Looking out the window at your perfectly pruned garden is one of life’s most satisfying luxuries, especially when the sun is shining and you can go outside and enjoy it. However, a pristine garden doesn’t come without a great deal of time and effort.
One way to make the hard work a whole lot easier is to invest in high-quality groundcare machinery that will help take a load off. The perfect example of this kind of must-have machine is a garden shredder.
In this article, we’ll take you through the benefits of using a garden shredder before helping you figure out which one will best suit your needs.
What is a garden shredder?
A garden shredder is a nifty machine designed to slice, chop, and chip garden debris like leaves, branches, and other foliage into smaller pieces. These smaller pieces can then be more easily disposed of, turned into mulch that can be laid on beds and borders to stop weeds coming through, or for added insulation against frost.
The benefits of using a garden shredder include:
- Convenience: it’s far easier than breaking everything down with your bare hands, and makes waste disposal much simpler.
- Speed: you can clear your garden of debris far faster with the help of a shredder or chipper.
- A healthier garden: making sure all debris is cleared thoroughly and quickly will protect live vegetation. As we mentioned above, shredded waste can also be used to fend off weeds and harsh weather.
The difference between a garden shredder and a wood chipper
It is easy to get confused between a garden shredder and a wood chipper, but it’s important to know the difference when figuring out the right tool for you.
While they both perform the same function of reducing the volume of garden waste for disposal or reuse, each type of machine has its own specific purpose. This mainly comes down to the type of foliage being shredded, and how much of it there is.
Wood chippers
As the name suggests, a wood chipper is specifically designed for use with wood and not other organic materials like leaves or hedge trimmings, for example. Wood chippers are usually more powerful and robust in order to handle large, heavy chunks of wood like logs and tree trunks without breaking or getting blocked.
A wood chipper is often larger than a garden shredder, and can therefore hold more material. They’ll also frequently have a chute where the chipped materials are discharged from.
Garden shredders
Garden shredders are smaller, lighter machines designed for use with less dense vegetation such as leaves, branches, and foliage. This means that garden shredders are more versatile than wood chippers because they can be used to break down a wider variety of organic materials.
As they are smaller than wood chippers, garden shredders usually have a smaller capacity – but this means they are also much easier to manoeuvre and store. Garden shredders will often have a built-in box or bag to collect waste as it is broken down and expelled from the machine, and are generally more suited to those looking for a machine they can use day-to-day in a regular domestic garden.
Want to learn more? Explore The Essential Garden Shredder Buying Guide.
Which garden shredder should I buy?
Typically, which garden shredder you should buy comes down to your personal requirements. Our collection of garden shredders and chippers here at Hughie Willett Machinery features a range of different machines, each with their own features – so it’s all about working out the right one for you.
Below are some key factors to consider when shopping around as these will help you figure out which garden shredder ticks your most important boxes.
Material
The type of material you’re planning to shred or chip will dictate the type of tool you need.
- Wood only: if you’re looking to break down large chunks of heavy wood like logs or trunks, you’re going to need a wood chipper instead of a garden shredder. These are more powerful, with a wider diameter, and are specifically designed to chip wood quickly and safely.
- Wood and lightweight garden waste: if you’re looking to chip large chunks of wood but also want to shred lighter branches and foliage, you should consider a hybrid model that does both – like the Stihl GH460 Chipper/Shredder.
- Lightweight garden waste only: if you only plan on breaking down lightweight foliage like leaves, branches, and hedge trimmings, a garden shredder is a more budget-friendly and easy-to-use option over a chipper.
Size
Where garden shredders are concerned, size really does matter – and in more ways than one.
For starters, you need to think about who is going to be using the machine. If it’s somebody able-bodied and strong, you don’t need to stray away from taller, heavier models. However, if any of the users have any kind of physical limitation, it’s worth looking at the dimensions of each model. The Stihl GHE150 is only 114cm high, for example, while the Stihl GHE250 is taller (and therefore slightly heavier) at 143cm.
Storage space
Due to the nature of the tool, garden shredders are not the smallest machines – so they require a reasonable amount of storage space. This is especially true for domestic users, who may have limited space within a shed or garage.
Fortunately, there are many different sizes of garden shredder. If you’re working with limited storage capacity, opt for a smaller model by consulting the product dimensions before you make a purchase.
Top tip: storing your garden shredder carefully ensures it has ample protection from damage – and the elements. This can save you money in the long run.
Budget
How much you’re looking to spend will also influence which type of garden shredder is best for you. Of course, models with more features are going to cost more. But it’s really down to you to work out what you want out of your garden shredder versus how much you’re hoping to pay.
The good news is that you don’t need to spend a fortune to get a great product that does a brilliant job. Here at Hughie Willett Machinery, we have a wide range of garden shredders to suit any budget – meaning you can find the best garden shredder for your needs.
What is the best garden shredder to buy for beginners?
Whether you’re a professional landscaper or a complete landscaping novice just looking to keep your garden clean and tidy, any garden shredder should be simple to use.
However, you should always be on the lookout for features that are there to make your life easier – like push-button control panels, electromechanical safety locking, and advanced cutting technologies. You’ll find all of these features (and more) in our collection as we believe you should enjoy using your new machine, no matter how green your thumbs are.
That said, if you are a total beginner and looking to purchase your first garden shredder, consider going for:
- Something that isn’t the most expensive on the market: you don’t need to break the bank to benefit from a high-quality tool that you can rely on for many years to come. If it’s something you end up using regularly or you feel you want a more sophisticated range of features, you can always invest further down the line.
- A machine with great safety features: when perusing the features on offer, we recommend prioritising safety features as a beginner. This will ensure you stay well-protected when using your new garden shredder while you get the hang of it and explore how to use it.
- An electric garden shredder: electric garden shredders are lighter and easier to use than petrol garden shredders, which makes them a great choice for beginners. Electric models are also typically quieter and require less maintenance than their petrol counterparts.
Searching for the best garden shredder?
At Hughie Willett Machinery, we have a superb range of garden shredders and wood chippers for you to explore, from some of the best, industry-leading brands such as Stihl and GTM.
Check out the range today, or contact us for more information and advice to help you pick the best garden shredder for your needs.
Shop garden shredders and chippers at Hughie Willett Machinery today
For more groundcare machinery and equipment buying guides, advice, and information, explore the Hughie Willett Machinery blog…
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