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DIY garden shredder. Homemade grass and twig chopper: from a washing machine or drill Do-it-yourself twig chopper from a washing machine

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.

The main purpose of this article is to find ways self-made the equipment needed on the farm. If you have the desire, patience and minimal skills, you can make a homemade herb grinder that will work just as well, and perhaps even better, than a store-bought one. Better, because only you yourself know the needs of your farm and can perfectly adapt the device to your own needs. It will be exactly what you need!

Option #1 – a drill to help you!

An excellent grass cutter can be very easily built from a regular drill. Exactly how this simple device works can be seen in the video below.

So, the grinding process resembles the work of a food processor: in a cylindrical body, the role of which is played by a simple bucket, there is a sharply sharpened knife. When it rotates in a circle at high speed, the grass is cut. To make this grass cutter, a two-mode Temp drill with a power of 850 watts is used. The knife is made from hacksaw blade. The whole secret is hidden in sharpening the knife. If done correctly, the grass will not wrap around the blade. The knife should remain clean and free of greens.

Sharpen the knife with a one-sided sharpening. It should be oriented with the sharpened plane facing down. If you have to chop fresh grass, the best shape of the knife would be a narrow diamond so that the cutting edge disappears at an angle to the edges. As a last resort, you can round the blade towards the tip. Then the grass, which is affected by centrifugal force, slides along the cutting edge of the knife straight to the edges. It cuts easily and never wraps around the knife.

Option #2 – for owners of the Typhoon vacuum cleaner

The working principle of this device is no different from the previous one. It just looks more civilized and its performance is higher. If in the previous case the grass was already in the container where the cutting tool was placed, now the raw material is supplied through the upper hole, and the finished substrate comes out through the lower one, located in the side of the apparatus. To prevent the finished silage from being scattered when spilled, you need to use a protective cover for the outlet.

Perhaps such a grass cutter does not look as presentable as a purchased one, but it is functional and practically free. Decide what is more important to you

The chopped grass is collected in a bucket, which must be carefully placed under the outlet. It is clear that when choosing the height of the racks for the unit, it should be taken into account that a bucket of normal parameters must pass freely to be placed in in the right place. So what does Typhoon have to do with it? The body from the old Soviet Typhoon vacuum cleaner is ideal for a basic garden grass shredder: it has an upper hole of the most suitable size. I repeat once again: this perfect option. But not the only one!

Any cylindrical container, be it an old pan, bucket or piece of pipe, will also work. The 180 Watt motor can be borrowed from the old washing machine. On knives the old one will do hacksaw blade, and it is recommended to use a 15x15 mm rectangular profile as stands. The bushing, 40 mm high, on which the knives will be attached, will have to be machined lathe.

The process of making a herb grinder is not as complicated as it seems. In the photo: No. 1 – body, very convenient, because you can load grass into it from above, No. 2 – engine from washing machine, No. 3 - location and appearance knives

The engine with the pulley removed is mounted on studs from below to the container. To tighten the knives, water nuts 32 mm in diameter are useful. When making bushings, be careful to cut threads for these nuts. Don't forget about the hole for the motor shaft. To be reliable fixation On the shaft, in the bushing, two holes are made 7 mm in diameter with M8 threads cut into them for locking bolts. Pads are machined on the reverse side of the motor shaft to increase the reliability of the bushing being secured with locking bolts.

At a height of 15 mm in the upper part of the cylinder, the edges were removed with a grinder to form a square with a side of 25 mm. Knives will be put on him. To make knives, you need to cut 4 blanks from a hacksaw blade using a grinder. A square hole with a side of 26 mm is cut out in the central part of each workpiece. The width of each part depends on the degree of rigidity of the original metal. It is clear that the knives should be placed closer to the bottom. Their cutting edges are sharpened using a sharpener. The bolts securing the sleeve are placed above the knives.

In the photo: No. 4 is a bushing for securing the knives and connecting the engine to the body, No. 5 is a square on which the knives will subsequently be attached, No. 6 is the chopper platform, which is made in the form of a truncated pyramid

If it is not possible to make an outlet for the silo directly under the knives, then it will be equipped on the side. To do this, you can use a grinder to make a 7x7 circle. Tin is used to form the guide body. The housing is attached to the chopper with M3 bolts. The platform of the unit must be as stable as possible. To do this, its base is made larger than the top. It has to be made as functional and convenient as possible.

The purpose of the platform is not only to support the chopper, but also to protect the engine. It is secured to the container with 3 M 6x45 bolts. It is better to cover the side edges of the platform with sheets of tin. The racks are threaded for M3 bolts, with which the sheets are secured to the platform.

Option #3 – grass cutter from what was on hand

Armed with the knowledge gained from reading the description of the manufacturing process of the previous unit, you can build yourself something equally simple and useful without much difficulty or effort.

This grass cutter is literally made from something you found in the shed. All things have served their purpose long ago, but in this design they will certainly be useful to their owner for a long time

For basic grass cutting you will need:

Agidel pump or any similar electric motor capable of 3000 rpm and powered from a 220V network;
old aluminum pan;
used wood hacksaws, from which you can make wonderful knives;
to start the engine you need a button, the role of which will be perfectly played by the NVD from the washing machine;
plug and power cord.

We invite you to carefully examine the photographs, because they do not need any special comments. Everything is very clear. Start creating your herb grinder and you'll do great.

Pay attention to how the blades are placed in this herb chopper. It is possible that you will choose this particular model

The motor is installed under the pan, and the start button is located at the rear of the platform to make it easier to reach.

Such grass, chopped using a grass cutter, is perfect for feeding livestock and poultry, as well as for mulching purposes.

Option #4 – homemade straw cutter

Three previous units successfully turned grass into silage. But if we need a chopper not only for grass, but also for hay, it’s worth taking a closer look at another invention, which is presented in great detail in the video below.

A Few Safety Warnings

Any device, the creation of which is described above, is equipped with sharp cutting parts. To ensure that it serves you for a long time, brings relief in your work, and does not cause injury, follow basic safety precautions when performing work.

If the operation of the unit involves electricity, be doubly careful and take the necessary measures. Be especially careful that children do not try to operate the grass cutter. It's better to overdo it than to underdo it!

An inevitable companion garden plot is plant debris in the form of grass and branches. It is not advisable to throw away or burn such waste, because it can be used to obtain natural fertilizer. It is enough to grind it to the state of wood chips. A garden shredder can easily handle this task. However, if there is no financial opportunity to purchase it, then you can make a garden shredder with your own hands. This article will tell you in detail how to do this.

Selecting a device based on technical parameters. How to make a shredder from scrap materials yourself.

As can be seen from the list presented, the design of a shredder with a disk mechanism is the simplest and most affordable. However, such a shredder can shred branches with a diameter of only 20 mm. But a chipper with two shafts can easily cope with large wood with a diameter of up to 80 mm.

Shredder assembly

Having all the necessary elements, you can safely begin to create the design of a garden branch shredder with your own hands based on the completed drawing. Assembly garden shredder Regardless of the type of mechanism design, it consists of several successive stages:

Frame installation.
Creating a bunker.
Assembling the grinding mechanism.
Installing the engine and grinding device on the frame.

Creating a chopper with a set of circular saw blades

The grinding mechanism of such shredders consists of circular saws, which alternately with separating washers are mounted on the shaft. Each disc has many teeth that can handle even hard wood. Therefore, it will process soft grass, tops and leaves in a matter of minutes. When saw teeth become dull, they can be easily replaced with new ones.

The shaft for the chopper can be turned on a lathe or used ready-made from the gearbox of an old car. The distance between adjacent saws should be about 10 mm. If the gap is smaller, it will reduce the working area of the shredder. If you create a larger gap, this will encourage small branches to get stuck.

Helpful advice! The saw teeth should not be placed on the same line when fixing them on the shaft. It is better to install them chaotically. This reduces the load on the shredder shaft and electric motor.

It is better to use an electric motor, which is practically silent during operation and does not emit emissions into the atmosphere. harmful substances. To crush coarse material, you can use it, which has great power. The engine should be placed on a movable support so that the drive tension can be adjusted.

The frame for the shredder can be welded using channels, angles or profiled metal pipes. A thrust beam made of a metal profile can be welded to the base of the structure, which will become a support for stems and branches during crushing. When creating pedestals for bearings, it is important not to distort them. The axes of the motor and shaft must be in parallel planes.

The design of the bunker deserves special attention. It can be made from sheet metal. The container should be strong enough to withstand the impact of flying chips from branches. Using a movable support plate in the body of the hopper, it is possible to adjust the size of the chips. So, smaller fragments are suitable for fertilizer, and larger chips are suitable for kindling.

The size of the receiving socket should be larger than the length of the arms to protect them from damage. This also makes it possible to guide the branches into the shredder at a convenient angle.

This DIY garden shredder of branches and grass can cope with both soft waste and hard, thick wood. However, its main problem is the clogging of the space between the saws, which needs regular cleaning.

Creating a shredder with a blade disc

You can create such a grass chopper with your own hands from scrap materials. Since it is designed for crushing soft debris, its design will be very simple, however, it will not have a high strength rating. You can weld a bunker from sheet metal, or you can take an ordinary metal bucket. A casing from an old fan will also work.

To create a cutting system on a metal disk, knives are inserted into special slots, which can be pre-made from a spring sheet from a car. The disk is installed on the shaft. Next is the receiving box. Suitable for this shredder low power engine at 1 kW. All the details of creating a garden electric grass shredder with your own hands can be seen in the videos offered on the Internet.

Assembly instructions for a twin-roll shredder

Work begins with creating a frame. To do this, use an angle grinder made of profile pipe two blanks 80 cm long and four parts 40 cm long are cut. Next, short sections are welded between two long blanks at right angles. The two internal parts must be spaced at a sufficient distance from each other to ensure secure installation of the grinding drum.

Helpful advice! For the device to be mobile, the structure must have wheels for movement. To do this, two racks are welded to the frame, onto which an axle with wheels is attached.

The next step is to create the shafts for the chopping drum. If you plan to install four knives on one shaft, then we use a square metal blank. We make both ends of it round so that they can fit into the bearings. For three knives you will need a round blank in which the central part is sharpened. Three flat cuts are made in it for the subsequent installation of knives.

To create knives, you can take a small piece of a Kamaz spring sheet. Holes for bolts are made in the knives. Then you should perform sharpening machine, where the cutting edge angle is selected with a value of 35-45 degrees. Next, the sharpened knives are applied to the shaft and their attachment points are marked, in which holes are created, and the thread is cut.

Next, we proceed to create the grinding mechanism. In two metal walls using welding machine are being done round holes for installing bearings. Using special pads and bolts, we install the bearings inside the metal walls. We insert the shafts into the bearings, securing them securely. They must be located at a sufficient distance to prevent them from touching. Next, the drum walls are connected using threaded metal studs and nuts.

Now let's start creating the receiving bunker. To do this, four parallelepipeds are cut from thin sheet metal. Next, each edge is bent by 4 cm. A short section in one direction, a long section in the opposite direction. We connect all the parts using self-tightening rivets or welding. Holes for fastening are made on the bent edges at the base of the box.

Now gears are put on the shafts to synchronize the movement, and the entire structure is installed on the frame and secured with bolts. Then the motor is installed, which is connected to the shaft by a belt drive or chain. It is better to take an engine of high power, but with a low number of revolutions. At the end, the receiving hopper is installed and secured. A protective cover is then placed on all rotating parts of the shredder to prevent foreign objects from entering the shredder.

The main advantages of such a unit are its high power and technical ability to chop thick branches with a diameter of 20 to 80 mm. This will depend on the number of knives and the number of revolutions. Numerous websites on the Internet provide detailed recommendations on how to make a branch chopper with your own hands. Video examples more clearly display the entire assembly and installation process homemade device.

How to make a shredder from scrap materials

Many thrifty and thrifty owners are in no hurry to throw away old tools and household appliances. They find new uses for them. It’s worth showing a little imagination, using logic and ingenuity, and from improvised tools and old parts you can create a real helper in the household. Let's look at some simple options making a homemade chopper of branches and grass from simple and affordable materials.

Shredder from an angle grinder and a vacuum cleaner

One of these homemade designs is a homemade garden shredder made from an angle grinder, an old vacuum cleaner and lawn mower blades. One famous inventor Vladimir Belyaev offered his own branch chopper, the video of the creation of which inspired many to modernize this idea and offer their own vision when creating a dacha assistant. Next, let's look at one of the interesting and popular options.

To create a simple but productive design, you will need an old working vacuum cleaner, a Makita grinder with a power of 3.2 kW, blades from a lawn mower, a stable wooden base, a receiving funnel and a metal table with a vertically welded sheet of metal.

The receiving funnel is mounted horizontally on a vertical metal sheet welded to the table. This sheet must be thick to support the bolted angle grinder and the knives mounted on it. If the seat of the three-blade blades from a lawn mower is not compatible with an angle grinder, then it is necessary to sharpen them so that the blades fit securely. To ensure that the crushed mass does not get stuck between the knives, a pipe from an old vacuum cleaner is attached to the metal sheet, which supplies air. It is advisable that the grinder and the vacuum cleaner turn on at the same time.

The metal table is located on a wooden stationary base. You should also install a protective cover that will prevent the reverse movement of chopped branches.

Such a simple version of a garden shredder with your own hands, a video that clearly confirms this, can be easily created at your dacha, without complex stages of work and the purchase of additional materials.

Washing machine shredder

A garden shredder can be created from an old washing machine. To do this, you will need a body and engine from the equipment, an old saw, a bucket and other parts, and tools for fastening the structure.

A side hole is made in the body of the old washing machine to allow recycled materials to exit. Knives, which can be made from pieces of an old saw, are attached to the bottom of the container using a special sleeve. An existing one built into an old washing machine is used as an engine. A receiving container for crushed waste is installed near the side opening.

Drill shredder

Another rudimentary invention is a homemade shredder using an electric drill. The operating principle of this mechanism resembles a vegetable cutter.

To create the design you need to take an old stool. Drill a hole with a diameter of 12 mm in it. A housing with a bearing is attached to the back of the stool. A bucket with a hole of the same diameter is installed on the stool and secured with self-tapping screws. A bearing is inserted into the hole, onto which a shaft is mounted with high-speed steel knives attached to it. A dual-mode drill is connected to the end of the shaft from the bottom of the stool via a quick-release chuck.

Soft raw materials are thrown into the bucket and started electric drill. After thoroughly grinding to the desired state, the mulch is removed. This design is designed for a small volume of recycled waste.

The process of making and sharpening a knife deserves special attention. One-sided sharpening should be performed. The sharpened plane is located below. For chopping freshly cut grass, the diamond-shaped knife shape is ideal, in which the blades can be rounded. This allows the grass to slide freely along the cutting edge of the chopper blade without getting wrapped around it.

From the proposed options, we can conclude that you can create a garden shredder with your own hands from any available material. It is enough to have an electric motor adapted for a 220V network, any round container of sufficient size, a steel sheet, a hacksaw for wood or saws from an old lawn mower to create a cutting mechanism.

Subtleties when choosing an engine for a shredder

A certain engine power provides the required performance of the shredder. When choosing an engine, you should be guided by some important rules:

For small branches, you should choose a motor with a power of at least 2 kW. The higher the power rating, the greater the productivity and technical capabilities of the shredder.
To grind soft waste in the form of grass and leaves, a 1.5 kW motor will be sufficient.
The power of a gasoline engine should not be less than 6 hp.
Do not use overly powerful motors over 3.5 kW. They consume a lot of electricity, but the maximum performance of the unit is not achieved.
The engine speed does not have a big impact on the performance of the chopper. What is important here is the rotation frequency of the knives, which is ensured by a V-belt drive.
To reliably chop branches, the blade shaft should be set to a speed of no more than 1500 rpm. This happens due to correct selection diameters of the driving and driven pulleys.

Helpful advice! It is better to make pulleys for belt drives with 3-4 grooves. This will allow you to change the speed on the shaft by moving the belt, which is necessary for various conditions chopper operation.

The main advantages of homemade garden shredders

A homemade shredder does not require too much careful attitude. It can be used for more than just shredding grass, leaves and branches. It will ideally recycle any household waste. It can be used to grind the fruits of fruit trees for subsequent preparation of puree, jam or homemade wine.

Homemade shredders can handle branches with a diameter of up to 100 mm, while factory units simply will not allow such large plants to pass through. There is also no need to monitor the moisture content of raw materials for processing. But for factory shredders such negligence is unacceptable. Since in most models the engine is located at the bottom of the structure, the possibility of moisture getting on it must be excluded, which will inevitably lead to breakdown.

An important argument in favor of a homemade device is the cost of the entire structure, which will be much lower than the price of a finished shredder. This also applies to replacing a failed part, which will not be expensive.

In addition, a homemade garden chipper differs in its degree of productivity. All garden waste that falls on the grinding mechanism is instantly processed into small chips.

As can be seen from all of the above, you can create a reliable and faithful assistant for shredding garden waste with your own hands from scrap materials. It is enough to have some skills in locksmith work, to have parts of old equipment in your garage, necessary tools and materials. Next, having chosen the most appropriate method for yourself, sketch out a drawing of a branch chopper with your own hands. Video various options Performances of a homemade shredder can be viewed on the Internet. Based on the drawing, prepare all the necessary elements and begin assembling the chopper.

If you are not sure about own strength, currently you can buy a homemade wood chipper from the proposed options, which will meet all the requirements and satisfy your wishes at an affordable price.

The presence of a shredder on the farm allows you to profitably remove grass from the area after weeding. If you put it in crushed form in a compost pit, then after a while you can get high-quality and free fertilizer for the soil.

It is not always possible to buy a device, but it is quite possible to assemble it yourself. Let's look at the process of creating a shredder from an unwanted washing machine.

DIY herb grinder from a washing machine

First of all, you need to understand the operating principle of any shredder, and then start making it.

The principle of operation of the chopper

The operating principle is exactly the same as that of a food processor. The chopper is constructed of several parts: a motor and connecting wiring, two containers for chopping and collecting cut grass, a shaft with knives attached to it, a metal frame and a protective casing.

For ease of movement of the chopper, it can be equipped with wheels. The shaft with knives receives rotational movement from the engine, the grass is placed in portions into a container for cutting. The crushed mass falls into the prepared collecting container.

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 on one end and holes on 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.

Important! At this stage, the engine only needs to be baited to find out the location of the outlet on the tank wall (more on this below). When the hole is ready, the engine can be finally screwed on.

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 from metal plate a casing is made around the hole to prevent grass from scattering during operation of the device; 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:

corner Grinder(Bulgarian);
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 the casing;
metal corner;
start and stop button.

Preparatory work

The preparatory stage is associated with the selection of an engine and knives for the future grass chopper. The designs of the knives allow you to obtain different output results: from small dust to pieces of 10 cm. The circular knife allows you to chop grass and small branches. This is the most suitable option for home use. An old wood hacksaw is suitable for making diamond-shaped knives.

Engine power is the main factor to keep in mind when choosing an engine. Low power engines are only suitable for cutting grass. If, in addition to the body of the washing machine, the engine is also in satisfactory condition, then you can use it. This will reduce the cost of manufacturing the shredder.

Reference! For comparison, engines with a maximum power of 1.5 kW can easily grind branches up to 2 cm thick. Such a motor is suitable for designing a grass shredder with a reserve.

Attention! The manufacture of this device requires care and compliance with safety precautions.

The grass chopper is equipped with sharp cutting elements that move at high speed. Therefore, it is recommended to use goggles and a mask to protect your eyes and face.

The entry of foreign objects into the operating area of the knives is fraught not only with damage to the device, but also with injuries if fragments (pieces) of these objects fly out.

The operation of the unit also involves electricity, so you should be careful and take the necessary measures: do not allow children near the shredder, monitor the integrity of the wires, and the quality of the engine.

Which washing machine motor is best suited?

Motors on modern washing machines are managed quite complex electrical diagrams, therefore their use in the chopper device is impractical. Old washing machines are best suited for this. For example, the "Oka" or "Fairy" models will the best option. The Oka machine has the shape of a barrel, a steel tank, loading is carried out from above, and the engine is located below. This design, with minor modifications, allows you to make a grass chopper.

Power consumption is 180 W, and engine speed is 1350–1420 rpm. For a simple shredder that operates no more than 10-15 minutes, such an engine will be quite sufficient.

Fairy washing machines use a centrifuge for spinning, so the motor in them produces a higher number of revolutions, 2700-2850 rpm. However, it has less power. Since the body of the machine itself is made of plastic, it is more advisable to use only the engine to construct the chopper.

Types of grass grinders

The motor used determines the type of shredder. There are two options: electric and petrol. The gasoline unit is powerful and independent of electrical resources, which makes it mobile.

The electrical installation is distinguished by its light weight and compactness, but its power is low. If the amount of grass being processed into compost is small, a 1.5 kW device is quite suitable; for longer work and when processing larger materials, you can choose a 4 kW motor.

If you can get an old washing machine, or have one on the household, then it won’t be too difficult to find a worthy use for it. Having even a little experience with basic tools and strictly following the above instructions, you can become the owner of an inexpensive and useful device for homestead farming - a grass chopper.

A fruit-bearing garden is the dream of any gardener; the health and growth of animals is of concern to the farmer. But the constant use of a personal plot depletes the soil and reduces the amount of nutrients, gradually the plants slow down in growth and development. To correct the situation and maintain the vegetation in a healthy condition, as well as to obtain vitamin food, you will need to figure out what to assemble the herb chopper with your own hands and what parts will be required for this.

Household garden shredder

As a power unit for the housing from the Typhoon vacuum cleaner, you can use a 180 V motor from a washing machine. A grass crusher, which you can make with your own hands in a short time, is assembled in the following order:

Secure the engine with pins at the bottom of the container;
Cut threads on the bushing for the nuts;
Cut 4 blanks for knives from the canvas;
In the center of the workpieces, cut square holes according to the diameter of the landing pulley;
Sharpen the edges of knives;
Secure the knives to the pulley with 32 mm nuts.

Few gardeners know why a grass cutter is needed at all. are weeded out, but why chop up the grass and branches? Grinders are used to make mulch, fertilizer or animal feed. If they are needed in large quantities, you can’t do without an electric grass cutter; it will save time and effort. Some people prefer to buy shredders, but you can easily make them yourself using available materials. It just takes a little time, skill and patience.

Herb chopper: what is it, advantages

In essence, a herb chopper is no different from a large meat grinder. It works on the same principle: using knives, it chops and grinds everything that is put into it. Since it is intended for grass, its design is somewhat simpler and is not designed for crushing hard materials and large objects.

There are many benefits to using a DIY herb grinder.

It saves money that could have been spent on purchasing such a device, and allows you to chop grass and branches in large quantities without wasting your time and energy on it. It is easy to use and transport 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 an electric shredder to work, you must have an outlet nearby, which can create some difficulties. Homemade shredders are designed for small amounts of material and large areas cannot be served with one shredder.

In gardening, this device is used for several purposes:

Garbage disposal. Burning garbage is not always safe. This is a lengthy process that should not be left unattended, as the fire may spread and a fire may occur. When burning branches, various harmful substances are released, which are inhaled by a person, which is also dangerous to health. A shredder will allow you to dispose of waste easier and faster, reducing its volume.
Procurement of feed. Sometimes the grass is ground up for pets to make it easier for them to digest. For example, for small species of rabbits, small rodents, etc. If there are a lot of such pets, then a grass cutter will greatly simplify life.
Cooking or. Most often, this is what a chopper is used for. Grind grass manually long and labor-intensive, but a grass cutter will allow you to quickly produce a large number of mulch. It is the chopped grass and branches that begin to decompose faster, saturating the soil with nutrients. Therefore, in crushed form, grass is more valuable as a raw material for mulch and.

Choppers are divided into different groups depending on the principle of operation, design, type of knives and productivity of use. There are professional grinders and simple homemade ones. You need to choose one or another type of shredder taking into account the goals and scope of work:

By power. There are amateur, medium-power and professional grass grinders. Amateur ones are designed for a small volume of grass; medium-power ones are also not suitable for a large amount of material, but they can grind fairly dense large branches. Professional shredders are powerful and quite large in size. They can chop even thick branches up to 7 cm thick.
By type of knives. Knives in shredders can be disk or milling. Disc knives are flat blades that rotate and shred debris. But when grinding branches, they quickly become dull. Milling knives are a rotating gear that automatically tightens and grinds raw materials.
By type of work. There are differences between petrol and electric shredders. Each variety has its own pros and cons. Gasoline ones, for example, do not require an outlet, but are somewhat more expensive.
Stationary and mobile. You can make a stationary chopper into which branches and grass will be fed. He grinds it all, and the finished raw material is fed into a separate container. This is the simplest but sufficient efficient look shredders. You can also make the chopper mobile like a lawn mower, but such a device is much more complicated. But it is more convenient to use. You can create a beautiful lawn and chop the grass at the same time.

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

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

What can you make a herb grinder from?

There are a lot of options for making a homemade shredder. Of course, in small quantities You can also grind the grass manually. To do this, take an ordinary chop (a triangular object with a pointed base), lay the material on the surface and chop it into small pieces with this chop. 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, as it will chop the grass automatically.

You can make such a device from scrap materials:

Drill. The simplest type of shredder. It will require a regular drill, nuts and bolts, knives, as well as a container where the chopped grass will fall. The device of such a chopper is very simple: knives are attached to the drill. Grass is poured into the bucket, the drill is lowered and turned on. This chopper works like a blender. The only difficulty: the grass can fly away, so you will have to grind it in small portions. In this way, it will not be possible to chop branches, since the knives will quickly become dull.
Old vacuum cleaner. The essence of this device is no different from a drill grinder, but its performance is slightly higher. The vacuum cleaner will only need a body into which the grass will be poured, and a motor with knives will grind it and feed it through a side hole into another container, for example, into a bucket. This will make it easier to shred the garbage and the grass will not fly away.
Washing machine. The washing machine serves as a convenient container for the herbs. It is quite voluminous and can fit a large amount of material. A second hole is made on the side through which the chopped grass will flow into a bucket or other container. The operating principle is the same. Knives are installed inside the housing, which rotate with the help of a motor and chop the grass.
Other available materials. You can make a shredder from anything: an old electric saw, a pump, a motor from the same vacuum cleaner or 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 properly use a herb grinder

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

The chopper uses sharp knives, so safety rules must be followed:

Keep small children away while the device is operating. You should not put your hands into the device itself, and you also need to make sure that no foreign objects or glass get inside.
If large thick branches get into the shredder, it must be turned off and the branches removed. In this case, the motor will overheat and the device may break. A stuck branch cannot be pulled out by hand; there are special tools for this.
When using the shredder, you must wear rubber gloves, a protective mask and goggles. Some of the crushed branches and grass may get into your eyes, and during operation of the device, dust is released, which is undesirable to inhale.
It's worth remembering that electrical devices must be kept away from water, otherwise a short circuit may occur. Store the chopper in winter time It also needs to be kept in a place protected from moisture.
The shredder should not be stored at temperatures below 10 and above 40 degrees, as this may damage the wires and contacts.
If the shredder is powered by the network and you need to clean it, remove some parts, replace them, you must first turn off the device from the network.
Before using the shredder, you need to make sure that it is in good working order, the wires are not damaged, and all parts are in place and securely fastened.
After each job, the knives and body must be cleaned of any remaining grass and branches, the knives must be thoroughly wiped and ensure their integrity. If the knife is damaged, it must be replaced, but after the device stops working and is unplugged.

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

More information can be found in the video: