Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Jul 18, 2009 9:30 am On another thread Fu wrote :There really is no better way than just buying a garden shredder/chipper and run all your clippings through that and spreading it stright back onto the garden You get a more efficient horizontal compost heap All the nutrients are returned to the soil slowly and many woodier plants will make for excellent mulch Now my question to Fu would be what kind of shredder would he recommend as it looks like he has some experience. We have an industrial Granberg with Briggs & Straton engine. Works fine but... after 20 years of operating this baby I no longer can start it, heavy and #^**+% difficult to start for a female nearing 60, though DH has no problems with it . As I have always done most of the gardening I hate to rely on others to "help" me so I was thinking an electric one . Now which one is powerful but relatively easy to operate, light to move and what about the shredding parts, how often do they need sharpening/changing. If anybody could advise that would be absolutely magnificent Maggie Re: shredders ? to Fu Man or anybody with experience 2Jul 18, 2009 12:02 pm OK, well they probably statrt at the Ryobi shredders, get 'em from Bunnings for about $200 Then you have the Viking shedders from Stihl. http://www.viking-garden.com/deutsch/na ... ckseln.htm Then there is the German Ikra Mogatec - German Garden Tool Manufacturer Price: $320.00 inclusive of GST (FREE DELIVERY PERTH METRO) Get them from MulchNet.com I reckon the ducks nuts of shedders though are the ones featured at garden week here in Perth. Lacebark has one of these and it's pretty good The recycler 2000 Mulcher and chipper is my pick. $1000 plus but will be in the family for ever it will seem. Then when it does pack it in, you can buy a new one and put the old one through the mulcher -well not realy but they are good. No website for these, but you do get them from Mulchers and Mowers, in Bentley WA 9451 3679. All steel construction and is bolted together in a way that servicing and cleaning is really easy They go up from there, with petrol models and even smaller ones with a tow hitch and powerdrive for connection to a tractor. How often do you sharpen? That is like how long is a bit of string Every brand will have used different grade steel for the blades. Also what you mulch in your garden is going to make a difference as well. If you have Karri, Jarrah trees on your property, well expect the blades to dull with regular use. If you were shedding paper and straw (as the above ones do) then they would last ages longer Does that help? Re: shredders ? to Fu Man or anybody with experience 3Jul 18, 2009 12:23 pm Maggie one option is to simply replace the old engine with a new honda electric start petrol engine. Rebuilding the existing engine is possibly not an option due to parts available and costs. Ask your local small engine repair shop - maybe a new set of rings and bearing will see it live another 10 or 20 years. and I think you'll find that an eletric shredder will not perform anywhere near as good as your current one. As for tracktor shredders - I used to own one - anything up to 75mm bracnhes - chomp chomp Hammermill with a chipper blade for the bigger stuff - mulch galore Re: shredders ? to Fu Man or anybody with experience 4Jul 18, 2009 12:28 pm Oh maybe I should link some info on why we should have a shredder instead of wasting all that stuff and cart your very own resource away and give it to someone else? That's crazy! Use it! Every time you clip anything, shred it and return it too the garden. Free slow release fertiliser. The rate at which it returns the nutrients to the soil is about the true rate your plants are going to absorb it Woodier material will provide the most waterwise mulch you can get -Free! I get mine in bulk from the tree lopper mobs. I have to wait but it is good and smells so nice! I use Simon from Swift Trees 0423 627 911. Costs me usually a carton of corona in summer (much cheaper for corona here in WA )or $50 for some diesel. If things are busy or fuel is high it might cost two cartons or a bit more for fuel. Now that still works out much cheaper than any other mulch in bulk http://www.kesab.asn.au/uploads/File/Fa ... lching.htm http://www.greatgardens.info/docs/GG002.html from here http://www.greatgardens.info/docs/GG005.html Quote: Remember the mulch. Mulch is essential as strategy to draw and hold water in the soil. It will also reduce soil temperature fluctuations (critical for good soil organism health and development) and suppress some weed growth (NOT grasses such as couch or kikuyu unfortunately). The best mulch is the cheapest mulch -street tree prunings (ie chipped up branches and trees containing leaves, fruits, flowers and bark). This should be kept back from the trunk of the plant and should be 5-7cm thick. Don't use woodchips or soil conditioners like Karri peat on the surface as they tend to soak up any moisture often leaving the soil and your plants bone dry underneath. Your mulch should be rough and prickly so that water is easily drawn into the soil and help there away from the desiccating effects of the summer sun. Remember the trick: Take your shoes off and walk on your mulch. If it doesn't hurt your feet it is probably not a good mulch. http://www.greatgardens.info/docs/GG010.html a quick video to watch from one of the best in Australia, John Colwill Tahnks to John for this link. http://www.greatgardens.info/video/mulch.flv (hope the link works ) (select your chosen media player and view in the smaller screen option) or click this link, select mulch on the right and watch the embedded video on the great gardens webpage http://www.greatgardens.info/video/grea ... videos.php http://www.watercorporation.com.au/W/wa ... 4831#Mulch Re: shredders ? to Fu Man or anybody with experience 6Jul 19, 2009 11:02 am Yak_Chat, it is me that needs replacing to be honest not the B&S engine on my machine . My joints do not take starting it and it is so heavy it is a chore to cart it around. It has a hammermill thingy inside so it is good for big branches and hardwood but I have also a lot of smaller prunnings, like it will be time to trim my ornamental grasses, small bushes and hedges and I would like to shred them while I go not leave them waiting for hubby to start the machine for me. This is why I was thinking of a smaller electric one which I can operate when I want. Thanks Fu it is just the confirmation for me just what I needed. I know the Bentley company, I have been eyeing their machines for at least 5 years and usually DH says, you do not need an electric one, it is not powerfull enough but... he will not be using it. I am afraid I am obsessive with mulching and using all my prunnings and at times my neighbour's as well as I put everything back into my garden, I do not buy any mulch but my garden beds are always covered with a thick layer of it. Thanks guys it was very helpful, I guess I will be getting a new shredder when we have our garden week show, they usually have specials at that time. I will have to manage spring prunnings somehow until than and save my gardening allowance for a new machine. Loking forward to it . Maggie Re: shredders ? to Fu Man or anybody with experience 7Jun 18, 2010 3:15 am Pretty sure there is something similar in adds in the back of gardening aust mag and similar as well. These can be sent over east Re: shredders ? to Fu Man or anybody with experience 8Jun 18, 2010 5:17 am I just bought a Ryobi shredder. I've got a huge pile of old clippings, but I can't put them through it can I ? Must be green ? Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves. - Dale Carnegie Re: shredders ? to Fu Man or anybody with experience 9Aug 18, 2010 12:33 am How have you found the shredder Cabin fever? Sometimes it's hard to get one that shreds well. Re: shredders ? to Fu Man or anybody with experience 13Aug 25, 2010 10:57 pm I followed your link and got into a Twilight Zone loop ! Shamefully my shredder is still in the box. Not pruning at the moment and my huge heap of loppings from last year is still sitting there, composting slower than a rock. Just to be sure: You can't shred old clippings can you ? Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves. - Dale Carnegie Re: shredders ? to Fu Man or anybody with experience 14Aug 26, 2010 12:17 am You sure can mate It will compost really fast once you do that. unfortunately it is the soil under the composted heap that will be rich and full of life and nutrients. Chuck into the compost some Dynamic Lifter and some molasses. Re: shredders ? to Fu Man or anybody with experience 15Aug 27, 2010 1:36 am Great ! Shall do, thanks. Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves. - Dale Carnegie Re: shredders ? to Fu Man or anybody with experience 16Aug 28, 2010 1:29 am I have quite a few native trees in my garden and also keep chooks. I have two compost bins and a few weeks back, I emptied the chook poo into the compost bins. I have just read that you need to be careful when using chook poo near native plants due to the phosphorus level in the poo. Does that mean I've stuffed up my compost (for the native plants at least)? I also need to look at a shredder, as I have just been sticking lots of large leaves twigs and small branches in there. We even use compostible nappies and stick those in there. I'd hate to see one of those go through a shredder I apologise for any confusion, but your understanding is correct. We approached our situation differently based on advice from… 11 53081 Hi All, I have been dealing with icare for insurance in completing our house after our original builder went bust. 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