Ranking of the best garden twig and grass shredders in 2019

Caring about the environmental friendliness of consumed products is not just a fashionable trend of the new generation, but also an urgent need: having your own garden or vegetable garden, it would be simply unreasonable to fertilize grown plants with products of the chemical industry, otherwise they will not differ much in usefulness from what you can buy on the counter of the supermarket.

More and more gardening enthusiasts prefer natural fertilizers, producing them literally from what is under their feet: ground branches, rotten crops and dried flowers are used. Of course, handling garbage in quantities sufficient to fertilize large tracts of land on your own is extremely tedious. To help amateur and professional gardeners, a special electrical device was developed - a garden waste shredder.

The most popular garden waste shredders in 2024 can be found in separate article.

How does a garden shredder work?

Everything ingenious is simple, this principle works everywhere and in everything, a direct proof of this is the wood shredder. The scheme of the device is surprisingly simple and resembles an industrial meat grinder, only instead of meat it grinds branches, leaves, grass and other garden litter, crushing all this to the state of sawdust or small pieces (depending on the power of the device). They put what needs to be recycled in a receiving funnel, and from there the garbage goes into a compartment with sharp knives that work thanks to an electric or gasoline engine.

Shredding system varieties

Asking the question of which one is better to buy a wood shredder for a summer residence, first of all, you need to be puzzled by the familiarization with the shredding system of the desired device: the knife and milling systems have their pros and cons, but each of the varieties finds its fans.

Criterias of choice	Knife system	Milling system
Advantages	Easily chops soft leaves, grass, thin branches	Easily grinds thick wood branches up to 5 cm in diameter
disadvantages	The knife may break from being hit by a branch that is too thick (manufacturers indicate the maximum allowable diameter of branches in the manual)	Soft garden waste can be chewed up in the grinder, resulting in a blockage and failure of the appliance for a while.
Work system	Powerful knife shredder cuts garden waste with a sharp knife system	Garden debris passes through a crusher with a gear that crushes it
What can grind	Leaves, needles, cherries, weeds, corn and sunflower trunks, plant stems and weeds	Dry and wet wood, tree branches, including fruit trees, vineyard and hazel branches, calibrated timber
Popularity of models	85% of users prefer the knife system	15% of users prefer the milling system

Key device characteristics

In addition to the varieties of the system for grinding litter, there are 2 more criteria that must be taken into account: engine power and its type.

Garden Shredder Motor Power

By the type of product power, all models are conventionally divided into 3 large classes:

1. Amateur - models with power up to 1.6 kW, powered by an electric motor. As a rule, they have a knife processing system and weigh up to 20 kg. The popularity of models in this category is due to the rather low prices and versatility of the device: it can easily grind both grass and branches, but the thickness of the latter should not be higher than 3 cm;
2. Medium power - an intermediate option, it can run both on gasoline and electricity. The power of the device does not exceed 2.5 kW. Milling knives will be an excellent help in the garden of not the first youth: there will be no trace of small twigs and leaves;
3. Professional - heavyweight systems up to 4 kW. The engine in such units can be both gasoline and electric, but in this case it will be three-phase. A professional shredder can handle branches up to 7 cm thick, processing which he produces first-class mulch. Convenient funnels draw in debris without additional effort on the part of the owner, and the milling cutter will not break in unexpected ways.

Garden Shredder Motor Types

There are 2 large groups of devices: electric and gasoline. A comparative table will help you choose the best option.

Parameters	Electrical engine	Gas engine
Lightness of the device	Very light	Heavy models
Noise level	Low	Medium to high
Ease of service	Do not require special care and investment	Careful maintenance required, fuel costs
Sustainability	Does not form harmful combustion products	Pollutes the air
Power	Small to medium	High
Maximum thickness of branches for processing	Up to 4 cm	Up to 7 cm
Mobility	An outlet is required for operation	Can be used anywhere

Best electric shredders

The rating of quality shredders among models with an electric motor is compiled on the basis of customer reviews, it includes only the best manufacturers and popular models, the performance and functionality of which are at their best.

1st place - Ryobi RSH2545B

Weight	Power	Max diameter of branches	Grinding system type	Performance	Collecting volume
13.4 kg	2500 Wt	45 mm	Knife	85 kg / h	40 l

A native of the land of the rising sun conquered the Russian audience: compactness, high performance, unusual design. The steel blade system handles branches up to 4.5 cm in diameter with ease. The compact size is surprisingly combined with power in this model. It is easy and convenient to use the device, it will not be difficult to find a spare set of blades after the expiration date of the old ones, which is often a snag when purchasing models of less well-known brands.

The average price is 15,000 rubles.

• Powerful and productive device;
• Famous Japanese brand;
• A light weight;
• Pusher and waste bin included;
• Hardened steel knives;
• Quiet.

• Cuts thin branches poorly.

2nd place - Wolf-Garten SDE 2500 EVO

Weight	Power	Max diameter of branches	Grinding system type	Performance	Collecting volume
26.5 kg	2500 Wt	40 mm	Knife	80 kg / h	there is

When asking which company is better to buy this or that device, many people confidently choose a German one.The inscription "Made in Germany" literally guarantees quality in the eyes of the Russian consumer, and in many respects this identity is not unfounded. A direct confirmation is the garden shredder from Wolf-Garten. A simple and convenient shredder will perfectly cope with the largest volumes of work: the cutting unit with one shaft and two knives will not only crush the dirt qualitatively, but also mechanically crush it, make it flatter, which will speed up the process of converting mulch into fertilizer.

The average cost is 14,000 rubles.

• Excellent value for money;
• Easily chops small and medium sized branches;
• Reliable manufacturer;
• Low noise level, works without recoil;
• The presence of a grass catcher;
• Easy to care for;
• There is overheating protection.

• Not suitable for grinding soft materials (grass and leaves).

3rd place - Bosch AXT Rapid 2000

Weight	Power	Max diameter of branches	Grinding system type	Performance	Collecting volume
11.5 kg	2000 watts	35 mm	Knife	80 kg / h	50 l

An excellent multifunctional shredder will become an indispensable assistant at a summer cottage, with its help you can easily turn leaves, twigs, not thick branches and root remnants into mulch. There were some drawbacks: due to the low power of the device, he cannot grind thin twigs, he simply "spits" them back out. The second disadvantage is the plastic case, which is not very difficult to damage, but made of a different material, it would significantly heavier the product, which cannot but affect the popularity of the model among summer residents.

The average price is 13,000 rubles.

• Lightweight body;
• High performance;
• Pusher and funnel supplied;
• Hardened steel blades;
• The presence of wheels;
• Low noise level - only 72 dB.

• Poorly cuts grass and small branches;
• The cord is missing.

4th place - Champion SH250

Weight	Power	Max diameter of branches	Grinding system type	Performance	Collecting volume
15 Kg	2500 Wt	40 mm	Knife	65 kg / hour	Not

Russian gardeners and lovers of summer cottages appreciate this model primarily for its low cost. But it is a vivid example of the fact that inexpensive shredders are of very decent quality: the model practically does not vibrate during operation due to the presence of a reduction in the vibration system, it copes well with any branches. Hardened steel knives will remain intact even after 2 seasons of active use.

The average price is 7500 rubles.

• Powerful motor;
• Low cost;
• Unpretentious in care, compact;
• Reversible hardened steel blades;
• Russian brand.

• Lack of grass catcher;
• Plastic case;
• Weight;
• Not suitable for crushing soft debris;
• Unreliable casters.

The best gasoline powered shredders

The main difference between gasoline garden shredders and their electric counterparts is their higher power and productivity. They also differ in price: budget models in this category are extremely rare. More often they are chosen by people for whom a garden and a vegetable garden are not just a hobby, a matter of life, or owners of large plots.

1st place - Patriot PT SB 100T

Weight	Power	Max diameter of branches	Grinding system type	Grass collector	Tank capacity
118 kg	13 h.p.	100 mm	Knife	not	6.5 l

The product of the Russian brand is of high quality (the manufacturer guarantees at least 3 years of work without complaints) and reliability. The robust steel housing is difficult to damage during operation, and the heavy weight provides the overall stability of the garden shredder. There is also no need to worry about mobility: despite the weight is more than a centner, the device is easy to move around the site thanks to the wheels. The chipper copes well with wood of any density and moisture level, and the start can be carried out not only manually, but also using the auto-start function.

The average price is 72,000 rubles.

• A productive tool, indispensable on a large site;
• Mobile enough thanks to the wheels;
• Easily handles even very bulky pieces of wood;
• Long service life of the product;
• System of 16 processing knives;
• Autostart system.

• Weight;
• Price.

2nd place - MTD Rover 464 Q

Weight	Power	Max branch diameter	Grinding system type	Grass collector	Tank capacity
75 kg	8.5 h.p.	75 mm	Knife	not	3 l

The perfect multifunctional model for those who do not know how to choose between grass chopper and branch choppers. He can do everything, a powerful four-stroke gasoline engine will quickly turn both soft litter and hard dirt into mulch. The garden shredder is equipped with two receivers - branches are loaded into the front one, and grass and leaves are processed through the rear one.

The average price is 45,000 rubles.

• Multifunctional model, suitable for processing both leaves and branches;
• Low noise level - only 96 dB;
• Powerful four-stroke engine;
• Movable waste receptacles.

• It can work without refueling for only 1.5 hours;
• The temperature of the engine must be monitored: it is prone to overheating.

3rd place - Viking GB 370

Weight	Power	Max branch diameter	Grinding system type	Grass collector	Tank capacity
43 kg	6.5 h.p.	35 mm	Knife	not	3 l

A model of a gasoline shredder of garden litter, unique in its mobility: despite its rather large weight, the device is very mobile and compact. This is what bribes the owners of even not very spacious plots; the multitasking of the "Viking" is also a huge plus: he will process both small branches and the remains of flowers or grass.

On the question of how much the device costs: the average price is 45,000 rubles.

• Mobility;
• Multifunctionality;
• Ease of maintenance;
• Lightweight and quiet (for petrol model).

• The intake neck is not included in the kit, its market value is 10,000 rubles;
• Price.

The joy of buying a shredder cannot be complete if you approach the choice thoughtlessly: it must be a meaningful, balanced purchase. The future owner must clearly understand where, for what purposes and for how long he purchases the goods. In this case, it will definitely be possible to save both money and time.