YardMax Chipper Shredder

Jan 10, 2024

Outdoor power equipment manufacturer YardMax recently introduced its new 2-in-1 YardMax Chipper Shredder designed for homeowners. It boasts a 3-inch diameter branch capacity, stamped steel construction, two J-shredder hammers, two rectangular hammers, two chipping knives, a direct drive Briggs & Stratton Professional Series engine for constant self-feeding, a 10:1 reduction ratio.

"The power and efficiency provided by our new 2-in-1 Chipper Shredder is unreal. As we continue to expand our product line, we look forward to introducing more innovative, dynamic products like this to advance the industry and help operators get the job done right, at the right price."

– Shad Shafer, YardMax vice president

A chipper shredder isn't the typical homeowner's tool since most of us don't have enough property to generate the amount of debris that would make it economical. But it sure comes in handy when you do have a bunch of branches and a desire for some "homemade" mulch. And so Yardmax saw the need for a homeowner's version of the chipper shredder and seems to have given it enough muscle for light commercial work, as well. Let's take a look at this machine.

The name Briggs & Stratton lends credibility to whatever it's attached to, so that's a good start. At 6.5 horsepower with 208cc displacement, it's likely no slouch for the task of 3-inch branch chipper and shredding. The machine chews through wood using two J-shredder hammers, two rectangular hammers, and two 2-inch chipping knives and returns mulch out of the adjustable discharge chute.

The Upper and Lower Hoppers make sure the only limbs going near the moving parts of the chipper shredder are those from the tree and not the user's body. The machine reduces debris to a tenth of its original size and gives you some attractive ground cover in the process.

We’re very interested to see how it performs. Is the market large enough to support a $549 homeowner's chipper shredder?

Maybe. It's a decent price, though the 3-inch capacity is somewhat limiting. Perhaps this is the summer to build a fire pit and surrounding pergola for the larger branches on your property while the smaller ones become mulch for your landscaping projects.