Wood chippers are used by city, county and state street crews as well as by forestry workers, landscapers and construction crews. Wood chippers shred limbs, brush and other debris into small pieces. There are many terms used by wood chipper manufactures you may not understand. Learning the meaning of wood chippers key terms such as "reduction ratio," "direct drive," "clutch systems" and "power take off" allows you to review equipment with ease. You can also assess each chipper's features to find the model your company needs.

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Infeed chute

The infeed chute on a wood chipper is the area where the wood is inserted to be chipped. Some chippers have a large shoot for big branches and limbs, as well as a smaller chute for smaller brush.

I recommend: Read more information about the infeed chute itself as well as wood chipper safety precautions at The Occupational Safety & Health Administration.

Exhaust chute

The exhaust chute or discharge chute on wood chippers is the chute where the wood is expelled from the chipper. Exhaust chutes are generally adjustable, which allows you to raise and lower the chute.

I recommend: BEK/Wolfeel/Woolfield provides more information about wood chippers with exhaust chutes.

Reduction ratio

The reduction ratio of a wood chipper is the amount of wood put into the chipper verses the output. For example, a reduction ration of 10:1 means that if you put in 10 bags of wood, you will receive one bag of chipped wood.

I recommend: Ineed2know supplies detailed information about reduction ratios.

Direct-drive

Direct-drive wood chippers are chippers in which the blades spin continuously while the motor is running. The direct-drive system is the most common type of wood chipper.

I recommend: Read more about the differences in direct drive systems and clutch systems from Jacks Repair & Sales.

Clutch system

Clutch systems are used in wood chippers to allow you to engage or disengage the blades at will. Clutch systems are used mostly on larger wood chippers. With a clutch system, you can fill the infeed chute and then turn the machine on.

I recommend: Discover more about clutch systems at Lowe's. Read more details about clutch systems for wood chippers at Galt Technology.

Power take off

Power take off, or PTO, is a type of drive shaft used to provide power to a separate machine or engine. Power take offs work with a dual or two-way clutch. PTOs are most common on larger trucks and tractors.

I recommend: The New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health provides safety and other information about power take offs. Learn how power take offs work at TractorData.

Commercial wood chippers tend to be a durable, reliable option to remove trees and shrubs as well as clean up landscaping. If you're in the construction business, invest in forestry chippers to remove larger, older trees.

With so many options to choose from, it may be difficult to sort through all the wood chippers information. The first question to think about is what size project do you need to excavate? Once you determine the answer to that, the other factors should fall into place. To assist you, consider the following when researching information about wood chippers:

1. Find companies who distribute wood chippers, and purchase from them.

2. Cut costs, and buy pre-owned forestry chippers.

3. Find wood chippers from rental companies if you only need a wood chipper temporarily.

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Purchase wood chippers from distributors

If you need a smaller wood chipper for your project, go straight to the distributors to see what they have to offer. If you anticipate your project taking awhile to complete, or have multiple projects, it's best to purchase the chippers instead of renting them.

I recommend: Bolton Power Equipment offers 24-inch, PTO-powered wood chippers to purchase. With simple maintenance, these chippers provide a 90-degree angle between the feed and exhaust chutes. Bear Cat Products sells seven different sizes of wood chippers, ranging in size from 4- to 12-inch chippers. For a lengthier wood chippers list, check out chipperinfo.com and its directory.

Buy used forestry chippers instead of brand-new to save money

Forestry chippers are used for larger jobs, such as ridding large trees with thick trunks and long branches. Mainly sought after by construction crews, you can cut costs by finding used machinery.

I recommend: Look into Equipment Trader Online and its list of used forestry chippers available all over the country. Apollo Equipment offers up many different types of wood chippers, including forestry, mulchers and skidders. If you know the stock number of the chipper you're interested in, you can simply type it in on the site.

Rent wood chippers instead of purchasing them

If you need wood chippers for a single job, it might be a good idea to rent them instead of spending a bunch of money and purchasing them. This is also a good option if you don't have storage room for the tree chippers.

I recommend: Donald's Wood Chipper Rentals has locations in multiple major metropolitan areas. It rents out Liberty wood chippers, going as far as to deliver the chippers to your door and can even operate them for you if necessary. If you're in the Massachusetts area, look into Toomey's Rent-All Center where it keeps two chippers, one for smaller brush and the other for larger.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  You can do all your research online and then purchase the wood chippers in a store, saving yourself shipping fees. Check out reviews and features on manufacturers' sites.

Wood chippers are landscape machinery products used often by landscape architects, gardeners and groundskeepers to manage outdoor aesthetics and make use of tree and brush resources. Sustainable landscaping often requires the use of a wood chipper in order to recycle tree limbs that have fallen or been cut, and to turn them into chips for functional landscaping decor.

While landscape architects may learn to use wood chippers as tools for designing and managing outdoor areas, individuals using the machinery also need to receive a practical type of wood chippers education and training focused on safe use. An electric chipper is a powerful cutting machine that can cause injury or death when used improperly, making proper safety training imperative.

For wood chippers education and training options, consider the following resources for learning:

1. Get safety information and instructions for safe wood chipper use;
2. Learn more about proper use of wood chippers from a college course or module;
3. Obtain a degree or certification in landscape architecture for comprehensive wood chipper training.
   

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Find electric chipper safety information and fact sheets online

The primary training concern for woodchipper use is safety and hazards that arise from using electric landscaping machinery, such as wood chippers, chain saws and other cutting tools. Businesses that use a wood chipper for any purpose should always ensure that employees are supplied with instruction in the safe use of the machinery, using safety fact sheets as one instructional tool.

I recommend: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration publishes instructions online for the safe use of wood chippers. The State Compensation Insurance Fund also provides basic training information covering the major hazards of woodchipper use.

Make use of online courses for more detailed training in the use of wood chippers

Wood chippers education and training also takes place in individual higher education courses, offered through extension programs at a number of universities. These courses may focus on safe use of wood chippers, as well as how to use a wood chipper as a resource management and design tool in landscaping and horticulture.

I recommend: Ohio State University offers online self-study modules in a number of safety topics, including the use of wood chippers. For focus on the design aspect of using wood chippers, consider a course in landscape architecture like the one offered by the UC Berkeley Extension office.

Receive comprehensive training in wood chipper use with a degree in landscaping

Landscaping and horticulture also offer the option of a higher education degree or certification, which includes training in the use of wood chippers and other landscape machinery. A landscaping degree may range from a certification or two-year associate's degree to a four-year degree in landscape design at some colleges and universities.

I recommend: Valencia Community College offers associate's degrees and certifications in Landscape and Horticulture Technology. You can also learn about the use of wood chippers in sustainable landscape planning through a degree in Sustainable Landscape Horticulture from The University of Vermont.