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To facilitate manual labor, a lot of techniques have been invented. 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 to be an essential technique. And in vain. The shredder will help you get excellent humus mulch or wood shavings from organic waste, which will serve as bedding for animals.
Features of the grinder device
A shredder of branches and grass is correctly called a shredder. The mechanism works on the principle of a large meat grinder. A man pours into the bunker all the organic waste that is collected by the fall on the site: tops of garden crops, grass, branches of shrubs and trees. Hardened steel knives grind it all up, resulting in a bunch 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 units: a hopper, a motor and a knife system, which is called a chipper. The main function of the hopper is to load garbage. But it also serves as a barrier that does not allow a person's hand, clothing and other objects to fall into the chopper.
The motor is the heart of the shredder. The more powerful it is, the more efficient the shredder is. For such a technique, 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 rate of waste recycling. It is good if the chopper has a reverse. It helps to clear the knives from the coiled green vegetation.
The chipper consists of cutting elements of different design. Weak knives are designed to chop up green mass of vegetation up to 3 cm thick, and powerful cutters are able to grind even tree branches up to 8 cm in diameter.
The difference between shredders by engine type
Like most 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 positives of a shredder powered by an electric motor:
- Low noise level. The motor is almost inaudible, how it works. The noise is generated only from the grinding branches.
- There are no harmful exhaust emissions. The operator does not have to breathe smoke while working.
- Economical and easy to maintain. The electric grinder does not need to be filled with gasoline and oil, change filters, buy candles. In order for the shredder to work, it is enough to plug it into an outlet, which a woman or teenager can handle.
Now we will look for the disadvantages of an electric grinder:
- The electric garden shredder has the main disadvantage - attachment to the outlet. To work with a shredder in a 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 voltage surges. This happens often in the country.A large voltage drop in the power grid will result in the failure of the chopper motor.
- A significant disadvantage of the electric shredder is the power limitation of 4 kW. The shredder will not take branches more than 3 cm thick.
Despite significant disadvantages, most summer residents prefer electric shredders.
Petrol engine
To make a comparison between different shredders, let's look at the positive aspects of a gasoline engine powered shredder:
- The main advantage of a gasoline engine is high power. This allows the shredder to grind larger debris. The maximum power of the chopper motor can reach 8 kW. Such a unit will easily turn branches with a diameter of 8 cm into wood chips.
- The gasoline engine provides the mobility of the shredder. The unit can be rolled on wheels on any territory or ride with it in the field.
Now let's look at the other side of the coin:
- The disadvantage of a gasoline engine is a high noise level, plus harmful exhaust emissions. After several hours of working with the chopper, the person may experience headaches. Failure to observe safety precautions can result in exhaust gas poisoning.
- From the economic point of view, maintenance of a gasoline engine will be more expensive. You need to buy fuel, oil, change filters and candles. And in case of repair, spare parts will cost more than half the cost of a new engine.
If it is planned 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 waste. In other words, they are knives. Chipper is of three types:
- For the processing of bulky waste, a chipper based on milling cutters is used. The mechanism will cope with branches up to 8 cm in diameter.
- The screw chipper is designed to grind already ground waste.
- Knives chop up green vegetation, vegetable tops, branches up to 3 cm thick. On bulky waste, they can break.
Any type of chipper is equipped with a protection that does not allow overloading in the event of the penetration of large waste and foreign objects. Depending on the application, chippers are conventionally divided into classes:
- Amateur are mechanisms designed to grind grass. Thin branches are allowed. A shredder with such a chipper is used in a small young garden.
- Mediums are mechanisms with reinforced knives attached to a steel shaft. Such a chipper has the ability to self-suck waste through the inlet.
- Professional - these are mechanisms based on cutters. They are usually installed on industrial gasoline-powered shredders.
Choosing a shredder for your needs, you need to compare the capabilities of the technique with the features of your garden.
Power classification of garden shredders
The performance of the shredder depends on the power of the motor. In this regard, there is also a classification of garden equipment:
- Amateur shredders usually come with electric motors. Their power is limited to 1.5 kW, and the mass is within 15 kg. Circular knives act as the cutting mechanism. The shredders are characterized by their compact size and ease of use.
- Semi-professional shredders are equipped with an electric motor and a gasoline engine. Their power ranges from 1.5 to 2.5 kW. The cutting mechanism in some models may contain 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 available in 3–6 kW power. There are units with an 8 kW motor, but such oversized shredders are usually used on large farms.
If your garden and household need a reliable as well as a productive shredder, then it is best to give preference to the semi-professional class model.
Features of choosing a shredder
To summarize, let's take a look at how to choose the right shredder model. Here's what gardeners recommend in this regard:
- The first step is to determine the power of the grinder. To do this, it is worth making an analysis of the amount and size of organic waste. After that, it will immediately become clear what kind of shredder is needed: gasoline or electric.
- The shredder weight, brand and cost are not so significant, but it is worth paying attention to. With these questions, it is best to visit the forum where experienced owners will share real information.
- For comfortable work, it is advisable to choose a shredder model with speed control and a pusher for debris. The shredder with two waste funnels is very easy to use. One hole is reserved for loading small waste, and the other for large branches.
- A big plus of the shredder model, which includes pre-cutting knives, a spare cutting mechanism and a tool for cleaning the unit.
At the time of purchase, ask the store to start the engine and listen to the noise level. By the way, if the gasoline engine will be difficult to start or work intermittently, then it is better to look at another model.
The video tells about the choice of a garden shredder:
Testimonials
There are a lot of reviews about garden grass grinders. Let's take a look at a few of them.
