Wood chipper or wood shredder
Wood chippers and wood shredders look similar, and the names even make them sound similar, which can lead to a lot of confusion among consumers over which to buy.
Both are large yet portable pieces of yard equipment that feature hoppers and are designed to reduce wood waste into smaller pieces for easier disposal. Despite their similarities, though, they do have different use cases. This article breaks down what each machine is intended for, as well as their respective pros and cons, so you can make an informed purchase decision.
The quick rundown is that shredders are best for processing small twigs and other soft yard clippings into compost-ready material or mulch, while chippers are good for cutting hard and thick branches into small chunks of wood.
What do wood shredders do?
Wood shredders have hoppers that you feed material into, and a short exit chute where waste is ejected. Inside the machine, blunt blades, called flails, break leaves, twigs and other soft yard waste into small pieces of organic material. The smallest of shredders actually use nylon cords rather than metal blades to pulverize material, much like string trimmers. Generally speaking, wood shredders are smaller and more affordable than chippers, and they come in gas and electric models.
Wood shredder pros
Shredders tend to be reasonably lightweight and mounted on wheels, which makes it easy for the average consumer to move them around their property. Their small size also makes them convenient to store in a garage or shed.
Wood shredder cons
The biggest drawback to shredders is their inability to handle large branches and logs. This is due to their low-powered engines and blunt blades. They are best for soft material like leaves, saplings and flexible branches, so you may have a lot of yard waste that they simply cannot process. Also, shredders have small hoppers, which can make them prone to jamming.
Best wood shredders
Sun Joe CJ603E Silent Wood Shredder: available at Amazon and Home Depot
Capable of handling branches up to 1.73 inches in diameter, this Sun Joe Shredder can process yard waste many others can’t. It has a 21:1 reduction ratio, a reverse switch for clearing out jams and a maintenance-free design. As an added bonus, it comes with a clippings bag.
WEN 41121 Rolling Electric Wood Shredder: available at Amazon and Home Depot
The affordably-priced WEN 41121 is backed by a two-year warranty and has a durable build, making it a reliable choice. It is equipped with two seven-inch blades that produce up to 8,000 cuts per minute, and the compact size makes it easy to store.
PowerSmart PS10 Wood Shredder: available at Amazon and Home Depot
The PS10 effectively turns clippings and other yard waste into small material ideal for composting or convenient disposal. Its safety hopper minimizes the chance of injury, and it comes with a convenient pusher stick to help you feed twigs and small branches through the machine.
What do wood chippers do?
You can think of wood chippers like larger and more powerful shredders. However, rather than blunt blades or nylon cords, they are equipped with sharp blades that cut hard branches into small chips of wood. They come in two types: rotating disk and drum. Rotating disk chippers produce more uniformly sized pieces, but can be more prone to jamming from soft or fibrous material. Drum chippers handle most types of material well, but produce randomly sized chips.
Like shredders, chippers feature a hopper, but have longer ejection chutes that send material shooting out the side. They are often gas powered, but you can find some electric models.
Wood chipper pros
If you need to process a lot of yard waste quickly, a chipper is your best option. Likewise, if you want to chop up hard branches more than 1.5 inches in diameter, a chipper is the way to go. Their large hoppers make it easy to feed a lot of material through them with less risk of jamming than with shredders, and because the waste is ejected out the side, you don’t need to constantly stop to clear away debris under the machine.
Wood chipper cons
Wood chippers are larger and heavier than shredders. This means that not only will they be harder to move around your property, but they require significantly more storage space. Because of this, chippers are used more often by commercial lawn companies, and shredders are used more often by homeowners.
Best wood chippers
Patriot Products CVS-3100B Wood Chipper: available at Amazon
The Patriot CSV-3100B will make coin-sized chips out of branches up to 3 inches in diameter. While this doesn’t make it the most capable machine, it is electric, so it requires essentially no maintenance and doesn’t release noxious fumes. It is also surprisingly compact.
Champion Power Equipment 200905 Portable Chipper/Shredder: available at Home Depot
Equipped with a powerful and reliable 224cc single-cylinder engine, the chipper from Champion quickly and easily processes branches up to 3 inches in diameter. It can stand up to constant high-volume use and, conveniently, there is a separate shredder chute for small twigs and green clippings a half-inch or less in diameter.
TazzChipper 35259: available at Amazon and Home Depot
The wide stance makes the TazzChipper very stable as you feed large branches into its rugged steel hopper. It comes with a debris bag, so you won’t be left with a big pile of waste to clean up when the job is finished, and the 12-inch wheels easily travel over bumpy terrain.
Should you get a wood shredder or a wood chipper?
As with most pieces of yard equipment, the right machine to buy depends on your needs. If you only want to process soft clippings and twigs, and you aren’t in a huge rush to get the job done, a shredder is probably your best option. However, if you need the ability to handle hard branches more than 1.5 inches in diameter and want to run through large amounts of material quickly, a chipper is the way to go.
Brett Dvoretz is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
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