Woodchippers and Wood Grinders are fundamentally two completely different machines, although in some respect they perform similar functions in that they reduce timber down to mulch.
Woodchippers come in two main types – Disk Chippers and Drum Chippers and we’ve covered the differences between those two already in this post: https://www.piranhachippers.com.au/post/disk-chippers-vs-drum-chippers-what-s-the-difference-between-the-two
Wood Grinders come in three main variations – Tub Grinders, Horizontal Grinders and Slow Speed Shredders.
So what’s the difference between a Grinder and a Chipper? In summary, a Chipper slices the wood with razor sharp blades whereas a Grinder by-and-large smashes its way through the timber with tough hammers or teeth by brute force and momentum.
Tub Grinders and Horizontal Grinders are classed as high-speed Grinders because their cutter mill typically spins at speeds from 800 – 1,200rpm whereas Slow Speed Shredders have either One or Two shafts that spin a lot slower at 30 – 100rpm – all grinders use a smashing or tearing action to reduce the size of the material being fed through them and mostly also then have screens or grates partly wrapped around the mill or shafts with a close clearance, and these screens allow you to size the end material that is spat out of the grinder to a specific size because it continues to hammer or grind it until the material can escape out through the size of the screens fitted.
So with Chippers and Grinders having a very different cutting action, the application is determined by the product to mulch and also the desired outcome.
Woodchippers are a lot more efficient than Grinders because they use razor sharp blades which slice through the timber and brush, and as a result they require a lot less horsepower to get the job done. Their downfall though is that Chipper blades can’t handle any dirt or stones going through them as the blades will quickly lose their sharp edge and their performance rapidly starts to deteriorate.
A Grinder on the other hand is a lot more resistant to dirt and rocks going through with the timber and green waste being fed into them, with most Grinders having some sort of massive Carbide-infused hammers in their mill which smash the timber to bits that are not damaged by dirt and grit going past them. The smashing action of the hammermill takes a lot more horsepower to drive the mill through the material being processed which means a Grinder will consume a lot more fuel than a Chipper as a result.
So, the biggest differences between a Woodchipper and a Grinder is that a Chipper is perfect for clean timber with no rocks or dirt to dull the blades – the Chippers sharp blades are the most effective way to reduce green timber and brush into chips.
A Grinder on the other hand is perfect for storm clean-ups, green-waste reductions and getting rid of old pallets etc where there are tree roots and dirt and grit included in the mix, as well as small nails and bits of steel etc which don’t hurt the hammermill and is all part of the end product.
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