Quieter and easier to handle, these machines have lower performance and typically handle branches up to 3 inches thick. Despite this, the electric machines are lightweight, easy to start, need no maintenance, and are perfect for light to medium-duty applications. Most corded chipper shredders are powered by motors of around 15 Amperes and can be plugged in a standard wall outlet or power generator
• Power take-off chipper shredder: Are the daddy of them all. These powerful machines are built for commercial applications and are often used in farms or by professional gardeners. They are powered by the tractor drive shafts and can shred branches up to 8 inches thick. However, they are more complicated to use; they are powered exclusively by a tractor and are not popular among homeowners.

3. Multi-function capabilities

All wood chipper shredders can mince and shred branches, transforming them in either wood chips or wood mulch, but some of the best models can also shred leaves and vegetative material.

Investing in a wood chipper shredder with multi-function capabilities is important if you want to use the organic material for gardening or landscaping.

For instance:

• Wood chips: Can be used to create decorative landscape elements but can also increase the survival percentage of small trees, shrubs, and perennials when used as mulch. A 2-inch thick layer of wood chips applied to the base of the plants prevents heavy rainfall damage and protects younger plants from weeds and parasites. However, wood chips should be used as mulch with caution because they can block the circulation of air and eventually kill your plants, especially if you live in a warm climate region.
• Mulch: Is a generic term defining a myriad of organic and inorganic materials including grass clippings, straws, shredded wood, shredded leaves, and even coffee grounds. Applied to the base of the plants or mixed with compost, mulch acts as a fertilizer, it suppresses weeds and retains moisture into the soil, helping your plants thrive.

4. Shredding capacity

The shredding capacity of a chipper shredder determines the maximum branch diameter the machine can handle. The best chipper shredders built for residential use can handle branches up to 3 inches thick, whereas the commercial chipper shredders can also handle thicker branches.

It is recommended to buy a wood chipper with a shredding capacity slightly higher than what you need to prevent machine jamming and motor burnout. For example, if you need a wood chipper for 1-inch branches, buy a machine capable of handling 1.5 inches branches.

5. Best chipper shredder blades

There are three main types of blades typically employed in the construction of a wood chipper shredder:

• Drum blades: Consist of a parallel-sided drum with pivoting knives attached horizontally and a chip breaker positioned behind the rotating knives, perpendicular to the blade. These blades typically equip the commercial wood chipper shredders and are often used by landscapers.
• Disc blades: Consist of a steel flywheel positioned perpendicularly to chopping blades with slotted discs. Pivoting knives provide the cutting action from the opposite direction, reducing branches to small chips.
• Screw blades: Consist of a conical, screw-shaped blade with sharpened edges designed for wood chopping.

Besides these blades, most wood chipper shredders also have a parallel leaf-shredding mechanism with blades designed to reduce vegetative material into mulch.

6. Shredding reduction ratio

A simple way to determine the chipper’s performance is by analyzing its reduction ratio. This value tells the volume of chipped or shredded material coming out of the machine and is determined by the number of knives present on the blade.

Most home use wood chipper shredders have a reduction ratio of around 15:1 and some of the best models can even mince wood at a higher ratio.

When choosing the best wood chipper shredder pick the machine with the highest ratio that complies with your budget, as this will allow you to obtain finer debris which is easier to turn into mulch.

7. Noise level

Like other outdoor equipment including string trimmers, lawn mowers, riding lawn mowers, and pole saws, wood chipper shredders are noisy machines. Their noise level typically exceeds 85 decibels (dB); prolonged exposure to such a high noise level can produce irreversible hearing damage. Therefore it is recommended to use hearing protection each time you operate the unit.

Electric units tend to be quieter than the gas-powered ones, but it’s still recommended to use earmuffs when operating them.

8. Wheels & portability

Similar to log splitters the two essential features that determine portability are the weight of the unit and the wheels.

• Most residential and light- to medium-duty wood chipper shredders are fairly lightweight with hefts under 150 pounds. Electric units are lighter than the gas-powered machines, with the smallest residential units weighing less than 40 lbs.; however, their mobility is subject to the length of the power cord which rarely exceeds 100 feet.
• Invest in a unit with sturdy all-terrain wheels that offer stability on mud and sloped areas. Most units come with wheels between 6 and 10 inches in diameter, although some high-end chippers can have larger wheels.

9. Other handy features

A few other functions can enhance your user experience and add up to the unit’s value. Here are some of the most important extra-features to look for:

• Vacuum function: Some of the best wood chipper shredders have a vacuum function that sucks debris such as leaves and vegetative material into a collection bag.
• Blower mechanism: A blower mechanism is useful if you want to gather the shredded material into piles before loading it into collection bags.
• Towbar or hitch: Important if you want to carry the unit around a larger lot or to move it from one place to another. A towbar or hitch lets you use a vehicle to transport the unit.
• Tilt-down hopper: If you want to rack the debris into the chipper shredder rather than loading it from above, invest in a machine with a tilt-down
• Self-sharpening blades: Some high-end chipper shredders come with self-sharpening blades that reduce maintenance.
• Electric starter: If you want a gas-powered unit, an electric starter could make your life easier when you have to start the machine in lower temperatures.