Electric wood chippers reduce branches and leaves into mulch without the extra noise and fumes of gas-powered machines.
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The Best Electric Wood Chippers for Every Type of Project
Updated on Mar. 18, 2025
An electric wood chipper—also called shredders or mulchers—efficiently transforms bulky and cumbersome sticks, brush and leaves into a manageable pile of shredded chips. These chips can be easily disposed of or reused as landscaping mulch.
Matt Kerr, machine learning engineer and founder of Applianced Geeked, says, “Electric chipper shredders are more environmentally friendly and require less maintenance than gas-powered ones. Gas shredders, on the other hand, require additional care, such as blade sharpening, oil draining and checking for corroded spark plugs and clogged air filters.”
Electric wood chippers, although less powerful than gas-powered chippers, are much more affordable and require less maintenance. They’re also light and easy to maneuver. Best of all, because they lack the combustion engine and harmful fumes of gas models, they can be safely used inside your garage.
Ward Dilmore, founder and head landscape designer at Petrus Luxury Estate Landscaping Company, says that electric wood chippers are ideal for light yard work. “They are far quieter than gas chippers,” he notes. “They also have no emissions, which is best for the environment.”
“Electric chipper shredders are appropriate for domestic use on a modest scale, such as shredding leaves and twigs for compost piles,” Kerr says. And while most electric wood chippers look similar, some may be better suited to your specific needs. Below are three of the best electric wood chippers on the market right now.
BEST FOR SAFETY
Wen 41121 Steel Electric Wood Chipper
Pros:
- Internal safety mechanisms automatically prevents startups when hopper is open
- Affordable
- Compact and lightweight for easy storage and transportation
- Unclogging is simple and easy
Cons:
- Blades need to be kept sharp for optimum performance
If safety is your top priority, consider the Wen 41121 Wood Chipper your perfect fit. It incorporates an internal locking mechanism that prevents the unit from turning on when the hopper is open, significantly reducing the risk of injury.
Additionally, the narrow hopper entrance ensures that only small items can fit through, further enhancing safety measures. While you work, a metal support bar provides a sturdy foundation. With its 1.5-inch cutting diameter, it can easily handle a wide range of sticks, twigs and branches.
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BEST FOR BEGINNERS
Earthwise GS70015 Corded Electric Wood Chipper
Pros:
- Easy to use and clean
- Simple assembly
- Churns out fine mulch
- Safety shutoff with quick re-set button
- Durable rear wheels and a slim lightweight design
Cons:
- Designed for dry materials only
The Earthwise GS70015 Wood Chipper is an excellent choice for beginners due to its user-friendly features, such as the extra-wide, top-mounted chute and hard-sided collection bin. The 10.5-gallon bin can hold a substantial amount of material, and it’s more convenient to empty into a yard waste bag or dumpster compared to a soft-sided bag.
With the ability to handle branches up to 1.75 inches thick, this electric wood chipper incorporates a tamper tool that assists you in safely inserting leaves and soft material without risking your fingers.
BEST FOR HEAVIER JOBS
Detail K2 Electric Start Kohler Gas Wood Chipper
Pros:
- Extra-large reinforced feed hopper with dual equipment moving handles
- Tool-free swing chutes open for easy drum access
- Removable tow bar
- Built in steel toolbox
- Chute pipe rotates 180 degrees
- Includes safety glasses, ear protection, work gloves and assembly tools
Cons:
- Expensive
- Requires gas
If you require a wood chipper capable of handling tougher jobs, opting for a gas-powered model is likely necessary. While a heavy-duty chipper will be significantly more expensive than a lightweight electric model, it’s performance makes it worth the extra dough. Lowe’s Detail K2 Kohler model has an electric start, but requires gas for operation.
However, it boasts dual 13-inch cutting blades that have the ability to pulverize yard debris up to 6.25 inches in diameter. This diameter is more than three times larger than the other options mentioned above. For added convenience, this pick features a removable tow bar, enabling you to hitch it to the back of your riding lawn mower and effortlessly transport it wherever you need to chip and shred.
What to Consider When Buying an Electric Wood Chipper
Take the time to carefully consider these factors when choosing your wood chipper:
- Weight: You’ll most likely wheel your chipper out to the yard or driveway, so pay attention to how much it weighs. If you have joint or strength issues, go with a lighter option that will be less work to pull and push into place. Keep in mind you’ll likely sacrifice power.
- Chipping capacity: Some electric wood chippers handle larger diameter sticks than others, so choose the correct capacity for your yard waste. Electric wood chippers sometimes jam or clog, so it’s better to err on the side of higher capacity. “If you’re hoping to chip large branches for an extended amount of time, gas chippers may be better,” Dilmore says.
- Bag capacity: Some chippers come with a collection bag or container that fills with chips as you work. Think about how much debris you’ll be processing and choose a bag size that suits your needs. Hard-sided containers can be easier to pour and dump into a yard waste bag than soft-sided bags.
- Cost:Â Although some higher-end options can be expensive, electric wood chippers are relatively affordable, most ranging from $100 to $250. In our experience, the higher the price, the larger diameter branches it can handle.
- Features:Â Dilmore says that some handy features like collection bags for debris or dual capability that can also leaf chip, for example, are great bonuses to look out for. He notes that the latter is an easy way to make your own mulch, too.
How We Found the Best Electric Wood Chippers
As shopping experts, our only job is to help you find a winning product. We start with the research and reporting basics—what products are made of, what they look like and how much they cost—to ensure that we’re only recommending the buys that are worth your time and money. Then, we research the features that speak to the product’s quality, taking advice from industry insiders and subject matter experts on what makes a product a smart value (or worthy of a splurge). Finally, we do the work of combing through user reviews to see how real people interact with the product, and if it stands up to the test.
Why Trust Us
Landscaping and yard work is always on our minds at Family Handyman. We’re constantly researching the newest and best ways to care for your home, ranging from DIY tips for homeowners to the best air quality monitors. It’s why we put together this list of the best wood chippers — many landscaping appliances can cost a pretty penny, so it’s important to make the most educated buying decision possible.
To learn everything we could, we spoke to experts Matt Kerr, machine learning engineer and founder of Appliance Geeked, and Ward Dilmore, founder and head landscape designer at Petrus Luxury Estate Landscaping Company.
FAQs
How loud is an electric wood chipper?
Electric wood chippers are generally less noisy than gas-powered versions. However, they are still considered loud (about 85 decibels) enough that you should wear hearing protection while operating one.
How is an electric wood chipper used?
Electric wood chippers efficiently transform bulky sticks, brush and leaves into shredded chips for mulch, composting and easy disposal. Maintaining electric wood chippers requires less effort compared to gas-powered shredders, and their lightweight design makes them easier to maneuver. Additionally, electric models do not emit harmful fumes since they lack a gas engine.
Can you put bamboo in an electric wood chipper?
We don’t recommend putting bamboo in a wood chipper. Even if your equipment has a motor strong enough to shred bamboo, thick and dry woody canes can be extremely brittle and split into sharp, dangerous slivers.
What is the difference between a chipper and a chipper shredder?
There are chippers and there are shredders, but there are also combination chipper shredders. Chippers turn wood, like tree branches, into wood chips, while a shredder turns other debris, like leaves, into compost. A chipper shredder does both.
What type of wood chipper is best?
It depends on what you’re planning on using your wood chipper for, and you should also consider factors like price, material and versatility. Generally, though, we found that electric wood chippers are best for light to moderate yard work (think shrubs or small trees). They also tend to require minimal maintenance and boast quieter engines. Meanwhile, gas wood chippers can conquer large branches and other debris thanks to its louder, more powerful motor.
