I just moved into a house with a huge overgrown garden that needs some serious work. Renting a chipper is about £85 for the day, so I'm considering buying a cheaper one instead. I've seen chippers in the £100 to £150 range that claim they can handle branches up to 40mm thick. Do these budget chippers actually perform well, or do they tend to break easily?
5 Answers
You shouldn't expect too much from cheaper models, but they can do the job if you have realistic expectations. I have a Titan chipper, and while it gets the job done, it is a bit slow and jams up frequently. It's okay for the price, though!
I got a budget shredder for under £100 a couple of years ago, and it works great! It can handle branches up to 45mm, but you have to feed in larger ones a bit slower. I mainly use it for my Hydrangea and Buddleia, and it's never let me down with tougher branches from my old Hawthorn and apple trees either. Definitely worth a try!
My cheap shredder is great for branches, but it doesn't handle leaves well at all. I usually trim the leaves off and send them to compost instead. Just a little tip if you also deal with a lot of leaves!
If you're thinking about faster disposal, burning might actually be quicker than chipping. I've found that using a decent incinerator makes getting rid of garden waste a lot easier, plus it's kind of fun! Just a thought since you want to clear out the garden relatively quick.
I've had my cheap shredder for over 5 years and paid less than 100 for it. I don't use it every weekend, but when I do, I run it for several hours without any issues. Plus, it produces some really nice mulch!
That's good to know! I guess I'll have to manage my expectations.