Best Commercial Wood Chipper of 2019 Reviews | How to Choose the Right One
A wood chipper is an efficient and quick way to rid your yard and garden of dead leaves and fallen branches. This is a handy and easy to use tool that can be used year-round to help reduce the amount of organic build-up in your yard, dispose of dead plants and weeds, or help to clean up after a storm blows through. But how does one go about finding the best commercial wood chipper of 2018?
A wood chipper is a very versatile machine that allows you to make your own wood chips or generate high-quality compost, and there are several great commercial wood chipper brands on the market. Here are a few wood chipper reviews and a buying guide to help you find the best commercial wood chipper for your particular needs.
What is a Wood Chipper?
Equipped with a shredding function, the best commercial wood chippers are more than just machines that grind up wood. Some models even come with a mulching function too.
Chipping
With the ability to break down branches with two to three diameters, a wood chipper takes branches that are thrown into the large cone shape on the top, side, or front of the machine called the hopper. Using sharp hammers and blades, the wood chipper creates small wood chips in the grinding chamber that are ejected into a collection bag that is attached to the machine or through the side.
Shredding and Mulching
When leaves or brush is placed in the wood chipper, use the mulching and shredding function to create organic matter that is finely chopped that can be used in your compost heap. Using a wood chipper is a quick way to clean up your garden and yard. You no longer have to worry about clearing the leaves in your yard or having to put the branches you cut down in the trash can as a wood chipper can save you the time you would otherwise waste gardening.
Types of Wood Chippers
Electric Wood Chippers
Perfect for a small sized yard up to a ½ acre, an electric wood chipper can chop up tree branches that up to two inches in diameter. This is a clean power source that won’t give off nasty fumes. They are also quieter and maintenance is a lot easier to do on an electric chipper than on a gas-powered model.
There are a few drawbacks of an electric wood chipper including that they can only handle a small yard or debris from a garden, so you can’t use them for heavy-duty projects. They are also not very portable and you will also have to worry about an extension cord.
Electric wood chippers can have just as much power as a gas powered chipper. Here is a YouTube video that shows you the power of an electric wood chipper:
Gas-powered Wood Chippers
More powerful than their electric chipper competitors, gas-powered wood chippers can handle tree branches that are up to three inches in diameter. They also have no problem with a large amount of wood, even hardwoods. With larger engines, gas powered wood chippers use dual hammers and two cutting blades making it a perfect choice for homes with large yards or if you have a lot of trees and brush to be cleared.
The only drawback of a gas-powered wood chipper is their use of gas. They are also more expensive, produce fumes, and are noisier than electric models, plus you may have to check the oil level and manually add more oil.
Features of a Wood Chipper
Power
The power capacity of a wood chipper should be considered before buying it. Wood chippers that are electrically-powered should have an engine that has a power range from 14 to 15 amps. With a gas-powered machine, you should look for an engine that ranges from 4 to 10 horsepower and an engine size between 120 and 320cc.
Some small electrically-powered wood chippers will work well for residential yards and they even have a similar amount of power with their gas-powered competitors. When deciding on the power you need, it all depending on the size of your yard and what type of garden debris you will need to dispose of in your compost heap.
Chute Size and Feed Capacity
How much debris that can be fed into the wood chipper chute, or hopper, is the machine’s feed capacity. Small sized hoppers are fine if you only need to chip a few branches occasionally, but if you need to chip a large pile of branches, brush, and leaves, then you will need a wide hopper. The size of the hopper is very important as waste can get stuck if you feed a lot of debris into a small hopper which can cause the machine to stop working, plus it can slow down the chipping process.
Self-feeding Capacity
The self-feeding feature will suck leaves and branches into the machine ‘s chute. You do not need to push branches into the hopper, instead, you just place them into the chute and allow the high powered suction to do all the work.
A wood chipper with a self-feeding feature is helpful with large amounts of debris. Here is a YouTube video that shows you how the self-feeding feature works:
Material
Operators feeding the wrong type of materials into the chipper are the main reason why they won’t work. Always make sure you are feeding it the right type of materials and that your machine can process any organic matter that is on your property.
Designed primarily for brush, leaves, and wood, wood chippers can stop working if others types of waste are put into the chipper like plastic or newspaper, so make sure to read the direction before using the machine to see what items it will shred.
Handy Operating Features
Many wood chippers available today come with innovative operator features. Some electric wood chippers come with a start button while others have collection bags that feature a “Bottom-Out” zipper allowing you to unzip the bag to clear out the contents. Other chippers come with a safety locking knob that stops the blades from turning while the unit is on until you are ready to operate it and an overload switch is also available in case you place too many branches into the hopper.
The number one consideration when choosing a wood chipper is safety. Here is a YouTube video that shows how to use a wood chipper the correct way.
Best Wood Chipper of 2018
For those that want some real power, the Tazz Chipper can turn your twigs and branches into mulch. The K32 chipper shredder comes equipped with a 212 cc Viper engine and can take on branches with a diameter of up to 3 inches and a 34-inch high steel hopper. It has a reduction ratio of 20 to 1 and since it is gas powered, it is on the loud side so be prepared with earplugs when operating it.
With a small footprint, this machine is easy to store as well as move with wheels that measure 11 inches and since it weighs 121 pounds, you can also get the tow kit to make moving it easier. There is also an optional vacuum kit that has the largest in class rotor and a unique air-gate. The Tazz Chipper also comes with a debris bag that is an easy to use and rugged, plus it features a Bottom-Out zipper and a Dock-and-Lock connector that makes for quick and easy handling.
PROS
CONS
For those that really love the chopping feature on a wood chipper, the Earthquake 14267 uses heavy-duty knives and grinding hammers to pulverize whatever you have in your yard. Some find it a little loud, but users appreciate the chute capacity and the chipping power of the 14267, especially when you have a pile of branches to dispose of after a storm. This wood chipper has a reduction ratio of 20 to 1 providing you with a huge amount of mulch to compost.
The Earthquake 14267 also includes a two-bushel bag that is a handy way to collect your chips or you can let them shoot directly out into the yard. Weight 100 pounds, this machine is on the heavy side, but an optional tow kit will allow it to be easily pulled by a tractor. With its small chute, this is a great machine for a medium sized yard with branches that are on the smaller side and is one of the best chipper shredder vacuum on the market.
PROS
CONS
The Generac Gas Powered Chipper gives you 126 pounds of shredding power. With its PRO-SPEC chipper knife constructed of hardened steel, the Generac can easily eat up straight branches, but may get jammed with branches that curve. Eight shredder hammers that swing freely reduce anything you feed it into mulch and making it the best PTO wood chipper on our list.
This chipper also features handlebars that are built-in and wheels that are made for any terrain so that you can easily move the Generac into position. It also comes equipped with a 2 ½ bushel collection bag in the event you want to create a mulch heap. Waste can also be disposed of with the out-taking chute to creating a heap of mulch in your yard making the Generac the best chipper shredder for composting.
PROS
CONS
If you want a neat and tidy yard, the Troy-Bilt Chipper Shredder has a powerful gas-powered engine that features 250 cc. This is chipper is a little loud, so make sure to bring your earplugs. Weighing 200 pounds, the CS4325 is heavy and sturdy, but it comes with pneumatic wheels for easy mobility.
This combination chipper shredder utilizes 12 cast steel flails that are replaceable and 2 chipper knives made of chromium steel. The CS425 can easily reduce green wood that is 2 inches thick and other twigs, leaves, and small branes into mulch. With the included collection bag, you can create up to 5 bushels of mulch that can be used for your yard or in your compost heap making it the best industrial wood chipper you can find.
PROS
CONS
For those that prefer a quiet chipping machine, the Patriot Products CSV-2515 is an electric chipper that can reduce a mound of leaves into mulch you can use in your yard. It can also eat up branches up to 2 ½ inches in diameter producing coin-sized chips. Plus, it can shred up other materials like cardboard.
Weighing about 95 pounds, this lightweight chipper is not only large, but convenient to move with its all-terrain wheels. With its 14 Amp motor, this chipper has a powerful motor and will need a heavy-duty cord about 100 feet long. Plus, earplugs aren’t needed with this quiet but powerful chipper.
PROS
CONS
Conclusion
The winner of this Best Wood Chipper of 2018 roundup is the Tazz Chipper. This is a powerful chipper that features a 212cc Viper engine and can take on branches up to three inches in diameter. This gas-powered chipper also has a reduction rate of 20 to 1.
Since it has a small footprint, you won’t have problems finding space for it in the garage and its 11-inch wheels will help make moving it easier. It also comes with an easy to use debris bag with a Bottom-Out zipper. The definite winner of the Best Wood Chipper Roundup is the Tazz Chipper hands down.