Every summer resident wants to have a beautiful green lawn with perfect beds and luxurious flower beds on his site. To get the desired result, you need not only desire, time and effort, but also a special technique. To keep the soil in good condition, many people prefer the grass mulching procedure, as this method does not require much investment and is quite effective. Immediately after mowing, the grass is placed on the lawn, and in the process of decomposition it releases the substances necessary for fertilization. To speed up the decomposition process, it is recommended to chop the grass and thick stems. A herb chopper is required for this procedure.

What is a grass chopper

Owners of their own dacha or garden need to harvest garden compost. Previously, the grass was chopped by hand, but now there are electric and gasoline shredders for this. Such a device allows the summer resident to significantly save time, allowing more material to be placed in the compost barrel.

If the financial situation allows you to purchase such a device, this is good, since its prices are quite high. If the summer resident does not have extra money, you should not be upset, since you can make a machine for chopping grass with your own hands. Its construction is very simple. It includes:

  • engine;
  • shaft;
  • discs or knives;
  • bolts and nuts;
  • receiving container;
  • protective cover.

Chopper

The principle of operation of this device is very similar to a food processor. The engine transmits revolutions to a shaft with sharp knives that grind suitable raw materials, after which it is passed through the hole into the box.

The most powerful are gasoline-powered grinders. They can cut not only grass, but also fairly large branches. A significant advantage over electric grinders is their mobility and independence from the power grid, which allows the use of gasoline units at any point in the country.

Less powerful are the so-called electric grass cutters. They work exclusively from the network, so they do not differ in good mobility. The advantages of such grinders are their low weight and small dimensions, which add convenience in use. To grind grass and branches of small diameter, an apparatus with a motor up to 1.5 kilowatts is suitable.

Important! A motor with this power is not suitable for prolonged loads. For continuous loads, you should choose a motor up to 4 kilowatts.

DIY grass chopper

Since this device has a very simple design, it will not be difficult to make it with your own hands, from scrap materials. There are many ways to make a shredder from household items.

Drill grass chopper

Do-it-yourself grass and branch chopper

This device is suitable for cutting small amounts of grass. For manufacturing, you will need a drill with a capacity of 1 kilowatt, any container for waste material (bucket, bowl, etc.), knives, as well as nuts and bolts.

Important! Knives should be in the form of a diamond with a one-sided bottom sharpening, this will avoid the accumulation and winding of greenery on them.

The process of cutting grass with a drill is very similar to that of a food processor. A sharp knife is built into a bucket or other container, which rotates the grass into small pieces.

Homemade grinder from a grinder

For the production of a mechanical grinder from a grinder, you will need steel corners, sheet metal, a metal container, fasteners and knives. Of the tools you will need: a drill, keys, a welding machine, and a grinder.

Manufacturing process:

  1. Weld the frame, for which you first need to cut the metal corners.
  2. After the frame of the future shredder is ready, a sheet metal shelf is welded to it, and the grinder is also fastened with clamps or other clamps so that the shafts are located to the top.
  3. On the side of the container into which the grass will be poured, a hole is made with dimensions of 10x10 centimeters and a sleeve is attached through which the ground plant mixture will be dispensed.
  4. Further, a hole is made in the center of the bottom of the container
  5. The container is installed on the grinder shaft.
  6. A knife is attached to the grinder, and the device is ready to work.

Grinder from the grinder

Chopper from a home vacuum cleaner

A simple handheld vacuum cleaner is suitable for the device. It works on the same principle as the previous homemade products. It differs only in a more "civilized" look and greater productivity. To assemble it, you need an engine with a capacity of at least 180 watts, knives, a receiving container, a vacuum cleaner body.

Manufacturing process:

  1. Sharpen the knives well and prepare a sleeve for attaching them.
  2. Next, bolt the motor to the body, and attach a protective cover over the slot so that the grass does not fly back through the hole.
  3. Make a platform for installing the structure. It is best to weld a pyramid-shaped frame (wide at the bottom, with a narrowing at the top). The wider the platform base is, the more stable the finished product will be.
  4. Drill holes for the bolts and screw the engine to the platform. All the parts required to assemble this shredder are present in almost every home.

Vacuum cleaner shredder drawing

Homemade shredder from a washing machine

In the rating of homemade shredders, this species is located on the top line due to its high power, thanks to which it can chop not only grass, but also branches.

Manufacturing process:

  1. Make a hole in the drum of the washing machine and cover it with a sheet of metal. This hole can be made not only from below, but also from the side, provided that it is below the knives.
  2. Fix the knives to the bottom of the container using the sleeves. Taking into account the dimensions of the moving shaft, holes are made for the bushing and engine mountings.
  3. Using the made clips, fix the machine motor to the container.
  4. To receive grass, straw or hay, install a regular bucket or any other suitable container.

Additional Information! The container from the washing machine, if necessary, can be replaced with a large saucepan, iron barrel or bucket.

Washing machine grass cutter

Poultry Grass Chopper

DIY garden shredder

Any farmer who owns a farm needs to prepare feed for livestock, cutting the grass into small fractions. Most of these shredders are powerful and designed for large amounts of grass. The question arises: how can you grind the grass for a small livestock? For this purpose, you can find and purchase a special shredder designed for small volumes, but its price will be very high. It is easier and cheaper to make a grass cutter using the methods described in the previous sections or from other materials at hand.

To harvest small amounts of grass feed, it is more advisable to use a manual grass chopper, which can be easily mounted to the table with screws and bolts. Grass as well as small dry stems are gradually fed to the knife through the inlet guide hole. When correctly assembled, the knife will be firmly pressed against the hole, which will allow you to chop the grass into the desired fraction. When the knife is fully lowered, it rests on a wooden bar, which allows you to cut through the grass and also prevent the knife from dulling quickly.

Manual grass cutter model

Safety precautions when working with a shredder and during its manufacture

How to make a lawn with your own hands: a detailed guide

Since the design of the garden shredder includes piercing and cutting elements, set in rapid motion by a powerful engine, in order to avoid injury, it is worth following the safety rules when working with it:

  • Before starting work, it is necessary to protect the face, eyes and head from chips, which may fly in different directions during the grinding process. This point is especially relevant when processing large branches. For this, it is recommended to wear special goggles, a hat and a mask. Also, you need to choose protective gloves in size so that they do not fall off your hands during loading of raw materials.
  • The garden shredder should be placed on a level surface to avoid tossing it over during the work process. It is strictly forbidden to work with electric grass cutters in rainy and windy weather.
  • You can push and adjust the branches in the funnel of the device only with a special pusher, but not with your hands.
  • Break branches should be of the recommended thickness, which will help avoid equipment breakdown.
  • Before loading the grass into the shredder, it is recommended to first sort it out, removing foreign objects from it (stones, metal, glass, plastic, etc.).
  • It is recommended to use only fresh branches for crushing. To avoid a short circuit, do not use units with a damaged wire or socket, as well as allow moisture to come into contact with the cable. When refueling the disposer with gasoline, do not use open fire near it, and also smoke.
  • Before cleaning the device, it is imperative to wait until all units come to a complete stop and disconnect the shredder from the power supply.

A garden shredder is an indispensable and useful thing for gardeners and farmers, which can be purchased at the markets without any problems or made with your own hands. The main thing is to observe safety precautions and properly maintain the unit.