DIY electric garden herb chopper

A garden shredder is a mechanism designed for processing plant waste generated during grass mowing, sanitary or annual pruning of trees, grapes and various shrubs. The resulting small pieces of grass or branches can be used as livestock feed or fertilizer. The use of this unit allows gardeners, owners of summer cottages and lovers of beautiful lawns to get rid of organic waste faster and with less labor. The structure of the device is relatively simple, for this reason it can be assembled with your own hands without any special financial costs from old parts and scrap materials. This allows you to save on purchasing a ready-made factory device.

Main components of a garden shredder

To independently assemble a grass and branch chopper (shredder) at home, you must first understand the structure of the mechanism, as well as the principle of its operation. This will help you assemble the equipment correctly and, if necessary, make changes to its design.

A homemade unit, designed for grinding mown grass and sawn branches up to several centimeters thick, has the following main structural components:

• engine;
• knives mounted on the working shaft;
• frame (usually metal);
• protective casing;
• a box designed to receive cut vegetation;
• starting system.

The equipment itself can be made stationary or mobile. To create the latter option, you will additionally need wheels, as well as a handle. To make the frame, use metal corners or ready-made frames from workbenches. Boxes for processed vegetation are made from plastic buckets, tin, and bags. The protective casing around the knives should be thick and durable enough so as not to quickly wear out from the impact of grinding vegetation.

When processing plant debris, crushed pieces may fly out of the opening through which it is fed. Therefore, the neck is covered with a lid or simply with a cloth, for example, a bag.

The operation of the chopper is that rotation from the motor shaft is transmitted directly to the knives or through a chain/belt drive. The vegetation chopped by the blades enters the box. In this case, the final product is immediately ready for use.

According to the principle of operation, some homemade shredders are comparable to a meat grinder (they draw in and then grind organic matter), while others are comparable to a coffee grinder.

Varieties of engines for assembling homemade products

Electric and gasoline engines removed from unused equipment are used as a drive for homemade products. Each of these two options has its own advantages and disadvantages. Models with an internal combustion engine are more convenient in that their operation does not require a nearby power supply. But in general, they are more expensive and have a more complex design than their counterparts equipped with an electric motor. Therefore, it is easier to make electrical equipment, and also more compact.

The maximum thickness of cut branches that a branch chipper can grind depends on the power of the electric motor installed on it and the characteristics of the knives.

1. Models with a motor up to 1.5 kW are capable of grinding sticks up to 20 mm in diameter. They are designed for low intensity work.
2. If an electric motor of 3 to 4 kW is installed, then such units can chop branches up to 40 mm thick.
3. More powerful electric motors (over 4 kW) are used to make a shredder for wood with a diameter of 7-15 cm.

The drive of the last category is equipped with equipment if it is necessary to constantly perform large volumes of work associated with the processing of waste of various thicknesses.

To create a homemade shredder, you can use electric motors from an angle grinder, washing machine, or trimmer. They must be adapted to work from a stationary network with a voltage of 220 V. In order to grind material as thick as possible at home, it is recommended to equip the shredder with an electric motor of 1500 rpm with a power of about 3.5 kW. This parameter for internal combustion engines corresponds to 5-6 horsepower.

Motor from an old washing machine

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

If you want to make a grass cutter with your own hands, then be sure to understand the important design elements.
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 grass cutter engine, 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 level 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

An important element of any chopper is the knives.
They influence the quality of straw and branches processing. Some knives produce brushwood 2–10 cm long, while others, thanks to their special design, create small shavings. 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 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.

Garden shredder from washing machine

An old Soviet-made washing machine with a metal body is a technique that contains almost all the necessary parts for assembling a garden shredder. You only need knives with fasteners, as well as an extension cord.

To make a cutting attachment, you can use an old wood saw.

Tools you will need:

• angle grinder;
• pliers;
• spanners;
• screwdriver;
• electric drill;
• hammer;
• tape measure with marker.

The washing machine motor has a small power (different models have different power), which is indicated in the instructions for the household appliance or on the electric motor plate. Due to the fact that its value usually does not exceed 500 watts, with the help of the created unit it will be possible to grind only straw or grass.

A shredder from a washing machine is made like this.

1. The body of the machine is cut to height so that it is convenient to work with the unit.
2. At the bottom side, a rectangular hole is cut in it with a grinder, 20 cm wide and 7 cm high, intended for throwing out ground plants.
3. Around the slot, a kind of casing is made of tin, which will direct the herbal mass into the collection container, while preventing it from scattering to the sides.
4. They make legs.
5. Attach the body to the stand.
6. 2 holes with a diameter of 7 mm are drilled on the electric motor shaft. Then a threaded bushing is placed on it, as well as holes at the end more than 5 cm long, securing it with bolts.
7. An electric motor is secured under the bottom of the box using studs and nuts.
8. Inside the casing, knives are secured to a sleeve, placing them above the grass ejection hole or at the same level with it.
9. The box is attached by welding or bolts to the stand.

The result will be a technique similar to the one shown in the photo below.

The start button will come from a converted washing machine. You just need to make sure to connect the extension cord of sufficient length.

The design and operation of a grass cutter from a modern washing machine is shown in the video

DIY herb grinders

To create a unit with your own hands, you can use any devices and parts that will perform the role of chopping grass well.

For assembly you will need the following materials :

• a cultivator device that will act as a drive for chopping grass;
• sharpened steel knife(s);
• self-tapping screws;
• container for grinding;
• tabletop and legs.

Depending on the desired unit that needs to be assembled, other materials may be needed. But these are purely individual features of the process.

This video presents the simplest homemade shredder. It is made of a metal bucket, a motor with knives and a plastic container (for collecting the finished material):

Shredder made from a bucket and old construction tools

To create such a device, just take a tabletop, attach a bucket to it, and make a hole in the bottom and place a drill. A knife is installed on the drill rod and placed on the bottom of the bucket immediately under the tabletop.

You need to make a hole in the side of the bucket and cover it with metal plates (due to centrifugal force, chopped grass will pass through it). After the final assembly, you will get something like this unit:

If you wish (or lack thereof), you can not install the drill in place, but simply attach the knives to the rod and lower the drill into a bucket that already contains grass.

For those who are especially lazy, you can, in principle, not make any holes in the bucket and each time pour the chopped grass out of the container manually, while simultaneously operating an improvised drill-grass cutter yourself.

How to make a chopper from a bucket and an angle grinder is shown in the video below:

Shredder from an old vacuum cleaner

Most often, for such a homemade device, it is recommended to use a Soviet vacuum cleaner of the Typhoon model. It has an ideally shaped top hole where the grass is placed, as well as an identically sized outlet hole (where the suction hose was). Thanks to this, the chopped grass will not remain inside, but will be thrown out of the housing during operation.

The diagram for creating such a unit can be found in these images:

1 – damper is closed; 2 – the damper is open.

3 – bushing; 4 – working knife; 5 – sweeping knife; 6 – knives with bushing assembly.

Shredder from washing machine

This type of unit is almost entirely identical to that made from a vacuum cleaner. The only difference is in size. The body of the washing machine will be used as a container (which can be cut, if desired), and the sleeve should be more than 5 cm.

It is best to use a top-loading washing machine. This will make it easier to lay the material. A machine with a standard load will have to be placed on its side, although this cannot be called a disadvantage. Rather, it is a slight difficulty in installing a ready-made shredder.

The process of creating a grass grinder from a washing machine can be found in the video. Here the craftsman talks in detail about the process of creating his own unit and tests it:

Homemade grass grinder from a grinder

A grass grinder made from a grinder is a fairly simple and quickly implemented option. To implement the project, you will need to stock up on the following parts and materials:

• steel corners;
• metal container (regular boiling);
• homemade or ready-made knives (for example, from a lawn mower);
• fasteners;
• sheet metal.

Tools you will need:

• electric drill;
• welding machine and electrodes for it;
• an angle grinder to cut corners;
• spanners.

To assemble a shredder with your own hands based on an angle grinder, capable of grinding not only grass, but also branches up to 4 cm thick, it is recommended to use a power tool with a power of over 3 kW.

The creation of a grinding unit is carried out in the following sequence:

• cut the corners into pieces with a grinder;
• a frame resembling a chair is welded from them;
• weld a shelf from a piece of sheet metal;
• attach the grinder to the made frame (on the stand) with clamps, placing its shaft towards the top;
• cut a hole about 10 by 10 cm in the side of the boil-out;
• a sleeve, for example, made of tin, is attached to the slot, through which the ground plant mass will be dispensed from the container;
• make a hole in the center at the bottom of the boil;
• install the container on the angle grinder shaft and attach it with bolts or self-tapping screws to the metal frame;
• Place the knife or disc on the angle grinder.

The result will be the design shown in the photo below.

The dimensions of the corners are selected individually to make it convenient to handle the mechanism.

It should be remembered that the frame must be stable. The safety of working with the device will depend on this.

Place a bucket or other container under the pipe for dispensing chopped grass with branches while working with the unit so that the processed plants do not fly away.

The created device can be improved. To do this, you will need a grinder shaft attachment about 15 cm long with two knives: at the upper end and in the middle. The blades are separated by a mesh attached to the casing wall.

Rating of the best manufacturers of garden shredders

Before choosing a garden electric or gasoline wood chipper, it is useful to familiarize yourself with the models available on the market from leading manufacturers. The rating presented here will help you not make a mistake when purchasing and are guaranteed to receive a high-quality unit in the appropriate price category.

The best disc garden shredders

The best milling shredders

Grass cutter from trimmer

A garden shredder can be made using a gasoline or electric trimmer. In this case, the tool will work in an upside-down position. To create equipment designed to chop grass and thin twigs, you will need, in addition to a brush cutter with cutting attachments, the following materials:

• plastic or metal container with a volume of at least 50 liters;
• approximately 1 sq.m. steel mesh with small mesh size;
• about 3 meters of metal tube (aluminum or steel) half an inch in diameter;
• a piece of board or moisture-resistant chipboard, plywood of such width that the trimmer fits on it;
• clamps that will attach the brush cutter to the wooden base;
• self-tapping screws, bolts, nuts, washers;
• wooden blocks (5 by 5 cm is enough).

To assemble a chopping mechanism from a trimmer, you will need to use the following tools and devices:

• a screwdriver or screwdriver with bits;
• electric drill with a set of drills for wood and metal;
• an electric jigsaw with files for cutting metal or a manual equivalent;
• hammer;
• open-end or socket wrenches;
• punch;
• an anvil or a flat iron plate.

A punch is needed to make it convenient to drill holes with an electric drill. This tool is pointed at the point where the metal needs to be drilled. Then it is hit with a hammer. The drill does not slip out of the resulting recess when drilling a metal part.

Hole punch set

Preparatory activities

A grass cutter from a brush cutter is manufactured in a number of stages. Initially, they are prepared in a container where the grass and branches will be ground:

• make markings on the bottom (along the perimeter) for four trapezoidal holes with rounded corners;
• drill holes with a cross section of 1 cm in each drawn segment;
• a jigsaw file is inserted into them and trapezoids are cut out;
• process the cuts with a file or sandpaper;
• a hole is drilled in the center of the bottom for the chopper shaft;
• a circle is cut out of steel mesh with dimensions according to the diameter of the bottom;
• using small scraps of boards or blocks, the prepared mesh fragment is secured to the container from below;
• Legs for the container are made from metal tubes, attaching them to the tank with bolts.

The wooden pieces are fixed with self-tapping screws, twisting them from the inside of the tank into metal jumpers between the cut trapezoids. In this way, the mesh is securely attached to the bottom of the container.

The legs are made in the following way:

• bend the tubes in a vice or using a pipe bender in the shape of the letter “P”;
• the ends of future supports are flattened with a hammer;
• 2 holes are drilled into them on each side (6.5 or 8.5 mm cross-section);
• fit the workpieces to the bottom of the container and mark the points of bolted connections;
• drill according to the hole mark;
• using bolts with washers and nuts, attach to the footrest casing.

After preparing the casing, in order to reduce the dimensions of the created mechanism, the following operations are performed:

• disassemble the trimmer, disconnecting the motor, rod and cutting attachment from each other;
• cut off a fragment approximately 20-40 centimeters long from the rod with the cable;
• collect the lawn mower;
• check the performance of the equipment.

Chopper assembly

If the trimmer works well after assembly, then it is used to create a grass grinder.

1. The motor of the brush cutter is attached to the board with clamps.
2. Fix the bar on a wooden base using clamps and a handle from a brush cutter.
3. Connect the cutting attachment to the end of the rod, previously inserted into the hole at the bottom of the casing.
4. They start the mechanism and test it in operation.

After these steps, you will get a unit, the photograph of which is presented below.

If the trimmer used to assemble the shredder is equipped with a gasoline engine, then the motor is placed on the base so that it is convenient to fill in fuel, start the device and regulate its operation (speed).

Cutting attachments are equipped with knives or fishing line - this depends on the thickness of the plant stems being chopped.

What else can a chopper be made from?

There are many different options for creating garden shredders with your own hands: from the simplest ones, which only allow you to grind grass, to more structurally complex, powerful units designed for wood up to 10 cm thick. Accordingly, the practical implementation of the plan will require different details, different amounts of time and money.

To assemble equipment for processing plant waste, in addition to the considered options for old or unnecessary tools or equipment, you can use the following devices:

• drill or hammer drill;
• an old working vacuum cleaner;
• unnecessary electric saw;
• motor from the pump;
• gasoline or electric walk-behind tractor;
• any electric motor of suitable power.

A drill with a hammer drill, if you use them to chop grass, you don’t need to redo it at all. It is enough to make only a nozzle with blades. The created device will work like a blender, grinding soft plant stems into a container in small portions.

The nuances of operating homemade equipment

A self-made shredder is essentially three in one: a chopper for branches, a straw cutter, and a mechanism for cutting grass. It helps to significantly facilitate household work associated with the disposal of plant waste, as well as feeding poultry and livestock.

If you have to process grass in small quantities, for example, for chickens, geese, ducks, then very simple devices that operate on human muscle power, for example, a hand pruner, are sufficient.

For homemade electrical equipment, it is recommended to install a separate differential circuit breaker to provide reliable protection against electric shock in case of unforeseen circumstances. In any case, when making a garden shredder yourself, you must follow safety regulations. It is also worth adhering to them during operation of the mechanism. Before working with equipment, it is recommended to wear goggles, suitable protective clothing and check that the structural elements are securely fastened. When creating a home-made unit, you should take into account the upcoming amount of work, as well as the nature of the vegetation being processed, in order to select an engine of the required power and the desired design of knives. This will allow the completed device to cope with the assigned tasks without any problems.

Design and principle of operation

Any device for grinding herbs works on the principle of a food processor: it cuts the entire contents into small pieces using sharp knives. There are different variations among grass cutter models, but their essence is always the same: grass is placed in a container, rotating blades grind the contents, and the finished product is discharged (due to centrifugal force) through a special hole on the side.

Any chicken grass chopper consists of several key parts :

1Container for storing raw materials

It is here that the unprocessed plants the chickens need are supplied. The amount of initial material that can be placed in the container depends on the technical characteristics of each individual model.

Although, often, to feed a small number of chickens, skilled poultry farmers create such devices themselves. In this case, the most common 12-15 liter bucket is used as a container for laying grass. It can also be replaced with a plastic barrel or other more suitable containers.

2Knives

Knives are installed in the lower part of the mentioned container for raw materials. Some models may use cords (trimmer lines). For feeding chickens, this method of cutting grass is even preferable: the pieces of plants will be larger, and it will be more convenient for the birds to peck at them.

And when using models with sharpened knives, there is a high probability of obtaining mulch (for gardening) or even grass porridge. Neither one nor the other is suitable for feeding chickens - they will refuse to eat it.

3Engine

Grass cutters can be either automatic (most often) or manual. Purchased models have a variety of engines depending on the goals pursued. This also affects the power of the device. Particularly productive shredders, in addition to cutting the grass too finely, can additionally create a lot of dust.

To avoid this, manufacturers install different filters on grass cutters, but what if the grass is cut to feed chickens? It does not require a high-performance and powerful engine, which means it will not really create dust.

Homemade models can even use drills or angle grinders (angle grinders), at the end of which there will be blades for grinding grass. In some special cases, grass grinders for chickens are also made from old unwanted washing machines.

Their main principle of operation ideally meets the requirements of grass cutters: blades are installed in the drum, an additional hole is created for the output of chopped grass, after which the device begins to work for its intended purpose.

4Other details

In addition to the raw material container, blades and motor, a variety of additional accessories can be installed:

• protective casing;
• wheels (allow the chopper to be moved freely around the area);
• cable for connecting the unit to the electrical network;
• sieve;
• filters;
• blowing the finished product, etc.