Last Updated on May 13, 2026 by Forest Master
Garden waste has a habit of building up quickly. A few trimmed branches become a pile. A hedge cut turns into half a day of clearing. Before long, you’re standing there wondering if it’s worth loading the car, booking a tip run, or pretending you haven’t seen the mess. That’s where a wood chipper earns its keep.
Read more: Guide to Buying a Wood ChipperA good chipper turns branches, hedge cuttings and woody garden waste into useful wood chips. Those chips can go back into the garden as mulch, help suppress weeds, protect soil, improve compost mixes, or simply make disposal far easier.
For homeowners, landscapers, arborists and grounds maintenance teams, the right machine saves time, effort and repeated trips to the waste site.
The important part is choosing the right chipper for the work you actually do. Too small, and it’ll struggle. Too large, and you may end up paying for power you rarely use. This guide breaks down what to look for in 2026, from electric and petrol models to feed capacity, storage, blades, maintenance and useful design features. valuable resource in chippings and shredded leaves, which are great for use in leaf moulds and composts.
What is a wood chipper?
A wood chipper reduces branches and woody waste into smaller chips. Some machines are built mainly for clean branches, while others can also handle lighter green waste when paired with the right mulching setup.
For domestic gardens, a compact chipper can make seasonal pruning much easier. For larger gardens, estates and professional users, a petrol chipper gives more freedom and power, especially when working away from mains electricity.
The end result is simple. Less waste sitting around, less manual cutting, and a cleaner working area.
Types of wood chipper
Electric Wood Chipper
Electric wood chippers are a strong choice for homeowners who want a clean, simple machine for regular garden maintenance.
They are usually lighter, quieter and easier to store than petrol models. There’s no fuel to mix, no engine oil to check before every job, and no exhaust fumes. Plug it in, feed the material correctly, and get on with the task.
Forest Master’s FM4DDE, for example, uses a 4HP 2800W electric motor and can chip branches up to 50mm in diameter. It runs from standard 240V household mains power and uses a direct drive system, so there are no belts to adjust or replace.
The main limitation is cable length. If you’re working at the far end of a large garden or across a paddock, an electric model may not be practical. Long extension leads can also affect performance, so electric chippers make the most sense when the work area is fairly close to a power supply.
For smaller gardens, regular pruning, hedge cuttings and branches up to around 50mm, an electric chipper can be a very tidy answer.
Petrol Wood Chipper
Petrol wood chippers suit heavier work, larger gardens and professional use. They give you the freedom to take the machine to the waste, rather than dragging branches across the garden to wherever the socket happens to be.
A compact petrol model such as the FM6DD is built for mobility, weighing around 38kg and chipping branches up to 50mm. It uses a 6HP engine, direct drive, and twin reversible blades, which help extend blade life.
For those wanting an easier start, the FM6DDES adds electric start while keeping the same compact 50mm chipping capacity and direct drive setup.
As the workload grows, so does the need for power. The FM8DD brings an 8HP petrol engine and can work as a chipper and mulcher with the right setup, making it useful for dense branches, brambles and hedge trimmings.
For larger branches and tougher jobs, professional machines such as the FM9DDES, FM14DDES and FM18DD move into heavier territory. The FM14DDES, for example, uses a 14HP 420cc 4-stroke engine and can handle wood up to 4 inches in diameter.
Petrol chippers need more maintenance than electric models, but they make up for it with power, portability and output.
Check out our blog post on how to maintain your petrol wood chipper for more information.
What should you look for?
Feed Capacity
Feed capacity is one of the first things to check. This tells you the maximum branch diameter the machine is designed to handle.
For most domestic gardens, a chipper that handles up to 50mm will be enough. That covers a lot of pruning waste, hedge cuttings and general garden branches.
If you regularly deal with thicker timber, larger trees, orchard work, woodland management or professional landscaping waste, you’ll want to look at a higher capacity machine. Once you move beyond 75mm and towards 100mm, you’re getting into more serious chipping work.
It’s also worth being realistic. If a branch is large enough to cut, season and burn as firewood, it may be more useful as a log than as wood chip.
Power
Power matters, but it needs to be looked at alongside the design of the machine.
A higher horsepower engine can help with tougher, denser material, especially hardwood or older seasoned branches. Freshly cut green wood is often easier to chip, although leafy, wet or stringy material can still cause blockages if fed badly.
Drum speed also affects performance. A faster, well-designed drum can help create a cleaner chip and smoother feed. Direct drive systems are useful because power goes straight into the drum without belts taking some of the energy away.
That also means less maintenance. No belts to tension. No belts to replace. Fewer parts sitting between the engine or motor and the cutting action.
How much storage do you require for the wood chipper?
Before buying a chipper, think about where it will live.
A compact machine is a better fit for sheds, garages and smaller outbuildings. Some Forest Master compact chippers are designed to take up less space than many people expect, which matters if your storage area is already packed with tools, bikes, garden furniture and all the other things that somehow end up in the shed.
Manoeuvrability also matters. A machine might look perfect online, but if it’s awkward to move across gravel, grass or uneven ground, you’ll soon get tired of it.
For domestic use, look for a machine that can be moved by one person. For professional or estate work, larger machines may need tow bars, larger wheels or a more heavy-duty setup.
Warranty, support and spare parts
A wood chipper is not a throwaway tool. It’s a machine you’ll want to keep working for years, so aftercare matters.
Check the warranty, but also check what sits behind it. Can you get spare blades? Belts, if the machine uses them? Replacement parts? Technical help from someone who knows the machine?
This is an area people often ignore until something goes wrong. A cheap machine with poor spare parts support can become expensive very quickly.
Forest Master stocks spare parts for its machines and provides technical advice, which is worth considering if you want to keep your chipper running properly long term.
Blades and maintenance access
Blades do the hard work, so they deserve proper attention.
Reversible blades are a big plus. When one edge wears, you can turn the blade around and use the fresh edge. That gives you more working life before replacement, which saves money and keeps the chipper performing properly for longer.
Easy access to the drum is another feature worth looking for. Blockages happen, especially when people feed wet, tangled or leafy material too quickly. A chipper with a hinged hopper or easy-access chute makes clearing and maintenance far less painful.
Some Forest Master models include hinged hopper and chute designs for easier drum access, while selected newer models include rotatable hopper and exit chute systems to help reduce blockages and improve material flow.
That kind of detail can make the difference between a quick pause and a frustrating afternoon.
Noise and safety
Wood chippers are powerful cutting machines, so safety needs to be part of the buying decision.
Always use ear protection, eye protection and gloves. Keep loose clothing away from the feed area, and never push material in with your hands. Use the correct feeding method and let the machine work at its own pace.
Noise levels vary by model and engine size. Petrol machines are generally louder than electric models, so think about when and where you’ll be using it.
If you’re working in a residential area, timing matters. Your neighbours probably won’t thank you for firing up a petrol chipper first thing on a Sunday morning.
Operation of our compact wood chippers produces 90db. On average, a wood chipper produces around 107dB. For comparison, this is a similar volume as loud orchestral music or a jet flyover. Once the level of dB starts to reach 90-100, there is a very high risk of long-term hearing damage.
What size chipper do you really need?
For small to medium gardens, an electric chipper such as the FM4DDE is a practical option if you’re working close to a power supply and mainly dealing with branches up to 50mm.
For larger gardens, allotments, paddocks or regular heavier cutting, a compact petrol chipper such as the FM6DD or FM6DDES gives more freedom without taking up huge storage space.
For landscapers, arborists, estate teams and users dealing with thicker branches, a more powerful petrol chipper makes more sense. Models in the 8HP to 18HP range give you extra capacity, faster workflow and better performance for heavier material.
The right choice comes down to three things: what you chip, how often you chip, and where you need to use the machine.
Final thoughts
A wood chipper can turn one of the messiest garden jobs into something much more manageable. Branches, hedge cuttings and woody waste stop being a problem and become something useful.
For 2026, the best chipper is not always the biggest or most expensive one. It’s the one that matches your space, your workload and your storage.
If you only tidy the garden a few times a year, a compact electric model may be plenty. If you work through regular pruning, tougher timber or larger areas, petrol will give you more freedom and power. If you’re using it professionally, look closely at feed capacity, drum access, spare parts, blade life and long-term support.
Buy the right machine once, look after it properly, and it’ll pay you back every time the garden starts fighting back.
When buying a wood chipper, you must first consider a number of factors to decide which brand, type, power and price you want to pay. This complete guide to buying a wood chipper will help you to understand all the advantages, disadvantages and other factors you must take note of before committing to a purchase.
Yard work and gardening can be slow, tedious and quite frankly sometimes not worth the effort. Every year, you’re left with an abundance of leaves, empty branches and the dreaded task of cleaning up your garden.
You can find more Wood Chipping videos on our YouTube page.
Could you please tell me where your machines are manufactured, I understand that the engines are often honda or briggs but its the rest of the machine manufacture that interests me.
Hi Christopher,
The chipper utilises LCT’s patented MAXX™ Series engines. This is a powerful American brand of engine. The chipper themselves are designed by us in Newcastle, England and then manufactured in China.
Kind Regards,
I like how you said that you won’t have to worry about oil with an electric wood chipper. My husband is wanting to get one. I’ll pass these tips along to him as he searches for one to get.