Sun Joe Electric Wood Chipper Review: Turn That Storm Cleanup Into Usable Mulch

5 min readSun Joe’s wood chipper is powerful enough to chip branches 1.73 inches in diameter.Its light weight and two wheels make it easy to move around the yard. A collection bag makes it easy to transfer wood chips to landscaping.My backyard runs up to a wooded area. Although there are few trees on my actual property, any storm that comes through pushes twigs and branches from the wooded area onto my lawn. And with several large rose bushes to tend to, I have a fair amount of clippings to break down. Gathering this debris up in a large waste container has been my approach for cleaning up my yard. But leaving this debris on the curb to be hauled off to the local landfill or burning it in my fire pit seemed like a waste, especially since I have landscaping beds and a garden that could benefit from this yard waste.Purchasing a gas-powered wood chipper to break this waste down into usable mulch felt like overkill. Plus, I didn’t have space to store a gas chipper, nor did I want to fork over $600 or $700 for one of these machines. Enter the Sun Joe CJ603E electric wood chipper.It doesn’t have the wood-chipping power of a gas wood chipper like the Champion portable gas wood chipper or the Earthquake K32 wood chipper, but it does what I need it to do. It can chip small branches and twigs, and costs a fraction of a gas-powered wood chipper. Plus, it’s a manageable weight and size, so it’s easy to move around and store. I spent several months testing the Sun Joe for our Best Wood Chippers buying guide earlier this year and have been using it to assist with yard cleanup ever since. It’s proven to be up to the task.ProsLight and compact size and weight make it easy to move and storeHandles small debris wellIncludes a collection bag that makes it easy to transport chipsConsCan struggle with larger “green” branchesUneven chip productionKey SpecsTypeElectricMotor15 amp Reduction Ratio21:1Capacity1.73 in. How I TestedWhat better way to test the Sun Joe CJ603E’s wood-chipping abilities than to feed it as many twigs and branches as possible? And since my property backs up to a densely wooded area, I had plenty of fodder for it to chew on. Keeping to its listed max branch diameter of 1.73 inches, I crammed dead, dry branches into the Sun Joe.Along with its ability to chew up dead wood, I also wanted to see how it handled green material, so I used the CJ603E to break down clippings trimmed from several large rose bushes on my property. Lastly, I also considered how well the Sun Joe was able to chip material into bits that were small enough to serve as mulch.Tony CarrickThe Sun Joe wood chipper can’t chew through sticks much larger than 1.73 inches wide, but even its modest capacity makes it a smart choice for many suburban homeowners looking to do some wood chipping without owning a tool that takes up the entire shed.Easy to Assemble, Easy to MoveThe Sun Joe CJ603E is one of the easiest wood chippers I’ve tested. For starters, assembly took just a few minutes. It only weighs 38 pounds and sits on two wheels, so moving it from my garage to my backyard felt effortless compared to moving gas wood chippers that weigh well over 100 pounds. The Sun Joe CJ603E uses a standard wall outlet for power, so it requires an extension cord, which limits its range compared to a gas-powered model. That said, the CJ603E also starts at the push of a button, so there’s no wrestling with a pull starter. At about 3 feet tall assembled on its stand, the Sun Joe is roughly the size of a counter-height bar stool with a backrest. That’s much smaller than a full-size gas wood chipper, which is important for garages like mine that are strapped for space.Tony CarrickBeing set on wheels and relatively lightweight makes the Sun Joe easy to transport to wherever it’s needed around the yard.Small Yet Surprisingly PowerfulWe at Popular Mechanics are already familiar with Sun Joe’s line of wood chippers, having tested an earlier model a few years ago. Sun Joe’s CJ603E is a clear upgrade. The addition of a pressure plate that forces branches and twigs up against the blades gives this updated model more cutting power than its predecessor. The results were noticeable during testing.I began my testing with dried-out dead wood, beginning with smaller twigs before working up to larger branches. The Sun Joe handled it all well, even consuming branches that were pushing beyond its listed 1.73-inch-diameter capacity.The CJ603E is a prolific eater. I was able to feed sticks into it continuously without having to wait for the blades to chew through already-loaded material. And since the machine pulls sticks into it, there’s no need to use a separate stick to push material down its throat (though the CJ603E does include one).Tony CarrickThe included plunger tool helps to feed wood down into the chipper.Tony CarrickSimple controls make the CJ603E easy to operate.The CJ603E does have an Achilles’ heel, and that’s with thicker, greener branches that exceed 1.5 inches in diameter. This “wet” wood had a tendency to clog the output chute, creating torn pieces rather than cleanly cut chips. While this wasn’t a huge issue for me, it could be for someone who uses a wood chipper to clean up live branches brought down during a storm.Another benefit of the CJ603E is that it operates more quietly than the loud gas-powered models I’ve tested and does not produce exhaust, though you should still wear hearing protection when operating it. The CJ603E also requires far less maintenance since it doesn’t use a gas engine.Irregular ChippingThe Sun Joe CJ603E produces wood chips suitable for mulching, but don’t expect them to have a uniform look. Depending on what I was chipping, the CJ603E produced anywhere from 1/2-inch- to 1-inch-long wood chips, which was coarser than I expected given its listed 21:1 reduction ratio. I also noticed that the CJ603E would allow some longer twigs to pass through without being completely chopped. Since these irregularities make the wood chips less ideal for use in decorative landscaping, I use them as a base layer with a top layer of commercial mulch in my landscaping.Tony CarrickThe collection bag keeps your fresh chips contained and makes it easy to locate them where you want around your yard.The VerdictSun Joe’s CJ603E wood chipper does what it’s designed for well. It can chip branches and twigs up to 1.73 inches in diameter into wood chips for easy disposal or use as mulch. Its compact size and comparatively light weight make it easy to move from garage or shed to yard and back again, and it doesn’t take up a huge amount of space in a shed or garage.Homeowners will also appreciate the ease of use an electric wood chipper offers compared to gas models, since there’s no gas-powered engine to start or maintain. These factors, along with its low purchase cost, make it a smart option for homeowners looking for something that can handle modest yard cleanup.That said, it’s important to understand that the Sun Joe CJ603E does not match the power of gas-powered wood chippers designed for residential use. Gas-powered wood chippers are more capable, with most able to chew through branches up to 3 inches in diameter. Their powerful engines also make them capable of moving through branches at a higher rate. There’s also a difference in durability. While the Sun Joe has numerous plastic parts, gas wood chippers have mainly metal construction, so they can better endure bigger jobs and more frequent use.The Sun Joe is also a dedicated wood chipper. Unlike chipper/shredders, the CJ603E doesn’t have a shredder function that will reduce leaves into mulch. If you're looking for a wood chipper that can handle bigger branches and shred leaves, we suggest one of our other recommended models below.Buy the Sun Joe CJ603E Wood ChipperOther Wood Chippers We RecommendThis gas wood chipper chewed through 3-inch branches with ease when we tested it, and it also doubles as a very effective leaf shredder. Couple that performance with a reasonable price tag, and it’s an ideal gas wood chipper for homeowners with wooded lots to manage.This is the most affordable gas wood chipper we could find that still has the chops to get the job done. It’s capable of grinding through branches up to 3 inches in diameter and has a chute that makes it easy to deposit those wood chips directly into your landscaping. It only chips wood, though. If you’re looking for something that can also shred leaves, you’ll need to look elsewhere.Earthquake’s K32 wood chipper boasted some of the most impressive wood-chipping power we experienced of any of the models we tested. What’s more, it produces some of the smallest wood chips. If you’re looking for a machine to create high-quality mulch for your landscaping, then spring for this one.Tony Carrick is a full-time freelance writer who specializes in technology, home improvement, DIY, home security, and outdoor recreation. He’s tested and written about everything from home security systems to power tools to gas grills. His product guides, how-to articles, and feature stories can be found in such publications as Bob Vila, Angi, U.S. News and World Report, Field & Stream, Futurism, and Switchful. When Tony isn’t writing, he can be found working on his latest home improvement effort at his home in North Carolina.Colin Aylesworth attended Binghamton University and is a Deputy Editor with the Gear team at Popular Mechanics and Runner’s World, where he has been since 2022. Prior to joining Hearst Magazines, he worked for 11 years at U.S. News and World Report on the autos team. His personal pursuits fit in well with the work he does for PM and RW. Aylesworth was on his college’s club rowing team and has maintained a routine running habit through most of his adult life as a means of getting exercise and spending time outdoors. Running creates a hearty appetite, which brings us to Popular Mechanics. That publication's expertise in the area of grilling is relatable to Aylesworth, who is an adherent to charcoal grilling. In fact, he’s been primarily using the same Weber charcoal kettle he bought on Craigslist in 2012. Aylesworth also has experience in the lawn mower industry. Not only has he been mowing his and neighbor’s lawns during adolescence, one of his more recent endeavors is a side gig of repairing and restoring gas lawn mowers given up by their previous owners. Since joining PM, he has gotten more involved with the publication’s mower testing efforts and especially enjoys testing out new electric and zero turn mowers.