The 5 Best Garden Shredders

December, 2023
Darren Spalding

There is no need to search far and wide for the best garden shredders that are not only affordable, but rated to be among the top brands that gardeners and landscapers can trust. 

Among the factors to look out for as an avid gardener is cutting width, shredding power, cost and reliability. 

In our humble opinion, we think the Bosch AXT is a good fit for serious gardeners who want reliability, coupled with the ability to shred twigs and other garden debris at a much faster rate than some high end models can. 

5 - Bosch Shredder AXT 25 TC

Bosch Garden Shredder AXT 25 TC (2500 W, Plunger for Trimmed Material, 53-litre Collection Box, Material Throughput: 230 kg/h, Max. Cutting Capacity: Dia. 45 mm, in Carton Packaging)
  • The AXT 25 TC quiet shredder – the first universal shredder for both soft and hard materials
  • High torque high-performance 2500 W motor

This garden shredder is top of the range with powerful benefits. Just be aware, though, that it is a little expensive!

And here is why we think it is such a good buy. As with most garden equipment, the better shredders are the ones with more power. She has a damn good motor on her, at 2,500 watts. That results in 4100 reps per minute and a shredding average of 230 kg per hour. ⠀

It also has a rather special blade that Bosch calls its 'turbine-cut system.' This essentially means it can chop and crush both, making it versatile enough to handle anything from soft greenery to hard wood.

It has a collection box of 53 liters which is larger than many other. The box also plays a vital role in ensuring you're safe. Only when it is safely in place will the machine work, which gives one added piece of mind.

Next, We challenge you to come up with a quieter shredder! You 're not going to have to worry about annoying your neighbours at just 82 decibels. If you don't really get on, though, you may want to find a quieter model-or maybe a shredder that uses petrol!

It has been planned quite well, in terms of volume. You can just remove the hopper, which reduces it by 30 percent smaller.

Pros

  • Universal shredder that can take care of both hard and soft materials
  • 2,500 Watt motor that features a high torque
  • No need to remove the hopper as it has a block release system in place
  • Shreds woody materials that measure 45mm with ease a it has a torque of 650 Nm

Cons

  • On the heavy side at 35kg, which makes it harder to move around

 

4 - Ryobi RSH2845T - garden shredders

The shredder comes in a sturdy packaging, and only requires a few simple steps to assemble the appliance. We suggest two additional helping hands to set it up as the engine is in the catcher basket and is not as easy to lift out. The wheels have to be mounted on their own, and the motor has to be fitted with 6 screws to the base. This is this shredder 's sole weak point. The base is attached to the 6-screw motor and the screws are made out of plastic only.

Our conclusion on the matter is the Ryobi garden shredder is extremely strong, quiet, and very easy to operate. The catch basket is big enough, which is a huge plus. 

Pros

  • Above average quality machinery
  • Silent shredder which will not annoy neighbours
  • Large wheels and robust frame ensure easier handling
  • Cuts branches as thick as 45 mm
  • Reversal option available in case of blockage

Cons

  • The screw connection is not a secure as it should be
  • You will encounter times where the thinner branches do not mulch properly
  • Catch box is not transparent

 

3 - Challenge 2400W Impact Garden Shredder

Sale
Challenge 2400W Impact Garden Shredder
  • The Challenge impact shredder is fast and powerful, ideal for green, soft and woody garden waste.
  • A double-sided hardened steel cutting blade provides excellent cutting performance and durability.

The Challenge impact shredder is quick and accurate, optimal for garden waste green, soft, and woody.

A dual-sided hardened steel cutting blade offers good performance and durability in cutting.

Large wheels and the low weight make getting around your garden extremely easy.

Rapid impact cutting machine 3940rpm, torque: 12Nm).

The v-drive challenge shredder system reduces the weight of the product and maintains a high blade torque and speed which results in superior cutting performance.

The toughened carbon steel blade is double-sided. As the blade rotates, the blade life doubles.

Pros

  • Fast and powerful motor that is perfectly suited for woody and green garden waste
  • Offers excellent cutting performance and exceptional durability
  • Shred through branches measuring 40mm
  • Catch box has an amazing 50 litre capacity
  • Automatic feed ensure safer operation

Cons

  • Doesn’t offer reverse function to deal with blockages

 

2 - T-Mech 15HP Petrol Wood Chipper 420cc - Garden Shredder Mulcher 4-Stroke

T-Mech 15HP Petrol Wood Chipper 420cc | Garden Shredder Mulcher 4-Stroke | Timber Bush Branches | FREE assembly and & tool kit | FREE protection equipment
  • Powerful 15HP Engine: The T-Mech wood chipper features a robust 15HP 420cc engine with a remarkable 2400–3600rpm blade speed, ensuring efficient chipping of twigs, leaves, and branches.
  • Large Cutting Capacity: With an impressive cutting capacity of 102mm, this wood chipper effortlessly handles substantial garden waste, making it ideal for professional gardeners and landscapers.

The T-Mech wood chipper ensures that excess leaves, twigs, and branches do light work. Ideal for experienced gardeners and groundskeepers but also perfect for inexperienced growers who need to clean out the garden waste!

The strong 15HP 420cc engine chipper has an extraordinary blade speed of 2400-3600rpm to enhance chipping efficiency! You'll have your garden look beautiful in no time with a staggering 102 mm cutting capacity. 

Wood chippers are perfect for cutting leaves, branches and trimmings but they can also help make compost for your garden waste! It can support plant growth depending on the form of garden waste, and is highly nutritious for gardens.

The shredder also features larger wheels that makes it so much easier to cart elsewhere. The free personal protection gear should be worn for your own safety at all times. 

Some of you may wonder if this garden shredder can successfully shred smaller branches such as willow whips? This machine shreds up to 10mm twigs with ease. As a work around, you may just want to feed thinner branches into the side mounted section of the shredder. 

Another concern for some gardeners has to do with the replacement blades. In most cases, these would need to be sourced through a supplier group. You can also sharpen the blades yourself and it will last for a bit before you need to start looking at replacing it. 

Pros

  • Ideal for professional landscapers and gardeners
  • Ear muffs are provided free of charge as personal protection equipment
  • Maintenance tool kit supplied and free assembly offered
  • 12 Months Warranty

Cons

  • Mulching can be suboptimal at times
  • Output can be more powerful

 

1 - Bosch Shredder AXT Rapid 2200

Sale
Bosch Garden Shredder AXT Rapid 2200 (2200 W, 230 Volt System, Cutting Capacity 40 mm, in Carton Packaging)
  • Fitted with 2200 W Bosch PowerDrive motor
  • Patented large capacity hopper for quick and easy feed
 

As a quick and powerful shredder, the Bosch AXT 2200 Rapid shredder is ideal for green, soft stuff. Powered by a Bosch 'Powerdrive' high-speed 2200 watt motor, this allows for high material throughput. It offers excellent cutting efficiency of green or woody garden debris with its laser-cut precision blade, made from particularly hardened steel.

It is one of the market's favourite garden variety shredders, as it has a good balance between features and quality. It's a very good choice for gardeners who love portability

It has a Bosch Power-Drive motor consisting of 2,200 watts, that can shred branches measuring up to 4 cm. And it is incredibly light at just 12 kg so you won't have any problems carting this around your garden.

Where it differentiates slightly is that it comes with a bag option, instead of a waste collection box.  For some, taking a bag to the dump or having to leave it outside on waste collection day could be quite handy, as opposed to leaving your expensive bit of kit outside! Ultimately, this just comes down to your personal preference, box or bag.

One of its outstanding features is the high cutting capacity this Bosch Shredder has. It is not for nothing they call it Rapid 2200 as it's much faster and lighter than the bulkier shredders. What’s more, the laser cut precision blades are specially designed to deal with lopping and cutting wood that has to be shredded sooner or later. 

Landscapers and gardeners who operate at a professional capacity rave about the ease of fast feeding the hopper and the fact that you can just add any excess branches or twigs into the shredder and let the Bosch machine do its thing. 

The lightweight caddy of only 11.5kg and the smooth rolling wheels ensure the entire moving around procedure becomes an effortless exercise, enabling users to move the shredder at will wherever they want to. 

Another boon is how easy this unit is to assemble. The combined weight of wheels weighs only around 12kg. The large capacity hopper ensures it is a real pleasure to shred twigs, branches, and the like wherever you go. 

Pros

  • Exceptional cutting speed of 3650 rpm
  • Can even feed apple branches and birch into the shredder
  • Handles any branches that is meant for it without any hesitation
  • Powerful 2200W Bosch Motor
  • Fitted with motor overload protection
  • Ideal for softer and green materials
  • Works best on fresh branches

Cons

  • Might not be a good idea to try and feed through branches measuring 40mm and higher
  • Jaws not wide enough to handle bigger loads

 

Buying a garden shredder offers several key benefits.

Firstly, they can reduce your garden waste massively.

Maybe you were among the lucky few who had the opportunity to live opposite a forest or area with a lot of woods as a child. If so, you may recall a time where your dad carried numerous wheelbarrow loads, consisting of rows of branches and clippings whenever the garden was in need of tidying up. 

For the majority of us without such a luxury, your only options are trying to cram it into your garden waste bag from the council, or make frequent visits to the dump. And don't even get me going on how dirty your car becomes when you have no other option!

 

Second, the tiny shreds and chips add significantly to your compost.

A good balance between your 'greens' and your 'browns' is making use of a healthy compost heap. The greens are low in nitrogen while the browns are high in carbon. Having a shredder in the garden will help you to get the balance right.

The shredded chips provide excellent insulation and can be handy as part of your compost head for later use to fertilize young plants. 

No doubt plummeting temperatures, like many up-and - comers, can take their toll. Good insulation is therefore an absolute must. This is where the shredder in your garden will help you. Push through a few branches, and use the wood chips to secure the foundation and roots.

 

Finally, the rubbish makes a great mulch!

It sure is a brilliant idea to feed garden matter right back into your soil. Doing so will add copious amounts of nutrients while it serves as a barrier simultaneously. What’s more, the wood chipping looks great in your garden, which is why a good quality garden shredder is such an asset.

 

How do shredders set up in your garden work?

Garden shredders operate in the same manner as your paper shredder. You just feed in the branches and clippings and it will pull the matter through the unit automatically, cutting it into tiny pieces as it passes. For those of you haven’t tried it yet, it sure is a worthy endeavour 

When the collection bag or box is full, you quickly empty it and you're ready to go once again. Which types of shredders do you find to be the most useful? This is something in particular you need to pay close attention to thereby ensuring you make an informed decision before actually buying one. 

 

There are three main types of shredders:

Turbine Cutter Shredders – These incorporate the technology of both Impact and Roller to break and cut the matter as it moves through. This way you experience the best of both worlds, and a shredder that takes care of 'greens' and 'browns'.

Roller Shredders – They are using a particular technology. You have a rolling drum against a sheet of metal. As the matter passes, the mechanism gets crushed. These shredders seem to be much quieter, so there's no need to think about blunt blades. The units are generally heavier though.

Effect shredders – These have a spinning blade that operates at a very high speed – often more than 4,000 times a minute. As the matter goes through the blade it is chopped into tiny bits. This is the best type of garden shredder.

What is the Key Difference Between a Chipper and a Shredder?

A garden shredder is usually suited for home use, and can manage smaller branches up to 4.5 cm. A wood chipper is heavier, and more tailored to work with larger branches and trees.

What You Should Not Put Through Your Garden Shredder

Hopefully, you do not pass through soil or stones into your shredder. Soil will clog it and stones will annihilate it altogether! Just ensure you brush off any plants or roots before they pass through.

Next up you ask for trouble by putting through any humid matter. This will prohibit the blades from working properly, which will probably result in a jam. It is the kind of problem you do not want to face at any stage.

And last but not least, for those of you who wonder whether or not a garden shredder is going to shred paper or cardboard, there is no need to worry as it will not. It does not have the same mechanics as a paper shredder.

Follow along with us when we review the best garden shredders.

Last update on 2023-12-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

SpaldingBulb is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk.
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