Turn Yard Scraps Into DIY Mulch And Compost With A Solution From Harbor Freight

Mulch can be invaluable for weed suppression and moisture retention in garden beds and borders. Making your own DIY compost, meanwhile, can improve soil condition and feed your flowers and vegetables. Using the twigs and fallen leaves from your own yard to make mulch and compost seems like a good, budget-friendly idea, but there are a few stumbling blocks to this method: One, dead leaves and twigs don't look great piled up in a garden (as mulch), and two, these materials can take up to two years or more to break down when added to a compost heap. A solution to both these issues could be to break down those leaves and twigs into much smaller pieces, something a tool like Harbor Freight's Portland Electric Chipper Shredder is designed to do.

Chopping up your yard scraps into smaller pieces provides two benefits. First, the leaf matter can form a denser mulch so it's more effective (and less unsightly). Secondly, the resulting material also turns into useful compost more quickly. According to Harbor Freight, its electric Portland chipper shredder's twin-blade cutter mechanism can tackle waste up to 1 ½ inches in diameter. It can also handle kitchen scraps if you want to chop them up, too (though before you do, it's worth checking the things you should never add to compost).

The tool has a rust- and dent-proof polypropylene hopper, a steel frame, and wheels for push-pull maneuvering. There's also a safety cut-off in the event of a jam. The current price is $139.99.

The majority of customers think the Portland chipper shredder is a good value, but it's important to understand that this is a light-duty model. As one customer pointed out, the tool works for "brush and trimmings," while another buyer (who gave the product five stars) said, "You aren't going to grind up a giant tree with it." If you have debris in your yard from a storm and you're wondering whether it's better to buy or rent a wood chipper for your yard, then this won't be the tool you need.

Another potential issue with this combination chipper and shredder is that it's corded. Any outdoor electrical device should always be plugged into a GFCI (or ground fault circuit interrupter) socket to prevent the danger of electric shocks. So, you'll need to check if your outdoor outlets have this. That said, there also might be a question of range; if you can work reasonably close to the house, then this isn't a problem. But, again for safety, an outdoor extension cord should not exceed 100 feet.

The Portland 14-amp chipper shredder is a competitively priced tool for turning yard scraps, like leaves and twigs, into DIY mulch or smaller carbon pieces for more rapid composting. It'll reduce the bulk of waste you have to deal with, too. However, if you have deadfalls or damaged branches to dispose of, you'll need something more robust and heavy duty.