Leading Wood Chippers Buying Guide
Things To Consider When Choosing a Wood Chipper
Many wood chippers are on the market, and knowing which one to buy might seem like a daunting task. However, if you consider the following factors and features before you buy, we are sure you will find your perfect wood chipper in no time.
Read what we suggest considering below.
Type of wood chipper
Electric wood chippers are usually lightweight and compact. They are easy to move and store. They are powered by an extension cord that needs to be plugged into a household outlet.
Pros
- Electric wood chippers do not release fumes so that you can turn wood into mulch in your garage.
- They require less maintenance than other types of wood chippers – no spark plug replacements or oil changes.
- Less expensive than other types of wood chippers.
Cons
- Electric chippers can only mulch branches that are small in diameter.
Gas-powered wood chippers come in 3 different styles, including gas chippers only, gas chipper shredders, and gas chipper shredder vacuums. Gas chippers are capable of chipping larger branches than an electric wood chipper. They can chip branches up to 7 inches in diameter.
Gas chipper shredders allow you to chip large branches and smaller branches and leaves.
Gas chipper shredder vacuums allow you to suck up debris from the ground to be shredded. This saves you an extra job of placing all of the odd bits and pieces into the chipper. It is the combination of a rake, mulcher, and vacuum in one.
Pros
- More powerful than an electric wood chipper.
- Faster wood chipping time.
- It does not require a plug and can be used anywhere outdoors.
Cons
- Louder than an electric wood chipper.
- Creates fumes.
- More expensive than an eclectic wood chipper.
Commercial-grade wood chippers are made with the intent to use on farms and other professional applications. These wood chippers are powered by vehicles.
Pros
- Extremely powerful.
- Can chip branches up to 10 inches in diameter.
- Many commercial wood chippers pull the wood into the hopper for you, saving you time and energy.
Cons
- Commercial wood chippers are expensive.
- They are noisy and large.
- They will be overkill for most people’s yards.
Consider the Type of Wood Chips You Want and How Fibrous the Materials You Will Be Cutting Are
Every wood chipper is either electric, gas, or commercial model. Each one of these types of wood chipper is also either a drum chipper, disk chipper, or screw chipper.
Drum chippers handle more fibrous materials and larger loads. As a result, they create varying chip sizes and use a lot of energy.
Disc chippers work fast and are energy efficient. They also create uniform chips. This is best for smaller branches but does not handle fibrous materials well. If you are chipping small branches, you will need to remove many of the leaves first.
Screw chippers create uniform chips and offer a good balance between a disc chipper and a drum chipper in terms of speed.
Diameter of wood you need to chip
Choose the type of wood chipper you want based on the diameter of the wood you will be chipping. Electric wood chippers chip branches up to 13/8 inches in diameter. Gas chippers chip branches of up to 7 inches in diameter. Commercial wood chippers will chip branches of up to 10 inches in diameter.
Power source
If you want to chip wood that is small enough to fit into an electric chipper, but you don’t have a power outlet where it is needed, you will need to use a gas-powered wood chipper regardless.
Safety features
Opt for a machine with plenty of safety features. You might want to look out for some safety features: feed control bars, panic bars, bottom feed stop bars, and emergency pull ropes. These features are designed to reverse or top the feed mechanism if someone becomes caught.
Wood Chipper Price Range
Wood chippers can cost from $100 and up to $2500. An alternative is to rent a wood chipper, but you can spend more renting one than it would cost to buy one in many cases.
How We Choose These Quality Wood Chippers
To choose a premier wood chipper, we tested the machines with various materials that fell into the suitable specs in the user manuals. We judged speed, efficiency, and how often we needed to unclog the device. We compared the price of the product with countless customer reviews. We will not recommend a product we would not buy ourselves.
For tips on the best ways to use a wood chipper, check the video from Fraser Valley Rose Farm.
