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Did you know that turning the leaf, tree branches, and twigs that litter your property into mulch can be so much fun? Well, it is if you use a good chipper shredder for shredding them but certainly not fun when you have to hit the shredder each time to get it to work.
In this article, we shared our opinions about five wood chipper shredders that caught our attention. Several gardeners and homeowners have given these shredders a lot of thumbs up.
Let’s find out why.
#1. Best Chipper Shredder – Sun Joe CJ602E 15-Amp Electric Chipper Shredder
If you want a lightweight, portable, easy to use and inexpensive wood chipper, the Sun Joe CJ602E chipper shredder is obviously worth it.
It is a battery-powered shredder designed for doing tons of light shredding work. Hence it’s perfect for most homeowners and gardeners.
It features a 15 amp motor designed to shred wood to sizes of about 1.5-inches thick. There is a safety hopper, three color options to choose from, and 6-inch wheels for movement. And of course, it is compact sized thus making storage and movement easy for its owners.
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Buying A Chipper Shredder: What You Must Know
In simple terms, a chipper shredder is a combination of two distinct machines into one; a wood chipper and leaf shredder. It’s a great way to save money, storage space, as well as time on chores that they were designed to do.
We’ve listed a few things you should consider now that you want to buy a chipper shredder.
Electric or Gas
Many of the chipper shredders on the market are either powered by gas or by electric. As you’d expect, each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.
For instance, a gas-powered model requires a constant oil change, gasoline top up and regular maintenance. Additionally, you’ll deal with noise pollution and smoke emissions. But with all these, the gas models seem to offer more power than the electric models.
On the other hand, the electric models don’t require constant oil change nor do they require regular maintenance. Instead, they need a fully charged battery with enough spare ones to replace the ones that get used up during work.
Electric models aren’t often as powerful as the gas-powered models but they get the job done although you’ll face issues with the power cords (for plug-in models) and short-lasting batteries. But when it comes to quietness, fewer maintenance hassles, they are definitely a great pick.
The Drive Type
This refers to the type of drive system that powers the shredding and chipping engines. There are two drive types; the direct and clutch drive modes each offering some advantage over the other.
The direct-drive mode is designed to turn on the chipper/shredder when the machine is turned on and it keeps running even when there’s nothing inside it. It doesn’t handle heavy loads well as they can lead to system jamming.
However, the reverse is the case with the clutch drive system. The clutch drive system only allows the chipper/shredder to turn on when you’ve placed items to be shredded inside the machine. It can handle heavier loads.
Capacity
The capacity has to do with the size of branches that the chipper can support. The majority of the chippers on the market are able to handle branches with a diameter not more than 3-inches.
If you intend to use your chipper shredder for a lot of commercial work especially within your locality, then you should get a much powerful commercially designed model.
Vacuuming Ability
For homeowners with large properties and sprawling estates, getting the debris from your lawn ready for shredding can be tough. This is why it’s important to look for a chipper shredder with vacuuming capacity.
Chipper shredders that have the vacuuming ability often look like lawnmowers. They are designed to suck up most of this debris when you’re navigating the areas where they are on your lawn. Bear in mind that they can’t handle large tree branches.
Reduction Ration
Chipper shredders are designed with a reduction ration in mind. It greatly determines how much the machine will cut/shred the items you tossed into it. Fortunately, a great percentage of the chipper shredders on the market have a 10:1 reduction ratio. This simply means that the debris you toss into the machine will be reduced to 1/10th of its size.
There’s a general belief that the higher the reduction ratio of your chipper shredder, the larger and more powerful it is.
Bag Capacity
The bag capacity refers to the size of the collection bag for the shredded debris. If the bag is larger, the machine will also be larger and much heavier. Having a larger bag reduces the number of times you have to go empty the bag.
If you’re using a smaller bag, you’ll have to empty it more often. It also means that your chipper shredder will be much smaller in the absence of a larger bag.
Protection Gear
Generally, it’s advisable to get work overalls and other protective gear for working with a chipper shredder.
You shouldn’t wear anything you want when operating the machine.
Always ensure that your hair is covered and that your clothes aren’t billowing in the wind.
Long Stick
Keep a very long stick handy for feeding your chipper shredder with debris. Don’t use a short stick that will cause you to bend over into the machine.
Additional Features
Some additional features that you can look out for include an ignition start for the gas-powered models. Having both an ignition starter and a pull to start cord is quite helpful as one will work in the event that the other fails.
Furthermore, a tilt-down hopper and even a self-sharpening feature might also come in handy. So, if you see any chipper shredder with any additional features that you may need, don’t hesitate to purchase it.
Wheels are also a must-have if portability is of importance to you.
Chipper Shredder Reviews
Below, we shared our opinion about different chipper shredders below. Our picks cut across gas-powered and electric models as well as large and small units.
#1. Best Chipper Shredder – Sun Joe CJ602E 15-Amp Electric Chipper Shredder
Type: Electric (plugin model)
Capacity: 1.5-inch
Features: 15 amp motor, electric powered, 1.5-inch capacity, 6-inch wheels, lightweight, hopper with safety lock, 3 color options.
We picked the SunJoe CJ602E Electric Chipper Shredder as our best chipper shredder for a few reasons. First, it’s a lightweight and portable unit with a simple straightforward design. It comes with 6-inch wheels and an ergonomic handle which lacks rubber grip points.
The Sun Joe CJ602E is powered by a 15 amp electric motor with an easy on and off button. There’s a reset button for resetting the machine in the event of an engine failure. It features a hopper with a capacity of 1.5-inch.
This hopper is connected with a safety knob that locks the motor and prevents it from being in operation when it’s opened. The Sun Joe CJ602E 15-Amp Electric Chipper Shredder is compact shaped yet it does quite a great deal of work.
Based on its design, the SunJoe CJ602E has a reduction ration of 1:17 which is outright impressive. You should, however, bear in mind that the SunJoe is designed for simple lightweight work.
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#2. SuperHandy Wood Chipper Shredder
Type: Gas-powered
Capacity: 3-inch
Features: 3-in-1 function, gas-powered with 7hp engine, top hopper with ½ inch capacity and side chute with 3-inch capacity, towing hook, heavy-duty wheels, ethanol-free gasoline, 15:1 reduction ratio.
The SuperHandy Wood Chipper Shredder is a multipurpose chipper shredder made for heavy-duty users. Under its hood, you’ll find a lot of features to buttress this claim. And of course, the price is a clear indication it’s not for everybody.
It sports a 7hp 4-stroke gas-powered OHV engine. This engine is fueled via the 0.7gal gasoline tank. The engine is turned on via a recoil starter – there’s no ignition start. It is, however, easy to start and responsive.
The SuperHandy Chipper Shredder is huge and weighs about 130lbs. It comes with heavy-duty wheels for easy movement and can be connected with a towing hook for easy towing. The towing hook is sold separately.
Based on its design, it features a top-loading hopper and a side chute with capacities of ½ and 3-inches respectively. There’s also a leaf vacuum for loading leaf and a side catching bag for holding the chipped and shredded items. It has a reduction ratio of 15:1.
If you’re looking for something powerful even for commercial purposes, this is it. You can also opt for the Landworks Super Gas-Powered Wood Chipper Shredder or the Earthquake Tazz K33 Chipper Shredder. Both of them are great for heavy loads.
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#3. Landworks Super Gas-Powered Wood Chipper Shredder
Type: Gas-powered
Capacity: 3-inch
Features: gas powered 4 stroke engine, towing enabled, 3-inch capacity, side chute with rubber cap, 3-in-1 design, heavy-duty wheels, and 15:1 reduction ratio.
The Landworks Super Chipper Shredder shares exactly the same features and strong build-qualities with the SuperHandy Wood Chipper Shredder we reviewed above. And they’re even similarly priced.
There’s however a mini version of this LandWorks Chipper. We, recommend getting this full model as it will enable you to do more than the mini version allows.
The Landworks Super Chipper Shredder features a 4-stroke 7HP 212cc OHV gas-powered engine. This engine uses unleaded gasoline that is ethanol-free and has a recoil starter. As you’d expect, it comes with a 0.7 gal tank for gasoline.
It can be connected with a towing hook and vacuuming kit, both of which are sold separately. Additionally, you’ll find a 1/2–inch capacity hopper with a 3-inch capacity side chute. And there’s also the collection bag for shredded items.
The Landworks Super Chipper Shredder has strong build quality and will handle heavy workloads without stress. Let’s not fail to mention that it has a reduction ratio of 15:1 just like its SuperHandy counterpart.
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#4. Earthquake Tazz K33 Chipper Shredder
Type: Gas Powered
Capacity: 3-inch
Features: 3-inch capacity, top hopper with side chute, 4-cycle 301cc Viper Engine, 11” heavy-duty wheels, collection bag with a bottom out-zipper, multiple engine options to choose from, 20:1 reduction ratio.
The Earthquake Tazz K33 Chipper Shredder belongs to the same class as the two immediate chipper shredders we reviewed above. It offers a lot more than them although this is with respect to the engine.
Our review model is the K33 model which offers a 4-cycle 301cc Viper Engine against the smaller displaced engines we’ve seen so far. In addition to that, there are two other models to choose from, each offering a different engine and displacement.
The K33 Earthquake chipper shredder has a 3-inch capacity and also features a side chute for other similar works. It is vacuum and tow capable but as expected, you’d have to purchase them separately.
Also, there is a heavy-duty wheel and of course, a debris collection bag. The collection bag is made of strong material and has an out zipper underneath for easy emptying. We have only one reservation about this chipper shredder and it’s with the pricing.
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#5. GreatCircleUSA Gas Powered Wood Chipper Shredder
Type: Gas Powered
Capacity: 3-inch
Features: 212cc OHV 4 stroke gas engine, 15:1 reduction ratio, top hopper with side chute, compatible with vacuum kit and towing kit, and heavy-duty wheels.
We wrap up this review of the best chipper shredders by taking a look at the GreatCircleUSA Gas Powered Wood Chipper Shredder. From the aforementioned features, it’s clear that it shares the same similarities with the likes of the Landworks Super Chipper Shredder and the SuperHandy Wood Chipper Shredder.
It features a top hopper with ½-inch capacity as well as a side chute with 3-inch capacity. The machine is powered by a 0.7gal gasoline engine which propels the 212cc 4-stroke OHV gas engine.
As expected, it is compatible with a towing hook and vacuum kit for sucking up the debris and they are sold separately. The 11-inch heavy-duty wheels and the ergonomic handles make moving it easy.
In all, the GreatCircleUSA Gas Powered Wood Chipper Shredder can handle the heavy loads you toss at it with relative ease.
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Final Words
Getting rid of twigs, leaves and other debris from the lawn can be tasking. But turning it into mulch for your garden is almost the opposite as you can easily do that with ease using any of the best chipper shredders on the market including the ones we listed in this article.
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