How to choose a garden shredder? Reviews and Rating

It’s not very lucky to be the owner of a garden plot, which over time has become a mess due to uncleaned branches, grassy plants, etc. Garden care itself is based on annual crop cutting to make their crown more bushy, aesthetic and prolific. The owners of household plots with live fences have much to tinker with. Caring for any landscape involves constantly restoring order and getting rid of all kinds of natural debris such as branches, dry grass and other elements of unwanted vegetation. And therefore, a garden shredder will be most welcome in any household.

Appointment of the unit

Not everyone can afford constantly ordering a car for garbage collection. And burning organics can cause disapproval from neighbors. In addition, this is associated with pollution of the territory, only by combustion products.

A garden shredder is an aggregate capable of processing (grinding) any biological waste. Any garbage arising in the process of caring for the garden and the garden, whether it be grass, branches of trees and shrubs, it is able to grind into very small fragments. And if the cut branches and piles of hard grass are difficult to dispose of, then a bunch of chopped biomass can be used as mulch or a means for the production of organic fertilizers. Use wood chips garden trees and for a home smokehouse.

How the chopping looks can be seen on the video.

Selection criteria depending on the type of waste

In order for the purchased garden shredder to be 100% effective, you should purchase it based on the load that you put on it. It should be borne in mind that there are three main varieties of such aggregates, namely:

1. Focused on chopping grass. So it will be able to cope with the grassy stems of any species, even such as carrots or adult nettles. But the tree knots will be too tough for them. If only weeds create a problem on your personal plot, you can safely buy such an aggregate that will cost much cheaper, especially if you choose a budget option with an electric drive.
2. Focused on chopping branches. These can handle branches with a diameter of up to 8 cm (depending on engine power). But being equipped with a chopping device (shredder) that can only deal with relatively solid waste, they will not be able to withstand long stems of grass or liana-like plants akin to wild vine, vine, the stems of which will only slow down the unit, constantly winding on the trees and requiring cleaning .
3. Focused on chopping and twigs and grass. These are more expensive and advanced models. Their shredder is equipped in such a way that it is subject to recycling waste of any density and elasticity.

Varieties by type of grinder

By the types of shredders used in the garden unit, all shredders are also divided into three categories:

1. Amateur, the purpose of which is only to chop the grass. Their device is based on knives, usually two, located in parallel planes one above the other. Most often, even an electric garden shredder of this category can cope with any vegetation whose stems do not exceed a width of 1.5-2 cm. Nevertheless, it is better not to experiment with long-standing branches of dense tree crops such as dogwood or cherry.
   
2. Semi-professional (middle class) are ready to cope with tree branches up to 4 cm wide. As a rule, their crusher is of a worm type, and the principle of its operation is somewhat akin to an ordinary meat grinder. The shortened screw drives the branches into the cutting part, and one dust comes out. But with chopping long grass there are problems. It is this type of chopper that is most prone to “winding”, so it is best to use this unit for chopping wood waste. An electric garden shredder based on a worm type is also found, but a gasoline model will look more powerful and reliable in this regard.
   
3. Professional based on cutting units or cutting shafts. In this way, without particularly straining, “eat” a branch with a width of 8 cm. But despite their main cutting device, they are equipped with additional knives, which in the complex are ready to cope with waste of any kind. A garden shredder for grass and branches of this category is usually equipped with a high power gasoline engine. But there are also electric models equipped with powerful three-phase motors.

Table of parameters of agricultural choppers, depending on their category

Advantages and disadvantages of choppers on electricity

If we take the type of power plant as a criterion, then each has both its obvious pluses and minuses.

According to the reviews of the owners, the advantages of electric devices are:

• Little noise. Often, the crackling of grinding branches will be heard more, rather than the howling of the engine.
• Independence from liquid fuels. I inserted the plug into the outlet, and everything works.
• Clean environment. No gas, which means no exhaust fumes.
• Simplicity in work and service. No oil changes, candles, etc. I turned on my electric garden shredder and immediately got down to business.

Now about the cons:

• Limited movement. The unit will only work where there is access to the mains. And to drag along a long extension cord is a dubious pleasure.
• Sensitivity to voltage fluctuations in the network. It should fall from 220 to 200, and the engine ceases to cope with large formations, resentfully humming in one place. And such races are not rare in our time, especially in the suburbs and cottages.
• Amateur and semi-professional electric models are rarely equipped with engines over 4 kW. And this suggests that their ceiling is twigs and branches up to 4 cm.

Advantages and disadvantages of choppers on ICE

Now about the units operating on internal combustion engines. Their obvious advantages, according to reviews, are expressed in:

• independence from the network, you can do business at an arbitrarily large distance from home;
• of high power, the eight-kilowatt engine can easily turn branches up to 8 cm wide into wood chips, and there’s no need to talk about all kinds of herbaceous plants.

Cons note the following:

• A lot of noise. No matter how good the muffler is, but when driving on wide branches, even the most branded and best garden shredder with gas traction will scare all the birds in the area and lift all the neighbors out of bed. Although, as practice shows, this does not stop the owners of a huge garden and a personal plot.
• A lot of fuss and dirt. Refueling, oil change, exhaust, fuel and lubricants waste. All of this taken together makes the majority of owners refuse to buy gas grinders.

Do not forget about convenience

Along with general factors, when choosing a model, you should pay attention to its other features, which at first will not seem so critical, but subsequently will greatly facilitate your life and, in particular, work with the device. So, regardless of the power of the model and the brand of its manufacturer, you should pay attention to:

• The width and height of the wheels. The higher and wider they are, the easier it will be for you to move the mechanism along the terrain obstacles. For example, a model with small wheels will have to be literally pulled into the curb with its own hands, while large wheels can hardly feel it. Narrow wheels are always stuck in loose soil, and wide wheels will pass freely wherever you want, and with the least expenditure of effort.
• The weight of the mechanism. It will be very interesting if, after home delivery, you find that you are not even able to drag him into the estate. First of all, this applies to fragile women who themselves are preparing to operate purchased equipment.
• Number of speeds. For the sake of comfort and handling waste from various formations, it will be useful to purchase a multi-speed model. It is not for nothing that the top rating of garden shredders is replenished with models with reverse traction. If it is available, it will be much easier to clean the shredder if it clogs.
• The number of funnels. Work with a chopper equipped with two funnels, one for branches and one for grass, will argue more effectively.
• Container for collecting crushed waste. Someone prefers “trash” to fly into a container or bag, to someone this is not so critical, but you also need to take this into account when buying.
• The toolkit that comes with the model. A self-respecting manufacturer will always supply the future customer with various devices and tools that make it easier to care for and clean the unit.

Since amateur models are in the greatest demand today, let us first of all consider the most popular models on electronic traction. Grinder rating - later in the article.

Bosch AXT Rapid 2000

The rating of electric garden shredders is rightly headed by Bosch. Positive customer reviews about this brand are the most numerous. Most often, inexpensive Bosch AXT Rapid 2000 models are purchased. With their relatively low weight (only 11 kg) and a power of 2 kW, they can recycle up to 80 kg of waste per hour.

AL-KO Easy Crush MH 2800

This “Chinese” at this stage constitutes the most tangible competition for his European counterparts. With a weight of 25 kg and a power of 2.8 kW, it copes well with branches more than 4 cm thick. Among other things, it has an unusually capacious container for collecting wood chips (mulch) - 50 kg.

Viking GE 250

Austrian models of this brand have long settled in the top lists of the ranking of gardening equipment. This model is no exception. Due to its compactness, convenience, reliability, it is popular throughout Europe. Due to the non-standard shredder, grinding the waste first with 2 circular knives, and then with additional blades, the mulch turns out to be the smallest.

Grunhelm ES-24

This is one of the most budgetary Chinese models, weighing only 12 kg, but with a capacity of 2.4 kW. It is very compact and easy to use, but is relatively short-lived. In addition, it is especially worth paying attention to the fragile material of the case. But one way or another, the model will work like a clock for a year (namely, the manufacturer gives guarantees for it).

"Bison ZIE-44-2800"

It would be wrong not to mention in the fifth line the most popular models of choppers of our manufacturers. And the garden grinder "Bison ZIE-44-2800" is awarded such honor. Convenient operation, high power (2.8 kW), coupled with a durable shredder based on a cutting shaft made of high-strength and high-quality steel, puts this model among the most successful Western manufacturers of garden equipment. Criteria such as quiet operation, a 5-year warranty, coupled with high power, the ability to grind branches over 4 cm and a 60 kg container for collecting shredded waste, speak for themselves.

In addition to the text of the article, readers can take advantage of this video information about how to choose the chopper correctly and by what criteria.

Conclusion

Do not be seduced by expensive and powerful gasoline semi-professional shredders. In most cases, people are disappointed in them after the first season and buy a cheaper, more compact and easy-to-use electric model. If the care of your household plot consists in seasonal pruning of fruit and ornamental trees and bushes, the diameter of the branches of which often does not exceed 1 cm, why pay more and purchase a bulky unit, which will then be dusted on the back of the utility room unclaimed?