The best petrol garden shredders, compared.
Top pick: Rotatech RTP-GS-65S 50 mm – Highest score on this page, 80, from 5.0 and one review, with a stated 7 hp, 50 mm and an emergency stop, at about £449.99. One review is not a lab test. Best value: Ark Mat 4 hp 50 mm – Lowest petrol price here, about £389.95, with 50 mm, 4 hp and belt drive stated. The listing has no star line, so the label is the shelf price, not a test. Updated October 2026.
A petrol garden shredder is a petrol wood chipper you wheel to the branches. You buy one in the UK when the pile sits away from an outdoor socket, so a BS 1363 plug and a long lead are the wrong tool. A search for shredder often means a mains machine for hedge clippings. Sellers also paste shredder and mulcher onto petrol chippers, which turn woody prunings into chips. You tell a suitable machine apart by the branch diameter the listing states, not by a horsepower badge. The same diameter can sit on a smaller or a larger engine. Check whether engine oil is in the carton, and whether the listing prints a weight. These machines are noise-marking only, so a listing need not print a decibel. Stop the engine before a jam, take the spark-plug lead off, and keep your hands out of the drum. Fresh chips are mulch or a compost brown, and diseased plants stay out of the council bin. The checks before you pay are in the [petrol garden shredder buying guide](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/petrol-garden-shredder/sub/petrol-garden-shredder-buying-guide).
A petrol garden shredder is a petrol wood chipper you wheel to the branches. You buy one in the UK when the pile sits away from an outdoor socket, so a BS 1363 plug and a long lead are the wrong tool.
12 products checked · 58 hrs invested · +19,200 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
How thick is the wood you chip most often?
Rotatech RTP-GS-65S is listed at about £449.99 as a 7 hp, 212 cc petrol chipper for branches up to 50 mm, with twin reversible blades and an emergency stop. Oil is not included. The listing does not print weight, stroke, throughput or drive, so those cells stay blank rather than copying the 100 mm listing. One amazon.co.uk review scores 5.0 and calls it easy to assemble and solid. The score on this page is 80, the highest here, which is why it is the top pick. One review is not a test. The listing says the country of origin is China and the colour is red.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a 50 mm petrol chipper in this comparison and can accept a single review.
Less suitable: You need a stated 100 mm capacity or a large review sample.
Specifications
Common questions
How thick a branch does the Rotatech RTP-GS-65S claim?
The listing says branches up to 50 mm. It does not print a throughput figure. The 100 mm claim belongs to the other Rotatech row, RTP-GS-65H, not to this one.
Does the RTP-GS-65S include engine oil?
No. The bullet says oil is not included and must be bought separately. The listing does not name the oil grade or the fill volume.
What safety control is named?
An emergency stop button. The listing does not describe a collection bag, a discharge chute, or a weight.
Rotatech RTP-GS-65H is listed at about £799.99 as a 7 hp, 212 cc, 4-stroke petrol chipper for branches up to 100 mm. The bullets say it is self-feeding, has twin reversible steel blades, a 2,400 rpm drum, a seller claim of 3 to 5 cubic metres an hour, and a weight of 102 kg, and that 4-stroke oil is not in the box. Across four amazon.co.uk reviews the line is 3.8, and the score on this page is 64. One verified review says the motor never started. Another says it started easily and did the job, and a third used the chips as mulch. Dimensions are not on the listing. It is the only 100 mm machine here, and it is not the top pick on that score. A widget on the same page showed 205 kg, and the maker’s page for the 50 mm class prints 86 kg. Those figures are not averaged, and 102 kg is the bullet used in the table.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You regularly cut branches thicker than 50 mm and can handle a bullet weight of 102 kg.
Less suitable: Your wood is under 50 mm, or you need a machine with a larger review sample.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the RTP-GS-65H need a mains socket?
No. It is a petrol chipper. The bullet says it can be used without electricity. 4-stroke engine oil is not included.
How thick a branch does it claim, and how heavy is the bullet figure?
Branches up to 100 mm, and the bullet says 102 kg. Dimensions are not on the listing. The 3 to 5 cubic metres an hour line is a seller claim, not a measured test. A page widget showed 205 kg, which is not the figure in the table.
What do the four reviews actually say?
The line is 3.8 from four reviews. One verified review says the motor never started. Another says it was easy to start and did the job. A third used the chips as mulch under bushes.
The Ark Mat listing is a petrol wood chipper at about £389.95, the lowest price in this comparison. The title states a 159 cc 4 hp engine, belt drive and branches up to 50 mm, and a bullet adds a 1.2 litre fuel tank, a safety push and a discharge chute. There is no amazon.co.uk star line and no review text, so the score on this page is 0. Part number WC-1 and model WC-2 do not match. It is the best value on shelf price only because it is the cheapest petrol 50 mm row, not because anyone on the listing has used it. Weight, oil and a collection bag are not stated. Two tyres and stabilising feet are named. An emergency stop is not.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the lowest petrol 50 mm price in this comparison and can buy without reviews.
Less suitable: You want a review sample or a stated 100 mm capacity.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the Ark Mat chipper include a collection bag?
The listing does not say so. The included component named is the petrol wood chipper, and the bullets name an integrated discharge chute rather than a bag.
Can it chip wet wood?
The page asks the question and does not answer it. Wet wood is not mentioned in the bullets, so this comparison does not claim that it can.
What feeding and safety details are printed?
A safety push mechanism and a discharge chute. Two tyres and stabilising feet are named. An emergency stop is not. The fuel tank is stated as 1.2 litres.
Three petrol listings on amazon.co.uk were scored on 22 October 2026. Nine electric or cordless listings from the same search were set aside and are not in this table. This is not a lab test. The number on each card is round(stars × 16 + min(15, log10(review count) × 5)). A missing star line scores 0. It is not a bad rating. The top pick is the highest of those scores. The best value is the lowest petrol price that still states 50 mm, which is why an unreviewed listing carries that label. The weights below are the checks used to read the listings. They sum to 100. They are not a second score.
Stated branch diameter
35%The thickest branch the listing prints. Horsepower does not replace it. A 7 hp row and a 4 hp row can state the same 50 mm. Only one row here states 100 mm.
Review evidence
30%The amazon.co.uk star line and how many reviews sit behind it. One review is a tiny sample. A missing star line scores 0 and is not treated as a poor rating.
Oil in the carton
15%Whether the bullets say engine oil is included. Two listings say it is not. The third does not say. Another maker’s fill volume is not copied onto these sumps.
Printed weight
10%A weight is used only when the listing prints one. Conflicting figures on a widget or a maker page are kept as a conflict and are not averaged.
Shelf price
10%The amazon.co.uk price on the day the listings were read. It separates the best value from the other 50 mm row. It does not invent a lab score.
Read the stated branch diameter before the horsepower. In this comparison a 7 hp listing and a 4 hp listing can both say 50 mm, and only one row says 100 mm. Then check whether oil is in the carton, and whether a weight is actually printed. A missing star line is not a bad rating. It means the listing has no reviews. Hedge clippings beside a socket are a mains shredder, not this category.
A petrol garden shredder is a petrol wood chipper you take to the branches. It is not a mains shredder with a BS 1363 plug. You buy one when the pile is away from an outdoor socket. STIHL UK’s note on electric chippers is a domestic 1.5 mm² lead up to 25 m, or 2.5 mm² up to 50 m. Occasional hedge waste beside a socket is a different category. These machines are chippers: woody branches into a bladed drum. A UK search for shredder often means a mains machine for hedge clippings.
A UK search for shredder often means a mains machine for hedge clippings. These three titles are petrol chippers for woody branches. Hedge waste beside a socket is a different category. None of them prints a reduction ratio or a collection bag.
Both Rotatech bullets say engine oil is not included. The 100 mm bullet says 4-stroke. The 50 mm bullet does not state the stroke. Do not copy another maker’s fill volume onto these sumps, and do not start the engine until you have oil.
102 kg is the 100 mm bullet. The 50 mm listing prints no weight. A widget on the 100 mm page showed 205 kg, and the maker’s 50 mm-class page prints 86 kg. Do not average those figures, and do not treat 50 mm as a promise for knots.
Horsepower does not replace the diameter the listing prints. In this comparison both cheaper rows say 50 mm. Only the Rotatech RTP-GS-65H says 100 mm, on a 7 hp, 212 cc 4-stroke. The Rotatech RTP-GS-65S is also 7 hp and 212 cc, and it states 50 mm, with an emergency stop. The Ark Mat states 4 hp, 159 cc, belt drive and 50 mm. Forest Master’s buying guide, which is not one of these listings, says about 50 mm covers many domestic gardens.
Both Rotatech bullets say engine oil is not included. The Ark Mat listing does not say. Do not start a Rotatech with an empty sump, and do not copy another maker’s fill volume onto these engines. The 100 mm bullet says 4-stroke. The 50 mm bullet does not state the stroke. Weight is the bullet figure only where it exists: 102 kg on the 100 mm listing. The 50 mm listing prints no weight. A page widget showed 205 kg on the 100 mm model, and the maker’s 50 mm-class page prints 86 kg.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
The pile is away from a socket and the wood is within a stated 50 mm. You want a review you can read. The Rotatech RTP-GS-65S is about £449.99, 7 hp and 212 cc, with an emergency stop. The line is 5.0 from one amazon.co.uk review, so the sample is tiny.
You want the lowest petrol 50 mm price here and you can buy with no star line. The Ark Mat is about £389.95, with a stated 4 hp, 159 cc, belt drive and a 1.2 litre tank. Nobody on the listing has reviewed it.
You regularly cut limbs thicker than 50 mm and can handle a bullet weight of 102 kg. The Rotatech RTP-GS-65H is about £799.99 and states 100 mm. The line is 3.8 from four reviews, and one says the engine did not start.
The top pick is the Rotatech RTP-GS-65S at about £449.99. It states 7 hp, 212 cc and branches up to 50 mm, with an emergency stop, and the score on this page is 80 from 5.0 and one amazon.co.uk review. One review is not a lab test. The best value is the Ark Mat at about £389.95, the lowest price here, because it states 50 mm, 4 hp and belt drive and the listing has no star line. The Rotatech RTP-GS-65H at about £799.99 is the only row that states 100 mm. Its score is 64 from 3.8 and four reviews, and one of those says the engine did not start.
Rotatech RTP-GS-65S 50 mm
Highest score on this page, 80, from 5.0 and one review, with a stated 7 hp, 50 mm and an emergency stop, at about £449.99. One review is not a lab test.
Ark Mat 4 hp 50 mm
Lowest petrol price here, about £389.95, with 50 mm, 4 hp and belt drive stated. The listing has no star line, so the label is the shelf price, not a test.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources from the research digest. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these three listings were scored on 22 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk (tag pcuk26-21). If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are taken from those listings. We did not run a lab test.
