What can you make a grass chopper with your own hands?

Few gardeners know why a grass cutter is needed at all. Weeds are pulled out, but why chop the grass and branches? Shredders are used to prepare mulch, fertilizer or animal feed. If you need them in large quantities, you cannot do without an electric grass cutter, it will save time and effort. Some people prefer to buy shredders, but it is quite possible to make them yourself from improvised means. It only takes a little time, skill and patience.

Content:

• Grass chopper: what is it, benefits
• Types of shredders
• What can you make a grass chopper
• How to use the herb chopper correctly

Grass chopper: what is it, benefits

Essentially, a grass chopper is no different from a large meat grinder. It works on the same principle: with the help of knives, it crumbles and grinds everything that is put into it. Since it is designed for grass, its device is somewhat simpler and is not designed for crushing hard materials and large objects.

A DIY herb chopper has many advantages.

It saves money that could be spent on the purchase of such a device, allows you to chop grass and branches in large quantities, without wasting your time and energy. It is easy to use and easy to carry from place to place (if it is a compact shredder). Among the disadvantages are the size and thickness of the processed material. A homemade grass cutter will not cope with thick branches. Also, for the operation of an electric shredder, it is imperative to have an outlet nearby, which can create some difficulties. Homemade shredders are designed for a small amount of material and it will not work to serve large areas with one shredder.

In horticulture, this device is used for several purposes:

• Garbage disposal. Burning trash is not always safe. This is a long-term process that must not be left unattended, as the fire can spread and cause a fire. During the burning of branches, various harmful substances are released, which are inhaled by a person, which is also dangerous to health. The shredder will allow you to dispose of waste easier and faster, reducing its volume.
• Harvesting feed. Sometimes the grass is crushed for pets to help them digest it. For example, for small species of rabbits, small rodents, etc. If there are many such pets, then a grass cutter will greatly simplify life.
• Preparation mulch or fertilizers... Most often, this is exactly what the shredder serves for. Chopping the grass manually is long and labor-intensive, and the grass cutter will allow you to quickly make a large amount of mulch. It is the crushed grass and branches that begin to decompose faster, saturating the soil with nutrients. Therefore, in crushed form, the grass is more valuable as a raw material for mulch and compost.

Types of shredders

Shredders are divided into different groups depending on the principle of operation, device, type of knives and productivity of use. There are professional shredders and simple homemade ones.It is necessary to choose one or another type of shredder taking into account the goals and scope of work:

• By power. There are amateur, medium-duty and professional grass shredders. Amateur ones are designed for a small volume of grass, medium-sized ones are also not suitable for a large amount of material, but they can grind rather dense large branches. Professional shredders are powerful and rather large in size. They can chop even thick branches up to 7 cm thick.
• By the type of knives. Knives in shredders are disc and milling. Circular knives are flat blades that rotate and chop up debris. But when you grind the branches, they quickly become blunt. The milling knives are a rotating gear that automatically tightens and grinds the raw material.
• By type of work. A distinction is made between gasoline and electric shredders. Each variety has its own pros and cons. Gasoline, for example, do not require a power outlet, but they cost a little more.
• Stationary and mobile. You can make a stationary shredder, where branches and grass will be fed. He grinds all this, and the finished raw material is fed into a separate container. This is the simplest, but quite effective type of shredder. You can also make the shredder moveable like a lawn mower, but this is much more complicated. But it is more convenient to use. You can create beautiful lawn and chop the grass at the same time.

When choosing or making a shredder, the required power must be taken into account. For a large amount of work, more powerful grass cutters are needed, that is, it is necessary to calculate in advance how often and how much you will have to grind. If you need to chop not only grass, but also branches, additional blades are added to the chopper.

Some gardeners take into account the noise level as well. When making a homemade shredder, this is not critical, since the noise level is likely to be quite high due to the operation of the engine.

What can you make a grass chopper

There are a lot of options for making a homemade grinder. Of course, you can grind the grass in small quantities manually. For this, an ordinary cut is taken (a triangular object with a pointed base), the material is laid out on the surface and cut into small pieces with this cut. But if you need to prepare raw materials in large quantities, manual grinding becomes tedious. In this case, a grass cutter will come in handy, which will grind the grass automatically.

You can make such a device from scrap materials:

• Drill. The simplest type of shredder. For him you will need an ordinary drill, nuts and bolts, knives, as well as a container where the chopped grass will fall. The device of such a grinder is very simple: knives are attached to the drill. Grass is poured into the bucket, the drill is lowered and turned on. This shredder works like a blender. The only difficulty: the grass can scatter, so you will have to grind it in small portions. Thus, it will not work to chop the branches, since the knives will quickly become dull.
• Old vacuum cleaner. The essence of this device does not differ from a grinder from a drill, but its performance is slightly higher. From the vacuum cleaner, you only need a body where the grass will be poured, and the engine with knives will grind it and feed it through the side hole into another container, for example, into a bucket. Thus, it will be easier to chop up the garbage, the grass will not scatter.
• Washing machine. The washing machine serves as a convenient container for grass. It is quite voluminous, and a large amount of material will fit into it. A second hole is made on the side through which the chopped grass will flow into a bucket or other container. The principle of operation is the same. Inside the body, knives are installed that rotate with a motor and chop the grass.
• Other materials at hand.You can make a shredder from anything: an old electric saw, a pump, an engine from the same vacuum cleaner or a washing machine. The essence of the device is that the knives rotate at a certain speed inside a closed container. The engine is attached to the body with special clamps.

How to use the herb chopper correctly

Despite the simplicity of the device, the shredder can be traumatic. There are also situations that lead to breakage of the shredder. To avoid this, you need to know how to properly use and store the device.

Sharp knives are used in the grinder, therefore safety rules must be observed:

1. Small children should be kept away from the appliance while the appliance is in operation. Do not put your hands into the device itself, and you also need to make sure that no foreign objects and glass get inside.
2. If large thick branches get into the shredder, it must be turned off and the branches removed. In this case, the engine will overheat and the device may break. A stuck branch cannot be pulled out by hand; there are special tools for this.
3. Wear rubber gloves, face shield and goggles when using the shredder. Some of the crushed branches and grass can get into the eyes, and dust is emitted during operation of the device, which is undesirable to inhale.
4. It is worth remembering that electrical appliances must be kept away from water, otherwise a short circuit may occur. It is also necessary to store the shredder in a place protected from moisture during the winter.
5. Do not store the shredder at temperatures below 10 or above 40 degrees, as this may damage the wires and contacts.
6. If the shredder is powered by the mains and you need to clean it, get out some parts, replace them, you first need to turn off the device from the mains.
7. Before using the shredder, you need to make sure that it is in good working order, the wires are not damaged, all parts are in place and securely fastened.
8. After each work, the knives and the body must be cleaned of the remnants of grass and branches, thoroughly wipe the knives and make sure they are intact. If the knife is damaged, it must be replaced, but after the device stops working and is turned off from the network.

When using a shredder, you must adhere to safety rules, since homemade shredders (amateur) may have loose parts. When turning it on and using it for the first time, it is best to wear protective clothing and a mask.

More information can be found in the video: