Chippers & Shredders, Electric vs. Petrol

As the summer season rolls on and the autumnal season approaches, you may find yourself becoming more dependant on your chippers and shredders, or you may be looking to improve your old model.
Typically, chippers are used to produce wood chips by chopping branches into little pieces (obviously a lot less time-consuming than using an axe or saw for example). Shredders are ideal for removing autumn leaves and function nearly as a ‘large blender.’

Many aspects must be considered while selecting the correct chipper or shredder, including the size of branches to be chipped and whether to use an electric or petrol model.
Fortunately, many of STIHL’s chippers and shredders are multi-functional, so you don’t have to buy both. However, which product is ideal for you?

Petrol or Electric?

Should I go with an electric or petrol shredder or chipper?
This is an especially relevant question at the later end of the year, when we will undoubtedly be thinking about cleaning foliage, producing mulch, and dealing with fallen branches from the next piece of bad weather.

The decision is heavily influenced by what you want to chip or shred, the size of your property, and the volume and quantity of the material you want to shred.

Electric chippers and shredders are largely emission-free, quiet, and need little or no maintenance, making them ideal for smaller volumes of waste. You may use them to shred leaves, small twigs, and grass clippings.

However, if you have a greater volume of larger branches, leaves, or garden waste to shred or chip, we recommend investing in a petrol machine. This is because they are easier to use and have more power than electric models.

Petrol Shredders / Chippers

The STIHL GH 370 S model is an excellent choice for a petrol shredder. Hard tree and hedge cuttings are promptly shredded into chippings by the Multi-Cut 370 blade unit. The blades move at up to 3,000 rpm to guarantee that only fine chippings are left at the end, making them ideal for shredding slightly thicker branches.

If you’re looking for a chipper and shredder, the STIHL GH 460 provides a plethora of capabilities that enable for the chipping of thicker branches.
The garden shredder, which is powered by a powerful petrol engine, can shred vast volumes of hard tree cuttings and woody hedge cuttings, as well as delicate green cuttings and leaves. The blade unit can quickly shred branches up to 60 mm thick into thin bits, saving you a bunch of time!

Electric Chippers / Shredders

However, the efficiency of electric chippers and shredders should not be underestimated.
Because they are quieter than petrol types, electric shredders are a great choice for smaller gardening jobs where a power supply is readily available.
The continuous power output and more inexpensive nature of electric motors provide a much greener way to shredding or chipping, and the pricing is more appropriate if you need to adhere to a lower budget.

We recommend the STIHL GHE 105 for general gardening tasks. This garden shredder efficiently shreds branches up to 35 mm in diameter, making it a popular choice for residential gardens.

Why not try the STIHL GHE 250 chipper and shredder if you’re searching for a powerful chipper and shredder that can handle both tough wooded and also softer green materials?

This multi-purpose chipper shredder is one of the most versatile models from STIHL, with a blade that can shred hard, soft, long, and wide clippings swiftly, reliably, and efficiently, making the job at hand a breeze. The Multi-Cut 250 technology also helps to lower noise levels, which many people prefer over louder petrol chippers and shredders.

So which model will you select?

Browse our full range of electric and petrol chippers and shredders for the ideal machine.