How to easily make a grass cutter from an old washing machine and detailed instructions

How to make your own herb grinders

Grinding weeds is a labor-intensive process, which can be greatly simplified by making a device. The basis of the unit is a bucket, a washing machine, and power tools.

From the bucket

The bucket is bolted to the tabletop. To fix the motor and output the shaft where the knife is installed, holes are drilled in the bottom. A hole is made in the side of the container and covered with metal plates. This is the outlet for chopped grass.

When connecting the motor to a 220 V power source, the knives will rotate quickly, so it is recommended to connect to 40 V. The power source is a car battery.

From a vacuum cleaner

The design is complex, so you can’t do it without tools. The device is made from Typhoon vacuum cleaners. The electrical device is easy to use. The design of the vacuum cleaner allows for the release of chopped greenery without turning off the power.

If there is no Typhoon, install a motor of 180 W. Hacksaw blades are used as blades. A sleeve for mounting blades 4 cm long is cut into the wall of the housing.

Holes are made in the housing for the platform where the finished unit is installed. The engine is mounted at the bottom of the structure. The knives are screwed on with nuts.

From the washing machine

The unit is identical to that made from a vacuum cleaner. Initially, the washing machine tank is cut off. The height of the container in which the raw materials are placed should be up to 60 centimeters. The top hole of the tank will require a cover or rubber casing. Otherwise, the grass will fly in different directions.

A metal corner 50 cm long will be required to install the legs. Holes for bolts are made in it. Knives are attached to the axle. They can be installed in several rows. They are fixed with bolts or self-tapping screws.

Several holes are drilled on the sleeve. Their diameter must be at least 7 mm. Connect the bushing to the engine with bolts. To install the engine, the housing is turned over and several studs are prepared. Several holes must be made in the housing (depending on the number of clamps). The blades are put on the sleeve, being sure to fix it. This can be done with ordinary nuts.

The blades should not touch the inside of the container or become loose.

The power cable is connected to the motor contacts. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the color of the insulation of the conductors matches. The connection is covered with insulating tape or silicone tube.

A hole is cut in the container to throw out the chopped greens. The outlet is located 20 mm below the level of the knives. Finally, the device is installed on a stand, and the legs are attached to the metal axis.

To use this unit, grounding is required.

From the Bulgarian

Take an angle grinder with any power rating.

• First, they assemble the platform from the box. To make it I use wood or metal. A cutout in the form of an arch is made in one of the sides of the structure.
• A hole is cut into the bottom of the box. It should be 50-70 mm larger than the working part of the power tool.
• The grinder is attached from the inside of the box. In this case, the blades are located above the bottom. For fixation, it is recommended to use flexible clamps or clamps.
• The bottom of a metal bucket is cut out. Install it above the knives. Fix the bucket with brackets and metal corners, securing it with hardware, such as bolts and nuts.

How it works: put weeds in a container and turn on the grinder. Rotating knives chop the weeds, which, after chopping, fall into the box. Remove the crushed feed with a shovel.

From a drill

They create a grass cutter based on a steel body or a hopper. The design is complemented by a protective cover, knives, shaft, stool, bearings with a housing.

1. A hole is drilled in the stool. Its diameter should be 12 cm. From the inside of the stool, fix the body, and then the bearings.
2. Holes are drilled in an old bucket (12 cm in diameter). It is placed on a stool and screwed with hardware.
3. P18 steel is used to create a diamond-shaped blade. It cuts fresh grass better. It is recommended to sharpen the edge at an angle.
4. The blades are secured to a shaft inserted into a bearing.
5. At the bottom of the stool, a drill is connected, which is connected to the shaft shank using a clamping chuck.

The grass is placed in a bucket and then the drill is turned on. After grinding the raw materials, the tool is removed.

Do-it-yourself grass cutter driven by an angle grinder

Tok2ZFORUMHOUSE user

I have birch trees growing in my dacha. Leaves are falling from the trees. We have to clean it up, burn it, and fill up the compost pit. The foliage takes a long time to rot. I decided to chop it up. For this you need a grass cutter. I looked at what they were making on the Internet. I turned on my brain and this is what I came up with.

Do you like an inexpensive option for a garden shredder? Read the article further and find out how to make a homemade product from an angle grinder and a metal tank. Tok2Z acted like this:

1. He thought about how to twist the chopper blades. The choice is small - install a motor from a washing machine, or buy an electric motor. According to the user, the motor from the washing machine is weak, and I didn’t want to purchase a three-phase unit and convert it to one phase.
2. Tok2Z bought on the market, for 2 thousand rubles, an old grinder with a power of 2 kW and blades from a lawn mower for 700 rubles. I ordered an adapter sleeve from a turner, spending another 500 rubles.
3. I welded the frame and placed a galvanized water tank on it. I assembled the structure and turned on the grass cutter.

Tok2Z

The turnover is crazy. I threw a shovelful of leaves into the tank, and they blew away! I checked where the flow was going. Air goes up from the edge of the tank and is sucked in in the middle. I cut out a galvanized ring and installed it in the center of the tank. Threw the leaves. The knives crushed it just right, and it flew into the lower pipe.

To grind the grass into a very fine fraction, the user installed a corner in front of the “exhaust” pipe.

Pipe diameter 10 cm.

The grass cutter shreds the leaves directly into the compost bin.

Compare: a pile of leaves.

Shredded leaves.

Tok2Z

The grass cutter threshes everything - grass, leaves. Sometimes, along with the foliage, a wire comes across. Pebbles. Pieces of metal. The crusher crushes the stones. No iron. You have to turn it off, look for trash and throw it away. The noise is terrible. One of the disadvantages is the thin walls of the tank. It breaks through. I will redo it. I will make a tank from a sheet of iron 1-2 mm thick.

Which motor should I get?

It is more convenient to work with old washing machines - Oka and Fairy are ideal. Top-loading barrel-shaped models with a bottom-mounted motor are easy to transport.

Expert opinion

Vladislav Ponomarev

Design engineer, inventor

A suitable motor has the following characteristics - power 180 W, engine speed 1350-1420 rpm.

Fairy models have a centrifuge, so the motor makes more revolutions, up to 2850 per minute, but the power is lower. The body is plastic and fragile. From Fairy models they take only the engine, the tank is made from an empty iron barrel, and knives are purchased additionally.

How to make a barrel sauna with your own hands, detailed instructions and drawings

The advantages of having a unit are obvious - the ability to process any volume of grass in a short time. A grass cutter is needed not only by gardeners, but also by owners of subsidiary farms - ground green raw materials are added to food for livestock and poultry.

Garden herb grinder

The homemade grass shredder you create depends on how much grass will need to be processed (disposal of garden waste, for compost, for livestock feed). Basically, it is not much different from a meat grinder, only for grass and hay and straw, in any case, the operating principle is the same.

Types of herb grinders:

• different in power, depending on how much grass needs to be processed. With great power they can even handle small knots;
• different types of knives - disc knives (blades that crush garden waste when rotating), milling knives (gears that, when rotating, tighten the material and automatically grind it);
• different types of operation - on gasoline (maintenance is more expensive) or electricity (the device is tied to an existing outlet);
• stationary type or mobile (lawn mower type).

From the washing machine

In itself, it is an excellent volumetric container for hay, grass, straw, etc. The principle of this chopper is similar to a food processor.

Necessary:

• several knives placed in a cylindrical container;
• an additional container for the upper part of the unit, into which hay, grass, and straw will be supplied;
• an additional hole in the side so that there is a place for recycled material to flow from;
• receiver of finished products (bucket, box, etc.).

From a vacuum cleaner

All you need is the vacuum cleaner body and its motor.

You will need:

• the engine power can be equal to 180 W, this is enough;
• fasten knives from unnecessary hacksaws with nuts to a threaded sleeve (approximate length - 40 mm). Secure at the bottom of the container and bolt above the knives;
• try to make a hole for chopped grass under the legs or in the side;
• To protect the electric motor, the base must be stable.

From the Bulgarian

The principle of creating a homemade grass grinder from a grinder, as in previous units:

• select a container;
• drill a hole in the bottom to install the cutting unit;
• make a metal base and attach an angle grinder to it, carefully securing it with clamps.

Types of cutting elements for homemade shredders

The thickness of the grinding of the branches depends on the knives used. Home shredders are equipped with different types of chopping attachments:

• lamellar (with one or more plates);
• disc (with two or more blades);
• milling

Flap knives are essentially flat cutting elements. Rotating, they very finely grind all plant waste into pulp. When processing large branches, such blades require frequent sharpening.

Disc cutting structures are designed for soft plant waste. The simplest such knife is a disk with two horizontal blades. They are used to chop grass and branches up to 2.5 cm in diameter. In a more complex design, there can be 4 or 6 pieces of crushing blades. Their work is usually carried out in a vertical plane, chopping plants up to 4 cm in diameter.

Milling cutting elements are a shaft with plate or disk knives mounted on it.

Dependence of the thickness of processed branches on the power of the electric motor and work intensity:

The simplest homemade garden shredders can be made from:

• washing machine;
• Bulgarians;
• planing machine.

Shredder from washing machine

Main components of a garden shredder

To independently assemble a grass and branch chopper (shredder) at home, you must first understand the structure of the mechanism, as well as the principle of its operation. This will help you assemble the equipment correctly and, if necessary, make changes to its design.

A homemade unit, designed for grinding mown grass and sawn branches up to several centimeters thick, has the following main structural components:

• engine;
• knives mounted on the working shaft;
• frame (usually metal);
• protective casing;
• a box designed to receive cut vegetation;
• starting system.

The equipment itself can be made stationary or mobile. To create the latter option, you will additionally need wheels, as well as a handle. To make the frame, use metal corners or ready-made frames from workbenches. Boxes for processed vegetation are made from plastic buckets, tin, and bags. The protective casing around the knives should be thick and durable enough so as not to quickly wear out from the impact of grinding vegetation.

The operation of the chopper is that rotation from the motor shaft is transmitted directly to the knives or through a chain/belt drive. The vegetation chopped by the blades enters the box. In this case, the final product is immediately ready for use.

According to the principle of operation, some homemade shredders are comparable to a meat grinder (they draw in and then grind organic matter), while others are comparable to a coffee grinder.

Principle of operation

In terms of their operating principle, these devices are closest to lawn mowers.
The rotating blade creates an air current that draws in vegetation and prevents it from flying away.

When the grass reaches the knife, it cuts it into pieces of various lengths, after which the vortex flow carries the cuttings with it and removes it from the body of the device.

The difference between both types of devices is that lawn mowers move above the grass, so the body of the device presses the vegetation to the ground, and the air flow lifts it to the level of the knife, while the grass cutter stands still, and the material is poured into it from above.

What is silo used for?

Many gardeners living outside the city grow not only vegetables and fruits in their dachas, but also keep chickens, pheasants, quails, rabbits and various domestic animals. Chopped grass silage can become an excellent food for pets; you just need to make sure that your farm has an appropriate chopper that can easily grind grass and hay.

Experienced gardeners use such ground grass as mulch and first-class organic fertilizer. You only need to ensure that the grass is chopped as finely as possible, as a result of which the layer of mulch will be dense, which is necessary to retain moisture and heat in the ground.

With the help of such universal equipment, you can easily grind cereals, vegetables and fruits, which allows you to make high-quality feed for livestock, eliminating the need to purchase expensive feed.

What else can a chopper be made from?

There are many different options for creating garden shredders with your own hands: from the simplest ones, which only allow you to grind grass, to more structurally complex, powerful units designed for wood up to 10 cm thick. Accordingly, the practical implementation of the plan will require different details, different amounts of time and money.

To assemble equipment for processing plant waste, in addition to the considered options for old or unnecessary tools or equipment, you can use the following devices:

• drill or hammer drill;
• an old working vacuum cleaner;
• unnecessary electric saw;
• motor from the pump;
• gasoline or electric walk-behind tractor;
• any electric motor of suitable power.

A drill with a hammer drill, if you use them to chop grass, you don’t need to redo it at all. It is enough to make only a nozzle with blades. The created device will work like a blender, grinding soft plant stems into a container in small portions.

Advantages of a homemade electric shredder

There are many advantages to a self-made model. This device is capable of thoroughly grinding not only wood, but also, for example, fruits and berries, which is especially appreciated by those who like to make homemade jam, fruit puree or homemade wine.

At the same time, you can crush all the fruits directly with the stone, without bothering yourself with the tedious work of removing them. In addition, the assembled device is suitable for other purposes. For example, a grass chopper works in a similar way, so a self-assembled unit is very functional.

In addition, another advantage of a homemade electric shredder over a factory model is the ability to process relatively large branches with a diameter of about 10 cm, which a purchased unit simply cannot handle, since its body is not designed for this.

The peculiarity of a homemade crusher is that it is completely unnecessary to take into account the moisture content of the crushed wood, while factory units require preliminary adjustment of the degree of dampness of the loaded material.

This is due to the fact that in most devices the motor is located at the bottom of the entire structure, so when processing wet branches there is a risk of moisture getting into the motor, which will inevitably damage the shredder.

In a self-assembled mechanism, you can place the motor anywhere, for example, at the level of the knives, thereby protecting yourself from potential damage.

It is impossible not to note the financial side of operating a homemade shredder. Its assembly will be cheaper than purchasing a ready-made mechanism, and if any functional part of the crusher, made by yourself, fails, the part can always be replaced with an inexpensive analogue, rather than purchasing expensive elements.

In addition, all materials for manufacturing are almost always at hand at any summer cottage, so you don’t have to look for suitable components and choose any specific materials.

Thus, we can say with confidence that a hand-made wood chipper is a versatile and cost-effective device that can facilitate the process of recycling waste wood, as well as simplify the life of any gardener.

If you are not satisfied with the initial option, or you want a more powerful crusher, then watch the video: how to make a branch chopper with your own hands using a gasoline engine. This video contains a detailed description of the dimensions and nuances of installing and manufacturing a crusher running on gasoline.

What else can a chopper be made from?

There are many different options for creating garden shredders with your own hands: from the simplest ones, which only allow you to grind grass, to more structurally complex, powerful units designed for wood up to 10 cm thick. Accordingly, the practical implementation of the plan will require different details, different amounts of time and money.

To assemble equipment for processing plant waste, in addition to the considered options for old or unnecessary tools or equipment, you can use the following devices:

• drill or hammer drill;
• an old working vacuum cleaner;
• unnecessary electric saw;
• motor from the pump;
• gasoline or electric walk-behind tractor;
• any electric motor of suitable power.

A drill with a hammer drill, if you use them to chop grass, you don’t need to redo it at all. It is enough to make only a nozzle with blades. The created device will work like a blender, grinding soft plant stems into a container in small portions.

How to choose a branch chopper for a walk-behind tractor and not regret the purchase

A branch chopper, or wood splitter, is a special functional attachment for processing grass vegetation and branches. The recycled material will serve as a good fertilizer for the garden.

The purchase of a shredder should be well thought out, since the cost of this equipment is by no means small.

Criteria for choosing a wood chipper for a walk-behind tractor:

1. Engine type. It comes in electric and petrol versions;
2. The power of the wood chopper is very important;
3. Funnel diameter;
4. Type of crushing system;
5. Methods for processing garden waste;
6. Equipment weight;
7. Nozzle functionality.

Electric walk-behind crushers are less noisy than gasoline ones and are also easy to maintain. However, their operation is affected by power surges in the network, and the maximum diameter of branches that they can process is 45 mm. Gasoline wood shredders differ from the former in greater power, which allows them to process almost any waste.

Design and principle of operation of a grass chopper

To dispose of grass and thin twigs from a small area, gardeners usually use a cutting tool. But manual labor is not effective for processing large quantities of green waste. An unnecessary or non-working washing machine will do well as the basis for a common model of a homemade shredder. It will work on the principle of a food processor. Key nodes:

• shaft with radially fixed knives;
• engine;
• receiving tank;
• container for collecting processed mass;
• frame.

The shredder model involves using a metal tank from a Soviet-style washing machine as a receiving container. For example, from Oka or Fairy. The grass will be loaded into this container and ground in it with a knife. The body of a Typhoon vacuum cleaner can also become a tank.

Homemade shredder

Tools and consumables for the chopper:

• a circular knife or hacksaw to cut blades out of it;
• wire with plug;
• metal corner;
• connecting parts;
• drill;
• Bulgarian;
• welding machine;
• locksmith kit.

Advice. A circular blade is the best option for a homemade shredder. Other designs must be tested in practice as they may not cope with thatch or thin branches.

Grass cutting device

A grass chopper or grass cutter is a convenient and indispensable device in your garden. Grass clippings or weeds can be finely chopped and used in compost or as insulation material for the winter. A grass chopper for chickens or any other poultry is also very useful: finely chopped grass is much better for feeding. The device is capable of shredding a large volume of mown grass or weeds in a few seconds, which will save both time and physical effort of the owner.

A regular grass cutter consists of:

• metal frame,
• Working shaft with cutting knives,
• Motor,
• Boxes or funnels for receiving raw materials,
• Pulley with belt,
• cables,
• Protective casing.

Garden grass cutters are lightweight, making them easy to move, compact, and have good performance.

The grass cutter engine can be electric or gasoline.

1. The electric version of the engine is less noisy and more convenient to use, it is lightweight and is turned on by simply turning a toggle switch. Disadvantages of the electric motor: dependence of the device on the length of the wire and restrictions on the size of the thickness of the raw material.
2. The gasoline engine allows you to use the device even where there is no electricity, it is more powerful, and can even chop tree branches. The disadvantages include its noise and relatively heavy weight.

Operating principle of the device

The design of the grass and extra branches shredder itself is quite simple. This will include several basic elements:

1. Protective cover.
2. A special working shaft, which is equipped with additional knives.
3. Engine.
4. Reception box.
5. Pulley with additional belt.
6. Metal frame.

To make it quite simple and comfortable to move such a device around the entire site, it should be placed on a specialized two-wheeled base. The operating principle of the device is considered quite simple. So, the shaft, with the help of a special motor and an additional belt or chains, begins the process of rotation. At this time, branches and excess grass enter the box, which are quickly chopped using sharp and small knives. In general, this resembles the operation of a simple meat grinder.

Such grass cutters are often used by summer residents themselves. In addition to all this, you can find industrial devices on sale that can easily cope with very thick branches. Of course, such devices are distinguished by a particularly complex design and increased productivity.

Corn stalk chopper: making your own device

To produce a corn stalk mill, you will need an electric motor with one or three phases, and its power must be at least 500 W. Below in the table we will look at how to assemble such a structure.

Approach the invention of the device responsibly, otherwise, instead of the desired result, you will get a bunch of torn, rather than finely chopped, grass.

Device Features

A wood chipper is a very convenient tool. However, not everyone can afford such a purchase, so most gardeners prefer homemade solutions. But is it possible to create a device without the appropriate plumbing and welding skills and tools? Unfortunately no. Even a simple branch chopper based on circular saws is created by following strict instructions. In addition, to create shafts and bearing housings, you need to turn to professional craftsmen. The whole process can be divided into the following stages:

1. Finding a suitable shredder design.
2. Selecting a power plant and calculating the final drive.
3. Selection of metal components and parts that need to be turned using a lathe.
4. Frame installation.
5. Installation of drive, cutting parts and belt drive.
6. Installation of the protective casing and hopper.

When creating, you should be guided by the following rules:

1. If the priority is to obtain small wood chips with minimal resources, give preference to models made from circular saws.
2. If you are going to chop small diameter branches into a larger fraction, a cutting mechanism such as a jointer is the ideal solution.
3. If you want to chop branches in large quantities, equip disk crushers.

If you have decided on the choice of wood chipping machine, start preparing parts, materials and equipment. However, before that, there are a few key tasks you need to complete.

Choosing an engine and belt drive - what is important to know about it

The efficiency of chopping branches depends on the rotation speed of the electric motor shaft. To ensure reliable crushing of wood, it is necessary to ensure that the cutting disc rotates at a speed of at least 1500 rpm. However, it is still necessary to take into account such an indicator as the amount of torque. This value is closely related to power, and the greater the value of the latter, the higher the force parameter.

How to achieve the required rotation speed of the crusher cutting disk if the electric motor reaches a speed of 2800 rpm? For this, a belt drive with pulleys of different diameters is used. To reduce the rotation speed of the electric motor shaft by 2 times, you need to install a pulley on the drive shaft with a diameter 2 times smaller than the size of the pulley on the driven shaft.

An important point in the design of a homemade shredder is the choice of transmission mechanism. The safest type of gearbox is a belt drive. Its advantage is that if the workpiece jams, the belt will slip along the pulley, eliminating the occurrence of negative consequences. This type of transmission mechanism is considered not only safer, but also reduces the likelihood of engine failure due to overheating and shaft jamming.

This is interesting! To reduce the rotation speed of the shredder cutting discs, you need to install a pulley with a diameter of 100 mm on the motor shaft, and a disk with a diameter of 200 mm on the shaft of the shredder.

Differences from straw cutter

A grass cutter and a straw cutter are similar in many ways and work on the same principle .
The difference between them is that the first is a small household device optimized for chopping freshly cut grass, while the second is a powerful unit that works most efficiently with straw.

The most effective modifications of straw cutters are mounted and trailed units, because they can take a whole roll (bale) of compressed straw at a time.

The most effective grass cutters are small devices with interchangeable blades of various shapes, because by installing one or another cutting tool, they can be optimized for a wide variety of materials.

How to make a grass grinder from a grinder with your own hands

To make your own grass chopper from an angle grinder, you will need a pipe with a diameter of 15 cm for removing the mulch, a metal profile 2 * 5 cm for the frame and a container with a capacity of 20 liters.

Manufacturing procedure:

1. Prepare the container. On one side at the bottom, a hole with a diameter of 15 cm is made so that it is possible to install an outlet for mulch. At a distance of 5 cm from the hole, a piece of 2*2 cm corner is attached. The length of the part is equal to the radius of the container. This is a grass limiter. He will not allow the finished mulch to remain in the bucket and will push it towards the exit. Knives are made from a circular saw blade. On one side they are rounded and sharpened.
2. The working knives are raised so that they do not fall in front of the limiter. A lid with a hole inside with a diameter of 15 cm is installed on top. This part will allow you to hold the grass, it will not jump out of the container under the influence of the engine.
3. A frame is welded from a metal profile 2*5 cm. The height is selected from personal preference, but not lower than 30 cm. The frame resembles a stool. On one side, a base for installing an angle grinder is attached to the legs. It is made of sheet steel 3 mm thick. Using self-tapping screws, secure the angle grinder to the base in a horizontal position, with the sleeve facing up.

For ease of use, the shredder is placed near the compost heap. The outlet casing is inserted into the opening of the composter and the production of mulch begins. The grinder is connected to electricity. Turn on the maximum operating mode and begin to pour grass, tops and branches into the receiving container.

To make the herb chopper last longer, the body is sealed with sheet iron over the container and painted.

Attention! To avoid injury, the receiver is made higher than the length of a person's arm. This way, when loading grass, there is no risk of accidentally hitting the knives and injuring yourself.

Universal grass cutter and corn sheller

Alex NkFORUMHOUSE user

I also made a grass cutter. I mainly use it to chop grass for poultry. The basis of the homemade product is a kilowatt motor made in the USSR. I bought it for 1400 rubles. Works great. The engine is three-phase, but converted to operate from a 220 Volt network.

Making a homemade grass cutter step by step:

1. The turner turned out the flange.

1. Holes were drilled and threaded in the flange.

1. The knives were made from a piece of an old rusty two-handed saw.

1. The knives were screwed to the flange.

1. The grass cutter frame was made from a sheet of metal 4 mm thick. A strip of metal with a cross-section of 4x40 mm was welded to the square, which was bent in a circle. A hole was drilled in the center of the frame.

​Alex Nk

I bent the strip with a hammer, striking the metal on the jaws of a vice. The radius was controlled in a circle by drawing it on the bed.

At the finish, the user welded the legs to the base. Fixed the electric motor. I made a large tank with a lid so that debris would not fly out of the grass cutter while the engine was running.

Homemade mobile grass cutter on wheels.

The tank is removable for ease of use of the grass chopper.

The engine produces 1500 rpm. The grass cutter operates almost silently.

Finished products.

Drawing up a drawing

In order to avoid having to redo a partially assembled garden apparatus, it is necessary to correctly draw up a drawing, taking into account the size and shape of all available parts.

Numerous forums will help with this, where users discuss the most successful configurations and technical solutions.

In addition, they also share their experience of independently manufacturing garden waste and garbage shredders, posting not only drawings, but also photos and videos of their devices, and also leave feedback on their work.

When drawing up a diagram, you will be able to determine the location of mounting holes and welds. This will allow you to first make individual parts with pre-drilled holes, and then attach the corresponding units to them without adjustment.

Ready-made drawings can be found on the Internet, after which, based on them, you can make a new drawing with dimensions, which will take into account the features of the available parts and mechanisms.

The main advantage of this method is that it eliminates the need to independently determine and calculate the overall configuration of the finished device and the location of the main elements.

Here are drawings of some devices that can be used as basic ones:

1. Drawing 1 - This is a standard design for a stationary rotary chipper that works well as a garden chipper.
2. Drawing 2 - This is the design of one of the shafts of a two-roll shredder. With some modifications it can also be used in single shaft shredders.
3. Drawing 3 – Design of a two-roll shredder.
4. Drawing 4 – Drawing of a grass chopper with an electric motor, however, instead of an electric motor, you can install an angle grinder or a drill.

Materials and manufacturing process

The manufacture of a house shredder begins with a drawing on paper. This allows you to have a visual representation of the design and identify shortcomings or refine important nuances at the design stage. Remaking the finished product will be more expensive, and unnecessary time will be spent.

Assembly materials:

• Electric motor.
• The container for the bunker is ready-made from some device or welded to specified dimensions from steel sheets.
• A lid for the hopper that will be securely installed on it.
• A steel plate at least a centimeter thick for a platform for an electric motor.
• Sheets of metal for the manufacture of supports and other elements with a thickness of at least 3 mm.
• Drive shaft.
• Side pipe as a dump.

We recommend: Manufacturing a briquetting press for sawdust pressing

The electric motor is the main part of the device , which determines its characteristics. The motor is selected depending on the volume of the straw chopper hopper. The greater the mass of raw materials per load, the more powerful the engine required. Typically, an electric motor with a power of 2.2 to 6 kW is installed on a hay and straw chopper for private farmsteads. The speed of rotation should not exceed 2 thousand/min for safety reasons. Optimal - 1.5 thousand/min.

An electric motor with a rotation speed higher than optimal can also be adapted for installation in a structure, but it is not directly connected to the shaft. To do this, use a reduction gear , often a belt drive. You can use a gear drive. The reduction gear allows you to increase the output of the motor and chop root crops and even small branches.

The motor is connected to a shaft on which a disk with knives will be installed. A tube can act as a shaft, but only straight, without distortions. This is necessary for proper balance, otherwise vibration will occur, which is unacceptable.

The knives are installed on the shaft so that there is a minimum distance between them and the counter blades. This will ensure high-quality grinding of raw materials.

Main components of a garden shredder

To independently assemble a grass and branch chopper (shredder) at home, you must first understand the structure of the mechanism, as well as the principle of its operation. This will help you assemble the equipment correctly and, if necessary, make changes to its design.

A homemade unit, designed for grinding mown grass and sawn branches up to several centimeters thick, has the following main structural components:

• engine;
• knives mounted on the working shaft;
• frame (usually metal);
• protective casing;
• a box designed to receive cut vegetation;
• starting system.

The equipment itself can be made stationary or mobile. To create the latter option, you will additionally need wheels, as well as a handle. To make the frame, use metal corners or ready-made frames from workbenches. Boxes for processed vegetation are made from plastic buckets, tin, and bags. The protective casing around the knives should be thick and durable enough so as not to quickly wear out from the impact of grinding vegetation.

The operation of the chopper is that rotation from the motor shaft is transmitted directly to the knives or through a chain/belt drive. The vegetation chopped by the blades enters the box. In this case, the final product is immediately ready for use.

According to the principle of operation, some homemade shredders are comparable to a meat grinder (they draw in and then grind organic matter), while others are comparable to a coffee grinder.

Crusher for walk-behind tractor device and types of designs

Garden shredders or shredders are a relatively new type of device on the domestic market. They are the most useful and simple alternative to recycling cut branches of trees and shrubs, as well as grass: they are crushed into mulch, which can be used as organic fertilizer.

Due to their high cost, not every owner has them at their disposal. But having a walk-behind tractor at hand, you can make it yourself. We will talk about the nuances of this process further.

A garden wood chipper is an automated device that operates from an electric or internal combustion engine and is adapted for crushing fallen leaves, branches of fruit crops, and mown grass into organic matter. It is available for sale as an independent device and as an attachment to a traction element - a walk-behind tractor or a mini tractor.

In both cases, the structure is:

• Engine;
• Metal carcass;
• Compartment for receiving sawdust;
• Operating shaft equipped with blades;
• Safety cover.

The chopper adapter for walk-behind tractors is not compatible with all of their modifications.

The minimum requirements for retrofitting are:

• Medium or heavy power class of a specific model;
• Engine with hydrocooling system;
• Front PTO, which is connected to the chopper via a belt drive.

Structurally, walk-behind shredders are classified into:

• knife - the cutting unit is represented by several saw blades, which are directly attached to the motor shaft. With the high power of the power unit and high-quality knives, they can easily grind fresh cut branches or soft components - dried hay, thin branches of bushes. The only limitation for this group can be the diameter of the branches: for dry – 25 mm, for fresh – 40 mm;
• milling shredders for a walk-behind tractor - similar to the first group, but instead of knives they contain a milling cutter - a gear with large teeth. Usually available in steel. They work slowly and smoothly, which is effective only for well-dried workpieces;
• universal shredders made from a walk-behind tractor - cope well with any organic mass that is prepared in several stages.

Operating rules

When working with any electrical device, safety precautions must be observed. The grass cutter is no exception! To prevent the device from deteriorating, you need to know the basic operating rules:

1. The mechanism will jam if damp branches or grass are placed in the device.
2. You cannot store raw materials in large quantities. Everything should be in moderation.
3. The device must always be supervised when it is switched on.
4. The mechanism has piercing and cutting elements, so children should not be allowed near the device.
5. To prevent the device from getting wet in the rain, it is installed under a canopy.
6. Do not allow foreign objects such as glass or metal to get inside the device.
7. If something is stuck inside, the device is disconnected from the network and only then the stuck part is removed.
8. Electrical wires must be insulated.

The first launch of the device is done very carefully, since it is the most dangerous. https://www.youtube.com/embed/HoCh_HLO-Vc

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.

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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.

How to assemble a cutting element yourself

To make a milling knife you will need:

• circular saws (10-12 pcs.). Their quantity may differ from the indicated amount, both smaller and larger. The more disks are installed, the smaller the chips will be at the output;
• threaded rod M20;
• bearings (internal Ø 20 mm);
• dense soft plastic for making spacer washers;
• washers and nuts for fastening.

Assemble the knife as follows:

1. Place the disk on the pin (its diameter of 20 mm coincides with the hole of the saws).
2. A washer cut out of plastic should be installed between adjacent disks. It is necessary so that the cutting edges of adjacent saws (they are wider than the blade of the blade) do not cling to one another.
3. The outer disks are secured with washers and nuts. As a result, you will get a shaft with circular saw blades located on it. All that remains is to install the bar with saws on the frame using bearings, bushings and clamps.

Crusher with a matrix of circulating saws

This is also an easy-to-make device. In order to make a garden shredder of this type with your own hands you will need:

• 20 pieces of high quality circular saw blades, preferably carbide tipped.
• Metal fasteners.
• Separating washers for saws. You need 19 pieces with a thickness of 4–5 mm.
• Rolled metal sheets for the production of bunkers and casings with a protective function.
• Finished frame or material for its manufacture.
• Two bearings No. 307.
• Shaft with a diameter of 20 mm with thread.
• Bearing races.

Your own wood chipper is ready!

As you can see, the kit in most cases overlaps with the materials for the production of a disk chopper. A matrix of saws is assembled on the shaft by sequentially arranging saws and separating washers. Then this structure is clamped with nuts.

In order to eliminate the possibility of unwinding during work, after tightening, the threads are tilted or specialized locking washers are used. The subsequent sequence of actions is similar to the work on the manufacture of a disc crusher.