Garden grass shredder: a rational solution for your garden

Advantages of homemade shredders

Industrially manufactured grass cutters are universal devices that allow you to chop grass, branches, vegetables, root vegetables, grind various grains into flour, and even chop firewood. The only drawback of such units is their rather high cost, which is beyond the means of most gardeners. But by making it yourself from the simplest components (electric) you can automate the production of silos and at the same time significantly save on the purchase of expensive factory units.

Today, there are many different types and designs of such shredder devices, which will allow you to select the functionality of a specific model for the work performed in the garden. For example, you can make an electric garden herb chopper with your own hands, which will both process grass and grind grain. If desired, you can create a fairly simple model of equipment that can only cut grass and work with root crops.

These homemade vegetable cutters are made from scrap elements, so the cost of such equipment will be minimal, and you are guaranteed not to have any difficulties finding spare parts. At the same time, even the simplest installations in their functionality, reliability and ease of use will not be inferior to expensive factory shredders of freshly cut grass and feed.

The first way to create a grass cutter with your own hands

The main device that we will need to create a homemade crusher is a drill:

the crushing process is similar to the operation of a conventional combine: in a special case, which is considered a simple bucket, it contains a good knife; when scrolling it in a circle with high acceleration, the grass is cut. To make this crusher with your own hands, a dual-mode “Temp” drill with high power is used. The knife is created from a hacksaw blade

The most important thing is the correct sharpening of the knife. If it is made correctly, the grass will not wrap around the blade

The knife must remain clean and sharp. You can sharpen a knife using a one-sided sharpening; If you want to chop fresh grass, it is better to take a knife with a narrow diamond shape, then the grass will be easy to cut and will not wrap around the blade.

Corn husker from grass cutter

Alex Nk decided, based on a grass cutter, to make a mechanism for shelling corn. The result is a two-in-one unit. To make a homemade product you need:

• Cut a disk out of metal.

• Drill holes in it for M6 bolts.

• Rework the base so that the outlet is at the bottom. This is how the grass is chopped finer, and the corn is not chopped.

• The disk was screwed to the flange.

The tank has been redone. A “reflector” was attached to it to throw the corn “cobs” into the bucket.

Grass cutter-corn sheller assembled.

Places for storing fasteners.

To prevent the grass from wrapping around the motor shaft, the user installed a protection ring.

I found experimentally that the optimal option for chopping grass is two knives. Four knives turn the grass into mush. I also threshed apples for the poultry. One bucket of apples is crushed in 4-5 minutes. The result is a grass cutter-vegetable cutter-fruit cutter.

Advantages of a homemade option

Unlike factory models, a homemade shredder does not require excessive care. It will become a universal assistant in the household and will help not only to chop branches and other household waste, but also to crush fruits (apples, pears, plums), along with the seeds. This is very convenient when you need to make jam, puree or homemade wine when the fruits are crushed to a paste.

Garden shredder in action

The circular saws that form the blade of the unit are capable of processing fairly large pieces of wood. Of course, we are not talking about logs, but branches with a diameter of 10 cm will be quite tough for him. This is how a homemade shredder compares favorably with a factory-made product, the body of which simply will not allow large pieces of material to pass through. Accordingly, you will significantly save your time, because you will not have to sort branches by size and think about where to put too large fragments. Also, you will not need to monitor the moisture content of the material, while a purchased shredder requires adjustment of the degree of dampness of the feedstock. The fact is that in most modern ready-made shredders, the electric motor is located at the bottom of the structure, so when processing wet stems, moisture will inevitably get into the motor, and this will lead to breakdown. In a homemade product, you are free to decide for yourself where to install the engine; in the version described above, it is located horizontally, at the same level as the knives.

It is also worth paying attention to the cost savings when using a homemade shredder. Firstly, manufacturing will initially be cheaper than buying a factory device, and secondly, a “homemade” device will not need to purchase expensive parts if it breaks down - all its elements are not expensive

A homemade garden shredder can crush even large branches, turning them into chips

In addition, a homemade garden shredder is highly productive. All waste loaded into the hopper will be pulled into the saw blades and disappear at incredible speed. Thus, a homemade device can be no worse than an expensive and modern garden tool. In a word, if you really need a chopper, but there is no money to buy it, there is only one way out - to make it yourself!

Manufacturing process

The motor shaft must be drilled with a drill. The diameter of the two holes made is approximately 7 mm. A pre-prepared bushing is put on the shaft. Its length must be at least 50 mm, there is a thread at one end and holes at the other.

It is more rational to order such a part from a turner. Next, the drilled holes on the sleeve and shaft are aligned, and the mounting bolts are installed in them. The engine itself is fixed to the bottom of the tank of the machine using studs or long bolts. The tank itself is cut with a grinder to a height convenient for work.

The sharpened knives are placed on the sleeve and secured with a nut. The knives must be installed in such a way that the work process is not interrupted due to contact with the walls of the tank. At the bottom of the tank, a grinder makes a rectangular hole for throwing out the cut grass. The size of the hole is selected individually, but it should be located below the knives or at the same level as them.

Then a casing is made from a metal plate around the hole to prevent grass from scattering while the device is operating; bolted to the body. Using a welding machine, a frame is made from corners on which the tank will be installed. The height of the frame is selected taking into account the height of the tank and collecting container.

The finished container with the installed engine is securely fixed to the frame using a welding machine. Now you need to connect the motor. To do this correctly, you need to use a tester and determine the outputs of the starting and working windings. The resistance mode is set and the performance of both windings is compared; at the launcher it turns out to be larger.

The connection is made in the following order: the wire from the start button is connected to one end of the starting winding, the second end of the starting winding is connected to the cable and the working winding; the remaining end of the working winding is connected to the cable and wire from the start button.

What will you need for this?

Set of tools:

• angle grinder (grinder);
• drill;
• welding machine;
• tester;
• screwdriver (flat or Phillips);
• hammer;
• pliers or open-end wrenches;
• bolts, washers and nuts.
• components of the future chopper:
• washing machine tank;
• motor (it is possible to remove it from a washing machine with a rated power of 180 W or more);
• sharpened knives;
• electrical cable with plug;
• container for receiving chopped grass;
• metal plate for casing;
• metal corner;
• start and stop button.

Do-it-yourself grass cutter driven by an angle grinder

I have birch trees growing in my dacha. Leaves are falling from the trees. We have to clean it up, burn it, and fill up the compost pit. The foliage takes a long time to rot. I decided to chop it up. For this you need a grass cutter. I looked at what they were making on the Internet. I turned on my brain and this is what I came up with.

Do you like an inexpensive option for a garden shredder? Read the article further and find out how to make a homemade product from an angle grinder and a metal tank. Tok2Z acted like this:

1. He thought about how to twist the chopper blades. The choice is small - install a motor from a washing machine, or buy an electric motor. According to the user, the motor from the washing machine is weak, and I didn’t want to purchase a three-phase unit and convert it to one phase.
2. Tok2Z bought on the market, for 2 thousand rubles, an old grinder with a power of 2 kW and blades from a lawn mower for 700 rubles. I ordered an adapter sleeve from a turner, spending another 500 rubles.
3. I welded the frame and placed a galvanized water tank on it. I assembled the structure and turned on the grass cutter.

The turnover is crazy. I threw a shovelful of leaves into the tank, and they blew away! I checked where the flow was going. Air goes up from the edge of the tank and is sucked in in the middle. I cut out a galvanized ring and installed it in the center of the tank. Threw the leaves. The knives crushed it just right, and it flew into the lower pipe.

To grind the grass into a very fine fraction, the user installed a corner in front of the “exhaust” pipe.

The grass cutter shreds the leaves directly into the compost bin.

Compare: a pile of leaves.

Making your own chopper

Manual shredder

It is easier to make a device with a manual drive.

1. You need to choose a suitable cylinder or cone.
2. Drill holes Ø 6…10 mm on the surface.
3. Bend one side to create a cutting edge.
4. Using auxiliary plates, make reinforcement.
5. Place the bearing at the front and rear.
6. Make a handle and equip it with a handle that rotates relative to the shaft (it’s more convenient to twist).
7. Place in the housing according to the attached drawing.
8. Place on legs, ensuring comfortable placement at height.

All that remains is to feed the plant residues into the receiving hopper. By rotating the handle, the plant mass is crushed.

Of course, it will be difficult to chop branches with such an installation. Fruits, berries, and green mass will be processed here. A simple device will help you dispose of plant waste.

Do-it-yourself disc-type chopper

Using the proposed drawing, a garden shredder is made. The working body in this design is a massive disk.

1. A disk is cut out of a thick sheet 6...8 mm thick. For cutting, an angle grinder (angle grinder) and cutting discs are used.
2. Additionally, rings of the same outer diameter are cut out. They are necessary to increase the mass of the disc. The large mass guarantees a high inertia value. During operation of the installation, it will be easier to overcome cutting resistance.
3. Holes are cut in the disk to allow the cut-off parts of wood and plant matter to exit.
4. You can use a strip from a car spring as cutting knives. It uses 65G spring steel, which can withstand impact loads (thickness 5...8 mm). You can use blades from a mechanical sawing machine with a thickness of 4 mm (steel 45X or U8).
5. The edges are being sharpened. For ease of use, the plates are sharpened on both sides.
6. Holes are drilled in the knives. They are needed to secure the knives to the disk.
7. A shaft is machined from a circle Ø 25-35 mm (steel 35, steel 40 or similar structural materials). One end is positioned in the center, and a disk is welded to it. A keyway is cut at the other end for mounting V-belt pulleys.
8. Bearings are selected for installation on the shaft. If necessary, grind the surface to the inner diameter.
9. The body is welded from sheet steel. The parts are pre-cut, and then they are fixed on a special slipway. The tack is performed, and then the seams are completely welded.
10. A bearing assembly is made from a pipe of suitable diameter. It is needed to transmit rotation from the V-belt pulleys to the device shaft.
11. Supports are cut out from a corner or channel. The bearing assembly is mounted on these supports.
12. The product is painted with alkyd enamel.
13. Mount the shredder on a suitable table.
14. The power take-off shaft of a walk-behind tractor is used to drive the chopper.
15. The chopper on the walk-behind tractor is ready for use.

After starting the walk-behind tractor engine, plant residues are fed for crushing. In an hour of operation, such an installation is able to grind about 100...120 kg of raw materials.

How the grass cutter works

The design of the grass and branches chopper is quite simple. This includes several basic elements:

• working shaft equipped with knives;
• protective casing;
• engine;
• pulley with belt;
• receiving box;
• electrical cable;
• metal frame.

To make it convenient to move the device around the site, it is placed on a special two-wheeled base. The operating principle of the unit is completely simple. So, thanks to the motor and belts or chains, the shaft begins to rotate. At this moment, branches with grass enter the box, which are chopped with sharp knives. In general, this resembles the operation of a conventional meat grinder.

Such grass cutters are often used by summer residents. In addition, there are industrial units on sale that can handle very thick branches. Naturally, such devices are characterized by a complex design and increased productivity.

Design elements of electric garden shredders

Gasoline or electric engines are installed in devices that are capable of processing branches, grass and straw. The first type will ensure effective grinding of large elements.

Moreover, such a grass cutter is truly mobile, which is very important when the garden is large. Electric models are quite compact

They are also easier to use. However, such equipment in practice turns out to be less powerful. It cannot be moved throughout the entire site, which is considered an important disadvantage.

When choosing a motor for a grass cutter, it is important to pay attention to power

• Devices rated for a maximum of 1.5 kW easily grind branches up to 2 cm thick. They will not cope with serious tasks.
• Motors with a power of 3–4 kW will chop branches with a maximum diameter of 4 cm.
• Units of 6 kW or more are suitable for large farms, because even very thick brushwood is not a problem for them.

Since homemade shredders are usually used for various types of work, it is worth choosing a power of 3–5 kW. If we talk about a gasoline engine, then in this case this figure should be at least 5 kW.

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Knife selection

Some models have only one disk with fixed blades, which is mounted on a shaft. Such units will be able to grind only very thin branches, producing rot.

Factory models of shredders have three types of knives:

1. The disc device allows you to chop only grass and thin twigs.
2. The milling design can handle brushwood up to 8 cm thick, and the raw material must be dry, otherwise the mechanism will stall.
3. The universal milling-turbine variety is considered the most preferable, because it can process even thick, wet branches.

If you want to make a structure with your own hands, then give preference to circular saws, a knife-disc or two-shaft system.

Types of engines, pros and cons

Shredders come complete with either an internal combustion engine or an electric motor. Both options have their own operating nuances, advantages and disadvantages. Let's look at this issue.

Electric motor

More often used for oversized units for home use, whose power does not exceed 2.6 kW. For a dacha or a compact garden not exceeding 6-7 acres in area, this is a completely acceptable option that will cope with the task assigned to it in eliminating plant waste.

The undeniable advantage of such devices is their lightness: it will not be difficult to move the unit around the site and power it from the mains. In addition, electrical devices are easy to operate and do not require special skills. Maintenance is also reduced to a minimum. But in the conditions of large farms or greenhouses, a shredder with an electric drive will no longer be functional.

In addition, the device is dependent on the power supply, which becomes somewhat problematic when working in large areas - you will need an extension cord, and this will limit the user’s freedom of action. Along with this, there are weather restrictions when working with an electric shredder due to the danger of electric shock: the unit cannot be operated in rain or high humidity.

Chopper with petrol engine

This is the most rational choice for “field” conditions, when there is no possibility of power supply from the mains, and the amount of work significantly exceeds the standard six hundred square meters of the average dacha.
Devices equipped with a gasoline power unit attract attention with their autonomy and unpretentiousness.

Most often, a two-stroke motor is installed on a device of this type, which is distinguished by its reliability, durability and increased power.

So processing tons of grass from the field will no longer be the limit of fantasy, but a very real task that your shredder will be able to do.

But the disadvantages include the fact that when working with a gasoline shredder, you must have basic skills in its operation. In addition, you will have to regularly check the condition of air and gasoline filters, spark plugs and carry out technical work. Although, if you wish, you can learn all this quickly enough.

Diesel shredders

As a rule, diesel engines come complete with professional-level equipment. The advantage of this type of unit is its high operating power: the chopper can operate without failures or shutdowns for many hours.

In addition, a positive point is the ability of diesel units to operate at low speeds.

But, like any unit, the diesel option also has its negative sides: firstly, it is a higher price compared to the two options listed above. Secondly, diesel models are large, and therefore are extremely rarely used in households.

It is extremely difficult to transport a diesel model on your own, so this is an excellent option for large farms, but not for private use.

If you still want to purchase a diesel model because of its high performance characteristics, you can turn your attention to equipping it with a mobile unit equipped with a high-power three-phase electric motor. In this case, it will be possible to move the unit around the site, which means its use will become more rational in the conditions of private land ownership.

How to make an electric garden waste shredder?

For this you will need:

• Housing and motor from a clothes washing machine.
• A saw, old from time.
• Fasteners: bushings, bolts, nuts.
• A bucket or large pan to make the bottom container.
• Grinder saw, screwdrivers, hammer.
• Legs from an old stool.

A homemade herb chopper consists of an upper and lower container, knives, stands and a motor. It is better if the body of the unit has a cylindrical shape. A washing machine is ideal for this. A cylindrical part is cut off from its body using a grinder saw. This will be the top container. In order for the structure to stand, you need to attach the legs to the bottom. You can use an old saucepan as the top container. To do this, cut a hole on the side and cover it with sheet metal. The processed material will come out through it.

Knives are made from saw sections and mounted on a sleeve fifty centimeters high. You can make it yourself or order it from a specialist. And the entire structure will be supported by racks made of durable material, for example, the legs of a stool. For fastening work, plumbing nuts are better suited.

Next we work with the engine. The pulley is removed from it. It will no longer be useful at work. The engine is attached to the unit body with clamps, which at the same time tighten the structure. The inside diameter of the hole at the top of the cylinder should be the same as the diameter of the shaft in the engine. To secure it, two holes with a diameter of eight millimeters are drilled. They are coated with an M8 thread onto which the bolts are attached. Before the sleeve is secured, small indentations are made on all sides of the shaft. A hole is made under the knives to allow the processed raw materials to exit. If it is not possible to make a hole at the bottom of the top container, it must be cut from the side. The crushed mass is collected in a box attached to the body with bolts. The homemade herb chopper is ready. Such a simple device made from available materials can become a faithful assistant for any owner.

Homemade grass cutters

Making your own herb grinder is not that difficult. Homemade products are in no way inferior to their store-bought counterparts, and the advantage is that the homemade device will be more economical and easy to maintain.

Sechkarnya

The simplest version of a homemade shredder is a chopper, which can chop grass and branches in a small volume. The cutting part is a plate made of durable steel, made in the shape of a triangle with a pointed lower edge. The steel plate is placed on a long wooden handle. The tool is ready to use. It is recommended to cut grass on a hard and metal surface, otherwise the cutting edge will quickly become dull.

Drill grass cutter

A device for chopping grass can also be made from a conventional drill operating in two modes. In addition to the drill, you need knives and a shaft, bearings, a grass container and a stool. First, you need to drill a hole in the stool with a diameter of 1.2 centimeters. A frame with a bearing is attached below the hole. A hole is also made in the bottom of the bucket, after which it is attached to the stool with self-tapping screws. A shaft with a knife or cutting disk is placed on the bearing. The drill is installed from below so that the chuck is connected to the shaft tail. The grass is placed in a bucket and the drill is turned on.

Grass cutter from a grinder

A grinder is an indispensable tool available in every farmstead, from which it is easy to make a manual grass cutter. In addition to the grinder, you need:

• Bolts, nuts and metal brackets,
• Motor,
• Shaft,
• Cutting knives or discs,
• Net,
• Container for already cut grass,
• Frame,
• Pulleys,
• Screwdriver and hammer.

To make a grass cutter, you need to attach the engine with the shaft and box to the frame. A homemade grass cutter made from a grinder will use a motor from the saw itself, which will transmit voltage to the shaft. Knives or discs are attached to the rotating shaft. You can use blender blades. A box is also attached to the frame in which the grinding takes place. It can be metal or wooden, and another one is installed under it, for already chopped grass. The bottom of the box is made of mesh, through which the chopped grass will be sifted.

Grass cutter from washing machine

From a washing machine you can make a universal device that can be used both as a grain crusher and as a grass cutter. Before making the device, you need to make two sharp knives. Their size should be smaller than the diameter of the machine drum. Using bolts, a second engine is mounted under the cover of the machine. One of the knives is mounted above the washing machine motor, and the second is mounted on the additional motor. An important point is that the knives must rotate in different directions. To fill the material, a hole with a funnel is made in the lid. Remove the drain hose from the washing machine, enlarge the hole, and place a box under it. The already chopped grass will spill out through this hole.

There are no standard drawings for such a grass cutter, since washing machines have many varieties and features.

The second version of the grass cutter involves using only the body of the washing machine. A hole is drilled at the bottom of the body, under which containers for chopped grass are placed. The engine is secured inside the housing with special clamps. A bushing with blades is bolted to the engine - the device is ready for use.

Grass cutter from a vacuum cleaner

You can also make a grass cutter from a Typhoon vacuum cleaner. It is convenient in that it allows you to feed raw materials through the top hole, and the already cut grass will pour out through the bottom hole. If you don’t have a vacuum cleaner housing, you can use a piece of pipe and a motor with a power of about 180 W, as well as a sleeve, knives and a profile. To install the shaft, two holes are drilled on the sleeve. A motor is attached to the body, on which a shaft with knives mounted on it is placed. It is advisable that the knives be sharpened on both sides.

Do-it-yourself grass chopper: review of 4 options for homemade grass cutters

How nice it is to stroll through your own garden, along its beautiful paths, admire the well-groomed beds and flower beds, and then eat a rosy apple straight from the branch. But in order for all this splendor to exist, a lot of work has to be done. In order for the soil to be fertile, it is necessary to add a lot of organic matter. Mulching with grass is a great way to keep the soil in good condition. It can be spread out on the beds immediately after mowing or pre-composted. In order for thick stems of greenery to decompose more actively, it is recommended to chop them first. You can make your own herb grinder or just buy one.

The choice of finished equipment largely depends on the volume of raw materials to be ground. After all, ground grass is needed not only to fertilize the soil. It is also useful for those who have a subsidiary farm: chopped greens are added to the feed of livestock and poultry. A small amount of work can be easily handled with a regular saw. This is the name given to a triangular plate equipped with a durable and sharply sharpened lower edge.

A chopper is a basic tool for chopping grass. If the amount of work is small, then you don’t have to buy or build a gasoline or electric grass cutter. Place the cutting on the cutting and get to work

To work, the chaff is placed on a long stalk. It allows you to avoid bending over while doing work. The raw material to be chopped must be spread on the ground in a layer of 10-15 cm. The surface should not be hard, and the layer of grass should not be too large. Then the cut will not become dull and will not spring back. When the chopper hits from top to bottom, the grass is cut into small pieces.

If the volume of greenery being processed is large enough, you need a solid unit, which this video will help you choose.

Drawings of various designs of garden shredders

Let's look at several designs of shredders that you can assemble yourself.

Drawing of a hammer grinder

A hammer chopper can crush branches, straw, corn stalks, and grain.

1 — loading hopper (sheet δ1 mm); 2 — edging of the neck of the loading hopper (corner 25x25); 3 — damper/valve (sheet δ1 mm); 4 — M6 bolt for tie (8 pcs.); 5 — framing of the loading hole in the housing (equal-flange angle 25 mm); 6 — M8 pin (8 pcs.); 7 — outer drum of the housing (pipe Ø 270x6); 8 — stator with grooves (pipe Ø 258x6); 9 and 20 — hammers and spacers (sheet δ3 mm, hardened to hardness HRC 45–47, 72 pcs. and 70 pcs., respectively); 10 — latch Ø 3 (4 pcs.); 11 — M20 nut with a spring washer; 12 — hammer axis (circle Ø 22, 4 pcs.); 13, 14 — piping of pipes (equal-flange angle 25 mm); 15, 19 — gaskets (rubber, sheet δ3 mm); 16 — M8 nut for fastening the flange (8 pcs); 17 — hammer rotor; 18 — flange (sheet δ5 mm, 2 pcs.); 21 — clamp; 22 - drive shaft

Cutting tool - circular saw package

A package of 15–30 circular saws mounted on a shaft is one of the options for the cutting system of a shredder. Some craftsmen point out that saw teeth quickly become clogged with plant matter. Others claim that they achieved good performance of the tool empirically - by setting the teeth differently relative to neighboring saws. Since carbide teeth are thicker than the disk itself, thin separators made of metal (for example, washers) or plastic must be installed between the saws, and the entire package is clamped with nuts.

Pack of 15 saw blades on shaft

As a drive, you can use a low-power walk-behind tractor, pulleys and bearings - used parts from a VAZ car. The bell of the loading hopper is a truncated pyramid, the outlet hole is small so that a person’s hand does not pass through. It is better to make the frame for the chopper higher in order to remove the crushed raw materials less often.

M20 pin saw set

Side view

Double roller shredder

This chopper chops branches into measured pieces from 2 to 8 cm long, convenient for heating a bathhouse or wood-burning heating boiler. Its design consists of two shafts with knives - 3-4 pieces per shaft, rigidly secured with bolts. Knives can be turned from KamAZ or MAZ springs. If you can find a bulldozer knife, that will also work. The shafts are fixed on massive sheets in parallel, at a distance sufficient for the knives to cut the branch without clinging to each other. Free rotation of the shafts is ensured by bearings, and their synchronization is achieved through a gear clutch moving by a belt (chain) from the engine. To drive this chopper, it is advisable to use a high-power engine, but at low speed.

If you want to create a mobile shredder, you need to provide mounts for wheels on the frame.

Frame element

Axle and shaft

Shaft assembly

Arrangement of shafts on the frame

Square billet shafts for 4 knives

The video shows a chopper with gears: the driven gears are from the MTZ shank, adjusted to the required size, the drive gear (the gear for transmitting torque to the shafts) was found using the selection method.

How to make a grain crusher with your own hands from a washing machine

The design of a grain crusher is completely identical to a coffee grinder and works on the same principle. The main alterations will be the installation of knives and the manufacture of a bunker for finished raw materials. Here are approximate drawings of a do-it-yourself grain crusher from a washing machine:

1. We make a grain bin. To do this, it is necessary to expand the drain hole located at the very bottom of the tank to a size of 120-150 mm.
2. In the hole that has been widened, it is necessary to install an outlet pipe, from which the crushed grain will be poured into the prepared container.
3. Install the knives on the motor shaft. For this, steel plates 200 mm long and 1.5-2.0 mm thick are suitable. A hole for the shaft is drilled in the middle of the plate, after which the sides parallel to each other are sharpened. In order to avoid overlapping of the blades, and at least 3 of them need to be installed, each blade is placed separately and then secured with a clamping nut.
4. To ensure that whole grain remains in the tank and does not spill out along with the crushed grain, it is necessary to install a filtration grid in front of the outlet pipe. The grate should have a mesh fraction such that it allows crushed grain to pass through, but prevents the passage of whole grains - the optimal cell size is 3-4 mm.
5. The grate is installed at an angle of 15-20 degrees to the ground. It is to the ground, to the lower surface of the tank, located obliquely, that it turns out almost perpendicular. It is fixed to the wall using bolted connections, and then coated with sealant to eliminate the slightest cracks and gaps.

Types of cutting attachments used

Homemade products, like factory units, are equipped with cutting attachments of various types:

• disc (with three blades);

• milling;

• milling-turbine (universal).

The first type is flat blades. When they rotate, they grind plant debris. If you have to process branches, then such blades quickly become dull. Milling knives are a cutting shaft in the form of gears from circular saws. They grind dry waste from branches and grass well, and clog the cutters with wet waste. Milling-turbine cutting attachments can cope with thick and undried branches, but making them yourself is difficult.

At home, knives from lawn mowers or made from wood saws are often used.

It should be taken into account that the degree of processing of plant waste directly depends on the installed cutting attachments. The output is pieces of branches from 10 cm long or shavings or dust.

Choosing the right one

The most important thing you need to pay attention to when purchasing a unit is the power supply and power. Decide whether you need an easier-to-use, but mains-dependent, electric shredder or a heavier, but field-operating gasoline shredder.

Also examine the grinding system of the device. It can be milling or disk. The first option is more expensive, but has a wider scope of application and is characterized by high reliability and durability. The second one is cheaper, but is not able to cope with a large volume of work, and if branches get into it, the device will not be able to cope with them and may even fail.

Assembling the body

Let's start making a grass cutter with our own hands from the top container into which the grass is thrown. And in which it will be crushed. To do this, the body of the washing machine needs to be cut in height, thereby making it more convenient. At the bottom side of the body we make a rectangular hole measuring approximately 20x7 cm so that the knives are located slightly above the hole, or at least level with it.

Around the hole you need to make a casing from a metal plate. The cover will prevent grass from flying in all directions. The casing can be secured with bolts. Next, we will make a stand from a metal corner by welding. Its height will depend on what you will be placing under the silo. If it’s a basin, then you can get by with a low stand; if it’s a bucket, then it should be higher.

As for the engine, you first need to make two holes with a diameter of about 7 mm on its shaft using a drill. Then a bushing, also with holes and a thread at the end, is placed on the shaft and secured to the bolts with your own hands.

Now you need to secure the engine to the bottom of the tank using studs. Then put the knives cut and sharpened in a special way onto the shaft and carefully secure them with nuts, for example, 32 mm water nuts. Knives should not touch the walls of the container. Next, the container together with the engine is rigidly fixed to the stand by welding. The design must be reliable. The stand for the wood and grass shredder can be covered with a metal sheet, but first connect the starter mechanism and electrical wire to the motor.

Connecting the engine

Connecting the motor to the electrical cable begins with finding the starting and operating windings of the motor itself. This is done using a tester. The resistance of the working winding is less than the resistance of the starting winding. When the contacts are found, the connection can be made. This is done like this:

• We connect one end of the starting winding to the wire from the start button;
• connect the second end to the cable and working winding;
• We connect the second end of the working winding to the cable and wire from the start button.

The diagram shows this connection.

When operating a homemade wood chipper, remember the following rules:

1. do not add too much straw or grass;
2. Do not put damp branches and straw into the chopper, as the mechanism may jam;
3. Follow safety precautions when working with electrical appliances so as not to harm your health!

Thus, the simplest chopper or straw cutter from scrap parts is ready. This homemade grass cutter will be no worse than the one you buy in the store. For those who want to make a grass cutter from an automatic washing machine, we have attached a video. Well, if you are interested in what else can be made from machine parts, read the articles on our website.

Using a grass cutter

Finely chopped grass clippings are an excellent organic component for creating compost and can also be spread out for mulching purposes. By feeding on organic matter, the soil is saturated with essential micronutrients and becomes more fertile. Flowers, fruits and vegetables grow well on such soil. It’s worth a little work and creating in your garden all the necessary conditions for growing the necessary plants.

If the areas of cultivated land are large enough and require a large amount of compost, then the grass will need to be processed in large volumes. You can also cope with a small number of mown plants using a fairly simple device - a chopper. Farmers have been using it for quite a long time, since mowed and chopped grass is needed not only to nourish the soil, but also to feed poultry and livestock. This invention is a metal triangle that fits onto a holder. In the lower part it is equipped with a sharp edge, which crushes the grass when struck. But if the amount of work is large and it will be done more than once, then it makes sense to purchase or create an automatic herb chopper with your own hands. It is no secret that folk craftsmen sometimes invent and create equipment from such improvised means that it is immediately difficult to guess how the mechanism works.

Alfalfa grinding

You can create a grass cutter with your own hands using a washing machine, a vacuum cleaner, a regular drill, and even a grinder saw. Some specialists assemble such units from unnecessary electrical appliances; the main thing is to know what parts are needed and have an understanding of the operating principle of any hay chopper.

Question answer

Which shredder is better, electric or gasoline?

It all depends on how you are going to use it. If for country work, on a small plot of no more than six to seven acres, then it would be better to choose an electric one. If the unit is needed for a farm or large areas of land, then a gasoline unit will be more convenient.

Can branches be processed in a grass shredder?

It is forbidden. It is necessary to operate the shredder based on its technical capabilities.

Is a herb grinder used to process grain?

Yes, many models provide for chopping, in addition to grass, hay, dead wood and grain. But this needs to be clarified in the technical characteristics of the unit you are interested in.

What is the difference between milling and disk shredders?

The milling machine is capable of handling a large volume of work and can grind branches. Disc is intended exclusively for grass and only to the extent specified in the technical specifications.

Is it possible to adjust the fractions of the processed mixture in the shredder?

Yes, many modern models provide for setting fractions, which is very convenient if you need to sort ground grass or grain for different purposes.

Which engine to choose?

As mentioned above, you can easily build an effective garden shredder on your own

It is very important to choose the right good engine for such a homemade product. Most often, these devices contain electric or gasoline engines.

Of course, each of these options has its own strengths and weaknesses, which must be taken into account when choosing them.

Devices equipped with an internal combustion engine are more convenient to use, because for them to operate there does not need to be a source of electricity nearby. However, these units are more expensive than electric ones, and their design is more complex. Therefore, many users prefer electric motors. They are cheaper, simpler in design, and have more modest dimensions.

The largest thickness of cut branches that a branch shredder can shred is directly dependent on the electric motor mounted on it, as well as the characteristics of the available knives.

• Thus, devices that have a motor of up to 1.5 kW can easily grind sticks with a diameter of up to 20 mm. These options are perfect for work with a fairly low level of intensity.
• If the shredder has an engine whose power ranges from 3 to 4 kW, then such a unit will be able to shred branches whose thickness reaches 40 mm.
• As for more powerful and productive motors with a power of more than 4 kW, they are used for crushing wooden waste with a diameter of 7 to 15 cm.

To create a high-quality and efficient machine for shredding garden waste, it is permissible to install electric motors from a washing machine, grinder or other similar device.

Mulcher, aka plant shredder, aka grass cutter

Mulch is useful and beneficial, but it does not always look beautiful. In the spaces between the rows of the beds, any vegetable covering material in the form of mulch is acceptable, it does not spoil the view: we understand that here there is a production process of growing vegetables, from which there is also a lot of garbage. Therefore, tufts of torn grass do not offend aesthetic feelings; after a day or two they become withered, reddish-yellow, remaining that way for quite a long time. Until one day the gardener discovers that they have disappeared somewhere. And if he notices, he tries to “decorate” his beds with new ones.

But in a flower garden, where every bush is caressed by the eyes, where every colored bud attracts the eye, where every new flower gives birth to the gardener’s delight, tufts of old grass should not spoil the view.

The best option is chopping so that there are no bottlenecks, but there is mulch.

Online stores sell garden herb grinders. Their price ranges from 10,000 to 13,000 rubles. What do they offer the buyer for this money?

To put it simply, this is a vat that is mounted on a tripod. An electric motor is located under the vat; it has a power from 1200 Watt to 1400 Watt for the specified price range. But the engine speed is not indicated. But they will notice that there are no knives, that the trimmer lines that are included in the kit shred garden waste, but then you will have to buy them separately. Which will dramatically increase the cost of the mulch produced.

There is one more small addition - the crushed material must be soft, it is even indicated that these are leaves and grass. But radish roots, which have become stale because they did not have time to be picked and eaten, are no longer considered soft materials. And the rough “trunks” of zucchini and pumpkin cannot be called soft either. This means they cannot be crushed.

Russian manufacturers are not so serious about protecting engine parameters.

It turns out that to grind grass and root crops, that is, rather coarse materials, you need an electric motor with a power of only 1.1 kW and (attention! this is the most important thing) a rotation speed of 3000 rpm, while the power consumption does not exceed one and a half kilowatts. The device is capable of not only chopping carrots, but also thin branches, stems of sunflowers, “trunks” of ornamental plants from the flower garden: verbascum, lupins, buckwheat…. And this miracle works from a network with a voltage of 220 Volts. Such an engine can be bought in the same online stores for 3,000 rubles.

Everything else is the homework of a skilled gardener.

Only to make knives you need a special steel; metalworkers will tell you which one, and they will make the knives themselves. It is better to have two sets of knives: one for soft grass, the other for woody plants. Although you can get by with just one. We have had this homemade machine working for thirty years now, with one set of knives; we only have to sharpen them once a season.