I bought it primarily for chopping straw and leaves. I use a lot of straw as mulch in my garden and this breaks it down very nicely and cracks any seeds in the straw thus I have less germination of wheat in my garden. I have put sticks and weeds thru it also just to see if it could do it. It did. I almost didn't keep it because of in transit damage (sheared bolts holding it on its frame). If it wasn't for Angie's determination in making sure I got the right parts to fix it - it would have gone back. Only complaint, wheels are too narrow to go easily across the lawn to the garden, changed them to wider pneumatic tires with wider foot print.