1.5 Horsepower Electric Wood Chipper Shredder  Product Reviews

"I used my new Patriot electric chipper-shredder twice so far, and I am very satisfied with its performance. I purchased the product directly from the manufacturer and got free shipping. The unit came in two strong cardboard boxes with good internal support, which is important for a heavy piece of equipment like this one. Minor assembly was required, but the directions were clear and easy for me to follow. Overall this chipper-shredder seems very rugged and well built; it feels like it will take a lot of punishment. I've used it to shred small branches a lot of leftover leaves; I also have chipped a few larger branches from my half acre lot. I was concerned about whether the electric motor would have enough power, but it's working fine so far. One advantage may be the heavy chipper-shredder blades that have a lot of momentum when they are up to speed. I agree with the manufacturer that a heavy extension cord, probably 12 gauge, is needed. I've run this off a dedicated circuit with a 15 amp breaker, without anything else on the line. I tripped the breaker a few times as I was learning how to feed leaves, so trying to run this along with other stuff on a 15 amp circuit probably is a bad idea. I found that the unit will chop handfuls of wet leaves, but feeding a lot of them can cause a build up inside the shredder, which can overload the motor. Putting the leaf bag over the outlet also can block the outlet flapper, causing a back up and a motor overload. Some of this might be my inexperience with feeding the unit, though. I suspect that this electric version is quieter than most gas powered shredders, but I wouldn't operate this for an extended period without ear protection. When it's shredding or chipping, it's still pretty noisy. I give the product 4 stars because it's a bit expensive and probably lacks some of the power of gas models. However, if you want an electric chipper-shredder, it's probably the best one you will find. "