Best Bosch Garden Shredders Reviewed

However, the Bosch AXT 25TC doesn’t jam often, and even if it does, there is no taking parts off the machine, etc. to fix the problem. All you need to do is press a button and Bosch’s patented block release system will do the rest, reversing the system and releasing any blocked material. There were a couple of times when this system couldn’t completely unblock the problem, and I had to remove the hopper, but this was very straightforward and easy, and the auto-shutdown feature kicks in whenever you do this, or remove the integrated 53 litre collection box, keeping you safe.

What I really like about this Bosch product is its compact size. Its shape makes storage much easier than a lot of other chippers, yet it still manages to have a large 53 litre collection box.  And this collection box is actually designed to help store some of the other parts of the machine, allowing you to break this down into a much smaller size when you are storing it away.

The AXT 25TC is mobile, and gets around on a couple of plastic wheels. These aren’t anything special, but they are made from strong material and by using the large handle, you can shift the 30kg or so weight of this machine around. 

There is a little bit of top heaviness to this Bosch garden shredder as it moves, but that can be said for the vast majority of these machines, and when stood stationary it gives no reason to worry about its stability. 

This machine feels very robust, despite having many plastic parts, and I think that is due to the quality of the materials used by Bosch. It also has a nice, modern aesthetic and the classic green and black Bosch colour scheme.

Bosch have done a really good job of making sure that the AXT 25TC runs quietly, and that was something I really appreciated after using it for a prolonged period of time. I still used ear protectors as I stood right next to the machine, but I had no complaints from the family watching TV in the living room, or the next door neighbours.

This is a very good, and quiet Bosch garden shredder, but it isn’t the cheapest thing on the market. It does have some nice design features though, such as the way it breaks down easily for storage, and the anti-jam reverse button, so I think many people will be happy to pay the extra for it.

Good garden shredders don’t have to cost the Earth, especially if your garden is in the small to medium size range, and this Bosch AXT Rapid 2200 can be sitting in your garden for well under 200 pounds. It has a streamlined design that gives the dual advantages of making it lightweight and easy to cart around on the durable plastic wheels, and keeps storage space needed down to a minimum. Yet, even with this space saving design, Bosch have done a great job of fitting the AXT Rapid 2200 with a fairly large hopper, and you can feed material through there at a good speed: approximately 90kg per hour according to Bosch.

The AXT Rapid 2200 gets its name from both this fast feed speed, and its 2200W ‘Powerdrive’ electric motor, which provides more than enough ‘oomph’ to shred common garden waste. To be more specific, this motor drives the laser-cut blades at a high rpm, and produces torque of 12Nm. 

One thing I will say, is that the maximum size of the branches you can cut with these machines is always a little overestimated by the companies that make them, and this one is no different. 

Bosch claims that branches up to 4cm in diameter will be dealt with by the Rapid 2200, but I found this is for only certain types of branch and you are safer going up to around 3cm in my opinion. The machine will still shred the bigger branches but I felt like the motor wasn’t enjoying it too much.

Some of the very small twigs might pass through this Bosch garden shredder without being affected sometimes, so they might need a second pass through, but this is actually a common problem with many garden shredders, especially if you’re not wanting to pay quite a lot for your model.

This is a quiet machine though, and if you’ve ever used a petrol shredder or chipper, you’ll know how loud some of these products can be. The Bosch Rapid 2200, like it’s big brother the AXT25TC, is refreshingly quiet in comparison.

Build quality is what you’d expect from Bosch: everything feels solid and well put together and there’s nothing that feels flimsy or like it’ll break off easily. Bosch are offering a 2-year parts and labour guarantee with this garden shredder anyway, so if there is a problem, you can always contact them.

At first glance it is hard to see any difference between this model (The AXT 25D) and the AXT 25TC that we reviewed earlier. For starters, it features the same 53 litre integrated collection box that is utilised in the same way: both to collect the shredded material, but also to store some of the main unit inside too.

The hopper and free plunger also look identical, as do the push button controls, right down to the yellow coloured reverse function for freeing up jammed material. Even when you look at the spec sheet, it is still hard to work out what the main difference is between these two Bosch garden shredders. They have the same 2500W power drive motor, producing the same amount of torque, they are pretty much identical in weight, and even have the same length of power cable (4.5 metres). What are Bosch up to?

After looking into it even further we then realised that there are a couple of distinct differences between the AXT 25TC and the AXT 25D. The main one is while the former has a turbine cutting system, the AXT 25D uses a drum cut. So, what does this mean? Well, what it all boils down to is that this machine is specifically designed to deal with dry waste, and will not deal with green waste very well at all. It also has a slower throughput rate of 175kg per hour.

In all honesty, although it is sold and labelled as a shredder, the AXT 25D is actually more of a crusher, and in that role it does perform very well. It will deal with dry and semi-dry wood branches up to 40mm in diameter all day long, and it will also handle green waste as long as it has had time to dry out properly. Just don’t try to throw a load of freshly cut stuff in there or you’ll have problems.

If there’s any brand name out there that is more trusted than Bosch, it has to be Makita. Their tools have been the first choice of tradesmen for decades, and have a solid reputation for their hardiness and reliability.

Their UD2500/2 is a 2500W electric shredder with a maximum branch capacity of 45mm in diameter, and will get through woody and green material in quick fashion with minimal blockages, and runs very quietly. If blockages do occur, you can always use the reverse feature to clear the way.

This is a mobile garden shredder, and gets around on large plastic wheels that have been given rubberized treads for extra grip and maneuverability. There are good sized handles to help push the machine along, and these also come in handy to stabilize the shredder when in operation. The main thing that stood out for me with this model is the huge 67 litre collection box, which has been designed with cut out holes so you can clearly see when it is starting to get full.

Like most Makita products, this feels solidly built for the most part, with a steel tubular frame covered in robust plastic. The motor feels powerful too, and doesn’t struggle when you’re feeding the right kind of materials in, even when done at a good pace.

Where this machine struggles is where many of its competitors also have problems. I’m talking about branches with thin offshoots. They just seem to cause jams a lot more than straight branches, but I guess that’s to be expected. All in all though, this is a good machine once you figure out its likes and dislikes material-wise.

A powerful, yet lightweight garden shredder for less than 130 pounds? A very tempting price indeed, and something that a lot of customers have been taking advantage of without too many complaints coming back. What negative feedback this product has got has been widely aimed at the fact that it isn’t the quietest shredder out there, and can’t compete with the likes of the Bosch garden shredders in that sense. Still, it’s nothing that can’t be solved with a pair of ear defenders.

Like most of its competition, this shredder is powered by a 2500W electric motor and this, plus the reversible cutting blades, give it enough prowess to handle branches up to 3cm in diameter easily, and it will even shred slightly thicker ones if they are the right type.

The Handy garden shredder is fitted with plastic wheels for mobility and they do an ok job, if not anything to write home about. They do, do a decent job of helping stabilise the machine while it is stationary though, it has to be said.

A 40 litre plastic collection box comes with this machine and it has been made out of transparent materials, making it easy to see when it’s getting close to the time for an empty.

Honestly, for the price I wasn’t expecting much, but this has actually proven to be good value for money and is ideal for people with smaller gardens who don’t want to spend too much on their shredder. Sure, it has a couple of quirks, but the same can be said for machines that cost three times as much as this one.

 Tacklife’s garden shredder isn’t the most compact machine, standing at 87cm tall, but it is surprisingly lighter than a lot of the smaller models we featured here today at 28kg. I think a lot of that reduction in weight stems from the polypropylene construction of the outer casing and, in addition to reducing the weight, it also makes this shredder fairly rust proof.

Inside the casing hides a very powerful 2500W brushless electric motor, creating 460N of torque. This brushless motor has been designed to have a much longer working life than carbon brush motors, and this machine also incorporates a fully metal gearbox on top of that.

The shredding is done by a total of 8 reversible blades that can easily shred branches up to 40mm in diameter, and do so while operating under 90 decibels. The result is nicely shredded wood chips that you can use for your compost or mulch. These blades can be adjusted for distance, and reversed at the press of a button.

There are a number of safety features on this Tacklife garden shredder such as the overload protection switch, which kicks in and shuts off the power if the machine becomes jammed and starts to overheat. There is also a feature that stops the machine from working if you remove the sizeable 55 litre collection box.

This product costs just shy of 200 pounds at the moment, and comes with a 2-year warranty. For me, this makes it a good pick if you’re just looking for something to use at home that doesn’t cost a fortune, but still has a motor that’ll last.