The Best Wood Chipper To Convert Yard Waste Into Homemade Mulch

Are you looking for the best wood chipper to transform ordinary yard waste into usable mulch compost for the garden? We’ve researched the best wood chippers and shredders to help you find the best products for your home.

When you own a chipper shredder, you’ll have a versatile machine that can be used in a small garden or a large farm. Debris, large branches, and other items can be placed in the chute to turn large limbs into small wood chips.

Gas powered and electric wood chippers exist (more on this below), but which one is right for you?

We have five wood chipper reviews below, but before we dive into each model, let’s take a look at why you need one of these machines.

What are the Main Uses of Wood Chippers?

These units are used when you have:

• Fallen branches
• Fallen trees
• Leaves
• Debris

You can turn large branches into wood chips that can be placed on walkways or even used in the garden or around landscaping as mulch.

How Wood Chippers Work

While you’ll find gas powered and electric powered units, both use some form of “fuel” to operate. The chute, or the areas where you put the branches or debris inside, will have blades inside that work to break down the wood into small chips.

The chips may come out of the side of the unit, or you can place capture bags on them that will keep the wood chips inside an easy-to-carry bag.

Benefits of a Wood Chipper

If you live in a wooded area or run a farm, the benefits of a wood chipper only increase. The key benefits of these machines are:

• Save time removing branches, twigs and debris from your yard.
• Quickly turn garden waste into compost.
• Reduce a massive amount of wood into small chips, often ten times smaller in capacity or more.
• Create wood chips that can be used as mulch.

Now that you know the benefits of a wood chipper and how they work, let’s take a look at some of the best models available.

5 Best Wood Chipper Reviews

1. Best Power for Price: Patriot Products CSV-3100B 10 HP Wood Chipper

Patriot’s gas-powered chipper offers immense 10 HP chipping power at the best price.

The Patriot Products CSV-3100B wood chipper packs a lot of power into the 10 HP engine, allowing for wood up to 3” in diameter to enter the chute. The unit has a side discharge that allows you to feed wood in the chute all day while the wood chips exit the side of the chipper.

The unit is compliant in all 50 states, allowing consumers’ confidence that they can use their model in any state they wish.

2. Best for Low Budgets: Earthwise GS70015 15-Amp Garden Corded Electric Chipper

Earthwise’s wood chipper is a great model for infrequent wood chipping and offers a fine chip size.

The Earthwise GS70015 is a 15-amp electrical model that is priced perfectly for smaller yards and gardens. The chute can fit branches with a diameter of 1.75” and has a built-in tamper tool to keep your hands safe.

A 1.2 bushel bin keeps all wood chips neatly in place so that you can discard them or use them with greater ease.

3. Best Mid-Priced Unit: Landworks Mini Wood Chipper Shredder Mulcher Heavy Duty

Landworks’ 15:1 wood ratio, 3” diameter cutting, and adjustable chute make it the best mid-priced unit.

The Landworks Mini Wood Chipper Shredder offers efficient performance and a 15:1 reduction ratio. This “mini” chipper has a chute that can fit branches of up to 3”. The chute feed is large, with an extended discharge chute that allows for bulk wood chipping.

Optimal usage includes branches, limbs, brush, leaves and stocks of corn.

4. Best High-end Gas Powered Wood Chipper – Dr. Power’s Self Feeding Wood Chipper

DR Power’s wood chipper is the best heavy-duty model that fits 5.75” diameter wood and is self-feeding.

DR Power’s PRO XL575 Self-feeding model is a high-powered chipper with an electric starter, commercial clutch, and oversized hopper. The road towing capabilities allow you to tow the unit at up to 45mph on the road.

The chipping knife and air channel pull branches into the chute, which has an opening of 19” x 30.5.” Little to no trimming is needed for branches, and the unit can confidently chip wood that has a diameter of 5.75.”

5. Best for Easy Cleanup: SuperHandy Ultra Heavy Duty Wood Chipper Shredder Mulcher

SuperHandy’s large capacity bag makes it the easiest model on our list for rapid clean up.

The SuperHandy Heavy Duty Wood Chipper is similar to most models on our list, but it comes with a large capacity bag that makes cleanup a breeze. This 3-in-1 model has a maximum diameter capacity of 3” and is powered by a 7HP gas engine.

Reduction ratio is 15:1, allowing for large volumes of chips to enter into the discharge bag.

How to Choose the Best Wood Chipper for Your Yard

When trying to find wood chippers for your chipping needs, it’s important to look at several key components. The most common considerations that you’ll need to make are:

Electric vs Gas

Gas was, for a long time, the most powerful chipper. Today, companies like Patriot, have units that are more powerful than most gas counterparts. The main choice you’ll need to make is:

• Do you need transportability? If so, gas is your best option.
• Do you need less power and longer runtime? Electric is the best option.

Electric models sacrifice some power for the quiet, cleaner sound and less maintenance. Gas will be able to handle larger branches, is typically more powerful and isn’t tied to an electrical outlet.

Branch Size & Feeder Chute

Chippers come in various types to accommodate larger branch sizes. If you have larger limbs to chip, you’ll do better with a drum chipper, while a disk chipper is ideal for smaller branches. Screw chippers offer uniform chips and can have their blades swapped to alter the size of the chips produced.

Reduction Ratio

The higher the reduction ratio, or mulching rate, the smaller the chips will be. For example, a 16:1 ratio can reduce sixteen bags of wood into one. If you’re dealing with larger chipping needs, look for models with higher reduction ratios.

Best Application for the Tool

What application do you need from your tool? If you need to chip large materials, you’ll want a drum chipper. These models use a lot of energy and can have varying chip sizes. If you’re dealing with small waste in your garden, a disk chipper may be the item you want.

Larger models are great for farm cleanup and large branches, although they are more difficult to transport without the proper equipment.

Find the best wood chipper for your application today and in the future.

FAQs

Can You Rent A Wood Chipper?

Yes. In most locations, you’ll find rental companies and some hardware stores that may rent out their chippers.

What Should I Do With The Wood Chips?

The chips that you collect can be used all around your yard as:

• Mulch
• Pathways
• Compost pile addition
• Build up for raised beds
• Livestock bedding

Wood chips have a lot of key functions that can make your yard more functional.

Do I Need to Sharpen the Blades?

Yes. The blades are often sharpened using a 100-grit sanding disc, but you’ll want to refer to your owner’s manual for directions. Sharpening is one of the key forms of maintenance to keep your unit running smoothly.

What Accessories Do I Need?

Even the best wood chipper can benefit from a few accessories that keep you safer and also makes using chippers more intuitive. A few of the accessories that you’ll need are:

Tow Bar Kit

A universal tow bar kit helps make transporting your wood chipper easier. Attach the kit to your ATV, tractor, or lawnmower to easily transport your chipper to the ideal location in your yard.

Collection Bags

Collecting the wood chips is a hassle, but with the discharge bag, all of the wood chips will be neatly placed inside of collection bags. The bag is 24” x 48” and is universal, allowing it to be attached to most chipper models.

Protective Gear

Any time that you plan on using a wood chipper, you’ll want to have some protective gear:

• Googles
• Gloves
• Thick clothing

Protective gear will reduce your risk of injury.

Conclusion

Wood chippers come in various sizes, prices, and reduction ratios. While gas powered models are ideal for larger mulching requirements, electric models are greater for smaller yards or gardens where electrical outlets are plentiful.

The five wood chippers we’ve reviewed above will help you quickly turn branches, limbs, and debris into wood chips that you can use for mulch, walkways, or compost.