Garden shredder tips

[Osem]

Just bought a garden shredder and am wondering if anyone has any tips for its use. It's the 'silent' type and has a crush/cut action rather than an impact action. One thing which worries me is sap from conifer branches and the like gooing up the drum. Anyone got any thoughts on how to get the best out of the machine and avoid premature breakdowns?

Cheers.

[Valerie]

I've got a Bosch AXT 2000 HP - it can get clogged if i put in too much soft stuff (leaves, soft branches) at once, but is fine if I watch what I put in. It's also helpful to alternate some dry woody stuff with the soft stuff.
Haven't had it that long so don't know what the long term prospects are, but I had previously borrowed a friends which had had no problems.

[Woolly One]

Hi, personally i can't help you. However, the BBC gardening message boards are very helpful, whether it's - what type of plant, how do I..., or aphids in your whatnots!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbgardening/F2759007

Very helpful bunch of people. The only downside is that they haven't got a thread search engine :( The BBC won't let them :td:

There is a 'third party' search on the allotment tales site, but we have to keep that bumped to the top all the while

Anyway - hope that this helps

[Theodoric]

I've got a Bosch AXT 2000 HP - it can get clogged if i put in too much soft stuff (leaves, soft branches) at once, but is fine if I watch what I put in. It's also helpful to alternate some dry woody stuff with the soft stuff.
Haven't had it that long so don't know what the long term prospects are, but I had previously borrowed a friends which had had no problems.
Snap! I've had one a fair number of years now. As you say, it will definitely clog if you try to stuff in too much soft, leafy material. The only solution is to drag most of it out, run a small branch through to help clear it and then feed in the leaves a little at a time.

And you also need to be careful feeding in large diameter branches. If they're not straight they can catch against the liner at the top and distort it. (At which point I normally get out my club hammer and try to bang it back into shape. :))

The helical blade in the Bosch is a definite improvement over the radial blade (like a food processor) that my previous shredder - a Black & Decker - had. Although the Bosch can jam, putting it into reverse normally frees it. With the Black and Decker thin bits of wood could jam the blade and it was the devil's own job to clear it.

[Taf]

My own experience is that thre dryer the input, the better the shred.... I used to spend more time unblocking it than actually shredding...

[Nidge]

I've got one of them garden hoover things that shred the leaves when it picks them up, many times I have to take it to bits to un-clog it when the wet leaves get to much for it.

[Osem]

cheers guys - all good advice :)

[Cobbydaler]

Just bought a garden shredder and am wondering if anyone has any tips for its use. It's the 'silent' type and has a crush/cut action rather than an impact action. One thing which worries me is sap from conifer branches and the like gooing up the drum. Anyone got any thoughts on how to get the best out of the machine and avoid premature breakdowns?

Cheers.

I recommend you watch the final scenes of this (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116282/) film... ;)

[greencreeper]

Cutting the body into smaller pieces helps. Leg bones are the most difficult.

:p:

Just be safe with it! Don't go shredding yourself. Bloke at work nearly had his ID badge in the paper shredder. Would have throttled him. No great loss to us, but he does have family. Possibly no great loss to them neither, come to think :erm: :D

Oh and some sap is an irritant, so watch your skin and eyes.

[Osem]

Thanks again for the replies. The machine works brilliantly and reduced my conifer prunings to mulch in no time at all. One of the best £80's I've ever spent, it makes what was an onerous task almost therapeutic.

Highly recommended. :tu:

[greencreeper]

it makes what was an onerous task almost therapeutic
Yes. I found that with paper shredders. You can write things on the paper, and then shred it. You cannot, sadly, legally shred people, but you can write things about them on paper, and shred that.

Maybe fashion your prunings into stick people :D