Written by Terry Smith

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Best Wood Chipper Reviewed UK

This article was last updated on October 13th, 2021 at 1:50 am

We all have to cut back our trees from time to time, and as long as you’re armed with a good chainsaw or similar, it isn’t the hardest job in the world. The problem is, what to do with all the waste branches that you’ve cut off?

Well, you have a few choices. You can pay for a skip and dump them all in there, you can throw all the branches into the back of a truck and take them to the local tip, you can have a bonfire and burn them, or you can chop them up into smaller, more manageable pieces, either by using an axe, or the easier method of using one of the best wood chippers. Out of all the options above, I’d opt for the wood chipper every time. It’s quick, convenient, and fairly easy going labour-wise. 

Below you will find reviews of the best wood chippers currently available in the UK. Covid-19 restrictions have limited availability of a number of products, but the ones featured here can still be delivered to your door, should you so wish. Don’t forget to check out our buyers guide at the bottom of the page if you’re new to these products.

Best wood chipper reviews  

Here are the top 5 wood chippers that you can get your hands on at the time of writing this article. While other gardening websites have mixed chippers and shredders together in their reviews, we see them as different machines for different purposes, and so, we have a completely separate page for shredders that you can take a look at if you wish.

Table of Contents


However, we do have products here that can act as both shredders and chippers, like our first review…

Comparison table: Best Wood Chipper Reviewed UK

ProductWhat We ThinkPrice

Bosch Shredder AXT 25 TC

  • The AXT 25 TC quiet shredder – the first universal shredder for both soft and hard materials...
  • High torque high-performance 2500 W motor
  • Patented block release system allows blockages to be loosened easily without the need to remove the hopper...
  • Effortlessly shreds woody materials up to a maximum diameter of 45 mm thanks to extremely high torque of 650...
  • Items included: AXT 25 TC

T-Mech 15HP Petrol Wood Chipper

  • T-Mech 15HP wood chipper
  • Powerful 4 stroke, 420cc engine with an incredible 2400 – 3600rpm blade speed
  • FREE personal protection equipment (PPE)
  • FREE assembly and maintenance tool kit
  • FREE next working day delivery to mainland UK when ordered before 2pm (excluding Scottish Highlands)...

Forest Master 6hp Compact Petrol Wood Chipper Direct Drive 208cc 4 Stroke

  • 6hp 208cc 4 Stroke LCT Maxx Series Engine
  • Twin Reversible Blades
  • Max Wood Diameter 50mm / 2 inches
  • Direct Drive no belts to adjust
  • Hinged feed hopper and discharge chute

Titan Pro Garden Chipper Shredder | 15HP Electric Start Mulcher | Petrol Chipper

  • Key-start, with an integral 12 sealed cell battery
  • Large top hopper for leaves
  • Side chute for thicker branches up to 75mm
  • Powerful 15HP engine
  • Includes tow bar for towing behind mower/ATV

Specification: Power: 230V/50HZ/2500W, Torque: 460 Nm, Cutting speed: 40 rpm, Cutting capacity: 40 mm, Collection box: 55 L, Blade: 8 roller blades

I’ve never been a fan of Tacklife’s insistence on using the same orange and black colour scheme. However, I have been a fan of many of their products and have often been pleasantly surprised at how they can regularly produce well-performing, yet low cost, tools.
To be honest, I actually think the orange and black colour scheme goes well with this wood chipper of theirs, maybe I’m slowly coming around.

Tacklife’s electric wood shredder has a polypropylene outer shell rather than the metal used by many petrol powered wood shredders, and this has its pros and cons. For example, while polypropylene is extremely strong for plastic, it doesn’t have the robustness of a metal shelled machine. Having said that, metal does inevitably rust over time, whereas plastic does not.
Standing 87cm tall, this is a decent sized machine, but it’s 28kg weight is easy to pull around thanks to a large handle and two threaded plastic wheels. 

This three-in-one wood chipper, shredder, and mulcher is powered by a 2500W brushless electric motor that has a maximum cutting torque of 460N. When this is combined with the 8 roller blades, it makes dealing with branches up to 40mm in diameter a piece of cake, and this is why I think the Tacklife electric wood chipper is a great buy for occasional home use.

I do have to admit that although this machine does do well with larger branches, small and thin ones tend to pass through without being cut, so that’s something to keep in mind. This machine features a reverse function to help deal with blockages, and also an overload protection switch that will prevent the wood chipper overheating and burning out if blockages do occur.

Built into the main shell of the Tacklife wood chipper, is a 55 litre collection box, and it does what it’s supposed to without spreading wood chips and shavings all over your garden. The box slides out easily for emptying and has a large opening in the top.

Coming with a 2 year warranty, and priced at under 190 pounds, the this Tacklife product is a good alternative to the much more expensive petrol chippers out there, but only if you have branches under 40mm in diameter to get rid of, and you won’t be using it all day every day like for professional use. For most people though, it’s well worth consideration.

Specification: Power: 6HP/208cc/4 Stroke, Cutting speed: 3600 rpm, Cutting capacity: 50 mm, Blade: Twin reversible blades

For those of you with larger gardens to take care of, an electric wood chipper like the Tacklife we just reviewed may not be up to the task. This is especially true if you have a lot of large branches to get rid of, and you want to do it quickly.

The Forest Master compact wood chipper is one of the cheaper petrol models out there, but don’t let that mislead you into thinking this isn’t a quality product, because you would certainly be mistaken.

Its 6HP 208cc engine, twin reversible blades, and a chipper drum moving at 3600rpm, transform even long branches with a 50mm diameter into tiny chips in a matter of seconds.
The engine is a 4 stroke model, and so there is no messing around mixing fuel and oil together, there is less smoke, and also a bit less noise than your average 2 stroke engine. This machine is also direct drive, meaning you won’t have to adjust belts on a regular basis either, something I would be certainly thankful for.

The reversible blades cut down on the frequency that you need to sharpen them, as you can simply turn them around and use the other side once the first loses its edge. One minor problem I found while using the Forest master wood chipper, was that the eject chute can block u if it is aimed too low, but this is so easily rectified it’s hardly worth mentioning.

At 38kg, this wood chipper is on the lighter side for a petrol model, and it is fitted with two, good-sized, and robust, rubber wheels to get around on. The thing is, the makers neglected to fit a handle into the design so getting a decent grip on the machine to pull it over a muddy garden is harder than it should be.

Again though, this is a small gripe and shouldn’t detract from what is otherwise an excellent little wood chipper that is far more affordable than many of its rivals.

3. Titan Pro Garden Chipper Shredder | 15HP Electric Start Mulcher | Petrol Chipper

Specification: Power: 15HP/420cc/4 Stroke, Cutting speed: 3600 rpm, Cutting capacity: 75 mm, Blade: 1 Single-Sided Blade

Titan Pro’s garden chipper and shredder is a powerful machine that includes some practical features, but it does take a little getting used to in order to make it run at its most efficient. What I’m referring to is the feeder chutes, both the one on top for smaller branches, and the larger one on the side. Their design just makes it hard to feed in branches that haven’t been stripped down so that they are quite straight, so I had to use my cordless pruner to trim them down before putting them through the wood chipper.

Once I had gotten the hang of this though, the Titan Pro worked marvelously for the most part, as long as you keep an eye on the exit shoot so that it doesn’t get clogged.
With these two things in hand, the 15HP engine will shred and chip whatever you throw at it and make lightwork of branches up to 75mm.

The metal bodywork is very strong and durable, and the product does give you the impression that it is built to last, although the paint job could have been done a bit better. Probably the best feature of the Titan Pro 15HP garden chipper, is the addition of the high quality tow-bar that will allow you to attach the machine to your ATV, small tractor, or sit down lawn mower and will make it easier moving around larger areas.

Unlike the Forest master, which starts via a pull cord, this model has a key start, and this makes getting the machine going a much easier affair. This key start feature has its own integral battery for improved reliability.

With its fairly high price tag, this is not a machine for someone who will only use it to clear the odd branch a couple of times a year, but it is a good match for people with larger properties once you get used to its quirks.

Specification: Power: 230V/50HZ/2500W, Torque: 650 Nm, Cutting speed: 41 rpm, Cutting capacity: 45 mm, Collection box: 53 L, Blade: Turbine-Cut System

Although the Bosch AXT 25 TC is advertised as a shredder, it actually performs much better as a chipper, and so I included it in this list of products. Like the Tacklife wood chipper, this one is also powered by a 2500W electric motor producing cutting torque of 650Nm.

With a material throughput rate of 230kg per hour, it isn’t anywhere near as fast as a petrol wood chipper, but is still good enough to get through a load of conifer branches fast enough to please me.

Having a friend who owns this very model of wood chipper, I had some prior knowledge of how to get the most out of it. Despite being called a shredder, the Bosch, just like its Tacklife counterpart, doesn’t deal that well with a lot of green waste, especially if it’s wet or damp.

However, if you strip the leaves off and just feed the woody part of the branch through, this machine will take care of it, as long as it isn’t over 45mm in diameter, and preferably around 30-35mm.

What I really like about this Bosch product is its compact size. It’s shape makes storage much easier than the Tacklife chipper, yet it still manages to have an integrated 53 litre collection box. Top marks for design to Bosch for that.

The Bosch AXT 25 TC doesn’t get blocked often if you don’t try to feed through too much green waste or very large branches, and when it does, it is easy to deal with due to the block release system that is patented by Bosch. This system means that you can unblock the machine by pressing the yellow reverse button on the machine, without having to remove the hopper, making things much safer and a lot less hassle. Having said that, there will still be rare times when things do get blocked, and you will have to remove the hopper.

As an added safety feature, if the hopper or collection box are removed from the machine, the chipper will shut down instantly. With a large handle and two plastic wheels, the AXT 25 TC is mobile, but it does feel a little top heavy and unstable when you move it. While stationary it is fine though and there isn’t any worrying movement.

To sum up the Bosch AXT wood chipper, I’d say it works well with woody waste as long as you take the time to get used to what the machine likes and doesn’t like.  This can also be said about most wood chippers though, so there’s nothing new there.

The way it strips down easily for storage is clever, and the motor has some decent power, however, for the high price tag, you might want to consider a petrol chipper instead.

Specification: Power: 15HP/420cc/4 Stroke, Cutting speed: 3600 rpm, Cutting capacity: 102 mm, Blade: reversible blades

T-Mechs 15HP petrol wood chipper is fitted with a 4-stroke, 420cc engine that feeds enough power to the chipping blades to make them reach speeds of 3600rpm.  This cutting speed makes it possible for this machine to obliterate large branches in double quick time, and gives it the highest cutting capacity out of all our featured wood chippers. This powerful shredder, mulcher, and chipper can handle branches up to a very impressive 102mm in diameter, far more than some of its rivals from the same price range.

It features a hopper at the top of the machine for taking care of the smaller stuff, and also a side feeding funnel for the larger branches. Like most chippers though, it prefers woody material to wet leafy waste, and soft, curly branches don’t do that well going through this chipper. I also found that you really have to keep on top of clearing the exit chute out or it quickly becomes clogged and can lead to the machine jamming.

Included in the price are some tools for assembling the machine and they can also be used for general maintenance, but as with nearly all free tool kits, they aren’t the greatest and you’d be better off using your own. Likewise, the free PPE isn’t going to last very long, so you’re advised to go out and buy some decent goggles, ear protectors, and gloves before using this wood chipper.

The gloves you will definitely need, as once the machine gets a bite on the timber you’re feeding it, it will pull it in suddenly and with a fair bit of force.

Standing 88cm tall, this is quite a large unit, and it weighs a whopping 104 kilograms. Luckily, it has been fitted with proper pneumatic tyres, and they do make moving the chipper around much easier, and all that is needed is to tilt the machine backwards onto them using the good-sized metal handle.

There are some issues with quality control it seems, as the rubber guard on the feeder started to come away after a very short amount of time, and I had to retighten some screws after the first session too.

Still, if you don’t mind keeping an eye on a few things like that after each use, this powerful wood chipper can really help you clear a lot of branches in a short amount of time.

Best Wood Chipper Buyer’s Guide

Here is our handy buyer’s guide, designed to highlight the things you should be paying attention to when considering your very own wood chipper purchase. We recommend you take in this information before deciding on your next move to save you regrets later.

Electric or petrol?

While electric wood chippers have improved greatly in recent years when it comes to power and performance, they are really no match for petrol engine chippers. What they do bring to the table though, is that the best electric wood chippers run much quieter than their petrol counterparts, don’t emit fumes and smoke, don’t require a liquid fuel source or engine oil, and are usually much cheaper in price.

All of this makes a good choice for people with smaller gardens who have fewer, and smaller branches to get rid of.

For industrial work, or large properties with very thick branches, you have to go with a petrol wood chipper. Electric models just don’t have the cutting prowess and speed that these machines have.

Size

Unless you’ve got a dedicated work area that will allow you to leave the chipper set up at all times, you’re going to have to think about storage. Obviously, the bigger the machine, the harder it will be to find a space to keep it in. 

Electric models tend to be better for this kind of thing, with foldaway parts that allow you to break the machine down easily into a more compact shape. 

Petrol models are a bit more complicated mechanically, so you’ll need to get your tool box out if you want to dismantle the chipper to store it away, or you’ll just have to leave it set up.

Weight and wheels

These machines vary in weight a lot, with electric models being much lighter in general. Having said that, the forest master petrol wood chipper we reviewed above is on the lighter side for such a machine.

Now, it’s not just how much a machine weighs that can cause a problem, it’s how well that weight is distributed and balanced. Some chippers are top heavy and a little unstable when you’re trying to move them around.

The size and type of wheels is also an important factor if you’re going to be moving the chipper around your garden or job site. Pneumatic tyres are better than plastic ones, especially for heavier machines, but you do have to watch that you don’t get a puncture. With plastic wheels, you don’t have to worry about that, but a larger machine won’t move as well on them.

Price

For the most part, there is a huge difference in price between electric and petrol wood chippers, although the Bosch product we reviewed and the petrol-powered Forest Master aren’t that far apart. Having said that, the Bosch does have a lot more features than it’s petrol rival.

Most powerful petrol wood chippers will be priced over 800 pounds, with some going well over a thousand, and that’s a lot of money to spend if you’re not going to be using it all that frequently. 

On the other hand, an electric chipper like the Tacklife one costs less than 200 pounds, but it can’t handle the type of work that petrol models can and is only suited to light jobs at home.

Durability

Petrol wood chippers tend to be made of more durable parts, with full metal shells and larger nuts and bolts.  Electric chipper shells are more likely to be made from a strong plastic such as polypropylene, but will have metal parts too, such as the cutting blades.

In general, petrol engines are much easier to fix than electric motors, with the former usually having to be completely replaced if it breaks down, and if properly maintained with oil, and regular checks, petrol chippers can be workhorses that last for years.


Well, that buyer’s guide concludes this article on the best wood chippers available at the present time in the UK. As covid-19 restrictions lessen, and the general situation improves, we will update this article with other products as and when they become available to the UK buyer, so please check back at a later time to see what we’ve added.

For now, if you’re interested, you can browse this site that we have packed with articles, DIY projects, product reviews, and more. We are very proud of the hard work we put into this site, and we hope that you find it of value.

Until next time.


About Terry Smith

I’m Terry Smith from gardentoolbox.co.uk, a professional landscape designer, hobbyist gardener, and barbecue fanatic with 20 years experience building and restoring. So as you go through my site you'll watch me document some of the professional garden installs I make as well as the major projects I take on at home. While sharing those experiences and guiding you, I'll be recommending some great tools I use to enable this along the way so you can really buy in confidence. Always feel free to pop me a message: info@gardentoolbox.co.uk

View all posts by Terry Smith