When caring for your garden, you cannot avoid pruning old and dried branches on trees and shrubs. As a result, a fairly large amount of brushwood accumulates, which you want to use for good. The most practical solution in this situation would be to send the branches to the compost, leaving them to rot there. Unfortunately, the process of turning solid wood into compost is quite lengthy, and a mountain of dry branches spoils the overall appearance of the site. In this case, a garden shredder comes to the rescue. Thanks to a garden waste shredder, you can speed up the composting process and reduce the pile of branches to a very modest size. Today, purchasing a garden shredder is not difficult, especially if you have the required amount of money. But those who cannot afford it can make a shredder themselves.
To make a garden branch chopper with your own hands, you need to understand the principle of its operation and how it works. Otherwise, it will be impossible to create the correct drawing and assemble the entire structure together.
The chopper has a fairly simple design. It consists of a motor, a working shaft with knives, a metal frame, a receiving box and a protective casing. The chopper itself is installed on a two-wheeled base for ease of movement. Of course, the design of any garden shredder consists of smaller parts. We will consider which ones and in what quantity at the stage of creating the drawing.
The operating principle is also extremely simple. Rotations from the motor are transmitted to the shaft directly or using a belt or chain. At the same time, branches are fed into the receiving box, which are ground by the knives of the working shaft. The output is shredded wood, ready for composting. The operating principle is somewhat similar to a meat grinder.
The simple and at the same time effective design of a garden waste shredder is used not only by summer residents and gardeners. There are also industrial devices capable of processing fairly thick tree branches. The design of such machines is an order of magnitude more complex and advanced. But it should be noted that some technical solutions for industrial shredders can be implemented at home. This will allow a regular garden shredder to process thick branches efficiently and quickly.
Types of Garden Shredders
When creating a garden shredder with your own hands, you will have to know in advance what exactly it will chop. The type of chopper, its performance characteristics and some design features depend on this. In general, all garden waste shredders can be divided according to parameters: power and type of engine used, as well as the type and operating principle of the shredding unit.
Engine
Garden shredders can be equipped with both gasoline and electric engines. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Thus, a gasoline garden shredder can process large branches much more easily; it is mobile and does not depend on the remoteness of the energy resource. But some models of choppers, especially powerful ones, require connection to agricultural machinery such as a tractor or walk-behind tractor. As opposed to a gasoline one, an electric garden shredder is more compact, lighter and easier to operate. But electric shredders are strictly tied to the connection point and are slightly weaker in power.
In general, if you select an engine for a homemade shredder, you need to consider the following.
- Electric motors with a power of up to 1.5 kW quite easily cope with branches up to 2 cm in diameter and are most often installed on factory models intended for a small area with low intensity of work.
- Motors of 3 - 4 kW can process branches with a diameter of up to 4 cm and are intended for owners of a small garden.
- But engines with a power of more than 6 kW are used in shredders for large farms and are capable of grinding branches 10 - 15 cm in diameter.
Since a homemade shredder is usually focused on a wide range of work, it is recommended to install a 4 kW electric motor. As for gasoline engines, an internal combustion engine with a capacity of 5 - 6 HP will cope with all the tasks.
Important! It is necessary to highlight the drive of garden shredders. This could be a chain, a belt, or attaching the blades directly to the motor shaft.
Knife design
Another criterion by which garden shredders are distinguished is the design of the blades. Since the quality of grinding depends on this. For example, some models of shredders produce pieces of branches ranging from 2 cm to 10 cm in length, depending on the diameter of the shaft and the principle of chopping. Others are a combined design and are capable of processing fairly large branches and producing small shavings. But if the shredding system uses only a disk with knives directly mounted to the motor shaft, then such a shredder will be able to process only thin branches and produce small dust.
In factory models, the following three options are most often used.
The first is a knife disk. These devices are good for chopping small branches with a diameter of up to 2 cm and grass.
The second is the milling design of the knives. Shredders with a similar blade design can cope with thick branches up to 8 cm. But under one condition - the branches must be cut dry. Otherwise, the remains of damp bark and wood will clog into the cutter and stall the mechanism.
Third - universal milling-turbine knives. This knife option is perhaps the most preferable. Such shredders are capable of handling large and small branches, both wet and dry.
Of course, the types of knives described above are almost impossible to make yourself. That is why the following knife designs are used in homemade shredders.
- First - double shaft design with 8 knives.
- Second - knife-disk.
- Third - set of circular saw blades. Their production is the simplest and materials for them can be found at any flea market.
Below we will look at the creation of these particular types of shredders.
How to make a garden shredder with your own hands
Creating a homemade garden shredder is a rather labor-intensive process that requires a high level of skill from the master. The work itself takes place in two stages. The first one is preparatory. The second is assembling a garden shredder.
Preparatory stage
At this stage, we create drawings of a garden shredder and purchase all the necessary materials. The shredder drawing can be drawn by hand or in a special program such as AutoCAD.
As noted earlier, the structure of the chopper consists of a motor, a shaft with knives, a frame, a receiving box and a protective casing. But this is just a general view and, as they say, the devil is in the details. When creating a drawing of a chopper, it is necessary to pay special attention to the location of the shaft with knives, as well as the cutting angle of the knives.
For a shredder with two shafts drawing will look like this: between two metal plates there are two shafts with knives. There are 3 - 4 knives on each shaft. The knives themselves are secured with 3 bolts and offset relative to the center of the shaft. Free rotation of the shafts is ensured by 4 bearings fixed in the holes of the metal plates. Synchronous rotation of the shafts is achieved through two gears, which are driven by a motor. The transmission of torque can be done using a belt or chain. The distance between the shafts is selected based on the width of the knives and the thickness of the branches being processed.
Important! It is necessary to pay special attention to the number of engine revolutions. In electric motors with a power of 4 kW, the number of revolutions is from 2500 to 2800 rpm. This number of revolutions is good for a disk shredder of small branches and grass. For a twin-shaft shredder, power is important, so the speed should be reduced. To do this, it is enough to install a gear or pulley of a smaller diameter on the shaft, and to drive the shafts, install a large pulley or gear.
Below are drawings of a garden shredder with two shafts, 6 knives, three on each shaft.
For blade disc chopper drawing looks much simpler.
First of all, this concerns the disc with knives. The drawing can show the diameter of the disk and the location of the knives and their number. Depending on the requirements for grinding quality, there can be from 1 to 3 knives. The disk itself can be placed either vertically or at an angle. Below are the drawings of the blade disc chopper.
Drawing for a chopper with a set of circular saw blades also quite simple.
A pin with circular saws is placed on the frame, which is driven by a motor. Most often, such designs use a belt drive. Therefore, pulleys are placed at the end of the motor shaft and the stud. The pulley sizes may be the same. Below are drawings of such a chopper.
The materials needed to make the shredders described above can be purchased in stores, flea markets or car markets. Of course, some spare parts will have to be ordered from turners, but most can be purchased without any problems. To complete the assembly work, you will need an angle grinder, a welding machine and wrenches.
For a dual shaft shredder you will need the following materials:
- electric or gasoline engine;
- two metal plates 10 mm thick. Width and height are selected individually;
- two gears for synchronous drive of shafts;
- a pulley or gear for transmitting torque to the shafts;
- pulley on the motor shaft;
- two shafts for knives;
- 5 bearings and fastening to them;
- knives or material for their manufacture;
- profile pipes for the frame;
- sheet metal 2 mm thick for the protective casing and receiving hopper.
For the shredder from the circular saw pack you will need the following::
- 15 - 20 circular saws. The diameter can be taken 18 cm;
- engine;
- M20 pin or its equivalent;
- 2 bearings and fastening to them;
- 2 pulleys;
- 17 - 22 metal washers 5 mm thick for separating saws;
- 2 mm sheet metal for the protective casing and receiving hopper;
- profile pipes for the frame.
A shredder with a blade disc requires very little:
- engine;
- sheet metal for the protective casing and receiving hopper;
- knives and sheet of metal for the disk.
As you can see, the disc chopper is the simplest in design. But it should be noted that the version of the shredder with two shafts is capable of processing branches up to 8 cm in diameter, and a disk one up to 2 cm.
Assembling a garden shredder
Having the drawing and necessary parts in hand, you can begin installing the garden shredder. The assembly work is divided into several stages - assembling the frame and creating a receiving hopper, assembling the chopping drum and installing the motor and chopping drum on the frame.
Let's look at the assembly process using the example of a shredder with two shafts. We begin work by creating a frame:
- cut pieces from the profile pipe using a grinder. Four blanks will be 40 cm long and two 80 cm;
- We weld short pieces at right angles between two long ones. In this case, we place the two internal crossbars at such a distance from each other that the grinding drum is securely installed on them;
Important! To give the chopper mobility, the entire structure will be mounted on a wheel base. To do this, it is necessary to weld two racks to the frame, to which the axle with wheels will be attached.
After creating the frame, you can begin to create the shafts for the chopping drum:
- We take a metal square blank if you plan to install 4 knives on one shaft. Or a round blank for three knives;
- for a square piece, grind both ends, making them round so that they can fit into the purchased bearings. With a round workpiece, we sharpen the central part, making three flat cuts for installing knives.
As for the knives themselves, they can be made from Kamaz springs:
- take the spring and cut a piece of the required length;
- the workpiece itself can be leveled if necessary. To do this, you will have to heat it in a forge and make it even with a few blows of a hammer. Then re-harden and let cool;
- in the knives themselves we make holes for the bolts;
- Now we are sharpening the knives. The cutting edge angle is chosen to be 35 - 45 degrees. Sharpening is carried out on a sharpening machine;
- Finally, we apply the knives to the shaft and mark the places on the shaft for fastening. Then we drill holes and make threads in them.
The next stage is the creation of a chopping drum:
- in two metal plates that will be the walls, we cut out holes for installing bearings in them. This is best done using a welding machine, and then sand the edges. Or you can contact the company. In this case, the holes will be perfectly shaped;
- Now we install the bearings inside;
- For fastening, we use special linings that are bolted to the metal walls;
- We insert the shafts inside the bearings and secure them;
- We connect the drum walls together with threaded metal studs and secure them with nuts.
Upon completion of work with the drum and frame, we make a receiving box:
- we take thin sheet metal and make 4 blanks in the shape of a parallelepiped;
- We measure 4 - 5 cm from the narrow edge of each workpiece and bend it;
- do the same for the long sides of the workpieces. But we make the bend in the opposite direction;
- we assemble the entire structure and check how the workpieces fit together;
- We connect the edges using welding or self-tightening rivets;
- At the base of the box, on the bent edges, we make holes for fasteners.
After assembling the grinding drum, we put the gears on the shafts and install the entire structure on the frame, where we secure it with bolts. Then we put the engine in place and tighten the drive chain or belt. Finally, we install and secure the receiving box. We also install a protective cover on all rotating parts of the chopper to prevent accidental ingress of foreign objects.
Creating the other two grinders is somewhat simpler. For a disc chopper you need the following::
- create a frame and place the motor inside;
- install a reflective shield made of thin sheet metal with a hole for the motor shaft on top of the motor;
- make a hole in the disk for installation on the shaft, as well as slots for knives;
- knives can be made from car springs using the previously described method;
- assemble and install the disc with knives;
- We create a receiving box and install it on top of the disk chopper.
The assembly of a chopper from circular saws looks like this::
- create a frame;
- We thread circular saw blades onto a threaded stud. In this case, we place washers between the disks. This is necessary so that the teeth do not cling to each other. We clamp the saw package on both sides with nuts;
- We weld fasteners for bearings on the internal cross members of the frame;
- we put bearings on the stud and secure them, after which we install the saw package on the frame and secure it there;
- We install a pulley or gear from the longest end of the stud and secure it with a retaining ring;
- install the engine and tension the drive chain or belt;
- Finally, we install the receiving box.
When creating one of the homemade shredders proposed above, it is necessary to take into account the advantages and disadvantages of each of them. The twin-shaft chopper is characterized by high power and the ability to process thick branches. The chip fraction will be from 2 cm to 8 cm depending on the speed and the number of knives. On the contrary, a knife-disk chopper will cope perfectly with small branches and produce a small fraction of wood chips, but thick branches are a problem for it. A chipper with a circular saw package can handle both thick branches and smaller ones. But at the same time, it is very dusty, and a lot of chips get stuck between the saws, which requires careful cleaning after work. The options for garden shredders described above can be created either in a single version or by combining types with each other.
Many summer residents today have abandoned chemical fertilizers so that their own vegetables and fruits are as safe as possible. But then, what should you use to feed your vegetable garden? Garbage from your own site! Of course, it still needs to be processed and put into the compost heap. But this will be the most environmentally friendly and high-quality fertilizer, and you will be able to find a use for all waste. Branches, dried flowers, grape vine trimmings, rotten apples... All this is an excellent raw material for future humus, and you need to chop it up and put it in one place for rotting. To help the summer resident, a special technique has even been invented - shredders, which facilitate the process of crushing branches. Let's look at how to choose a garden shredder for your own garden.
This device is so simple in principle that it is surprising why it took so long for anyone to invent it. In some ways it looks like a meat grinder that grinds everything that is put into it. True, instead of bones and meat, bark, branches, cones, tops of root crops, etc. go into the chopper, and crushed material comes out. The level of crushing varies from small pieces to sawdust. The waste that falls into the receiving funnel is ground by powerful knives, which are started by an electric or gasoline engine.
Types of knife system
To make the right choice of garden shredder, you should familiarize yourself with the system of knives that will grind garden waste. They come in two types: disk and milling.
Disc knife system
This device is a disk with several steel knives. The rotation speed of the disk is set by the shaft. How quickly the waste is crushed depends on its composition, but the disc system works best when grinding “soft debris”: leaves, grass, thin branches, green stems, etc. If you throw dry or thick woody branches into the shredder, the knives will quickly become dull.
Disc blades are designed for “soft debris”: grass, leaves and thin branches
Milling knife system
The milling system is more powerful. It is a solid cast gear into which the branches are automatically pulled. You just need to immerse the wood waste into the funnel, and from there it will gradually be drawn into the grinding mechanism. Moreover, there is no need to control this process and you can do other work. Milling knives are capable of grinding branches up to 4.5 cm thick. Many models of such grinders provide reverse and different levels of crushing. But think about whether you need such a powerful system if you mainly process soft waste. Grass and leaves are better ground with disc blades, but often get stuck in milling systems.
The cutter grinds dry and thick branches perfectly, but grass can get stuck in it
Garden shredders by engine type
Like most gardening equipment, shredders are available in electric and gasoline models. Both options have a number of advantages. Let's take a closer look at them so that you clearly understand which garden shredder is right for you.
Electric models: light and environmentally friendly
Electric shredders are easy to maintain, so they are suitable for gardeners with little experience in using gardening equipment
Advantages of the electric motor:
- Electric shredders are quite lightweight, so even women can carry them around their summer cottage.
- They make little noise when working.
- Easy to maintain.
- They do not emit harmful combustion products into the air.
Cons:
- They are tied to an outlet, so they require a multi-meter extension cord to move around the entire area.
- Less powerful than gasoline models. Most are designed for branches up to 4 cm thick.
- If there is a power outage, they will not be able to be used.
- During voltage surges they can fail.
Gasoline systems: power and mobility
Gasoline shredders are valued for their versatility because they have enough power to cut through both grass and thick branches.
Advantages of a gasoline engine:
- The engine power is much more powerful. It copes with branches up to 7 cm thick.
- They do not have wires, so they can be installed anywhere in a summer cottage.
- They make a lot of noise when working, so they may cause complaints from neighbors.
- They have more weight than electrical systems, so they are quite difficult to move.
- Difficult to maintain.
- During operation, they form harmful combustion products, thereby polluting the air.
- More expensive in cost and during operation they require constant costs for gasoline and engine oil.
Choosing a garden shredder by power level
When comparing models and analyzing which garden shredder is better, pay attention to the power of the unit. All shredders are divided into three power classes: amateur systems, middle class and professional models.
Amateur-grade shredders
This type includes low-power units (up to 1.6 kW) that run on electricity. Their knife system is disc. Before deciding and buying an amateur-grade product, find out what material the knives are made of. The best option is hardened steel. Such units weigh up to 20 kg and are capable of chopping branches no more than 3 cm thick.
Medium power systems
These are intermediate options between amateur and professional models. These grinders can run on both gasoline and electricity. Maximum power – 2.5 kW. Suitable for private houses and summer cottages where the garden is small but no longer young. The units are equipped with milling knives, so they can easily grind branches up to 3.5 cm.
Among the advantages of the unit, it is worth noting the self-retracting waste system, a funnel for mulch and the presence of wheels that allow you to move the chopper around the site
Professional class units
This includes large, heavy systems that are capable of developing power of almost 4 kW. The engine can be either gasoline or electric (three-phase). Capable of working for a long time and grinding branches up to 6-7 cm thick. Moreover, the crushed material is pressed, resulting in excellent mulch. The units are equipped with large convenient funnels, a powerful milling-type cutting mechanism and are able to suck in waste without pushing. Due to their high productivity, they are in demand in farms, large gardens, etc.
To make our review of garden shredders more complete, we will dwell on some of the nuances of choosing a specific model.
- When going for a grinder, you must clearly understand what you will “grind” with it and how often.
- Having chosen a specific model, pay attention to the funnel design. The easiest to maintain is a funnel that looks like a cone and is slightly inclined.
- In order to grind waste into different fractions (large pieces, sawdust, etc.), the rotation speed of the knives in the system must be adjusted.
- It is more convenient to use units that have several holes for different types of waste: you will insert branches into one, and grass and leaves into the other.
- Pay attention to the noise level produced by the selected unit. If it exceeds 84 dB, it will be very sensitive to your and your neighbor's ears.
- Models that have pre-cut knives last longer and are easier to handle a variety of debris.
- A good addition would be reverse. If during operation the knives become clogged or cannot handle a very strong branch, you can quickly stop them and force them to rotate in the opposite direction so that the problematic debris is pulled back.
- Some electric models provide a self-start lock for the chopper. If the electricity goes out and then suddenly appears again, the unit will not turn on on its own. This will protect you and especially your children from accidental injuries.
- The shredder should be supplied with a pusher, because pushing waste into the funnel by hand is unsafe.
If the model you choose has most of the features and extras listed above, then the manufacturer's name is not that important. Although products from well-known brands are still more reliable, because they have been tested by time.
Before purchasing a shredder, it is best to keep in mind that garden shredders are designedfor recycling branches, thick tops (such as corn, sunflower). It will not be possible to chop large volumes of grass using a shredder; it will wrap around the knives and clog the unit. And the soil from the roots of plants dulls knives.Therefore, you should not choose a shredder only for grass disposal - The grass can be easily chopped with a lawn mower, and when folded in a heap, it can be easily chopped with a trimmer and line.
When choosing a shredder, study its passport data:
- Shredder power and maximum diameter of plants processed by it.
- Operating mode (continuous or periodic).
- Availability of spare parts (cutting tools, they fail first).
It is useful to consider:
- The larger container for crushed waste- so much the better. Optimally - 50 liters or more.
- For safety reasons, all garden shredders are equipped with pushers. They definitely need to be used.
- Shredders use various grinding systems: turbine roller, in the form of a gear, cutter, etc. Shredders with a knife system are more convenient to maintain: the knives can be removed, sharpened (recommended at a service center), replaced, or turned over with a sharp edge.
- Maximum diameter of processed branches, indicated in the technical characteristics of shredders, as a rule, refers to soft types of wood: linden, aspen, bird cherry. If you plan to use a shredder for branches of all garden plants, to prolong the performance of the device, this value must be reduced by 10-20 mm and not exceeded when loading plant waste.
Much depends on where this unit will be used. If we are talking about a comfortable house with a small plot and the need to shred a modest amount of cut vegetation, then an electric shredder will be the best option. And if you need to clear an area of old branches that is still waiting to be connected to electricity, you cannot do without a good gasoline garden shredder. It is better to choose a specific model based on brand image and functionality.
The profit of each agricultural production depends on the ability of the gardener and gardener to put everything into action. An electric garden shredder will help you with this, as it can quickly turn waste into a valuable product. There is always a lot of garbage in the garden and vegetable garden: branches, twigs, leaves, vines from tomatoes, grapes, cucumbers, climbing plants. They need to be eliminated regularly throughout the season.
It is not worth throwing such high-quality, natural fertilizers as organic waste into the trash. They need to be chopped, mixed with compost and scattered on the beds. Convenient electric garden branch shredders provide the production of effective, free fertilizer. Sawdust is useful in flower beds, rose gardens, and grape plantations.
Working principle of a garden shredder
The device is quite simple in design and use. The electric motor is housed inside a robust housing. It powers the cutting system of the unit. Cutting is carried out with knives or a shaft. For branches with a diameter of up to 3 cm, you can buy an electric garden branch chopper with cutting knives. Thicker branches (from 3 to 7.5 cm) are better handled by a cutting shaft.
Debris is loaded into the upper nozzle. As it passes through the cutting system, it is crushed and turned into mulch, then thrown into a bag or container. Some models have additional functions: auto-stop, speed adjustment, sawdust size and others. Using an electric garden shredder on your yard, you can keep it clean and process organic matter at minimal cost.
How to choose a wood shredder
Which garbage shredding machine should you choose? In order to buy an electric garden branch shredder exactly what your farm needs, you need to take into account several aspects:
- Engine power. This characteristic must be correlated with the amount of work. For a vegetable garden or garden, an electric motor power of 2 to 2.9 kW is quite enough.
- Diameter of processed branches. Estimate the maximum size of waste to be shredded.
- Volume of the mulch tank. If there are a lot of branches in the garden, it is worth purchasing a device with a spacious tank.
Modern garden electric branch shredders come with legs and wheels. We choose which one is more convenient for you personally. The basis of the choice is the thickness of the chopped branches. The manufacturer has already selected both the type of cutting tool and the engine power specifically for this criterion. All you have to do is determine how thick the branches will need to be chopped.
Our catalog presents a wide variety of garden shredder options from leading manufacturers of agricultural equipment. You can purchase any shredder you like for your garden at a competitive price.