You have got a house that possesses a beautiful garden, and you are paying a huge cost to manage this or clean up a garden area laden with wood pieces, fallen branches, twigs, etc., then you are rolling up your debt. Another big mistake you are making is considering it as a waste.
You are not aware of how many potential benefits from these branches you can reap. To fully convert it into something helpful or to cut down your garden management cost, you need to have an electric wood chipper to pulverize the wood branches.
These electric wood chippers are designed in a way to meet domestic needs.
I have jotted down all the technical and reliable information that you must know before purchasing a wood chipper for your home garden.
If you are going to purchase an electric wood chipper so first of all read out our detailed review about the best electric wood chipper. It helps you to select the best electric wood chipper according to your budget and requirement. Scroll down and read more about electric wood chippers.
This article is the solution to all the probable answers clinging into your mind.
What Is An Electric Wood Chipper?
Electric wood chippers are portable, small chippers that cut down the branches of around 1.75 diameters into fine chips.
It comes with an extension cord, and its operation is straightforward. Just plugin and start your work. Electric wood chippers are considered to have their applications for domestic purposes.
Types Of Electric Wood Chippers
On the market, you will come across two types of electric wood chippers. Each one has its characterization. Look then in detail below.
1. Impact Electric Wood Chipper
It tends to chip wet wood pieces, so it saves your time, and efforts require separating and unclogging the chipper. However, large, durable blades attached to the impact electric chipper are more potent than regular chippers.
That is why they create noise during operation. In addition, maintenance is costly because of the replacement of big blades when their efficiency becomes low.
This type of electric wood chipper has no restriction of area. They are used to clean up both small and large gardens.
2. Drum Electric Wood Chipper
These types of chippers are not parallel to their counterpart, the impact electric chipper in terms of efficiency because it does not contain sharp and long blades making it undesirable to chip wet materials.
The user does not have to invest in parts replacement as it does have a drum chipper that carries no blades.
They are quiet and do not make noises. You can use them in a place where noise pollution must be controlled, such as educational institutes, trauma centers, and other health-related areas.
It is always a daunting challenge to buy something about which you lack knowledge, so there is more chance that you will overcharge. To escape such circumstances, you must acquire thorough know-how about the benefits and the limitations an electric wood chipper possesses.
Parts Of Electric Wood Chipper
A self-service is always a reasonable attempt to reduce cost, but it needs to learn how to manage your work smoothly. For example, giving the garden a self-service with an electric wood chipper requires understanding each part of the electric wood chipper.
Then, in any emergency or normal condition, you will get a free hand on the electric wood chipper.
Take a look at each part individually.
1. Paddle And Paddle Holder
A paddle is used to press the feeding material into the hopper. Its purpose is to prevent the user from any injury if his hand catches in the hopper.
A paddle holder is provided to place your paddle along with the machine. These seem unnecessary, but it is beneficial with safety concerns.
2. Hopper
The hopper is the material drawing bin where we insert wood branches and plants to chop. Its dimension varies slightly depending upon the model you bought. It has a lid with the hopper locking knob to tighten the cap.
3. Wheel And Wheel Axle
These are required to transfer electric wood chippers from one place to another.
4. Chipper Stand Assembly
The assembly helps to hold in place and keep the electric chipper above the ground. It also makes it portable.
5. Motor
The motor is required to force the cutting blades to rotate and perform chipping, which is then pulled forward into the collecting bin.
The engines generate their power with an electric supply. The efficiency of the motor defines what type of material should feed in the hopper.
6. Blades
Two cutting blades with sharp edges are attached, which can be visible after removing the hopper. They are responsible for chipping functions.
7. Control Buttons
Emergency switch buttons are present if any accident occurs and the user does not understand what happened. Simply switching on this button might prevent further damage.
Moreover, a reset button is present if any halts in operation happen, reset the machine after cooling it down.
Benefits Of Having a Electric Wood Chipper
If you mean to buy a wood chipper to enhance your garden management standards, here I have listed some of the benefits of an electric wood chipper.
1. Offer Great Power Potential
All the wood chippers generate their power by some motor that triggers the sharp blades or knives to perform their grinding and chipping functions. As a result, an electric wood chipper offers a significant amount of power to cut all the branches and twigs sprawling in the yard.
Powerful electric wood chipper possesses up to 15 amps of power with the capacity to cut branches not more than 3 inches long.
2. Eco-Friendly
Electric wood chippers do not use fossil fuels to power their motors in a direct way.
Therefore, it does not create harmful fumes that cause environmental damage, or with an electric chipper, you are not inclined to use them in an open area. You can do your chipping in your storage area as well.
3. Easy To Use
They are simple in operation and maintenance as compared to their gas counterparts.
However, it is as simple as using other electronic appliances in your daily routine. This feature of electric wood chipper makes it more suitable for house gardeners.
4. Makes Your Compost
Manure is essential for plants and microbes in the soil to fulfill their nutritional needs. Rather than purchasing, you can create your DIY mulch at a lower cost. For this purpose, electric wood chipper has become one of the must-have garnering tools for home gardeners.
Apart from the above, it does not contribute to noise pollution and is economical like its counterparts.
Limitations Of Electric Wood Chipper
Certain features in the electric wood chipper may prevent you from buying this product if it does not comply with your requirements. Considerable drawbacks I have listed down.
1. Power Cord Restricts To The Location
If you have a huge garden, then you might find a small power cord irritating. In addition, it may consume more of your time to clean up the whole park.
You may resolve this problem by connecting your power cord with the extension wire.
2. Engine’s Capacity
Electric wood chipper installed with small size engines which capped its usage in commercial areas. Due to lesser engine potential, electric wood chippers can handle small branches, twigs, plants, and bushes.
Moreover, its material capacity is limited. For example, it can chip a wood piece not more than 3 inches in diameter. Similarly, electric wood chippers cannot chip thick and fibrous wood logs.
Therefore, if you have a small garden, but your daily chipping requirement is more, you must approach gas or PTO chippers to deal with more extensive wood logs.
Maintenance Of Electric Wood Chipper
To make the life of an electric wood chipper longer, maintenance and routine use with proper care is the game.
Maintaining an electric chipper is a technical challenge, and you must educate yourself; otherwise, you will end up with significant destruction and money waste.
Cleaning and maintaining an electric wood chipper can be achieved through the specific steps listed below.
Preparation Before Maintenance
Before carrying out the cleaning and marinating task, two things must be followed.
- Wear gloves
- Turn off the power supply
1. Cleaning
- To clean the chipper from outside, use compressed air or vacuum to eliminate all the dust particles accumulated on the motor, blades, wheels, etc.
- To prevent the motor from overheating, keep the ventilation areas open.
- You can use a damp, warm cloth to remove dust from the machine. Use of any detergent, water, and solvent can be a trigger to severe damage.
- If you want to cleanse the machine from inside, open the hopper screw in a counterclockwise direction to remove the hopper.
- Clean the chopping blades and the discharge area if some materials are clogged there. Inspect the damage around the edges.
- After cleaning, fix the hopper with the hopper knob in a clockwise direction.
2. Replacing The Blades
An electric wood chipper is installed with two replaceable sharp blades. It is urged that these blades should be replaced or reversed when your wood chipper efficiency becomes slower to draw a material when you insert it in the feeding inlet.
Always purchase your replacement blades from the original manufacturer and follow these steps to fix them.
- Turn the machine off and unplug the device. Wait a little longer to stop the blade movement.
- Open the hopper by rotating the hopper knob in a counterclockwise direction. Remove the hopper to get access to the cutting blades.
- If there is any clogging wood material, clean it with a soft brush.
- Insert the screwdriver in the blade guard hole and the cutting head of the blades to keep the blades in a static position.
- On the upper blade, unscrew two bolts and move the blades at an angle of 180° to replace or reverse the second blade.
- Fix the blades with two hex bolts. Assemble the hopper by the clockwise movement of the hopper knob.
3. Replacing The Carbon Brushes
The carbon brushes become dull due to the heavy load and the frequent use of the motor. Therefore, it is strongly advised to inspect the carbon brushes after every 60 hours of operation.
- Turn off the machine and wait a little longer.
- The carbon brushes are located on the bottom of the main chipper body hide under the carbon brush cover.
- Unscrew the two head screws to unlock the carbon brush cover.
- Unscrew two more screws to take away the carbon brush holder.
- With proper care, remove the carbon brushes with the help of pliers.
- Measure the length of the carbon brushes. If it is reduced to 3/16 ̎ or less, then fix the new brushes; otherwise, install the same bushes.
- Put the carbon brush holder in its place and screw down all the slots.
- Repeat all the mentioned steps above to other brushes located on the motor.
Storage Of Electric Wood Chipper
- After turning the machine off, wipe it with a soft brush.
- Inspect each part of the machine, such as connections, blades, screws, etc., thoroughly.
- Keep the storage material clean and dry and make sure there exists no corrosive material present.
- Cleanse the extension cord and check it for any possible damage.
- Cover the machine in the original carton. Using plastic can pose significant damage to the chipper as in plastic, moisture accumulates.
Troubleshooting Of An Electric Wood Chipper
If you experience one of these problems during the operation, stop there and try to locate and overcome the hurdle listed below.
1. The Motor Does Not Perform
- Double-check the power outlet, extension cord, and plug. Make sure the plug and switch have compatibility. Check the damage in the extension cord or power outlet.
- Check the hopper lid and tighten its locking knob.
- Unload the hopper and wait a little longer to cool down the motor. Make sure that material capacity should not exceed the limits.
3. Material Is Unable To Be Taken In
Check the cutting blades. If they become dull, replace and reverse the cutting knives.
Safety Precautions While Operating Electric Wood Chipper
Despite being easy to use, one must learn a complete set of operating principles and be vigilant enough to overcome the haphazard.
However, if you follow the precautions listed below, you may be able to prevent power shock, fire outbreaks, and serious personal injury.
- Before operating the device, learn how to handle emergency conditions.
- Dress properly. It must not be loose, and you should tie it correctly. Wearing jewelry is prohibited as it may be caught by the chipper.
- Wear hearing protection equipment because the noise could be louder during the operation and tends to cause your hearing loss.
- Use extension cords suitable for larger areas to prevent electric shock. The length of the extension cord should not exceed 30m. Otherwise, it may cause a voltage drop which results in overheating and power loss.
- Plugs and power supply switches must be compatible. In case they are not compatible, do not force them to adapt.
- If your supply cord breaks, mend it with experts.
- Do not operate under dim light. It always prefers natural or good-quality artificial lights.
- Examine each part of the electric wood chipper properly before use. The damaged parts should be replaced or mended.
- An electric wood chipper should be prevented from water contact during operation.
- If your gardening area is damp and you cannot avoid it, the residual current device (RCD) power supply is the workable solution to minimize electric shock.
- Make sure that the material capacity does not exceed the limit, around 3 inches in diameter.
- The feeding material must be free from rocks, pebbles, or any other waste. It can damage the blade's efficiency or may cause choking.
- Do not come closer to the inlet hopper when it is on. Wait for a while after turning off the chipper, and the blades take a little longer to stop their rotation.
Conclusion
An electric wood chipper is handy, portable, and inexpensive. It is more reliable when it comes to dealing with small gardening areas having plantations of narrow branches.
Now you end up knowing all sorts of the general information you require to buy a wood chipper for your home garden.
Next, analyze all the pros and cons of an electric wood chipper. Do these features complement your requirements? Or do your gardens have the potential to scale up? If YES, consider it also.
However, it is entirely a user’s final decision on which type to buy.
