This piece of equipment is doing a fine job, but it is not a shredder. The plant material needs to be dry before it is stuffed in. Damp leaves or stems will quickly plug up the chute because the blades are sturdy, not razor sharp. As long as plants are dried out, they whiz through and fall neatly into the collection bin. It is easy to load, especially if stems are stiff. I have used it on garden debris, not on twigs or small branches, but it should work equally well on them. One thing I particularly like is the ease of setup. I can chip any size bunch of plants and not wait until I have accumulated a huge pile. It is easy to wheel around, easy to disassemble for cleaning, quick to put back together because no tools are required for the job. I had to get used to the difference between a shredder and a chipper, but I will not have to sharpen this chipper's blades frequently.