Garden shredder sound levels vary greatly between garden shredders. Impact shredders are the loudest, most raucous models on sale. It is not always easy to see how to compare garden shredder noise levels. Not all manufacturers publish sound figures.

Where the sound figures are published they are often hidden away in the small print. What’s more, sound levels are measured in decibels (dB). Unless you are a scientist, the decibel scale is not easy to understand.

So, in this article we are going to help you compare the noise levels of typical garden shredders. To do this we are going to answer 4 questions:

The answer to the last question is easy – “Yes, wear ear, eye and hand protection whenever you use any garden machinery”. There is a bit more to it than that of course.

Just How Noisy Are Garden Shredders?

Rapid Shredders Sound Levels

All rapid shredders are noisy. It is a feature of the way in which they work. A high speed motor, driving a high speed rotating blade which chops into the clippings you put in the Shredder is a recipe for lots of noise.

We include noise levels for some of the most popular rapid shredders below.

Note: clicking on images in this table will take you to see that Shredder on Amazon UK. As an Amazon Associate, gardenshredderreview.co.uk earns from qualifying purchases.

ShredderImageNoise (dB)Comment
1Bosch AXT 2200Bosch AXT 2200 Rapid Garden Shredder 107This is our current choice for best rapid garden shredder. Click on this link to see our full review of the Bosch AXT 2200
See it on Amazon
2Einhell GH-KS 2440Einhell Rapid Garden Shredder 112See it on Amazon
3Dirty Pro Tools 2500
Dirty Pro Tools Rapid Garden Shredder
111See it on Amazon
4TackLife PWSO2A
No products found.
105No products found.

To understand just how noisy these machines are requires an understanding of the decibel (dB) scale. That is beyond the scope of this web site but we have provided a bunch of links out to more detailed explanations elsewhere.

HSE regulations stipulate that employees working in an environment where the sound level is above 85dB should always wear ear protection. For most of us, short exposure to sound at this level will not cause lasting harm. However, exposure to sound in the 105-112dB range could cause hearing damage in as little exposure as 2 minutes per day.

For this post we have created the comparative table below. You can see that rapid shredders fit right in the middle of the red, dangerous zone.

While not scientific, a change of 10dB is normally agreed to represent a doubling of volume. While the Tacklife PWS02A at 105dB is well within the red zone, it is much less noisy than the Einhell at 112dB

How Do The Noise Levels of “Quiet” Garden Shredders Compare?

It’s not a surprise that impact shredders are do noisy. They rely on blades, rotating at high speed, to chop branches and cuttings into small pieces. All high speed rotating machinery is, unless heavily sound proofed, inherently noisy.

How then do the quiet or silent garden shredders compare?

We have summarised our findings in the following table.

Note: clicking on images in this table will take you to see that Shredder on Amazon UK. As an Amazon Associate, gardenshredderreview.co.uk earns from qualifying purchases.

ShredderImageNoise (dB)Comment
1Bosch AXT 25TCBosch AXT 25TC Turbine Cut Shredder 89This is our current choice for best electric garden shredder. Click on this link to see our full review of the Bosch AXT 25TC
See it on Amazon
2Bosch AXT25D Einhell Rapid Garden Shredder 90See it on Amazon
3Makita UD2500/2
Dirty Pro Tools Rapid Garden Shredder
93See it on Amazon
4TackLife PWSO2A
No products found.
92The Tacklife is our current Best Quiet Garden Shredder 2020. Click on the link to see our full review. Frustratingly, it is currently (Nov 2020) showing as unavailable. It is worth checking out though. No products found.

It is clear that, while quiet shredders are much quieter than impact shredders, they are still not quiet. The slower rotating crushers/cogs create much less external noise as expected. They can be very quiet at idle. When you start feeding them some challenging cuttings they still need to generate some power. That results in them generating more noise.

That said, I own a Bosch AXT 25D. We have put some pretty major branches through it. At no time have I found it to be loud. You can have a conversation next to it while it is in operation so it cannot be overly noisy.

The quietest of all the electric shredders is the wonderful Bosch AXT 25TC. It has been the best electric garden shredder you can buy for many years now. Only petrol machines can cope with larger branches. Petrol garden shredders are, without exception, very noisy.

Compare Garden Shredder Noise Levels

NoiseAverage decibels (dB)NotesGarden Shredder Review
Leaves rustling, soft music, whisper30Normal, background sounds
Average home noise, refrigerator hum40
Normal conversation, background music60
Office noise, inside car at 60 mph70More noticeable sound.
Vacuum cleaner, washing machine75
Heavy traffic, noisy pub, power lawn mower80-85Bosch AXT 25TC, Turbine Cut Shredder
Hand held hair dryer85-90Very noticeable sounds. Hearing protection is mandatory for people employed within areas with level of soundBosch AXT 25D Quiet Shredder
TackLIfe PWS01A
Forest Master 6HP
Petrol lawn mower90–95
GoKart, motorcycle96–100
Sporting events, premier league football crowd101–105Potentially Dangerous. Hearing loss can occur with relatively short exposureVanHaus 3-in-1 Leaf Mulcher - estimated
TackLife PWS02 rapid
Chainsaw, leaf blower106–115Bosch AXT 2200 Rapid
Einhell GH-KS Rapid
Dirty Pro Tools 2500W rapid
Timberwolf 1375G Petrol Shredder - 111dB
Zipper ZI-HAEK4100 - 115dB
Rock concert, sound next to fire alarms120–129
Gun shot, loud fireworks140

There is only one sensible answer – “Wear ear protection if you are using any rapid shredder”

If you get something like the combined helmet, visor and ear defenders below, you will be set up for just about any circumstances.

RocwooD Chainsaw/Brushcutter Safety Helmet c/w Chin Strap Pro
  • A ratchet system to allow the user to alter the size of the helmet with a simple twist of a knob, one size fits all.
  • A steel mesh visor allowing maximum visability and protection which can be positioned at a 90 degree angle when not in use.
  • High quality ear muffs which can also be positioned over the helmet when not needed.
  • The helmet is manufactured from high density polyethylene material.

Last update on 2024-03-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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