Garden shredders turn bulky branches into space-saving wood chips. There are knife shredders and roller shredders with electricity or petrol drive. Each model has specific advantages and disadvantages. You can find out the most important differences here. These tips get to the heart of how to chop branches correctly.
Wood cuttings can be used as a mulch
Knife chopper versus roller chopper
A wide range of high-performance garden shredders means that hobby gardeners are spoiled for choice. The following overview is peppered with important information on the advantages and disadvantages so that you can make the right purchase decision.
Knife Chopper - The Berserker
Knife shredders shred branches with rotating blades on a flywheel that spins at a whopping 4,000 revolutions per minute.
- Pros: ideal for fresh clippings, shredded branches are perfect for mulching paths, beds and tree grates
- Disadvantages: very noisy, high blade wear, cheap devices cannot handle thicker branches
Roller shredder - the quiet shredder
The functional principle is based on a slowly rotating roller that crushes branches and other clippings. During this process, the wood fibers are broken up and not cut up.
- Advantages: whisper-quiet, ideal for hard wood and thick branches, chopped material can be used for compost
- Disadvantages: not useful for wet branches or damp leaves, clippings cannot be used as mulch (€239.00).
Give preference to a shredder (€199.99) with these safety criteria: short knife run-on time, automatic engine stop and restart protection in the event of faults, high filler neck to ensure sufficient distance between hand and cutting unit.
Safety first - chop branches competently
Garden shredders don't give a damn whether they shred branches or fingers. Important safety precautions must be observed so that no misfortune happens to you in the heat of the moment. How to properly chop branches:
- protective gear: put on cut-resistant gloves, safety goggles, sturdy shoes and protective clothing
- stability: Place the shredder on level, firm ground
- Note speed: wait for full engine speed at the beginning, then fill in branches
- emergency shutdown: In the event of any fault, first switch off the shredder, only then eliminate the fault
The garden is taboo for children and pets when you are working with the shredder.
tips
Saving foxes among hobby gardeners do not invest money in noisy, expensive garden shredders, but dispose of clippings for the benefit of nature. Branches are the ideal building material for a rustic deadwood hedge as a privacy screen or fence. Stacked in a heap with a covering of leaves and fir fronds, branches thin and thick make useful winter quarters for hedgehogs and other small animals in need.