Garden shredder for grass and branches: assistant for the care of the site
Garden shredder for grass and branches: assistant for the care of the site
Today there are a large number of mechanisms and equipment that can facilitate the hard and painstaking work of a summer resident. One of such reliable assistants is a garden shredder for grass and branches, which in a matter of minutes processes dry leaves, grass and branches into chips, which can serve as a high-quality mulch, the basis for the production of humus or a useful fertilizer. This article will tell you how to choose this simple device correctly.
Garden shredder for grass and branches
Garden shredder for grass and branches: the principle of operation
A garden shredder or shredder for wood and grass resembles a meat grinder in its internal design. All kinds of garbage that gardeners encounter in the suburban area gets into the grinding system, where it is ground to a state of chips. Thanks to the powerful engine, which is equipped with some types of shredder, even the heaviest materials are being ground.
Garden shredder helps to get rid of branches quickly
A standard garden shredder for branches, leaves and grass consists of three main elements: a hopper, a shredding mechanism and an engine.
The most significant element is the bunker. This is a kind of filter that prevents the penetration of foreign objects into the shredder, such as fabric, rubber, metal parts. Another function of the hopper is the direct passage of recycled garbage.
According to the grinding system, milling and knife grinders are distinguished. The knife shredder processes garden garbage up to 3 cm. Milling devices cope with larger-sized garbage, up to 8 cm.
The shredder drives an engine that can be powered by electricity or gasoline. The type of engine is determined by the composition of the garbage that will be recycled. Each garden shredder is equipped with a regulating device, thanks to which it is possible to speed up or slow down the shredding process. An integral component of the garden device is the reverse, with which you can clean clogged knives.
The internal structure of the garden shredder
How to choose a garden chopper
Before you start choosing a garden shredder, it is necessary to evaluate all the work on the site and identify the most complex waste, as a result of which they are formed. The quantity and composition of the processed raw materials will directly depend on the type of device. Next, you should take into account the weight of the shredder, the trademark, the cost of the equipment.
When choosing a shredder, you should be guided by its main characteristics:
The chopper is an indispensable assistant to the gardener
There are knife and milling grinders. The most popular are milling machines that grind garden debris using a steel gear. This type of shredder allows you to process both soft materials and hard wood. Knife shredders are suitable for crushing small branches and soft materials.
The device class of the equipment affects its power, performance and cost. For simple suburban needs, you can use amateur or middle-class equipment, which numerous reviews will help you choose. The garden shredder for grass and branches of the amateur class with a capacity of 1.8-2.2 kW will easily cope with soft materials.
The equipment of the middle class with a capacity of 2.5 kW processes larger rigid branches. The most professional devices are those with gasoline engines and noise reduction. They are capable of processing solid raw materials and thick branches. They are characterized by greater power and high cost. They are not suitable for ordinary garden plots, because they will not be able to pay for themselves.
According to the type of engine, shredders can be electric and gasoline. Professional high-power shredders are usually equipped with gasoline engines. They are mobile and have high performance. Budget models are powered by electricity. They are rarely used to work in large areas, since the radius of their movement is limited by the length of the cord.
Reliable electric chopper
Before you buy a garden chopper for branches and grass, estimate the size of your plot, on which the length of the cord depends. If the site is very large, then it would be advisable to purchase a gasoline chopper. Attention should be paid to the noise level, which should not exceed 84 dB. The highest level of noise reduction is professional devices.
Useful advice! Keep in mind that the lower the noise level of the device, the lower its performance. This applies to models of the middle and amateur class.
When choosing the type of device, read the list of those materials that it can process. This model must be certified and have a warranty. Give preference to well-known manufacturers who have service centers in our country.
The rating of garden shredders of branches and grass will help determine the choice of the device. Reviews of professional gardeners are based on many years of experience using each model of shredder. Here you can find out all the detailed information about each specific unit, evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of each model.
The shredder will help to get rid of all unnecessary branches
The shredder can be purchased as a separate device or buy a branch shredder for a tillerblock, which is an additional equipment to agricultural machinery. The principle of operation and the rules for choosing this mechanism are the same as for independent equipment. The main advantage of the branch shredder for the tillerblock is that it is ideal for any models of tillers and tillers that are equipped with a belt drive from the engine to the gearbox.
Types of device motors
Gasoline and electric shredders are distinguished by the type of engine. Before deciding on the type of equipment, it is worth studying the advantages and disadvantages of each of them.
Electric Shredder
This is a compact low-noise shredder with a capacity of up to 2.6 kW. It easily grinds fallen leaves, dry grass and branches up to 2.5 cm in diameter. However, his ability to move is limited by the length of the electric cord. It reacts very much to voltage fluctuations in the network, which is not uncommon for suburban areas.
Compact Electric Chopper
Useful advice! If there is a problem of voltage drop on the site, you can use a garden generator.
Main advantages:
- the devices have a low noise level, unlike gasoline shredders;
- environmentally safe;
- thanks to its compact design, simple and easy to use;
- more economical. It has a low cost and eliminates additional fuel and fuel costs.
The main disadvantages:
- it cannot work without a constant source of electric current;
- sensitive to voltage fluctuations;
- a low-power device that will not cope with large solid raw materials.
Gasoline Shredder
This device is a powerful mobile technique that can work in any garden. The gasoline shredder of branches and grass is capable of processing solid wood with a diameter of up to 7 cm. The equipment has a significant weight, which limits the possibility of its easy movement on the garden plot.
When using a noisy device, you will need headphones
Due to the high power of up to 8 kW, the device is quite noisy, but at the same time much more productive. Therefore, the price of a garden gasoline chopper of branches and grass will be higher than the electric analogue.
As a result of their work, gasoline shredders emit harmful products into the atmosphere. In comparison with electric analogues, they require additional equipment maintenance costs, namely the replacement of engine oil after a certain number of engine hours. However, such a timely event will eliminate the breakdown of the internal combustion engine and extend its service life for a long time.
Shredder grinding mechanism
The type of chopper cutting mechanism should be selected depending on the structure and size of the raw material. Next, we will consider each system separately.
Knife shredders
This grinding mechanism consists of knives in the form of a disk, which begin to rotate when the device is turned on, and process the waste coming to them. They are ideal for chopping grass, foliage, small branches, tops and half-rotted root crops. Knives can handle harder waste, but their blade quickly becomes dull and the life of the shredder is significantly reduced.
Knife shredder grinds grass and thin branches
Useful advice! To ensure the continuous operation of the shredder, you should have a spare set of knives for the shredder of branches, which you can buy together with the shredder.
Milling grinders
Shredders with a milling system are the most reliable. They are capable of processing dry solid raw materials up to 70 mm in diameter. This type of recycling system is used for powerful professional models. The grinding process is carried out using a monolithic gear that rotates on the shaft, and a vertical anvil opposite. Garden waste, passing between these elements, is crushed.
Such mechanisms are better used for solid wood, because as a result of grinding grass and leaves, the space between the cutting parts is clogged, which reduces the life of the device. Many models are equipped with an automatic feed mechanism, which allows a person to do other things in parallel.
Useful advice! To meet all the needs associated with the shredding of garden waste of various sizes and hardness, you can buy a shredder for grass and branches with a combined shredding system. However, its cost will be much higher than single devices.
A milling shredder is suitable for thick branches
Another significant advantage over knife grinders is the presence of a reverse function in milling devices. This makes it possible to remove the stuck element from the cavity of the shredder without compromising its further operation. A video of a branch shredder with such a function clearly demonstrates this. In milling grinders, it is possible to adjust the level of processing by changing the distance between the gear and the anvil.
Visually, the level of operation of each system can be viewed on numerous videos of a garden shredder for grass and branches offered on the Internet.
Shredder power
According to the power indicator , garden shredders are divided into three classes:
Professional shredders have a high power rating of up to 8 kW and are often equipped with gasoline engines. However, on the market you can find professional three-phase electric shredders that operate from a voltage of 380V. The devices are equipped with a large grinding mechanism for grinding large solid raw materials, a receiving funnel and a retractor.
Shredder for the garden
Due to high productivity and power, such shredders have a bulky design and high cost. Therefore, the use of such devices in small suburban areas is impractical. They find their application in a large farm where there is a large amount of waste.
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Semi-professional level shredders can be equipped with a gasoline or electric motor. They are most often produced with a milling grinding system, which allows grinding large branches up to 45 mm in diameter. The power of such shredders ranges from 1.5 to 2.5 kW. The devices are equipped with shock-absorbing wheels, which contributes to their easy movement on the garden plot.
Useful advice! There are models equipped with a system for retracting mown grass and fallen leaves, which, after grinding, enter a separate compartment for collecting mulch.
Devices that belong to the amateur class are equipped with an electric motor, have a knife grinding system. The power of such shredders does not exceed 1.5 kW. Thanks to the compact lightweight design, such shredders are simple and convenient to operate. This shredder for grass and branches for the cottage, which you can buy for a reasonable price, is ideal for a small plot.
Branded models of garden shredders
There are several models of garden shredders for grass and branches, which are very popular with professional gardeners. Below are some of them.
Shredder Bosch AXT Rapid 2000
The Bosch AXT Rapid 2000 shredder is a representative of the amateur class. This shredder has a power of 2 kW, equipped with an electric motor. It can process not only dry branches, but also wet grass. Such a device is equipped with comfortable wheels that allow you to move it around the garden area without much effort. You can buy a grass chopper of this model for 14 thousand rubles.
A representative of the middle class is the Viking GE 250 shredder, which has a 2.5 kW electric motor and is equipped with an advanced knife disc with two blades and two knives for pre-grinding. According to reviews, a garden chopper with such a cutting design allows you to grind both hard branches and soft leaves and stems. The price of the Viking garden shredder is 21 thousand rubles.
Quite powerful and at the same time simple in design, the Wolf-Garten SDL 2500 shredder is designed for a large amount of work. He confidently grinds hard branches up to 40 mm in diameter. The cutting system, resembling a gear, is a roll that captures and grinds branches, stretching them between the base plate and the blades. This garden chopper of branches, which you can buy for 15 thousand rubles, is equipped with a function of protection against overheating and jamming, has a reverse mode.
Shredder Wolf-Garten SDL 2500
It is necessary to approach the choice of a garden chopper with great responsibility. First of all, it is necessary to objectively assess the entire amount of work that the unit must cope with. Then, based on the characteristics of each model, choose the right option at an affordable price. However, if it is not possible to purchase a shredder at this time, many owners offer to rent a shredder of branches and grass at an agreed price.
In order for a reliable assistant to serve a long service, one should not forget about proper care of the device specified in the instructions, and so that its operation is not dangerous for everyone around, strictly observe the safety rules.