The shredder of branches and grass: why should you buy it?
A well-groomed suburban plot – the pride of every gardener. You can invite friends to visit, treat them to a delicious harvest from the beds, observe the beautiful landscape and have unforgettable parties in nature. However, in order to enjoy all these pleasures, you have to work hard. Fortunately, progress does not stand still, and if previously most household tasks had to be done manually, now there are special equipment for this purpose. Marina Altukhova, Project Manager for Skills Development in the Garden Category at Leroy Merlin, talks about the benefits of a garden shredder and why it is worth having in your arsenal at the cottage.
Why shred waste?
Fallen leaves, broken branches, grass clippings and other plants that need to be cleaned and disposed of make an excellent basis for compost. To obtain high-quality fertilizer, such waste must be processed, that is, shredded. Otherwise, the process of humus maturation will take several years and will not produce the desired results. Shredded organic matter can be sent directly to the composter – a special plastic or wooden container with ventilation holes, where the waste decomposes under the influence of moisture, sunlight and internal biological processes, becoming a valuable fertilizer for future planting. Today, there are a large number of different models of garden shredders on the dacha consumer markets, so you can easily choose a composter of the right size and configuration. It is important to understand that manually shredding twigs and bringing them to a fine chip is an extremely resource-intensive task. It’s like using scissors to cut a stack of paper into small rivulets instead of sending it to the shredder and doing more important and enjoyable things. By the way, a garden shredder is often called a garden shredder. If you pass only branches through the shredder, you get mulch, which can be used to decorate beds in the garden, while protecting the soil from drying out and weeds. Another area where wood chips from shredded branches can come in handy is heating. They can be used as kindling for stoves or on barbecues. In addition, high-quality shredded material can be disposed of faster if you no longer want to use it in the future. A garden shredder can help you when you need to remove debris quickly and simply clear a construction site.
How the mill works
A garden shredder is a wheeled device with a hopper, a motor (electric or gasoline depending on the model), a cutting element and a tank (bag) for recycled waste. The working principle is very similar to a meat grinder: branches, leaves, grass and other plants that need to be disposed of are placed in the hopper (there are models that do not allow shredding grass, check this with the seller when buying). The shredding process is started by pressing the start button. The motor drives the cutting element, and the blades shred the waste into fine chips – mulch. It, in turn, goes to the output tank. It is necessary to take out the ready mass only when the tank is full. Shredders differ not only in the type of power supply (electricity or gasoline), but also in engine power, knife material, feeding mechanism and the volume of the output tank.
What machine to choose?
Electric grinder is suitable for home use. The electric model can easily be used by a woman or an elderly person due to its low weight and clear operation. Gasoline devices require special skills, maintenance costs and are mostly used on an industrial scale. This is a powerful, heavy and expensive equipment for constant high loads. When choosing a helicopter, consider the features of the garden plot and the type of vegetation. If the site is young fresh plantings, there are mixed mixborders of conifers and ornamental outlandish trees and shrubs, stalking, climbing with soft, thin, uncommon branches. The optimal solution in this case is a device with a cutting knife mechanism. It can easily cope with branches up to 4 cm thick. As a rule, two knives work in the mechanism. And the mulch turns out as if cut with scissors: thin, with a slightly jagged texture. Sometimes thin branches (thickness up to 1 cm) are not cut at all, because they get between blades, but not on them. However, this does not affect the quality of the mulch. If the plot is old and there is a large number of a variety of vegetation, mature trees, bushes and conifers, then you need a tool that can cope with thicker and stronger branches. In this case, it is better to choose a device with a shredder or, as they are often called, a drum cutting mechanism. Such a mechanism is used in powerful grinders to handle large branches and twigs up to 6 cm thick. The material itself is trapped in the cutting mechanism. If branches get stuck in the structure, the cutting mechanism usually provides a return stroke. In addition, the mulch is not chopped, but chopped into small pieces – their thickness can be set independently by adjusting the cutting mechanism. The garden helicopter is a technique that requires careful handling. Therefore, manufacturers care about the safety of gardeners and in most models set different levels of interlocking of various elements, which will not allow the device to work until the inaccurate connection is eliminated when repairing unreliable units. In addition, some models are equipped with a pusher, which allows you to easily push branches into the receiving compartment without damaging your hands. Not superfluous will be and protection against accidental start of the engine, which is especially relevant if there are small children in the family. In order to choose the optimal device, it is worth delving into a hypermarket of goods for home and dacha, where various models of garden elevators are presented. Experienced salespeople will help you make the best choice for taking care of your garden.
Garden shredder reviews
On this page we publish rating and reviews of buyers about garden shredders: users who have had the opportunity to assess the pros and cons of a particular model with their own experience, share with you their own opinion. We hope that their comments will be useful to you.
liked everything. Lightweight (20 kg – easy to move). Compact. Ergonomic. Inexpensive (bought 8/6/20 for 12200). grinds everything. Read completely
My mistake. We bought this device to clear willow, aspen and birch bushes over the area of 100 square meters. I opted for the cutter rather than the knives because it was the perfect tool for the job.
The lightweight garden helicopter is very easy to operate and maintain. High and powerful working speed. A great thing in the garden, it shreds. Read in full
1. very comfortable bikes. With its not a lot of weight, the handy handle is a sweet deal for transporting it. 2. Good mains switch. It’s like a starter in the Mash. Read completely
1. Power outlet. Not included in the kit. There is no cable from the device. One extension cord needs to be plugged into it. At first I was upset, but then on. Read completely
Nuance in thickness. When you hear the curves drop, hold the branch so that the knife turns again. If you expect it to make a white . Read completely
Surprised by the length of the cable that is included – 10 centimeters! I have not seen it on any other device or tool. The quality of the knife is very poor.
I’ve been using the device for the second month. I was most disappointed with the quality of the blades. The sharpening from the factory was like a razor, but after four crushed. Read completely
The need of a mighty mill was the necessity to clear a grove of wild bushes which had been left for decades. Read completely
I bought and got a Maultier to solve two problems: shredding large quantities of branches after pruning all kinds of fruit and ornamental trees. Read in full
They take it in their hands and realize they are smeared. They are not afraid it will break or crack like plastic. When they bite down hard, they are turned off. Read completely
Impractical to disassemble, to remove the plug a-in compartments, 4 nuts is too much, although I have no idea how it can be done and reliable. Difficult not to wear. Read completely
The device is worthy, but 3 cm branches very optimistic, if up to 2 cm cuts confidently, and further depends on the kind of tree and the degree. Read in full
