Do-it-yourself straw chopper - video on how to make a hay chopper

Why is a shredder needed?

Hay becomes the main feed for livestock during the winter months. It is also used for flooring in barns, mulching the soil, making fuel briquettes, and so on. Therefore, hay has to be harvested in large quantities. For ease of use and storage, it is processed. The easiest way to do this is with a hay and straw chopper for private farmsteads.

These crushers are manufactured in various capacities and sizes. The operating principle of the device is based on the operation of rotating knives. The hay is fed into a special bunker. Passing through a drum with knives, it is ground and enters the recoil hopper.

Design features

The design of the straw and hay chopper includes the following main elements:

1. Electric motor. The processing speed will depend on its power.
2. A container into which unprocessed hay or straw is fed. It can have different dimensions, depending on the amount of raw materials that you plan to grind.
3. The shaft on which the knives and counterknives are mounted. They must be made of durable steel and well sharpened.
4. Bunker for waste materials. For convenience, it is mounted on a tilted floor.
5. Supports. Most often they are made from pipes with a diameter of at least 25 mm. Their height is selected based on the dimensions of the electric motor.

Description of typical design

A typical design involves the elements from which the device is made. Their minimum set can be supplemented with auxiliary ones. The goal is to improve the comfort of working with the device.

Standard chopper set:

• The bunker is a container of sufficient volume. Usually they take an old barrel or a large can into which the processed vegetation is placed.
• The electric motor is installed at the bottom of the bunker. The main thing is that its power is sufficient to work non-stop and for heavy loads.
• An axis on which 3 to 6 knives are attached. It is attached directly to the axis of the electric motor.

The basis of the apparatus is a hopper with sharp knives, which are rigidly fixed to a steel disk. The disk is mounted on an axis, which is the shaft of the electric motor or is connected to it through a gearbox.

A bunker is a container for storing material - hay or straw, which requires chopping. The cutting process takes place in it. For safety reasons, the bunker is made as high as possible so that when loading raw materials your hands do not touch the knives. The shape of the container is usually cylindrical, but you can find the shape of an inverted cone. Place the container on a stand, usually in the form of a tripod. The height of the stand is such that an electric motor can be installed below. The latter is fixed to the bottom.

Sometimes the bunker is made small in height, but with a lid for safety reasons. The lid must have a hole for loading raw materials.

Production on a flow principle is created by installing a waste dump . Through the device, the crushed material is thrown out of the hopper. This allows raw materials to be added continuously. That is, there is no need to stop the engine to remove the chaff and add raw materials. This results in significant time savings. It will be made from the bottom of the bunker. The shape is not important, the main thing is that there is a slope for dumping the material.

A disk with knives placed on it is an extremely difficult part to manufacture. The design can be arbitrary. The goal during assembly is to achieve maximum balance so that the device does not shake from vibrations during operation.

Scheme of work

1. The electric motor is turned on.
2. Load material into the hopper.
3. The processed material flies out of the nozzle and falls into a pre-prepared container.

The container is usually a plastic barrel. It is advisable to cover it with a lid and make a hole on the side so that the chaff does not fly away in all directions. The operator just has to supply the raw material and empty the container with the chaff in time. Ideally, several of them are used, changing as they are filled.

Popular factory-made models

For those who do not want to spend time and effort making such a device, it is better to purchase a ready-made model in a store. Among the most popular hay and straw choppers for private farmsteads are:

1. M15. Has a convenient bunker for supplying raw materials. Equipped with sharp blades made of high-strength steel and a 3 kW motor. Thanks to this, such a unit can process not only hay and straw, but also thin branches. The drum rotates at a frequency of 1500 rpm. The weight of the entire structure is 130 kg.

2. KR02. This model is compact and yet has excellent performance. The engine power of 1.54 kW is enough to process up to 25 kg of raw materials per hour. Operates from a standard 220 V network. With low energy consumption, it copes with its functions perfectly.

3. K-500. Capable of processing up to 300 kg of raw materials per hour. Engine power 2 kW. This model is suitable for large farms with a large number of livestock. The design of the bunker allows you to lay the canopy using forks, which makes work easier and faster.

You need to choose a specific model based on the amount of raw materials that will have to be processed. If your livestock is small, there is no point in overpaying for powerful units. It is better to save money and buy a small-capacity shredder.

Choose products only from trusted manufacturers. A low-quality shredder with an underpowered motor will perform its functions poorly and will quickly break down.

The absence of complex parts and devices in the design allows an experienced craftsman to make a grass and hay chopper himself. It is enough to purchase an engine of sufficient power; all other elements can be found in every household. Before making a chopper, study its drawing

How to make a shredder yourself?

If you do not want to spend a lot of money on purchasing equipment, then you can make a hay and straw chopper with your own hands. To do this, follow a few recommendations:

1. Select a suitable electric motor. If you plan to process up to 200 liters of raw materials, then give preference to models with a power of 2 to 5 kW. For small amounts of hay, use a smaller unit.
2. The device is assembled in accordance with the drawing. Today you can find a lot of options on the Internet. All you have to do is choose the right one.
3. To make metal parts of the structure, use metal with a thickness of at least 3 mm. For engine support, choose a thicker material.
4. The working part of the unit is a metal cylinder, inside of which a disk with sharp knives is mounted. The axle must be securely fastened to the engine.
5. You can use an old metal barrel as a container for loading hay.
6. A support for the engine is welded to the working part. For reliability, they are equipped with scarves.
7. The engine is secured to the support using bolts and self-tapping screws.
8. Electrical installation can be done only after all parts of the structure have been assembled and securely fixed.

If you have skills in handling a welding machine and understand the operation of an electric motor, such a unit can be manufactured in one day. If some subtleties remain unclear to you, watch the video on how to make a hay chopper:

Hay/straw chopper (photo)

For various agricultural needs, crushed plant materials are often required - this is fertilizing for plantings, covering material for cold-resistant crops, and food for livestock. To quickly and conveniently prepare such crushed raw materials, you can use a variety of grinders, including self-made ones. For example, you can make your own hay chopper, for which you can find many uses. At the same time, it will be many times more effective than popular grass cutters, because hay is much stiffer than ordinary grass, therefore, to work with it you need stronger knives and a more powerful power unit. That is, it will be possible to chop grass using a hay chopper, but the opposite option may not be possible.

Making a chopper

Start manufacturing by selecting the engine, because the parameters of the remaining parts are tied to its shape and characteristics. You can even use a motor from a washing machine , but the productivity of such a straw cutter will be very low due to the low power of the unit.

An electric motor from a circular saw or some kind of woodworking machine would be better suited.

The optimal power for a home appliance is 3–10 kW if the house is connected to a 380 V network or 1–3 kW if there is only 220 V.

Gasoline engines do not have these limitations, but most have a horizontal shaft, which only works well for drum cutters.

Then follow the following procedure:

• knife making;
• making a “snail”;
• making the base;
• mesh production;
• installation of legs;
• installation of the engine and knife;
• installation of the cover and supply pipe (socket);
• engine connection and test run.

Knife

Since knives can be of very different shapes, the methods for making them are also very different , so we will only talk about the general principles of their manufacture and balancing.

First of all, decide on the type and configuration of the knife, because if the device will be used only for not too fine chopping of straw, then the simplest two-bladed knife will do.

If you plan to process other materials, it is better to make a serrated knife with fan blades . Since the last option is the most universal, we will talk about it, however, most of the techniques are applicable to other types of cutting tools.

Materials

To make it you will need:

• a piece of sheet steel 3–5 mm thick of sufficient size;
• scraps of sheet steel of the same thickness;
• a piece of pipe whose internal diameter is equal to or a fraction of a mm greater than the outer diameter of the motor shaft;
• bolts with a diameter of 6 mm, as well as corresponding nuts.

Procedure

First, determine the number of cutting elements and the method of fastening them, that is, welding or screwing.
The more cutting elements, the stronger the grinding , but the more difficult it is to balance the knife, so 2–4 cutting elements and 2–4 blades are optimal.

First, you can make a knife with a minimum number of parts to fill your hand, and then make a more complex and effective tool. If the cutting elements are bolted, they can be replaced with parts of a different shape to make them more suitable for a particular material, but such a tool is much more difficult to manufacture.

Since we will talk about fastening parts using bolts below, here we will talk about connecting the cutting elements and the disk using welding.

First, make a drawing on a scale of 1:1, on which mark :

• pipe installation location (strictly in the center);
• installation location, as well as the direction of each element, including the blades.

Then, in any convenient way, transfer the drawing to the cut-out disk and weld all the parts to within a fraction of a millimeter. Before welding, bring the cutting elements to a uniform size and shape, sharpen them, and then weigh them.

The permissible difference is 0.1 g; if it is exceeded, the straw cutter will start to hit hard, which will shorten the service life of the motor bearings, and if there is a strong imbalance, it can overturn the device.

Carefully weld each part on both sides , do not burn the metal. If you don't know how to weld like this, ask a good welder to do the job.

Cut a piece of pipe to a length of 5 cm, and the ends should be at an angle of strictly 90 degrees, then drill a through hole in the middle and cut a thread in it for a bolt, then weld it to the back side of the disk exactly in the center.

If you plan to use a knife together with a net, then it makes sense to weld a pair of re-chopping blades on the bottom , because part of the straw will be below the disk level, which means the knives located on top will not be able to cut it. In this case, the places for the blades must be chosen so that they do not interfere with unscrewing the bolts securing the knife to the electric motor shaft through the blow hole when servicing the straw cutter.

Balancing

To check the balancing, place the knife on the motor shaft and secure it, then securely fix the motor and turn it on for a second .
If there is no beating, then the knife is made correctly and can be placed in the straw cutter. If there is beating, insert a steel rod of suitable diameter instead of the motor shaft, then fix it in a vice using two bearings and balance.

To do this, carefully but firmly twist the knife with your hand and, after stopping, mark the area directed strictly downward, then twist it again and again mark the area directed downward. If the marks are in the same place or nearby, then drill a hole a couple of mm in diameter directly along the mark.

If the marks are always in different places, then there is one of the following problems::

• a piece of pipe is welded crookedly or off-center;
• The motor shaft is bent.

To determine the cause, you will need a ruler and some kind of support. To check whether the pipe is welded correctly, do the following :

• place the ruler perpendicular to the knife on the reverse side at a distance of 5 mm;
• twist the knife strongly;
• look at the distance between the ruler and the knife - if it changes, the pipe is welded crooked.

If this check does not show anything, then fix the ruler above the knife at a distance of 5 mm and twist the knife strongly - a changing distance indicates that the pipe is not welded in the center. If both checks do not reveal any defects, then the problem is in the engine and it needs to be replaced.

Snail

The body of the grinding mechanism received this name for its external resemblance to a snail, but in essence the body and knives form a centrifugal fan.
It can be made from various materials, including an ordinary steel barrel of paint or other liquid, because a snail is a cylinder with a very small height and a specially shaped hole for the air flow to escape.

However, the thin metal from which the barrel is made does not have sufficient rigidity to effectively hold the engine while crushing any materials, therefore, in addition to cutting the barrel, you will need a base - a steel round plate 3-5 mm thick and with a diameter 5-10 cm less than the diameter bottom of the barrel.

If there is no barrel, the material for the snail can be a steel pipe with a diameter of 40–60 cm and sheet steel 3–5 mm thick; in this case, a base is not required , because the bottom of the snail will perform its function. To properly make a fan housing, determine the direction of rotation of the motor shaft, because it will accelerate the air, causing it to fly out at great speed.

Having determined the direction of rotation of the shaft, mark a hole on the bottom and fan housing for air outlet, the length of this hole being approximately 10–20% of the circumference of the housing (the larger the better).

The height of the body (sidewall) must exceed the distance from the engine to the top of the knife by at least 2 cm.

Then make an outlet pipe. Its cross section depends on how far the crushed material needs to be thrown, as well as on the fraction of the crushed particles. The larger the fraction, the larger the cross-section should be , but the shorter the distance over which the air flow will transfer the finished product.

In addition, a lot depends on the height of the knife - the higher it is, the lower the ratio of the length and height of the pipe, because it is necessary to maintain the optimal cross-section.

The normal length to height ratio is 1:1 to 1:2. The length of the pipe is determined by its height, increasing the parameter by 1.5–2 times.

A prerequisite is the absence of corners on the near edge of the pipe and the absence of sharp corners on the far edge.

In addition, make a hole exactly in the center of the bottom for the motor shaft and holes for mounting the motor. We will talk about this in more detail in the next section. The finished bottom and sidewall are connected to each other, and it is advisable to cook the sidewall from the barrel using a semi-automatic device, and the pipe and thick bottom are connected using an inverter.

Make the lid the same shape as the bottom, then cut a supply hole in it (its location can be any), the cross-section of which is 2-3 times larger than the cross-section of the outlet pipe.

If you make the cross section even larger, then the speed of movement of the sucked air will be insufficient and part of the chopped straw will fly out through the top.

The lid can be attached in any convenient way that ensures reliable fixation and quick removal, and the diameter and shape of the supply pipe do not matter , the main thing is that it is larger than the hole in the lid.

Base

The diameter of a 200 liter barrel is 55 cm, so the diameter of the base circle should be in the range of 45–50 cm, and the production of the snail must begin from the base. To make it, select a smooth and suitable piece of sheet steel, then mark it.

Carry out the markings with a compass and tape measure from the center in several stages:

• draw a hole for the motor shaft, with a diameter 3–5 mm larger than the diameter of the motor shaft;
• mark the holes for mounting the engine;
• Mark the holes for attaching the barrel trim.

Measure the diameter of the shaft with a caliper. To accurately mark the location of the engine mounting holes on the metal, make a paper model.

For this:

• in a suitable size piece of paper, cut a hole for the shaft;
• Place this paper on the engine and press firmly;
• Use a pen or pencil to pierce the paper in the area of ​​the mounting holes.

Place the finished model on the metal and mark the drilling locations on it. The diameter of the mounting holes must exceed the diameter of the bolts by 1 mm. Place the holes for attaching the barrel trim at a distance of 2–5 cm from the edge of the base, the diameter of the holes is 7 mm (for a bolt with a diameter of 6 mm), the distance between the holes is 5–15 cm.

Net

The purpose of the mesh is to filter crushed fragments and let through those straws that are smaller than the holes in the mesh, therefore, by installing meshes with different cell sizes, you can adjust the fraction of the finished product. The mesh can be made from sheet steel 0.5–2 mm thick , and too much thickness will not give it any advantage. Metal from a two-hundred-liter barrel will work well.

Holes can be punched using a press with a matrix and a punch or manually with various punches; you can also use a drill with drills of a suitable size or take a ready-made mesh of metal of the required thickness.

Good results are obtained by a fence mesh made of thick wire connected by spot welding; its disadvantage is the large size of the cells (≥2 cm). Attach the mesh to the blow hole of the snail with four bolts in the corners.

If you plan to chop only straw or hay, then you can make a mesh even from a large tin can , but if you plan to process other products, it is better to use thicker material. You can also take a ready-made mesh from various mechanisms, as long as it matches the thickness and size of the holes.

Attaching the legs

Legs, a frame or some other device raises the straw cutter off the ground to ensure comfortable operation of the engine.
There are many options for such devices , from a primitive tripod without any adjustments to a frame with lowering wheels or small legs that can be adjusted in height.

The main thing is that the legs or frame do not interfere with servicing the engine, do not impair its ventilation and are securely attached to the base. They can be secured either with bolts and nuts or by welding.

Bolted fastening allows you to quickly change the legs or frame to some other device, and welding is faster and easier.

Installing the motor and blade

In the straw cutter that we are talking about in this article, the motor is installed only from the bottom, so that the electric motor shaft is also the knife shaft. If the base is made correctly, then it is enough to place the engine on the ground with the shaft up , then put the volute on it and screw it with bolts, for which there are standard holes on the electric motor.

If you plan to install the engine separately, you will have to attach a support with bearings to the base that will hold the knife shaft. In addition, it will be necessary to design some kind of transmission mechanism connecting the motor shaft and the knife shaft.

The simplest is a belt drive, but it requires a mechanism for changing the belt tension, which will greatly complicate the design. You can use gearboxes with different shaft positions relative to each other and different transmission ratios.

It is possible to come up with some other exotic way of transmitting torque, but remember the main rule - the simpler, the more reliable.

Having secured the engine, place a manufactured and balanced blade with already installed fixing bolts onto its shaft, then tighten these bolts through the blow hole using a suitable socket and a sufficient length of extension.

Typically, a tightening torque of 4–6 kg is sufficient for such bolts, but if you plan to chop harder and more durable materials in addition to hay or straw, then the fixation of the knife on the shaft must be strengthened.

There are two ways to do this:

1. Drill holes 1–2 mm deep in the shaft, corresponding in location to the holes in the pipe and matching the diameter of the bolts.
2. Cut grooves in the pipe and shaft to install the key and cut out the corresponding key.

The first method is much simpler to manufacture, but it greatly complicates the installation of the knife on the shaft, because you will have to do the work in cramped spaces and without a good view.

The second method is much easier to install, but in order to properly prepare all the parts, you will need very delicate work and special equipment that is unlikely to be found in a regular garage. Most likely, for this you will have to contact an experienced milling machine, which means payment, and therefore an increase in the cost of the entire structure.

To check the reliability of the knife fastening, it is necessary:

• place the straw cutter on the ground;
• grab the knife by the blades or any other convenient place (if your fingers are not thin and strong enough, you can use small clamps or pre-provide holes in the cutting parts for such a check);
• lift the structure off the ground and shake it up and down and in different directions.

If after a minute the distance from the knife to the engine has not changed, then it is secured normally, but if it has changed, it needs to be strengthened.

Installation of the cover and supply pipe or socket

If the body and cover of the snail are made correctly, then installing the cover and fixing it will not cause difficulties , but if mistakes are made, then you will not be able to put the cover in place properly.

After all, it should fit tightly to the body of the snail, and even a small gap will reduce the efficiency of the straw cutter.

The height and shape of the supply pipe or socket should provide maximum convenience when loading processed material, so it makes sense to make several sockets of different shapes for different materials and attach them to the lid with bolts.

Connecting the engine and first start

Depending on the type and configuration of the motor, connect it through an appropriate capacitor or starting relay, and also install a circuit breaker and an emergency shutdown button.

If you are not sure that you can do everything, have a qualified electrician carry out all the work, including a post-start inspection. Then securely close all parts of the starting system so that they are not accessible and completely assemble the device.

When the straw cutter is fully assembled and installed in place, carry out the first start-up, during which:

• determine the strength of the vibrations (a barely noticeable vibration, similar to a buzz, is acceptable);
• measure starting and idle speed using current clamps;
• measure the voltage on the case;
• Check to see if straw is flying out of the top.

If all checks have shown that the device is fully operational, then carry out the first chopping, first throwing in the vegetation slowly, and then proceeding to loading in normal mode.

However, do not remove the current clamp to ensure that the current consumption does not exceed the permissible current for this type of motor. Once you're sure everything is in order, turn off the hay cutter and unplug it to avoid accidental starting, then paint the frame to protect it from rust.

Types of equipment for chopping hay and straw

Depending on power, performance, dimensions and, of course, price, such equipment is divided into 2 large groups:

• industrial - these are large installations designed to work with large volumes of raw materials, they are used on large livestock and farm enterprises, special choppers are also produced that are installed directly on combines, in this case, the cut hay immediately turns into chopped mass;
• household - these are, as a rule, small devices, the productivity of which is sufficient to cover individual needs for chopped hay or straw; it is precisely these grinders that can be made by hand.

At the same time, regardless of the size and power of the shredders, the principle of their operation remains the same:

• the raw materials are loaded into a special bunker; a special conveyor can be adapted for this, or you can throw in the hay and break it manually. It is important to remember that the raw materials should not contain any foreign objects or solid debris;
• from the bunker, the raw materials enter a special drum, where they are chopped into small fragments;
• Then the chopped product is fed into the crusher, where it is crushed to the end.

Making your own straw cutter

For the hopper and drum, it is recommended to use sheet metal 4 millimeters thick. The chopper blades can be driven using an electric motor; a power of 3 kW will be quite enough for this.

Hay/straw chopper drawing:

The first step is to make a project and mark the metal according to it. Then the necessary elements are cut out from the marked sheets: the bottom, the shearing deck. The housing of the receiving hopper can be made of tin or other soft metal. To make knives, you can take strong bolts, cut them to the required length and sharpen them on an emery stone. The resulting blades should be secured to the disk and also secured to the shearing deck. You also need to weld blades into the space between the cutters to throw away the chopped straw.

A hole is drilled in the bottom to remove the electric motor shaft, to which a disk with blades will be attached using a special bushing. After this, you can consider that you have made your own hay and straw chopper. If everything is calculated and done correctly, then the productivity and safety margin of such a device will be quite sufficient for the needs of a small private farm. Of course, you will have to tinker with manufacturing; if you don’t have the desire or ability to assemble the shredder yourself, you can buy a factory model, but the price of such equipment may not be the smallest, so making it yourself will save you a lot of money.

A hay cutter or straw cutter is an indispensable unit in a subsidiary farm. With its help, you can quickly and easily chop hay for poultry or young animals, as well as grind straw for insulating beds or winter roads, and making briquettes for heating. Making a hay chopper yourself is not difficult, and the practicality and functionality of a homemade device will not be inferior to store-bought counterparts.

How to assemble the device

Assembling a device based on a washing machine tank is practically no different from assembling a shredder with a different container. The difference is that before assembly, a small rectangular hole is cut in the bottom of the tank. It is reinforced with metal corners.

The further assembly process is no different. Supports for the device and a platform for receiving finished raw materials are attached.

After installing the engine, it is connected to the cable and the starter. After this, the straw cutter at home is ready for use. Such seemingly simple units can significantly facilitate work and save time on housekeeping.

In this article we will look at how to make a chopper for straw, hay and grass with your own hands, the so-called straw cutter. Consumables, spare parts, belts, waste knives, they can be found in any garage. By making this device yourself, you will save money and be assured that you have a reliable device that will always get the job done.

It is difficult for a summer resident to do without such a chopper. In a simple way, he will chop up grass, tops, straw, hay, which can be collected on the site, and then put it in a compost pit. Thus, the compost quickly rots and turns into fertilizers that will be useful for the beds. It will grow a good harvest of vegetables and will please the gardener.

It will be necessary to prepare a plastic barrel in which the chopped straw or grass will be collected.

Hay chopper device

The simplest hay and straw chopper is made from a regular vacuum cleaner. An ordinary plastic or aluminum bucket serves as a working chamber into which raw materials are placed, and then a knife mounted on a rotating shaft is lowered. You can make such a device in a few minutes, but it has one significant drawback: low productivity and impracticality. If the number of poultry or livestock is large, you will need a more reliable hay crusher.

The working unit is the most important part of the straw chopper. It consists of a steel hopper with knives inside. The knives are attached to the engine axis with a special axis. Usually the bunker is made in the shape of a cylinder, and for greater safety the walls are left high. You can do it with short walls, but then equip the device with a lid.

Main components of the straw chopper:

• Working chamber with lid,
• Support,
• Motor,
• gain strip,
• Knives or cutting disc,
• Receiver of raw materials.

Materials

The hay cutting machine is assembled at home with your own hands from materials available to everyone. And its production does not require special technical skills. To make a hay chopper with your own hands, you need to have a mechanic's kit, a welding machine, a drill and a grinding machine. The materials needed are:

• Motor (an electric motor from a washing machine is suitable),
• Sheet of metal, with a thickness of about two millimeters,
• A sheet of metal, about three millimeters thick,
• Steel sheet, ten millimeters thick,
• Pipe cut (do not use a diameter larger than 25 mm),
• A strip of metal, 3 mm wide, 25 mm long.

Materials used

Even a novice master can make a grass grinder. He will need a simple plumbing kit and materials that will probably be found in the barn. Additionally, you will need a welding machine, a grinding machine, and a drill. From the materials you need to prepare:

• Electric motor, for example, the motor from a washing machine.
• A small piece of pipe, preferably 25 mm in diameter or less.
• Sheets of metal, 2 and 3 mm thick.
• Metal sheet, 10 mm thick.
• Steel plate, approximate size 25*3 cm.

Hay cutter from a washing machine

A simpler and less powerful hay chopper can be made with your own hands from a regular washing machine. In addition to the machine, you also need:

• Knives or cutting disc,
• Electric wire,
• Bucket,
• Metal corner,
• Fasteners,
• Locksmith kit.

A little advice: if you plan to chop not only hay and straw, but also tree branches, then it is better to use an additional gasoline engine.

How to assemble the device

A small rectangular cutout measuring approximately 20 by 7 cm is cut out at the bottom of the body. Its perimeter is sheathed with metal plates for greater strength. A stand is made from the corner. The height of the stand depends on what is planned to be used as a receiver of crushed raw materials. For buckets, the stand is made higher than for boxes.

To attach the motor, two small holes are made on the shaft, after which a threaded bushing is installed on it. The engine is mounted on a shaft, and the entire structure is attached to the bottom of the tank with metal pins. After this, cutting discs or knives are put on the shaft. It is very important to choose the size of the disks so that they do not come into contact with the walls of the working chamber.

Before connecting the motor to the cable, you need to decide on the working and starting windings of the electric motor itself. This is easy to do with the help of a special tester: the working winding has less resistance than the starting winding. The engine is connected like this:

1. One of the ends of the starting winding is connected to the start toggle switch,
2. The other end is connected to the main wire and the working winding,
3. The free end of the working winding is connected to the main wire and the wiring from the start toggle switch.
4. The hay chopper is ready.

Manufacturing stages

In order to start making a device for chopping straw, you need to make drawings of the future crusher indicating the dimensions. Then the metal blanks are cut to size. The further assembly process is performed in the following order.

1. The pipes are cut to the required size. They will be used as a support for the chopper.
2. A ready-made bunker is taken or made from sheet steel. A pre-made bracket is welded to it, onto which the electric motor will be mounted.
3. Holes are drilled in the steel plate that coincide with the mounting holes on the electric motor itself. The steel plate is attached to the bracket.
4. Pipe supports are attached to the straw cutter body. For a more durable structure, stiffeners are welded to them.
5. When the device is already stable, a pipe is attached to it by welding, through which the crushed raw materials will come out.
6. The straw cutter can be considered completely ready after attaching the engine and knives for chopping straw to it. Since the knives are the most important part, on the correct installation of which both the quality of the chopped grass and the safety of the worker depend, it is important to center them correctly.

With a simple set of tools, you can make a homemade shredder in one day. If you have professional tools, for example, a welding machine, then production will take only a few hours.