I suppose it is clear, but I didn't explicitly ask: does anyone have much experience with electric chippers? Can you steer me away from bad products and/or toward a good one?

joe11050, IMO, you should be able to find a fair grade of chipper that has an option of being electric or gas. Such as, I have found this with Air compressors mainly (1 HP electric or 5 HP gas) Log Splitters, etc.. I feel I noticed a fairly heaver chipper here modified to electric. I guess you get less power with electric but not bad from my experience with a 1 HP Air Compressor and 1 HP electric driven hydraulic pump on a Log Splitter.

BUT!!! The 100 - 200.00 ranges in cost might be a Short Lived Toy. One was given to me that was not worth my time (the plastic construction was too damaged).

I don't think the small electric chippers are worth the powder to blow them to hell. I've tried them. They're reasonably powerful, but are designed with chutes that are so narrow and constricted that it would take you 2 days to shred a bushel of leaves. That's so you can't hurt yourself. Thank the lawyers for that. I converted an old Super Tomahawk from gas (dead engine) to electric by installing a big 3 h.p. Baldor motor on it. This required an outdoor 220 volt outlet wired to a GFCI 220 v. circuit breaker. It has ample power. I don't use it much for chipping, but a lot for shredding. It can handle cornstalks, brussel sprouts stems (very tough and woody), and just about anything I throw at it. It's nice not to have to fuss with gasoline. Of course, you'd have to convert it yourself, or hire someone to do it for you. Point is, it can be done. And of course the Super Tomahawk isn't the only machine that could be converted.