Before choosing a garden shredder, you need to decide what exactly it will do on your site. After all, the capabilities of different devices are significantly different: some of them can only cope with weeds and young green shoots, while others can safely "feed" quite strong branches in 4-6 cm thick.

Of course, universal models are preferable in any case, because they can solve many more problems. However, if you do not have to grind dry and hard materials, why should you overpay for unnecessary functions? But what you really need to think about when buying a chopper is the convenience of its use and safety. But first things first.

How the electric shredder works

The electric chopper is somewhat like a meat grinder or an office paper shredder. Only instead of meat or documents he grinds branches and weeds. After the garden trash gets into the intake funnel, it is carefully ground to produce sawdust or small identical pieces.

Important: it can be used for mulch or fertilizer - waste-free environmental production is now very popular.

Grinding occurs either at the expense of disc knives, or due to the cutter. Devices with knives, as a rule, are cheaper, but there is no need to expect great feats from them: maximum young branches up to 3 cm thick. The cutter is a more reliable and powerful tool capable of grinding large garden garbage. To find a suitable electric shredder, you need to roughly calculate the load that it will have to face. Depending on this, select the required class of the device.

Classes of shredders

According to the level of power (and, consequently, also in terms of capabilities), shredders are usually divided into the following classes:

1. Amateur. This category includes devices with a power of up to 1600 W and weighing about 20 kg. Inside, they have disc knives. Such units are suitable for small or young farms. The main thing when buying - choose a model with knives from hardened steel. Then you will be able to use the chopper for a long time, without fearing that the blades will be dulled or broken.
2. Medium. These devices have a power of up to 2500 W and are equipped with milling knives. They can cope with a more serious load: for example, grind branches up to a diameter of -4 cm. In good models there is a system of drawing in garden garbage, a special funnel for mulch and large wheels.
3. Professional. The electric garden chopper of this class has a power of up to 4000 W (three-phase models). Such units are more suitable for large farms, where it is necessary to grind branches in 6-7 cm thick. They not only turn garden garbage into sawdust, but also press it a little to make an ideal mulch on the output. Professional models have a large convenient receiving funnel, milling knives and can easily draw materials without human help.

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Recommendations of specialists

Having defined the class of the device, you can proceed to other characteristics. Specialists recommend paying attention to the following points:

• although electric garden shredders work much quieter than gasoline ones, it is desirable that the noise level does not exceed 84 dB;
• in some models there are pre-cutting knives, which allows the device to work much more efficiently;
• cone-shaped receiving funnels are more convenient than any other;
• If the unit is unable to independently draw garbage, the manufacturer must provide it with a special pusher for ease of use;
• a few speeds will help to regulate the size of the waste (sawdust, large pieces, etc.);
• if there are several receiving holes in the grinder, you can simultaneously grind and twigs, and grass, and young flexible shoots, and leaves;
• sometimes even a good device can suddenly clog and do not overpower a large branch. In this case, reverse rotation of the knives will help;
• for safe operation of the chopper must be provided with the function of blocking self-starting: if the electricity suddenly disappears, and you forget to turn off the device, it will not turn on when the power is restored, which can save you from injury.

However, all these opportunities lose some of their strength in the absence of good instruction. Do not ignore it at all! It just seems like it's enough to insert the shredder cord into the outlet and press the button: each model can have its own characteristics, which you definitely need to get acquainted with.

Safety precautions

Using a garden shredder, be sure to protect your eyes with the help of special glasses. On your head, put on a cap, and on your hands - garden gloves. Take care that the cord does not break anywhere, and the socket does not spark. And never use the machine inappropriately: with its help you only need to grind the garden garbage specified in the instructions. If stones, metal or plastic enter the entrance, the garden assistant will most likely have to say goodbye.

Choose an electric garden shredder with the mind, using the advice of specialists, and you will have much less work on the site. Successful purchase!