How to Find the Best Garden Shredder in NZ

If you spend a lot of time dealing with sticks, leaves, twigs, and branches, then a Trade Tested garden shredder, also known as a garden chipper, is an essential tool for your backyard.

What can garden chippers handle?

Garden chippers eliminate the need for hacking, stacking, burning and breaking. Simply feed your garden material into the chute, then watch huge piles of branches and leaves quickly turn into small mounds of useful mulch with ease. These high-performing machines can turn twelve bags of garden waste into a single bag of chips!

They aren't just adept at dealing with garden waste, either. Essentially, two machines in one, the wood chipper component produces uniformly sized wood chips, while the leaf shredder creates nutrient-rich green mulch. Contrary to popular belief, both mulch and chips make excellent additions to your compost, increasing the fertility of your soil.

If you regularly use a garden waste collection service, you'll save money in the long run by getting your own garden chipper. You can keep your property tidy, save space in landfills, and use the mulch to make your garden thrive.

Sizes and types of garden chippers available

The first step in choosing the right chipper is to identify the scope of your job and the size of your garden area. We offer quality electric garden chippers compatible with general light-duty yard work. These machines are low-maintenance, quiet, and best suited for small properties and light gardening tasks.

It’s important to note that petrol and diesel garden chippers are far more powerful than electric models and are designed for tougher garden waste that you’ll inevitably encounter.

If you’re leaning towards a fuel-powered mulcher for small jobs, a petrol model under 10HP is a good choice. They're easy to handle and relatively light. If your main focus is on shredding leaves and chipping branches less than 3” thick, these models will respond nicely.

Larger tasks require bigger garden chippers. If you need to chip branches that are thicker than 3” in diameter, or if you need to deal with tougher material like flax, palm fronds, and heavily pruned fruit tree branches, consider a petrol chipper over 10HP, or a diesel model. Big garden chippers typically come with a handy ATV/trailer towing hitch, perfect for moving the machine around larger properties.

At Trade Tested, all our chippers feature an oversized funnel, making them ultra-efficient leaf shredders.

Features to look out for

1. 1. Reliable Motor: To extend engine life and ensure smooth operation, ensure the garden chipper you choose features dual ball bearings, oil level centres, and an OHV design.
2. 2. Self-feeding: Garden chippers are easier to use when you don't have to push your wood and leaves into the chute.
3. 3. Easy starting: An electric ignition makes starting your chipper seamless.
4. 4. Multiple chipping blades: The more blades, the more effective the chipping action. All Trade Tested garden chippers feature either a single, double-edged blade or multiple single-edge blades.
5. 5. Accessories: A safety kit, including goggles, earmuffs, and gloves, should come standard with all garden chippers. Two hitches are also very useful for larger chippers.

Tips to stay safe while you work

There are a few simple tips you can follow to avoid any chipping mishaps:

Always check the chutes to ensure nothing has fallen between chips.

Avoid wearing baggy clothing that could get caught while shredding.

Wear goggles and earmuffs to protect your ears and eyes.

While chipping, keep your body, and especially your head, clear of openings in case the chipper kicks back some debris.

Other factors to consider before you buy

Unsure about how much use you’ll get out of your garden shredder? Keep in mind that they are designed to work well throughout the year. They’re highly effective in dealing with falling leaves in autumn, storm debris in winter, weeding in summer, and pruning in spring.

If your garden contains deciduous trees that drop more leaves and create excessive garden material, buying a bigger shredder is recommended.

While wood chips can make a fantastic addition to your compost, there's an art to getting the best out of them. Instead of putting them straight into your compost, you should leave them to decompose until they've turned dark brown. That way, they won't soak up precious nitrogen. Wood chips are one of the best additions to compost to improve your soil's texture. Your compost will respond well to added wood chips, improving the texture and quality of your soil.

Trust Trade Tested for quality products and expert guidance

Powerful and efficient, chippers transform the way you garden, bringing ease to even the toughest tasks.

At Trade Tested, we’re committed to providing Kiwis with the best products to make life easier. For more guidance on selecting the perfect garden shredder for your needs, contact us today, we’d love to help.

Alternatively, browse some more outdoor power equipment, including lawnmowers and hedge trimmers.

See what our customers think

“Wish I had purchased this machine ages ago, it would certainly have saved us a lot in skip fees to get rid of garden waste.”

“Great chipper - powerful, chomps through solid wood and easy to operate.”

“So pleased that I purchased this shredder, it has done exactly what I expected and loving it. It was well-priced and easy to assemble.”

Frequently asked questions

What is the best garden shredder to buy?

Both electric and fuel-powered garden shredders have their strengths and respond differently to varying jobs, so the best type largely depends on the size of your yard and your intended use.

If you’re dealing with soft waste, hedges or twigs in a small residential or urban backyard, an electric model will get the job done well, just keep in mind that it requires a nearby power source. For larger rural or lifestyle properties, gas up and go with a petrol model built for tackling thick branches and dense garden material with ease.

Hyundai shredders are a popular and highly rated choice among home gardeners, as the brand is known for its reliable performance, user-friendly designs, and great value.

What is the difference between a garden shredder, wood chipper and mulcher?

Garden shredders are designed to break down soft materials like grass clippings and leaves, while wood chippers handle bulkier, coarser waste, such as thick branches. Mulchers primarily break down soft material, but are also equipped to handle twigs. While all these tools are often used interchangeably, there are some slight differences in their applications and abilities.

At Trade Tested, we stock chipper shredders that combine the functions of a wood chipper and a leaf shredder, making them versatile gardening tools. They are designed to process large branches and debris into wood chips or mulch. Therefore, our chipper shredders are also a high-performing type of mulcher that can deal with large, dense volumes that standard models can’t.

What not to put in a garden shredder?

Avoid attempting to shred the following items:

Flax, vines and other stringy plants

Rocks or metals

Fruit, vegetable and any other food waste

Wet materials

Treated or painted wood

Can you put logs in a garden shredder?

It depends on the model. Shredder chippers are designed to handle various materials, so it's essential to check the maximum cutting diameter before feeding logs into the machine.

At Trade Tested, our Hyundai models can handle branches and woody debris ranging from 40mm to 100mm in diameter, depending on the machine.