Tazz (Earthquake) is a consumer brand, meaning they make products that people can afford; for common people like you and I. Tazz Woodchipper/Shredders are quite well-made, with high customer satisfaction —the ultimate litmus test of quality.
Yes, you can spend a lot of money on a commercial-grade wood chipper/shredder but if you’re a homeowner you probably want model that is cheap, reliable and safe. We feel that Tazz has found a way to produce a series of cheap wood chippers that are worth your hard-earned money. And yes, they are shredders as well.
Let’s take a closer look at these Tazz chipper/shredders.
Do you Value > Time & Money? — Cheap Wood Chippers
How many hours do you work per week at the moment? The last thing you need is ever more work hours added onto your busy schedule, but it’s the price you have to pay if you want your garden to look great. There is finally a way for homeowners like yourself to drastically reduce the amount of time you spend carrying out a job you would rather avoid.
Tazz K52 : Made from high-quality components & materials.
Cheap wood chippers/shredders will let you take care of your garden in a fraction of the time it would usually take, so you’ll finally be free to do more of the things you love.
What Is A Wood Chipper/Shredder Anyway?
A wood chipper/shredder serves two main purposes, which is why they can actually be bought as separate machines. Wood chippers break down branches into little chips up to around 3-inches in length. Those chips can then be uses for things like paving walkways, or you can simply remove the branches from your garden easier.
Wood shredders have blunter blades allowing you to turn smaller pieces of wood into organic mush to be thrown on the compost pile or used as mulch. Let’s look at why it’s more beneficial when they’re combined together.
VIDEO | Tazz Wood Chipper/Shredder series
Here are the models in the series (more details later in the article):
**All models are designed to chip branches up to 3” in diameter. The main difference is in the size and brand of engine used. A larger engine will chip wood faster and be more efficient overall.
- Tazz K52 — Chipper/Shredder | 196cc Kohler engine | 2 year warranty
- 8.5 ft-lb gross torque
- Tazz K42— Chipper/Shredder | 205cc Briggs & Stratton | 2 year warranty
- 9.0 ft-lb gross torque
Tazz K32— Chipper/Shredder | 212cc Viper engine | 5 year warranty- 8.86 ft-lb gross torque (*no longer available)
- 8.86 ft-lb gross torque (*no longer available)
- Tazz K33 — Chipper/Shredder | 301cc Viper engine | 5 year warranty
- 13.28 ft-lb gross torque — Recommended Buy in 2019
- 13.28 ft-lb gross torque — Recommended Buy in 2019
Main Benefits Of A Wood Chipper/Shredder:
- They’ll save you lots of money
- You’ll save even more time
- You won’t need as much storage space
- It will save you lots of energy
- They’ll Save You Lots Of Money
You can buy cheap wood chippers and shredders separately, but they’re still not the cheapest outdoor power tools in the world. You’ll save a great deal of money when you buy a single machine with the ability to carry out both chipping and shredding.
If you’re going to buy one you’ll still need to buy the other anyway, so it’s pointless throwing money away. Luckily, the price has dropped so much these days it’s still possible to find cheap wood chippers/shredders capable of dealing with all branches you’ll find lying around your garden.
Engines | Tazz K52 and Tazz K42
You’ll Save Even More Time
We’ve already said time is the biggest benefit you’ll gain from owning a wood chipper/shredder. I’m sure you would rather spend time with your family or partaking in a hobby instead of making sure your garden looks respectable.
Can you imagine how much longer it would take if you dragged out your cheap wood chipper to take care of the larger branches before repeating the same process again with your shredder? It would be even more frustrating if your garden wasn’t small, plus you can’t forget the time it would take you to maintain two machines.
You Won’t Need As Much Storage Space
Even cheap wood chippers/shredders aren’t as small as you might think. The large commercial ones probably wouldn’t even fit in your garage, but most you’ll buy to use at home might not squeeze into a small corner. Thankfully, the amazing wood chippers/shredders we’re going to look at later on are rather compact.
It still doesn’t mean it would be easy to fit a couple of units inside your garage, and even though they would fit it wouldn’t leave you with a lot of room for anything else. We don’t all own massive homes, so extra space is extremely valuable.
Engines | Tazz K32 and Tazz K33
It Will Save You Lots Of Energy
This relates to what we talked about a while ago when we mentioned time. Not only would you have to spend longer using both machines, but you would also have to wheel them around your garden. You know they’re not small outdoor power tools, so you’ll save valuable energy if you only need to pull a wood chipper/shredder around.
This won’t matter so much if you don’t have a large garden, but you don’t want to needlessly tire yourself out if you’ve got more exciting things to do later in the day. The reduction ratio means you can reduce the volume of debris down to 1/20th of its size, so you’ll have less bags to move too.
They will Save you Money
I know we’ve been calling these Tazz wood chippers “cheap” throughout the article. We did this because that’s the term people use when looking for “affordable” products. The word “cheap” can also be interpreted as “poor quality,’ but the truth is, Tazz chipper/shredders are very well-made as they are engineered with great attention to detail and high-quality components — thankfully, they are also very affordable, if you consider what you get for the money you spend.
Sure, you can buy a less expensive electric model, but the quality, efficiency and durability are not even close to what you’ll get with a Tazz chipper/shredder. In many cases, a cheap electric chipper/shredder may be exactly what you require. In that case, don’t waste your money on buying a gas chipper/shredder that you don’t even need.
For example, for light-duty wood chipping and shredding (under 1.5-inches), consider purchasing the Sun Joe CJ601E. It’s much cheaper than the Tazz wood chipper/shredders — but it’s also not as capable or durable. I believe in aligning your purchase with your actual requirements. Just be honest with your real-life needs and make the appropriate purchase. But spending less money on an inferior product in the short-term may end up costing you more money, frustration and time in the long-run.
The choice is yours. Our job is to give you options that you won’t regret purchasing.
For branches up to 1.5″ | Sun Joe CJ601E | 14-Amp Electric
Features:
- 14 amp motor chips and shreds branches up to 1.5-inches thick.
- 6-inch wheels.
- Safety hopper with locking knob prevents the motor from operating when opened.
- ETL approved; Full 2-year warranty.
✓ View or download the MANUAL.
Why You Should Invest In A Tazz Chipper/Shredder?
Tazz is a big name in the chipper/shredder industry, even though you may not familiar with the name. The brand is owned by Ardisam. Although Tazz is relatively new, Ardisam have been hard at work bringing you the best products in the market for almost 60 years. During that time, they’ve continued to listen to their loyal customers to guarantee their innovative products have continually satisfied everyone’s needs. How many companies do you know still going strong after nearly 60 years? The main reason is that when people buy their products, they are satisfied with their purchase. It’s that simple.
Customer satisfaction is high for Tazz wood chippers.
Ardisam also owns the Earthquake brand which includes a line of wood chippers/shredders — and it’s no coincidence that Earthquake wood chippers are an excellent value, and should be on your list when considering which cheap wood splitter to invest in.
LandWorks Chipper/Shredder
Do you want to know the best thing about the company? Unlike many of their competitors who manufacture their products overseas to save on costs, Ardisam manufactures all of their products in the USA. They’re based in Wisconsin, and they are comprised of a team who have turned their passions into a massive business. Tazz have a range of cheap wood chippers/shredders to choose from. Let’s look at what makes each of the machines so great.
They’re Easy To Move Around
One of the major benefits of the Tazz chipper/shredder machines is the ease in which you can move them around. In their quest for the perfect geometry, they’ve found the ideal angle to position the handle bar directly over the wheels. This will this make it easy to pull your cheap wood chipper/shredder around.
It will also give you lots of stability when you’re pulling it over uneven surfaces. They have huge 11-inch wheels too, which will never go flat unlike most of the other machines on the market. They’ll never let you down no matter how much they bounce around.
Its Steel Hopper Is Built To Last
The cheap wood chippers/shredders will be able to handle a lot of thick branches without crumbling away after a few years. The thick 16.75 x 13.25 inches hopper is made from steel, and it will be able to withstand branches up to a half inch in diameter no matter how much bouncing and vibrating is going on.
It’s also vital you don’t have to reach too high when you’re dropping the debris into the steel hopper, both for safety reasons and ease of use. Due to the fact it’s only 34-inches in height, it means anyone will be able to use it safely even if they’re not tall. The steel chipper cone is just as durable, except it can handle branches 3-inches in diameter.
A Great Reduction Ratio
We’ve already explained what the reduction ratio means, and if you look at a lot of chippers/shredders they’re nowhere near as good as the Tazz machines. With an amazing reduction ratio of 20:1, you’ll not be left with very many bags of organic material once you’ve cleaned up your whole garden.
The reason the reduction ratio is so good is because of the powerful tri/j-hammers and the heavy-duty knives inside the chipper/shredder. These special parts in the Tazz chippers/shredders are a culmination of over 20 years worth of research and development.
It’s Compact Enough To Store Away
Once you’re all done for the day you’ll need to store cheap wood chippers/shredders away, because they’re not designed to stay outdoors if you want to prolong their life. You already know the steel hoppers on each unit sits at a maximum height of 34-inches, but even with the handle it still only reaches 51-inches.
It’s also been designed in the shape of a small square 25.4-inches wide by 29.9-inches long, so it will be able to squeeze into your garage without any trouble. The debris bag we’re going to look at next can also be taken off before you put it away.
The Debris Bag Is The Best In The Industry
You really do need a debris bag when you’re using a wood chipper/shredder, because if you don’t you’re going to make a mess everywhere. You could also get hit by a stray chip, which will be flying through the air at great speed. The 24 x 36 inches debris bag on Tazz machines include features that set it apart from the competition.
Includes an easy to use debris bag.
First of all, the bag itself is large enough to hold a huge amount of debris. The Dock-and-Lock connector allows you to attach and detach it in seconds. The Bottom-Out zipper will help you empty it just as fast, plus it has handles allowing you to carry it like a suitcase.
Its Exclusive Vacuum Kit Is Invaluable
There is also an option to purchase an exclusive vacuum kit, which will be impossible to find on any other cheap wood chippers/shredders. Picking up large branches isn’t going to cause you too much trouble, but you can’t say the same thing about reaching down to pick up leaves and grass cuttings.
The vacuum kit will be able to perform those jobs for you. The Air Gate and powerful rotor inside Tazz vacuums let you suck in 20 percent more debris than other machines on the market. It’s actually the largest-in-class rotor currently available at this moment in time.
Optional Accessories:
- Vacuum Kit : Model No.22518
- Tow Bar Kit : Model No. 1692327
It Comes With An Amazing Warranty
Even though they’re cheap wood chippers/shredders, they are still a lot more expensive than something like a cordless drill. When you’re paying so much money for an outdoor power tool you want it to last as many years as possible. Tazz are so confident in their machines they offer a warranty that will be hard to beat.
Each chipper/shredder and the Viper engines will be covered for 5 years. The other engines are covered for 2 years. They also happen to have excellent customer service, so if you do have any unexpected problems you won’t have to wait long for them to be rectified.
Differences Between Each Tazz Chipper/Shredder
We’ve covered all the things that apply to each of the machines, but each Tazz chipper/shredder is still unique. The biggest differences between each one is the engine and the power it generates. Due to the fact they all have different engines, their total weight is different too. Let’s now take a closer look at each individual one, and if you see any you like it’s a good idea to click through and read the reviews on Amazon left by people who are currently using them.
All of the models share these features:
- Stable : Handle bar is angled to put center of gravity directly above the wheels.
- Steel hopper can withstand the ongoing collision with wood, branches and yard debris.
- Two Tri- & J-Hammers:
- J-hammers cut material down to size
- Tri-hammers pulverize it into mulch
- 20:1 reduction ratio
- 20% more suction than comparable models
- Grinding Chamber : 2.5″ x 14″
- Hopper Size: 16.75″ X 13.25″
- Bag Size: 24″ x 36″
- Convenient Debris Bag:
- Bottom-Out zipper for easy dumping of material.
- Dock-and-Lock bag connector allows for easy connection to unit.
**All Tazz Chipper/Shredders share the same manual, since the models are basically the same except for the engine. View or download the MANUAL for any of the Tazz wood chippers/shredders.
Tazz K52 Chipper/Shredder
Affordable Wood Chipper
196cc Kohler engine / 8.5 ft-lb gross torque / 2 year warranty
The Tazz K52 comes with a 196cc Kohler engine, and although it’s not as powerful as the others it will still tear through branches up to 3-inches in diameter. It’s a 4-cycle single cylinder engine with a gross torque of 8.5 FT-LB. The maximum RPM is 3,600, and its fuel tank capacity is 0.95 gallons. Even in the cold weather you won’t have any problems getting it up and running. The total weight is just under 120 pounds.
✓ View or download the TECH SPECS for the Tazz K52 wood chipper.
Tazz K42 Chipper/Shredder
Affordable Wood Chipper
205cc Briggs & Stratton Engine / 9.0 ft-lb gross torque / 2 year warranty
If you want something more powerful the Tazz K42 is the next step up, and it comes with a 205cc Briggs & Stratton engine. The engine type is once again a 4-cycle single cylinder, but this time the gross torque is a little higher at 9 FT-LB. It has a maximum RPM of 3,600 like the Tazz K52, and the fuel tank capacity is a touch lower at 0.8 gallons. It’s also an easy-starting engine to help get it going, especially when it’s cold. The total weight of the Tazz K42 is just under 130 pounds.
✓ View or download the TECH SPECS for the Tazz K42 wood chipper.
Tazz K32 Chipper/Shredder
No longer available
212cc Viper engine / 8.86 ft-lb gross torque / 5 year warranty
Now we’re moving onto the fancy machines, because the Tazz K32 has the amazing 212cc Viper engine. Even though it’s a 4-cycle single cylinder engine with 8.86 FT-LB gross torque and a max RPM of 3,600, don’t let those stats fool you. The high-performance Viper engine is the best one you’ll find in any power tool, and the one inside the Tazz K32 only ways a fraction over 120 pounds. It has a 0.95 gallon fuel tank capacity, and the engine is also easy-starting.
✓ View or download the TECH SPECS for the Tazz K32 wood chipper.
Tazz K33 Chipper/Shredder
Gas Wood Chipper
301cc Viper engine / 13.28 ft-lb gross torque / 5 year warranty
The Tazz K33 is the most powerful one available, with a 301cc Viper engine. The other thing you’ll notice is its tremendous gross torque, which stands at 13.28 FT-LB and is much higher than all the other models. With a fuel tank capacity of 1.72 gallons, it’s more than twice as large as the smallest one. The 4-cycle single cylinder engine also has a maximum RPM of 3,600. It’s easy to start like each cheap wood chipper/shredder in the Tazz line, and it’s a little heavier at 140 pounds.
✓ View or download the TECH SPECS for the Tazz K33 wood chipper.
How To Use Your Tazz Chipper/Shredder
At the start of the article we talked about the benefits of owning cheap wood chippers/shredders, but just because you buy one it doesn’t mean the machine carries out chipping and shredding in the same place. It’s actually got two specific places where you dump your branches and smaller debris, so it might be good to explain how it works in case you’re feeling confused.
- Chipper Cone
- Shredder Hopper
Chipper Cone
Take a close look at a photo of the Tazz chipper/shredder and you’ll see a small chipper cone sitting next to the engine. This is where you’ll put all your branches up to a maximum of 3-inches in diameter, which will feed them directly into the heavy-duty cutting knives to be sliced up into small chips.
Shredder Hopper
It’s easy to spot the hopper because it’s sitting at the top of the unit. This is where you’ll throw in all the small debris to be ground up by the hammers. The main thing you need to remember is never to throw anything in over half an inch in diameter, because the shredder won’t be able to deal with it.
Chipper/Shredder Safety
As you might have already guessed, a wood chipper/shredder isn’t something you can play around with. If you use it correctly you’ll not have anything to worry about, but if you use it incorrectly it could result in an accident. With that in mind, let’s look at some safety precautions you should take every time you’re using your cheap wood chipper/shredder.
- Be careful where you put your hands
- Don’t use the machine without the debris bag
- Become familiar with all the controls first
- The correct safety gear must always be worn
- Never operate the machine on an uneven surface
- Only use it when it’s light outside
- The machine must never be left running unattended
- It Must Always Be Used Outdoors
Be Careful Where You Put Your Hands
It’s crucial you never put your hands inside the mouth of the cone when you’re feeding the branches in. It’s easy to get caught up in what you’re doing or to try and speed things up, but that is when your hands could slip past the point of no return. As long as you’re feeding them in carefully they’ll be dragged in past the mouth of the cone on their own. You also have to keep your hands away from the inside of the hopper, which will be easy if you get into the habit of carefully dropping any debris in directly above it.
Don’t Use The Machine Without The Debris Bag
The debris bag isn’t only to save you time. As we mentioned earlier, it’s also imperative you always keep it attached for your safety. Each engine is extremely powerful, and with a max RPM of 3,600 the chips could be flying around everywhere. Not only will they be moving at high speed, but they’re going to be sharp too. Even if you think you’re capable of weaving around them as you clean up your garden, you never know when someone else will be walking past you and you might not hear them coming.
Become Familiar With All The Controls First
When was the last time you read the instruction manual before playing around with a TV? Everyone is used to throwing their instruction manuals to one side and jumping straight into playing with their new purchases, but most things you buy don’t have the power to severely hurt you. You shouldn’t even try to use your cheap wood chipper/shredder until you’ve read the instructions back to front. This also applies to anyone else who is going to use the machine, because you don’t want to be responsible for their safety.
The Correct Safety Gear Must Always Be Worn
There are a couple of different things you need to take into account when it comes to safety gear. Ear protection and goggles should be worn, and it’s perhaps the main thing people seem to ignore. Your eyes and ears will thank you. Wear sturdy boots too, because you don’t want to slip when you’re standing anywhere near the machine. Finally, never wear loose clothing when you’re working. It could get caught in the machine when your hands are not in any of the danger zones.
Never Operate The Machine On An Uneven Surface
Even though the wheels on the machine can handle any terrain easily, when it’s time to turn it on you must ensure it’s always sitting on an even surface. If it’s positioned on an uneven surface there is always a possibility it could topple over. In a worst case scenario, it could fall directly towards you as your hands are close to the hopper or cone. Even if you’re standing away from it you could damage the machine. You should never move it while you’re in the middle of using it too.
Only Use It When It’s Light Outside
You’re already going to be wearing goggles to protect your eyes, so your vision will be even more impaired if you decide to pull your cheap wood chipper/shredder out of the garage as the sun is going down. It still shouldn’t be used if you have spotlights in your garden, because artificial light is inferior to sunlight and it could suddenly turn off. If you don’t get home from work early enough in winter you should wait until the weekend to clean up your garden.
The Machine Must Never Be Left Running Unattended
Always switch your chipper/shredder off when you’re not using it, even if you’re only going to run to the toilet for a few minutes. Not only could something go wrong with the machine when you’re not there, but if your children are playing outside they could be tempted to inspect it. While we’re on the subject of children, never let them use the machine when you’re there. They might want to help you clear up the garden, but you can’t trust them not to hurt themselves and the risk is far too great.
It Must Always Be Used Outdoors
You should always remember you’re dealing with a gas-powered chipper/shredder. Don’t be fooled into thinking you can use your machine indoors if you’ve seen a chipper/shredder used this way before, because it would definitely have been an electric one. Gas-powered engines will send toxic fumes into the air, and it has the potential to kill you when you’re in an enclosed space. It’s the one danger you face even if you’re nowhere near the chipper/shredder. You’ll be fine if you use it outdoors, but it must never be used indoors even if it’s only for 5 minutes.
For Indoor Use | Electric Patriot CSV-2515 Chipper/Shredder
Please Note: There are quite a lot of safety precautions you should adhere to when using a wood chipper/shredder, and you’ll learn about all of them when you read your instruction manual.
Chipper/Shredder Maintenance Tips
There are lots of great maintenance tips you’ll pick up once you read your instruction manual, but it might be a good idea to look at a few important ones. These are the specific things you should do all the time before you turn on your wood chipper/shredder. All of the other maintenance you carry out should be performed at the predetermined times set out by Tazz.
- Clean the debris away from your engine
- A quick inspection of the cone, hopper, and guards
- Look around for any loose hardware
- Check the oil level before turning it on
Clean The Debris Away From Your Engine
You need to pay close attention to the engine to make sure it’s not covered in debris. The areas you should be primarily focused on are the air filter, muffler, and air shroud intake. This shouldn’t be overlooked because your engine needs air flow for cooling and combustion purposes. If it’s covered in debris, it’s not going to work properly.
A Quick Inspection Of The Cone, Hopper, And Guards
This doesn’t need to be done thoroughly on a regular basis, but it’s worth doing before each use because it takes seconds and will keep you save. All you need to do is make sure the cone, hopper, and guards are secured in the correct place and undamaged. If you do spot any problems, you’ll need to fix them before using the machine.
Look Around For Any Loose Hardware
When you use your cheap wood chipper/shredder for any length of time it’s going to vibrate a lot. Things like nuts and bolts can easily begin to loosen all by themselves due to the vibrations, and a lot of other hardware can become loose too. You’ll want to make sure everything is tightened correctly before you turn your machine on.
Check The Oil Level Before Turning It On
There is no low oil shutdown on Tazz chippers/shredders, so the only solution is to make sure the oil level is fine before you turn it on. This will help prolong the life of your chipper/shredder. You also need to make sure you check the oil level every 5 hours if you’re using the machine for an extended period of time.
Please Note: You’ll read about how to do this in the instruction manual, but the hammers can be rotated/flipped and the knives can be rotated/sharpened. They’ll last a lot longer than you think before they need to be replaced, especially if you’re not using your machine all the time.
The Ultimate Cheap Wood Chippers/Shredders
Tazz are in a league of their own when it comes to cheap wood chippers/shredders. The only question you have to ask yourself is which one you want to buy. You now know everything about them, so to help you come to a decision you should read all the reviews on Amazon carefully.
It’s definitely one of the best outdoor power tools you can purchase if you want your garden to look amazing. They say you can’t buy time, but I think you’ll disagree once you start using a chipper/shredder, especially one from Tazz thanks to the vacuum kit.
Learn more by visiting the Tazz site.