Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Chatting => Equipment Shed => Topic started by: AlaninCarlisle on September 03, 2017, 09:28

Title: Shredders
Post by: AlaninCarlisle on September 03, 2017, 09:28
As I have a huge bonfire of branches waiting to be lit when the wind is from the east and blowing smoke away from neighbours and out over the Solway Firth and as wind stubbornly stays away from that quarter, I bought a Titan electrical shredder with the thought in mind of using the shreddings as pathways and also in the compost.

I'd be interested to hear about other members' experience with these types of shredders as mine, after repeatedly jamming, finally gave up the ghost on it's third day of operation and is being returned to the retailer at 9am tomorrow
Title: Re: Shredders
Post by: AlaninCarlisle on September 04, 2017, 14:50
Well the supplier gave me a knowing look that said he wasn't surprised at its return
Title: Re: Shredders
Post by: Growster... on September 04, 2017, 16:19
My experience of these is with a Black and Decker, about the same spec, which we bought about 1990, and it still does the job pretty well.

It makes a bit of a racket, but one of the tricks is always to intersperse dry materials, and different sizes as much as possible. Wet stuff will just gum up the blades, but something like an old rose bush, or a woody shrub popped in now and then will let you do new green prunings at the same time. Hard stuff like yew twigs tend to take ages, so we don't bother.

I'd have thought 45mm was a bit rich, the biggest we could do was 25mm, and that was down a side slot directly onto the blades.

I often take the thing apart, whip off the blades and give them a grinding, and it does respond very well.

It's always a gamble with the smaller machines, as a bigger one takes up so much space, and for much of the time, it isn't needed for - say - hedge trimmings.

I've often jammed mine, but there is an accessible red button, and touch wood (chipping...), I've always managed to stop in time, although it has got a bit hot on occasions. In fact another trick is to have the plug close by, as it's sometimes easier to grab that and disconnect it, than try to fumble around wearing great big gloves!

Trying to shred newspaper was a joke though...
Title: Re: Shredders
Post by: AlaninCarlisle on September 04, 2017, 18:09
I bought it from Screwfix. They will get me a replacement by noon tomorrow. Yes, they advertise that it can cope with branches up to 45mm diameter. I think the mistake I probably made was shredding green wood with it. I'll give it another go and stick to dry wood.

What I'd really like is one like the professional tree-surgeons use. The guy who took a couple of trees out for me had this diesel operated thing built into his wagon that was making small work out of branches so heavy that they took two of them to load. I have checked locally and can't find one to hire. Maybe too dangerous to hire out to Joe Publics like me
Title: Re: Shredders
Post by: Digger the Dog on October 28, 2017, 12:39
Timberwolf make some very powerful Shredders but they're not cheap.

https://www.timberwolf-uk.com/

Title: Re: Shredders
Post by: jezza on October 29, 2017, 20:58
hi most good hire shops will be able to get hold of the industrial chippers they'll show you how to use them, try Orange plant hire near Newcastle they have timber wolf the smaller ones are about 12 hp the largest 45 hp hireings cheaper than buying, some of the largest machines are £35,000  jezza
Title: Re: Shredders
Post by: Goosegirl on November 14, 2017, 12:21
Have a look at the Viking shredders. I have one and it's great.
Title: Re: Shredders
Post by: Aidy on January 01, 2018, 23:00
I bought a Bosch one and to be honest it has been excellent, I have put raspberry cuttings,sweetcorn stems, apple and plum cuttings all sorts through although nothing too thick.
The raspberry, black currant/  red currant, apple n plum are used as chipping for paths etc and work pretty well.