What is a Wood Chipper?

A Wood chipper is a large machine used to cut tree limbs, trunks, and branches into small woodchips. It uses great power to shred large wood pieces into small chips.

The common material used in the wood chipper is steel. It also comes in light metal and stainless steel which directly determines the price and longevity of the wood chipper.

The high-quality material ensures smooth functions and operates with maximum efficiency. The blades are so sharp that even large pieces of wood are converted into chips in no time.

Stainless steel wood chippers last longer than any other type because of their long-lasting and durable properties. It also costs more than any other type as it is costly metal and requires supreme skills to build such a powerful machine from this metal.

A wood chipper varies in size, function, and capacity. Depending on the usage, a light metal wood chipper is also a good option but it won’t serve long and will require maintenance frequently.

The history of wood chippers dates back to the late 18th century. Initially, there was no concept of breaking the wood into smaller chips. Peter Jensen invented the first wood chipper in 1884. He was living in Germany and the people living in Europe had to handle a lot of extended trees.

The invention of the wood chipper was the need of time. It helped a lot in cutting the large pieces of wood into smaller chips which later became the core business of his company and wood chipper was manufactured in large numbers.

Wood chipper is the best fit for grills as the chips help in cooking food and you don’t want to put large pieces directly into the firebox which are difficult to handle.

What is a wood chipper

What is the ideal material for a wood chipper?

The ideal material for a wood chipper is stainless steel. Stainless steel wood chipper is preferred because of its long-lasting and rust-free properties.

The stainless steel wood chipper costs more than any other type. The cheapest wood chipper comes in light metal that does not serve the key function with extra efficiency. The durability and longevity of the wood chipper depend on the exposure and frequency of use.

The wood chipper works differently for residential and commercial purposes. A heavy-duty wood chipper machine fulfills commercial demands while a standard-size wood chipper is good for residential purposes.

People concerned about environmental health might want to consider cutting off large and healthy trees to the least. Because if you shred the healthy trees in large numbers, it will affect the natural habitat of the forest and wild animals.

What are the different types of wood chippers?

There are three different types of wood chipper.

Drum chipper: It consists of a drum-shaped two big cutter that allows the smooth and perfect shredding of large trees into smaller chips. It uses great power and the blade’s circular movement causes the large trees into chips.

Disk chipper: It is a disk shape chipper used for handy operations. It has small blades along. It consists of a small inlet through which you can only move the small pieces of trees and lumber.

Screw chipper: It consists of a screw-type rotating blade. The spiral-shaped long blades are so sharp that even cutting large trees in a matter of no time. There is a big inlet opening to move a whole big tree in the chipper blades.

What is the ideal size for a wood chipper?

The ideal size depends on the frequency of use of the wood chipper and how frequently the tree grows in your region. It works differently for residential and commercial purposes. Many factors are responsible for wood chipper usage.

What size wood chipper do I need? It depends on the frequency of use. First, you need to confirm how much larger wood pieces you desire on chipping. Normally, a standard-size wood chipper can handle a wood tree diameter of 3 inches whereas a large wood chipper can handle diameters up to 10 inches.

Consider the wood chipper according to your requirements. A standard-size wood chipper that can handle a diameter of 3-4 inches is best for residential usage.

You might also want to consider the durability of the wood chipper. The most durable wood chipper will outperform the functions and will serve for longer durations. The heavy-duty wood chipper performs the primary functions will great efficiency.

What are the use cases of wood chippers?

Some of the use cases of wood chippers are as follows:

  • Great for recycling the big trees
  • It is an alternative to burning wood
  • Can transport material easily

Once you have purchased the wood chipper, you will get to know more use cases of this machine.

What is the purpose of wood chips?

They are used as biomass solid fuel. They are used for restoration purposes and help in the growth of new plants by decomposing into the fertile soil.

Can you put anything in a wood chipper?

Wood chippers can handle trees, small branches, logs, and lumber. However, if you want to put green plants consider using the shredder.

Can you put dried branches in a wood chipper?

A wood chipper can chip up dry and fresh branches. You will even feel the branches going inside the chipper. It depends on the inlet size of the wood chipper.

what is a wood chipper

What are the best wood chipper brands?

The best wood chipper brands so far are:

Best value wood chipper: Sun Joe

Best overall wood chipper: EARTHWISE

Best cost-friendly wood chipper: Super handy

Best portable wood chipper: GARDENBEAUT

What is the lifespan of a wood chipper?

The average lifespan of a wood chipper lies between 10-15 years and up to 25 years maximum. It is dependent on the type of brand of the wood chipper. By keeping up the maintenance, the life of a wood chipper can be increased.

Some other factors on which the lifespan of a wood chipper depends:

  • Power
  • Routine checkup
  • Quality
  • Motor

The standard wood chipper price ranges from $200-$700 for a single unit. It depends on the size and the power of the wood chipper.

How does culture affect the usage of a wood chipper?

People started using wood chippers right after their invention. It made the handling of large tree branches, lumbers, and logs more comfortable. The chipped wood can be used as a fertilizer for growing new trees in the region. It is the natural fertilizer that helps nourish small plants into big trees. There are multiple other ways to utilize the wood chips too.

Wood chipper is the best friend of people living near the forest as they frequently need the wood chipper to manage the growing tree branches and bushes. It also comes in a compact size to manage small plants in the garden.

What are the alternatives to a wood chipper?

Miter saw: It works just like the wood chipper as both are used to cut logs and lumber. But unlike wood chipper, the miter saw is mainly used to get perfectly cut wood pieces of desired size and shapes.

Shredder: It also works similarly to the wood chipper but differs only in one aspect as it is only used to shred the leaves and small branches that are easy to handle.

Chop saw: It also in a way similar to a wood chipper. Both are used to cut tree logs and large wood. Chop saw only allows straight cuttings of the large wood. The length of the wood can vary according to the demand.

What are the features of a superior wood chipper?

Some of the best features of a wood chipper are:

Portable: The wood chipper is portable and makes working easier by moving anywhere around.

Quality: A good quality wood chipper will perform the primary function for longer durations.

Material: The material used in the manufacturing of the wood chipper decides the actual working of the machine.

Accuracy: The wood chipper cut the wood piece into thin chips with extreme accuracy.

What are the parts of a wood chipper?

Some of the few parts of a wood chipper are:

Blades: The blades cut the large wood pieces into chips.

Inlet: It is the large opening from where we enter the large tree for chipping.

Wheels: They make the large wood chipper machine portable allowing remote functions.

Collection bin: It collects all the chips coming out of the machine.

How did the wood chipper get its name?

It is not known how the wood chipper got its name. But the name is simple and clear, ‘it says a machine capable of chipping the wood’. Earlier, people were manually chipping the wood into small pieces.

Wood chippers eliminated the extra effort of humans and took the chipping task with great precision. People call it by different names in different regions of the world. It is also called a tree shredder, tree chipper, and chuck-and-duck chipper in other parts of the world.

What is the history of a wood chipper?

The history of wood chipper dates back to the late 18th century when Peter Jensen invented the first wood chipper in 1884. It was produced by his company in mass numbers and in no time this machine became a successful invention.

Earlier, people were cutting large pieces of wood into smaller ones with a manual saw that required great effort. After cutting the pieces, it was used for burning fire which harms the environment.

Wood chipper eliminated the great effort of humans and helped them achieve a healthy and green environment. Chipped wood works as a natural fertilizer and helps in the growth of plants with no effort. Today, the wood chipper has become the most used machine for chipping wood and the updated version provides benefits to the environment as well.

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