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Many techniques have been invented to facilitate manual labor. One of these assistants to the summer resident and the owner of a private yard is a garden shredder for grass and branches, powered by electricity or an internal combustion engine. Many owners do not consider the unit an essential technique. But in vain. The shredder will help to get excellent mulch for humus or wood shavings from organic waste, which will serve as bedding for animals.
Features of the chopper device
The shredder of branches and grass is correctly called a shredder. The mechanism works on the principle of a large meat grinder. A person puts all organic garbage into the bunker, which is collected by autumn on the site: the tops of garden crops, grass, branches of shrubs and trees. Hardened steel knives grind it all up, resulting in a pile of sawdust. The cutting mechanism is driven by the engine.
According to the principle of operation, it is already clear that the shredder consists of three main components: a hopper, a motor and a knife system, which is called a chipper. The main function of the bunker is the loading of garbage. But it also serves as a barrier that prevents human hands, clothes and other objects from getting into the chopper.
The motor is the heart of the grinder. The more powerful it is, the more productive the shredder is. For such equipment, an electric or gasoline engine is used. The choice of model depends on what kind of garbage the garden shredder will work with. Almost all models of shredders are equipped with a device for adjusting the speed of waste processing. Well, if the chopper has a reverse. It helps to clean the knives from wound green vegetation.
The chipper consists of cutting elements of different design. Weak knives are designed to grind the green mass of vegetation up to 3 cm thick, and powerful cutters can grind even tree branches up to 8 cm in diameter.
The difference between shredders by engine type
Like most all garden equipment, shredders are produced with an electric or gasoline engine. Each model has its positive and negative sides.
Electric motor
First, let’s find the positive aspects of an electric shredder:
- Low noise level. The motor is almost inaudible as it works. Noise is created only from grinding branches.
- There are no harmful emissions of exhaust gases. The operator will not have to breathe smoke during operation.
- Economy and ease of maintenance. An electric chopper does not need to be filled with gasoline and oil, change filters, buy candles. For the shredder to work, it is enough to plug it into the outlet, which a woman or teenager can handle.
Now we will look for the disadvantages of the electric chopper:
- The garden electric shredder has the main disadvantage – attachment to the outlet. To work with the shredder in the garden far from home, you will have to buy a long cable. You can use another solution – move the garbage closer to the building, where it is possible to connect to the mains.
- The electric motor is sensitive to power surges. This happens a lot in the countryside. A large voltage drop in the mains will result in the failure of the chopper electric motor.
- A significant disadvantage of the electric shredder is the power limit of 4 kW. The chopper will not take branches with a thickness of more than 3 cm.
Despite significant shortcomings, most summer residents prefer electric shredders.
Petrol engine
To make a comparison of different shredders, let’s look at the positive aspects of a shredder powered by a gasoline engine:
- The main advantage of a gasoline engine is high power. This allows the shredder to grind large debris. The maximum power of the chopper motor can reach 8 kW. Such an aggregate will easily turn branches with a diameter of 8 cm into wood shavings.
- The petrol engine provides mobility of a grinder. The unit can be rolled on wheels on any territory or go with it in the field.
Now consider the other side of the coin:
- The disadvantage of a gasoline engine is a high level of noise, plus harmful exhaust emissions. After several hours of working with a chopper, a person may experience headaches. If safety precautions are not followed, exhaust gases can be poisoned.
- On the economic side, maintenance of a gasoline engine will cost more. You need to buy fuel, oil, change filters and candles. And in the case of repair, spare parts will cost more than half the cost of a new engine.
If it is supposed to process large garbage in the household, then you need to close your eyes to all the shortcomings and choose a gasoline shredder.
Varieties of chippers
So, we found out that the chipper is a mechanism for grinding organic debris. In other words, they are knives. Chipper is of three types:
- For processing bulky waste, a chipper based on milling cutters is used. The mechanism will cope with branches with a diameter of up to 8 cm.
- The screw chipper is designed for grinding already ground waste.
- Knives grind green vegetation, tops of garden crops, branches up to 3 cm thick. They can break on bulky waste.
Any type of chipper is equipped with protection that does not allow the load to be exceeded in case of penetration of large waste and foreign objects. Depending on the application, chippers are conditionally divided into classes:
- Amateur – these are mechanisms designed for grinding grass. Thin branches are allowed. A shredder with such a chipper is used in a small young garden.
- Medium – these are mechanisms with reinforced knives mounted on a steel shaft. Such a chipper has the ability to self-retract waste through the inlet.
- Professional – these are mechanisms based on cutters. They are usually put on industrial shredders with a gasoline engine.
When choosing a shredder for your needs, you need to compare the capabilities of the technique with the characteristics of your garden.
Classification of garden shredders by power
The performance of the shredder depends on the power of the motor. In this regard, there is also a classification of garden equipment:
- Hobbyist shredders usually come with electric motors. Their power is limited to 1,5 kW, and the weight is within 15 kg. The cutting mechanism is circular knives. Grinders are characterized by compact dimensions and ease of operation.
- Semi-professional shredders are equipped with an electric motor and a gasoline engine. Their power varies between 1,5 – 2,5 kW. The cutting mechanism in some models may include milling cutters.
- Professional shredders are usually equipped with a gasoline engine. There are shredders of this class with an electric motor, but powered by a three-phase network. Most shredder models are produced with a power of 3–6 kW. There are units with an 8 kW motor, but such overall shredders are usually used on large farms.
If you need a reliable, as well as productive shredder for the garden and household, then it is best to give preference to a semi-professional class model.
Features of choosing a shredder
In summing up, let’s look at how to choose a suitable shredder model. Here is what gardeners recommend in this regard:
- The first step is to determine the power of the grinder. To do this, it is worth doing an analysis of the amount and dimensions of organic waste. After that, it will immediately become clear which shredder is needed: gasoline or electric.
- The weight of the chopper, brand and cost are not so significant indicators, but it is worth paying attention to. With these questions, it is better to visit the forum, where experienced owners will share real information.
- For comfortable work, it is advisable to choose a chopper model with speed control and a trash pusher. The shredder with two funnels for garbage is very convenient in use. One hole is reserved for loading small waste, and the other for large branches.
- A big plus of the chopper model, which comes with pre-cutting knives, a spare cutting mechanism and a tool for cleaning the unit.
At the time of purchase, ask to start the engine in the store and listen to the noise level. By the way, if the gasoline engine will be difficult to start or work intermittently, then it’s better to look at another model.
The video talks about choosing a garden shredder:
Reviews
There are a lot of reviews about garden grass grinders. Let’s take a look at a few of them.