Wood chippers, also known as wood chipper shredders or garden shredders, are designed to turn your garden waste into usable garden mulch for flower beds, leaf mold, or composting.
They can easily chew up bulky branches, twigs, and leaves in seconds, keeping your yard neat and clean without having to burn your garden waste (which can be dangerous or against regulations) or transport it to a disposal site.
In this guide, we’ll look at the best wood chippers for 2024, as well as features to consider when buying a wood chipper, and more.
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Top Pick
Best Value
Premium Choice
Best Wood Chippers for 2024
Product | Our Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Earthwise GS70015 15-Amp Garden Shredder | 
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2. Sun Joe CJ602E-RED Electric Wood Chipper/Shredder | 
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3. SuperHandy Wood Shredder Mulcher | 
| | |
4. Sun Joe SDJ616 Electric Leaf Mulcher/Shredder | 
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5. Southland SCS2052 Chipper Shredder | 
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6. EFCUT C30 LITE Wood Shredder |  | ||
7. WEN 41121 15-Amp Rolling Electric Wood Chipper and Shredder |  | ||
8. Landworks Wood Chipper Shredder |  |
Types of Wood Chipper
There are two main types of wood chipper on the market:
Gas Wood Chipper
This is the most traditional type of wood chipper. These are usually more powerful and can be used in commercial and landscaping applications as well as for home use.
The downside is that these emit fumes, are quite noisy to run, and do require some maintenance.
Electric Wood Chipper
These use an electric motor to shred and chip wood. They are usually more suitable for home use as they are smaller and less powerful, run much more quietly, and don’t emit any fumes.
They also require less maintenance. You can find both corded and cordless varieties, with corded options offering the least range and the most run time, while battery options are more portable.
What to Consider When Buying a Wood Chipper
Before you buy your chipper or shredder, there are a few things to consider to make sure it’s the right piece of equipment for your yard.
- Power – The more power you have, the better the chipper or shredder can handle hard wood and larger branches, so it’s important to consider how powerful the engine needs to be.
Electric wood chippers are better suited to small branches and offer about 1-3 horsepower, while gas models can take bigger branches and offer around 4-10 horsepower. - Feed capacity – This determines the thickness of the branches that the chipper can handle, so you need to make sure it matches up with the size of the branches you’re working with.
You’ll want the diameter to be slightly bigger than the branches so that they won’t get stuck, and the chipper can handle any bends or knots. - Reduction ratio – This is how fine the debris from the chipper will be and is a measurement of by how much the volume of the branches is reduced. Most woodchippers have a 10:1 or 20:1 ratio.
The finer the ratio, the faster the chipped material will break down into the soil or compost. - Blades and flails – The more blades/flails the chipper has, the more effective it will be at reducing branches to chips quickly. If you have fewer blades, you may also find that you need to sharpen or replace them more often because they have to work harder.
- Additional extras – Some accessories and additional extras can be a great help around the yard. This can include tilt-down hoppers, electric starters, collection bags, safety features, and more.
Best Wood Chippers Reviews
1. Earthwise GS70015 15-Amp Garden Shredder
This corded electric wood shredder has a 15-Amp motor that can shred or chip branches that are up to 1.75 inches in diameter.
It’s easy to clean, comes with a 1.2 bushel collection bin, and a chute and tamper tool to keep your hands out of the way of the blades.
It’s a great eco-friendly option that’s portable, easy to move around the yard, and emits no fumes.
Pros
- Eco-friendly
- Affordable
- Handles branches up to 1.75 inches in diameter
- 15-Amp motor
- Corded electric
- 1.2 bushel collection bin
- Easy to move around the yard
Cons
- Requires an outlet plug
2. Sun Joe CJ602E-RED 15 Amp Electric Wood Chipper/Shredder
This is a great option if you are looking for an affordable, compact wood chipper for general yard maintenance. The electric engine supplies 4300RPM to handle branches up to 1.5 inches in diameter as well as leaves, grass, and twigs.
It’s lightweight at 26lbs, so it’s easy to move around your yard, and it has a great safety mechanism that stops the motor from running if the hopper is open.
Pros
- 15 Amp electric motor
- Shred branches of up to 1.5 inches in diameter
- Portable
- Compact design
- Safety hopper
- Affordable
- ETL approved
- 2 year warranty
Cons
- Not for thick branches
3. SuperHandy Wood Shredder Mulcher
If you want a heavy-duty wood chipper, this is the model for you. It’s a 3-in-1 chipper, shredder, and mulcher running on a powerful 4-stroke engine that supplies enough power to shred branches up to 3 inches in diameter.
It’s durably built with larger pneumatic tires to keep it stable on rough terrain and is EPA/CARB certified. It’s ideal for use in yards, on firebreaks, and in landscaping applications.
Pros
- Very powerful
- 3-in-1 chipper, shredder and mulcher
- Shred branches up to 3 inches in diameter
- EPA/CARB certified
- Suitable for residential or commercial use
Cons
- Produces emissions
- Expensive
4. Sun Joe SDJ616 Electric Leaf Mulcher/Shredder
This is a high-capacity leaf mulcher and shredder designed for twigs, leaves, grass, and other garden debris. It uses a 13-Amp motor that delivers 8000RPM, using a trimmer cord to quickly slice garden debris into usable mulch.
It’s compact, efficient, and has a trashcan-compatible hopper as well as adjustable settings. However, it is not suited to chipping wood and bigger branches. To operate it, you will need access to an outlet.
Pros
- Electric 13-Amp motor
- No sharpening (uses trimmer cord)
- Trashcan-compatible hopper
- Durable dust-reducing motor cooling system
Cons
- Needs an extension cord and outlet
- Not suitable for branches
5. Southland SCS2052 Chipper Shredder
This is a heavy duty gas-powered wood chipper that can take branches up to 2.5 inches in diameter and turn them into chips or mulch with a 10:1 reduction ratio.
It has a 2-way feed and oversized funnel, collection bag, 10 inch pneumatic tires for stability and traction, is EPA and CARB certified, and comes with a 2-year warranty.
The tall chipper chute helps prevent accidental contact with the blades, which are made from high-quality steel.
Pros
- 10:1 debris ratio
- 205cc Briggs and Stratton engine
- Gas powered
- 2.5-inch branch capacity
- 5-bushel collection bag
- 10-inch pneumatic tires
- Mulching capability
Cons
- Emits fumes
- May struggle with bent branches
6. EFCUT C30 LITE Wood Shredder
If you are looking for gas power in a compact shredder, this is a good option. It can easily handle branches of up to 3 inches in diameter and is durably built for work on tougher terrain.
It has a fast feed system and high-speed steel blades to make shredding wood quick and easy, and weighs 87.8lbs, so it’s easy to transport too.
Pros
- Steel blades
- 212 cc 4-stroke gas engine offering 3600 RPM
- Can handle branches up to 3 inches in diameter
- 15.6-inch cutting rotor
- High-speed feed line
- 2-year warranty
Cons
- Emits fumes
- Assembly required
7. WEN 41121 15-Amp Rolling Electric Wood Chipper and Shredder
This electric corded wood chipper is a good option for everyday gardening and yard maintenance, shredding leaves and branches up to 1.5 inches in diameter.
The 15-Amp motor supplies plenty of power, but you will need an extension cord for this garden shredder. It needs minimal maintenance, is easy to start, and it’s easy to transport on 6-inch wheels with an ergonomic pull handle.
Pros
- Eco-friendly
- 15-Amp motor
- Can handle branches up to 1.5 inches in diameter
- Minimal maintenance
- Easy to start
Cons
- Requires an extension cord
8. Landworks Wood Chipper Shredder
This light-duty electric garden shredder is very compact, easy to use, and easy to store. The 15-Amp motor supplies 1800 W of power to shred branches up to 1.57 inches in diameter to produce a 17:1 reduction ratio, making it ideal for everyday yard maintenance.
It produces no emissions, runs quietly, and needs very little maintenance. It comes with a paddle to ensure safety while feeding branches into the shredder, and the polypropylene build is rust resistant.
Pros
- Eco-friendly
- Shred branches up to 1.57 inches in diameter
- 17:1 reduction ratio
- 15-Amp motor
- Rust resistant polypropylene build
- Instant start and overload protection
Cons
- Requires access to an outlet
Best Wood Chipper Shredders
Best Wood Chipper - Our Top Pick
If you’re looking for a great all-rounder garden shredder for everyday yard use, then we recommend the Earthwise GS70015 15-Amp Garden Corded Electric Chipper.
It’s a great portable electric wood chipper that can handle fairly large branches (up to 1.75 inches thick) and comes with a useful 1.2 bushel collection bin. It’s stable, easy to use, and affordable.
Best Value Wood Chipper
If you are looking for performance and affordability, we recommend the Sun Joe CJ602E-RED 15 Amp Electric Wood Chipper/Shredder.
You get all the benefits of this well-known brand in this electric corded wood chipper, including portability, compact and lightweight design.
It has some great safety features, can shred branches up to 1.5 inches in diameter, and is eco-friendly too!
Premium Choice Wood Chipper
If you want a real workhorse for your money, take a look at the SuperHandy Wood Chipper Shredder Mulcher. Built for durability and performance, this gas wood chipper can be taken to any site to shred branches up to 3-inches in diameter.
Although it’s more expensive, you get great value for your money as it chips, shreds and mulches, and is powerful enough to be used in residential, landscaping, or forestry applications.
Start Making Yard Maintenance Easy with the Best Wood Chipper
A wood chipper is ideal for any larger or high maintenance property where you want to keep your yard looking neat and tidy without having to worry about the hassle of getting rid of debris.
With your own wood shredder, you can also make your own leaf mold or compost, helping to nourish your plants for free. To help you make your composting easier, check out our review on the best garden composters for 2024.
Remember to look at the feed capacity, power, and reduction ratio before you buy, and you’ll be sure to get the best wood chipper for your money!
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