Wood Chipper vs. Chipper Shredder - What's the Difference?

If you have been shopping around for a new wood chipper, you have undoubtedly came across wood chippers and chipper shredders. They are very similar in appearance and purpose, and could easily be confused if not careful. The style that you choose will be dependent on the type of work you are planning on getting accomplished. In this article I will highlight the major differences between the two and the specific functions of each.

 Wood Chipper (No Shredder)

A wood chipper is a style of outdoor power equipment that is used to reduce wood, usually in the form of stumps, branches, and sticks into smaller manageable wood chips. They have a large hopper where the wood is fed into, a long chute that looks like a giraffes neck that ejects the chips, and are typically powered by a gas engine.

Internally the chipper typically consists of a large fly wheel with a blade or blades attached to one side (top image on the left). It spins at a high rate of speed and cuts the wood into smaller pieces. Those pieces are then ejected from the machine through the chute.

Wood chippers come in many different sizes that can handle larger or smaller diameter branches. They are typically used by industrial and municipal workers that need to reduce a large amount of debris into manageable chips for transport, storage, or disposal. Stand alone wood chippers will not shred the debris into mulch or compost.

Chipper Shredder

A chipper shredder looks similar to a stand alone wood chipper only smaller with a few cosmetic differences. One of the first things you will notice is that a chipper shredder has two hoppers instead of one and does not have the long ejection chute the wood chipper has.

The insides of a chipper shredder are not much different than that of the stand alone wood chipper. There is still a fly wheel with blades attached for chipping purposes. However, on the opposite side there are sets of dull blades or hammers called flails that are used to pulverize soft material such as leaves, twigs, and other organic debris (top image on the right). The wood chips or mulch is then ejected either out of the bottom or side of the machine.

Chipper shredders are typically smaller and used more often by homeowners. They can be rolled around on the property and easily stored when not in use. The shredding capability allows the user to transform yard debris into valuable mulch that can be used in garden beds or compost piles.

Which is right for you?

The style you're going to want to go with depends on the work that needs to be done. If gardening and composting aren't your thing, and you constantly have a lot of large branches that need to be cleaned up then you will want to go with a wood chipper. If you have less property and could use the mulch for gardening, then you are going to want to go with the chipper shredder.

For more information on wood chippers, chipper shredders, and stump grinders, or to shop around for the right product, please visit ChippersDirect.com.

Leaf Mulch Advantage

A lot of people see leaves as a nuisance, but when the trees on your lawn shed their leaves this autumn, you may want to think twice before dragging them in bags to the curb.

Leaves are of course organic, and therefor they hold nutrients. Even after they die and fall to the ground, they're still nutrient-rich. However, you don't want to just leave them blanketing your lawn because they'll prevent sun, rain, and oxygen from getting to your lawn's roots.

Instead, break them down into smaller bits and you'll have an incredible fertilizer and mulch. Once the leaves are shredded, they can be added to a compost pile, spread over the soil in your flower bed or garden, or even sprinkled into your lawn.

Chipper shredders are a great way to accomplish this. They're available as electric chipper shredders or gas chipper shredders, though the electric shredder type is all you need unless you're looking to chip branches and limbs as well.

If you're mostly interested in using shredded leaves to fertilize your lawn, you can use mulching kits for lawn tractors, and serve multiple purposes at once. A mulching kit will allow you to mow your lawn while mulching any leaves and evenly spreading them into the grass. 

As the shredded leaves break down, they add nutrients to the soil, acting as an organic fertilizer for anything from grass to flowers or vegetable gardens. No need to spend money on inorganic fertilizers at the store when you can recycle what you're already getting for free year-after-year.

5 Amazing Uses for Wood Chips

A wood chipper is a great way to break down timber and branches, but what do you do with the chips when you're done?

While some people throw the chips away, there are a few good uses for them that could save you money or even make you money.

Use or Sell as Mulch
Aside from selling large bags as mulch, you could use the chips as mulch on your own property instead of buying bags at the store. Depending on which you choose, you'll either make money or save money.

Show Some Generosity
If you've just finished running limbs through your chipper shredder and you simply want to get rid of the chips, try giving them away to friends, neighbors, family, or community service groups for use in flower beds and walkways.

Fuel for Wood Burning Furnaces
Wood chips can also be used in certain types of furnaces as fuel for heating your home in the winter. If people in your area use wood burning furnaces, you can donate or sell the chips to them.

Spice Up a BBQ Party
Using them in fire pits as kindling is an option, but soaking them in water and tossing them in the BBQ grill adds a great smoky flavor to ribs, sausage, chicken, and fish.

The Smell of Cedar
If they're cedar, you have even more possibilities. Cedar chips are often used for stuffing dog beds, lining guinea pig, hamster, and rabbit cages, and seasoning fireplaces to give off a nice aroma.

So next time you're putting away your chipper, don't just throw those chips away. They have so many other uses. If you can think of any other creative uses for wood chips, share in the comments below!

Chippin' Twigs and Shreddin' Leaves

With an electric chipper shredder, you are able to chip smaller branches and shred debris like leaves and twigs at the same time.

Any homeowner with a decent sized lot and a few trees can use a chipper shredder to keep their property clean.

Electric chipper shredders are lighter weight, gasless, economical, and offer a typical home owner the option of recycling their yard waste without dropping serious money on a large gas model.

Some people use electric chipper shredders for the garden. Shredding old garden matter like vegetables, leaves, roots, sticks, and other organic waste, you can create your own compost pile.