In general, two different types of garden shredders are offered, which differ in how they work and in the subsequent results. These include the knife shredder and the roller shredder. The useful devices are also colloquially known as shredders and are particularly suitable for large gardens that produce a lot of green waste. Thanks to the powerful machines, all types of garden waste can be shredded, including branches, hedge trimmings and bushes.
Knife shredder
The knife shredder is particularly suitable for soft green cuttings that contain only a small amount of woody parts. When cutting very hard material, the knives dull too quickly and become ineffective. In addition, knife shredders do not have an independent retraction mechanism, which means that more work is required when using them. Since the shredded material obtained only rots very slowly, it can be easily used for covering and mulching the garden beds. In this way, the beds get good protection for the winter. In addition, the finely structured material from the knife shredder loosens the compost heap. This improves the oxygen supply, so that composting is not only faster and more thorough, but also involves far less loss of nutrients. However, it should be noted that the use of the knife shredder could disturb the neighbors in the area due to the noise generated.
- Ideal for soft plant material
- Devices have numerous knives and are very efficient
- Fast rotating blades work with many revolutions per minute
- Cutting green waste into extremely small pieces
- Significantly lighter and cheaper than roller shredders
- But much louder in use
- Wear hearing protection when using
- Green waste must be pushed in using your own effort
Note:
Especially with regular use, blockages quickly occur, so the knife shredder has to be disassembled and then thoroughly cleaned.
Roller shredder
In contrast to the knife shredder, the roller shredder does not cut the green waste, but rather crushes it. This makes this chipper more suitable for shredding larger pieces of wood. On the other hand, the device is not well suited for wet and soft greens, which often cause blockages. However, since most models have a built-in return flow, any blockages that occur are quickly cleared up. Roller shredders only work at low speeds, but with high torques. By crushing during chopping, the microorganisms have a much larger area to attack during composting. In this way, the chopped material rots much more quickly in the compost heap. The garden soil can then be significantly improved and fertilized with the finished compost material.
- Optimal for hard and woody raw materials
- Crushing clippings with roller equipped with spikes
- Work significantly slower
- Chopping very quietly, does not cause much annoying noise
- Easy to use, pull in green waste automatically
- Have greater weight
- The disadvantage is the much higher purchase price
Tip:
Due to the automatic retraction, the green waste sometimes blows around when chopping. Therefore, you should wear safety glasses when using it to minimize the risk of injury.
Multi-purpose shredder
The multi-purpose shredder is a combination of a knife shredder and a roller shredder. These devices work with a special technology that can differ depending on the manufacturer. Due to the high performance, no strenuous work steps are necessary when using it. Multi-purpose shredders can shred almost any organic material that occurs in the garden. Since the devices can chop many kilograms of cutting material per hour, they are particularly suitable for large garden landscapes. The result is valuable raw materials for compost and fertilization. The cut material can also serve as a layer of mulch in the garden bed or as a natural covering for the garden paths.
- Work quickly and quietly at the same time thanks to the turbine cutting system
- Has a roller and also very sharp cutting edges
- Crushing and cutting the source material
- Even green waste with lots of foliage passes through without blockages
- Large openings make filling easier
- Independent collection of clippings
- Handles branches with diameters of up to 40-45 mm
Performance & Engine
Since the energy requirements of garden shredders are very high, there are currently no devices powered by a battery. There are various performance classes to choose from, which vary greatly in terms of price, performance and quality. Therefore, before purchasing, the gardener should carefully consider which shredder is the right one for his or her individual needs. If you garden more as a hobby, you can get by with a basic model. For gardeners with very large plots of land and fruit cultivation, it is worth investing in a high-quality and powerful device.
- You can choose between electric and petrol engines
- AC devices with 220 volts are sufficient for small areas and ornamental gardens
- Power shredders with 380 volts are extremely powerful
- Powerful electric motor can even handle large amounts of clippings
- No power connection is required for garden shredders with petrol engines
- Ideal for very large garden landscapes
- Gasoline engines often work with lower torques, but are more flexible
- Prices depend on the model and manufacturer and are between 100-1000 euros
