Turn Downed Branches Into Mulch With The Best Wood Chippers
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Maintaining a yard is challenging enough, but the difficulty compounds when you don’t have an efficient way of dealing with the yard waste you generate. Many homeowners are relegated to the tedious task of raking up leaves and twigs into bags or bins and chopping up branches into small enough pieces for disposal. But there is a much better way: using a wood chipper.
A wood chipper chops up branches, twigs, and leaves into smaller chips that can come in handy in a variety of ways. You can use it as a nutrient-rich mulch for your garden beds, decorative ground cover for your walkways or landscaping, or as kindling in your wood stove or fire pit. Unfortunately, choosing a wood chipper from the plethora of options on the market can be a chore in itself. To make the process easier for you, I scoured the market to find the best wood chippers in a variety of categories and assembled a comprehensive buyer’s guide so you can choose the best one for your needs.
Best Wood Chippers
The Expert: I’m a home improvement freelance writer with over a decade of experience in a variety of trades, including tree work. I spent some time as a professional tree climber in northern California where I scaled some of the tallest trees in the world and gained extensive first-hand experience with wood chippers. My initial exposure to wood chippers was at my first job as a ranch hand, and I continue to occasionally use them on the permaculture farm where I live in northern Idaho. My work has appeared in Bob Villa, The Family Handyman, and The Spruce.
Wood Chippers vs. Leaf Mulchers
When it comes to chopping up yard waste, there are two options that are often confused for one another: wood chippers and leaf mulchers, which are sometimes called leaf shredders. Chippers use sharp metal blades that rotate on a rotor to break down larger, solid pieces of wood into chips between 1 to 3 inches long. Mulchers use semi-blunt blades that spin on a drum to shred smaller and softer organic material like leaves and small twigs into fine pieces.
Many manufacturers advertise that their wood chippers can double as mulchers, but the machines usually specialize in one task or the other. The exception is when a chipper has separate input chutes, or hoppers, for shredding and chipping. In that case, it will usually have a wider hopper on top of the machine for shredding and mulching and a narrow hopper on the side for chipping. However, even wood chippers with a single hopper can often be used for shredding to a certain extent, but not as effectively as models with separate hoppers.
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Types of Wood Chippers
▶ Electric: An electric wood chipper has a power cord compatible with a standard household electrical outlet. This is the quietest, lightest, and most affordable variety but also the least powerful. Capable of chipping branches between ½ to 2 inches in diameter, an electric wood chipper is best suited for light-duty applications. And because it needs to be plugged into an electrical outlet, its portability is limited despite its lightweight design.
▶ Gas: A gas wood chipper is larger and more powerful than an electric model but also more expensive. A gas machine is commonly equipped with a 4- to 10-horsepower engine and is often capable of chipping branches up to 3-inches in diameter. As a general rule, a chipper with a larger engine will generate more torque that will prevent the machine from jamming up on larger and harder materials. Aside from being more powerful, one of the greatest advantages of a gas wood chipper is its portability, because it doesn’t need an external power supply to operate like an electric model does. However, a gas machine requires more routine maintenance, like changing the oil and replacing belts.
▶ PTO: A power take-off, or PTO, chipper derives its power from the engine of a tractor that has a compatible PTO connection. A PTO chipper is larger and more powerful than gas and electric chippers but also the most expensive type. Additionally, it requires a compatible tractor to operate.
What Else to Consider When Shopping for a Wood Chipper
Reduction Ratio
A wood chipper’s reduction ratio refers to the chip size it produces in relation to size of the original material. Most wood chippers have a reduction ratio in the neighborhood of 8:1 to 20:1, meaning that it can reduce the material down to an eighth of its original size (8:1) or a 20th (20:1), respectively. A higher reduction ratio is often more desirable for the majority of applications you would use wood chips for, such as garden mulch and surface coverings. Unfortunately, chippers with higher reduction ratios usually come with a higher price tag.
Capacity
A wood chipper’s capacity is the largest branch diameter that it’s capable of effectively chipping. For example, a chipper with a 3-inch capacity can only chip branches 3 inches in diameter or smaller. Depending on the type and engine size of a given chipper, it might have a capacity between 1 to 4 inches. Much like with the reduction ratio, a larger capacity is often preferable but drives up the cost of the chipper.
How We Evaluated the Best Wood Chippers
When making my selections, I weighed the features and characteristics of each chipper against what I found to be the most advantageous during my professional experience in the tree care industry. Additionally, I sought to include a wide range of choices based on the type of chipper, specific applications, and budget. Finally, I considered user reviews on online retailer sites like Amazon and Home Depot and researched other articles reviewing wood chippers from credible outlets.
BEST OVERALL
GREATCIRCLEUSA 3-in-1 Wood Chipper / Mulcher
When it comes to power and multipurpose functionality, GreatCircleUSA offers one of the best wood chippers available. This 3-in-1 model is equipped with a large top hopper for shredding leaves or small twigs and a side hopper for chipping branches up to 3 inches in diameter—all at an impressive 15:1 reduction ratio. To maximize the chipper’s versatility, GreatCircleUSA also offers a separate vacuum attachment for sucking up leaves and twigs without having to bend over. The chipper is equipped with a sturdy handle and rugged wheels to make it easy to move around manually.
BEST BUDGET OPTION
Sun Joe 15-amp Electric Wood Chipper
If you’re interested in saving money and space without skimping on quality, Sun Joe’s 15-amp wood chipper includes an impressive range of features for such an affordable price. The combination of its light weight, small size, and sturdy wheels makes it easy to store and transport, yet the machine remains powerful enough to process branches up to 1.5 inches in diameter with a 17:1 reduction ratio. Even though that’s the smallest chipping capacity on the list, it still remains an excellent option for anyone on a limited budget that still wants to efficiently chip and shred most of their yard waste into usable ground cover.
BEST GAS WOOD CHIPPER
Landworks Mini Wood Chipper / Mulcher
The Landworks Mini Wood Chipper / Mulcher lends power and versatility without compromising on mobility. It has a 7 horsepower engine and is capable of chipping branches up to 3 inches wide with a 15:1 reduction ratio. The large hopper can easily swallow twigs, leaves, and other yard waste. Despite its impressive stats, it weighs only 99.8 pounds and is equipped with two large wheels for transporting around your property. Perhaps the most unique feature is the adjustable discharge chute that lets you eject the chipped material at a 90- to 145-degree angle.
BEST ELECTRIC WOOD CHIPPER
Patriot Products 1.5-Hp Electric Chipper
Electric wood chippers have a number of advantages, but chipping capacity usually isn’t one of them. With its 2.5-inch capacity, the Patriot Products 1.5-Horsepower Electric Chipper changes that. You can chip large branches through the side chute, then flip the switch to feed leaves and smaller branches through the top. The chipper has wheels and weighs just 95 pounds, so you can easily move it around your property. Patriot Products also sells a heavy-duty 100-foot extension cord that it recommends customers use with the chipper and will extend its two-year warranty to three if you purchase the two together.
BEST PTO WOOD CHIPPER
Titan Attachments 3-Point Wood Chipper Attachments
If you have a tractor with a PTO attachment and need the largest chipping capacity possible, Titan Attachments’ PTO chipper is a must-have. It boasts the ability to chip branches—even entire trees—up to 4-inches in diameter at a reduction ratio of 20:1. Oversized rotors mean you don’t have to worry about this chipper clogging or jamming on large-diameter branches. The adjustable discharge chute lets you direct the chips exactly where you want them, and the detachable feed chute makes it simpler to store and transport. This chipper is compatible with most tractor brands and models with engines up to 40 horsepower, but if you have a tractor with a larger engine, Titan Attachments makes a larger version of this chipper, too.
BEST LIGHT-DUTY WOOD CHIPPER
Sun Joe Electric Silent Wood Chipper/Shredder
Sun Joe’s Electric Silent Wood Chipper is the perfect solution for smaller yards and spaces. Its compact size makes it easy to maneuver around your yard and store in your shed, and at a mere 38.6 pounds, it’s fairly effortless to transport. Most impressive of all is its reduction ratio of 21:1 that will turn your leaves and branches into incredibly fine mulch. Sun Joe even includes a paddle feeder to assist with putting the branches and leaves into the hopper.
BEST HEAVY-DUTY WOOD CHIPPER
Patriot Products 10-HP Briggs & Stratton Engine Wood Chipper Shredder
If you’re looking for a chipper with as much power as possible, the 10-horsepower engine on this Patriot Products gas wood chipper delivers the torque you need to splinter the hardest branches. To help you stay on top of routine maintenance, an oil sensor indicator informs you when it’s time to change the oil. Patriot Products also offers several accessories to optimize this machine’s versatility, including a tow bar for transporting it with a vehicle and a jumbo collection bag with twice the storage capacity of standard bags.
BEST ACCESSORIES
DK2 Power 3-inch 3-in-1 Chipper, Shredder, And Vacuum
Constantly bending over to collect leaves and brush can be a pain—literally and figuratively. Fortunately, the vacuum attachment on this 3-in-1 DK2 Power wood chipper helps you avoid that. Along with the functionality of a standard hopper that can chip branches up to 3 inches wide with a 8.5:1 reduction ratio, the vacuum hose attachment has an ergonomic handle that sucks up leaves and debris quickly and easily. And unlike most other chippers, this model comes with a removable and reversible tow bar that lets you maneuver it manually or with a vehicle. With a large castor wheel on one side of the hitch, you can push the chipper by hand when the wheel is on the ground. Then you can flip the hitch around so it’s facing up and off the ground when you want to move it with your vehicle.
Wood Chipping Tips From Our Expert James Fitzgerald
PM: How do you use a wood chipper?
J.F.: The first, and most important, step is to wear the proper personal protective equipment, such as safety goggles, hearing protection, and possibly gloves. Place the chipper on an even, stable surface and check the hopper and ejection chute for any obstructions. Either attach the provided collection bag to the ejection chute or aim the chute to the area you want the chips to land.
Turn the chipper on and start feeding the material you want to chip into the hopper, making sure to place the appropriate material into the designated hopper if your chipper is equipped with separate chutes. When feeding branches, insert the widest portion of the branch (often the end that you cut, at the base of the branch) into the hopper first.
PM: Is there anything you shouldn’t put in a wood chipper?
J.F.: While not an exhaustive list, some of the items that are commonly (either intentionally or intentionally) put into a chipper that shouldn’t be include: rocks, pet waste and manure, pressure-treated lumber, sappy pinewood, palm fronds, vines, and butcher waste.
PM: When should a wood chipper’s blades be sharpened or replaced?
J.F.: As a general rule, a wood chipper’s blades should be sharpened after 25 to 50 hours of use depending on the type of material you’re chipping, whether the blades encounter any rocks or metal, and the quality of the blades. The best indication that your blades need to be sharpened is when the wood chips are coming out larger than usual or particularly rough. Chipper blades can often be sharpened three times before needing to be replaced.
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