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Garden Shredders, compost and organic gardening
Shredders - Which one to choose
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Why use a garden shredder?
When piles of prunings pose a problem, sort it with a garden shredder -- a
garden shredder is the
business for converting heaps to handfuls. Then what? Add them to the compost heap,
spread them around shrubs, or make a trip to the tip.
The ideal shredder
Our ideal shredder has all of these features:
- Versatility to deal with thick
prunings and soft waste.
- Inlet wide enough to take
branched prunings, so no trimming to fit is needed.
- Inlet at a convenient height.
- Purpose-made prodder for pushing
twiggy material down onto the blades.
- Large enough motor to deal with
the workload.
- Overload cutout to protect the
motor from damage.
- Wide outlet to reduce the risk of
jamming.
- Speedy processing of material.
- Material drawn in steadily
instead of being snatched out of your hand.
- Shreddings are easily composted
slivers or crushed chunks of material (some shredders chop rather
than shred, which is OK if you just want to reduce the volume before
going to the tip).
- Wheels for mobility.
- Long enough cable to reach the
mains socket.
- Secure cable connection.
- Controls that you can operate
with gloved hands.
- Reverse-action blades for quickly
clearing jams without having to expose the blades.
- Easy access to blades for
cleaning/replacement.
- Safety switches to prevent
operation when the blades are exposed.
- Quiet operation to protect your
hearing and avoid disturbing everyone else.
- Replacement blades readily
available.
The pros and cons of hiring a shredder
Hiring a machine makes sense if you've space to pile up the prunings ready
for a mammoth shredding session a few times each year. For a
smooth-running day, make sure that the machine's been overhauled since
last being used, and insist on having the instruction booklet (it's best
to arrange this in advance so it's ready for you).
Pros
- Cheaper than buying - if you only
have a few days' work for it every year.
- Access to meaty models that you
wouldn't dream of buying.
- Heavy duty models for speedy
throughput.
- Petrol-engined models for use
whatever the weather (unlike electrical ones).
- An opportunity to try before you buy.
- Save storage space.
- No maintenance costs.
- Delivery to your door sometimes
possible.
- Supplied assembled and ready to go.
Cons
- Smaller hire outlets only have
limited choice -- maybe a too small domestic machine, or a too large
industrial type.
- May not be available at short notice.
- May be inefficient or ineffectve
due to blunt blades, general wear, or abuse by other hirers.
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