Rating of the best garden shredders of branches and grass in 2019

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

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, processing garbage in quantities sufficient to fertilize large tracts of land on your own is extremely tiring. To help amateur and professional gardeners, a special electrical device has been developed - a garden waste shredder.

Find out about the most popular garden waste shredders in 2022 at 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 a wood chipper. 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 rubbish, grinding it all to the state of sawdust or small pieces (depending on the power of the device). They put what needs to be processed into a receiving funnel, and from there the garbage enters the compartment with the sharpest knives, which work thanks to an electric or gasoline engine.

Varieties of the grinding system

When wondering which is better to buy a wood shredder for a summer residence, first of all, you need to be puzzled by getting acquainted with the grinding 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 crushes soft leaves, grass, thin branches	Easily grinds thick wooden branches up to 5 cm in diameter
Flaws	The knife may break if a branch is too thick (manufacturers indicate the maximum allowable diameter of the branches in the manual)	Soft garden waste can be chewed up in the crusher, resulting in a blockage and the device will fail for a while
Work system	Powerful knife shredder cuts garden waste with a system of sharp knives	Garden debris passes through a gear crusher 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 Features of the Device

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

Garden shredder motor power

According to the type of product power, all models are conditionally divided into 3 large classes:

1. Amateur - models with power up to 1.6 kW, running on 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 work both on gasoline and on 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 knots and leaves;
3. Professional - heavy systems with a power of 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 it produces first-class mulch. Convenient funnels draw in litter without additional effort on the part of the owner, and the milling chopper will not break in an unexpected way.

Garden shredder motor types

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

Options	Electrical engine	Gas engine
Lightness of the device	Very light	heavy models
Noise level	Short	Medium to High
Ease of maintenance	Requires no special care or investment	Careful maintenance required, fuel costs
Environmental friendliness	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	Requires an outlet to work.	Can be used anywhere

The best electric shredders

The rating of quality shredders among models with an electric motor is based on 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

The weight	Power	Max branch diameter	Type of grinding system	Performance	Grass catcher volume
13.4 kg	2500 W	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 easily processes branches up to 4.5 cm in diameter.The compact size is surprisingly combined in this model with power. 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 not so well-known brands.

The average price is 15,000 rubles.

• Powerful and productive device;
• Famous Japanese brand;
• A light weight;
• Pusher and garbage collector included;
• Knives made of hardened steel;
• Quiet.

• Doesn't cut thin branches well.

2nd place - Wolf-Garten SDE 2500 EVO

The weight	Power	Max branch diameter	Type of grinding system	Performance	Grass catcher volume
26.5 kg	2500 W	40 mm	knife	80 kg/h	There is

Asking which company is better to buy this or that device, many people choose the German one with confidence. The inscription "made in Germany" is literally a guarantor of quality in the eyes of the Russian consumer, and in many respects this identity is not unfounded. Direct confirmation - garden shredder from Wolf-Garten. A simple and convenient chopper will perfectly cope with the largest volumes of work: a cutting unit with one shaft and two knives will not only chop the rubbish qualitatively, but also mechanically knead it, make it flatter, which will speed up the process of turning mulch into fertilizer.

The average cost is 14,000 rubles.

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

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

3rd place - Bosch AXT Rapid 2000

The weight	Power	Max branch diameter	Type of grinding system	Performance	Grass catcher volume
11.5 kg	2000 W	35 mm	knife	80 kg/h	50 l

An excellent multifunctional chopper will become an indispensable assistant in a summer cottage, with its help you can easily turn leaves, knots, not thick branches and the remains of roots into mulch. It was not without drawbacks: due to the low power of the device, it cannot grind thin branches, it simply “spits them out” back. The second disadvantage is the plastic case, which is not very difficult to damage, but made of a different material, it would significantly make the product heavier, which cannot but affect the popularity of the model among summer residents.

The average price is 13,000 rubles.

• Light body;
• High performance;
• The pusher and funnel are supplied as a set;
• 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

The weight	Power	Max branch diameter	Type of grinding system	Performance	Grass catcher volume
15 kg	2500 W	40 mm	knife	65 kg/hour	Not

Russian gardeners and lovers of countryside recreation value 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 vibration reduction system, it copes well with any branches. Hardened steel knives will remain in their original form even after 2 seasons of active use.

The average price is 7500 rubles.

• Powerful motor;
• Low cost;
• Unpretentious in leaving, compact;
• Double-sided hardened steel blades;
• Russian brand.

• Lack of a grass catcher;
• Plastic case;
• The weight;
• Not suitable for shredding soft debris;
• Unreliable wheels.

The best gas-powered shredders

The main difference between gasoline garden shredders and their electric counterparts is 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 the garden and the garden are not just a hobby, a matter of life, or owners of large plots.

1st place - Patriot PT SB 100T

The weight	Power	Max branch diameter	Type of grinding system	grass catcher	tank capacity
118 kg	13 HP	100 mm	knife	No	6.5 l

The product of the Russian brand is of high quality (the manufacturer guarantees at least 3 years of work without any complaints) and reliability. The strong steel body is difficult to damage during operation, and the large weight ensures the overall stability of the garden shredder. You should also not worry about mobility: despite the weight of more than a centner, the device is easy to move around the site thanks to the wheels. The shredder perfectly copes with wood of any density and moisture level, and the start can be carried out not only manually, but also using the autostart function.

The average price is 72,000 rubles.

• Productive tool, indispensable in a large area;
• Sufficiently mobile thanks to wheels;
• Easily copes even with very voluminous pieces of wood;
• Long service life of the product;
• System of 16 processing knives;
• Autostart system.

• The weight;
• Price.

2nd place - MTD Rover 464 Q

The weight	Power	Max branch diameter	Type of grinding system	grass catcher	tank capacity
75 kg	8.5 HP	75 mm	knife	No	3 l

A great multi-functional model for those who don't know how to choose between grass shredders and branch shredders. Everything is under its power, a powerful four-stroke gasoline engine will quickly turn both soft rubbish and hard litter into mulch. The garden shredder is equipped with two receivers - branches are loaded into the front, and grass and leaves are processed through the rear.

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 trash bins.

• Can work without refueling only 1.5 hours;
• It is necessary to control the temperature of the engine: it is prone to overheating.

3rd place - Viking GB 370

The weight	Power	Max branch diameter	Type of grinding system	grass catcher	tank capacity
43 kg	6.5 HP	35 mm	knife	No	3 l

A model of a petrol shredder for garden litter, unique in its mobility: despite its rather big weight, the device is very mobile and compact. With this, it bribes the owners of even not very spacious plots, the multitasking of the “Viking” should also be attributed to the huge pluses: it will process both small branches and the remains of flowers or grass.

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

• Mobility;
• Multifunctionality;
• Ease of maintenance;
• Lightweight and quiet (for a model with a gasoline engine).

• The receiving 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, you will definitely save both money and time.