What is abundant in any garden are weeds. The grass is pulled out, mowed, and it grows again. It is unwise to throw it away; greens are perfect for compost.
But before planting, the plants should be chopped. Using your hands is time-consuming and difficult; it’s easier to work with a grass cutter. Let's look at the process of building a grass grinder from an old washing machine with your own hands.
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.
- 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.
- Holes are drilled in an old bucket (12 cm in diameter). It is placed on a stool and screwed with hardware.
- 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.
- The blades are secured to a shaft inserted into a bearing.
- 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.
Assembling the grass cutter. First stage
You can watch the entire process of constructing a grass chopper in the video. It begins with modeling the main unit - a motor with a shaft and knives:
- Drill the axle with a drill. Make two holes 7 mm wide.
- Place a bushing at least 0.5 cm long on the shaft with holes on one edge and threads on the other. Details can be seen in the drawing. The adapter is made in advance, preferably by a turner with a professional machine.
- Align the holes of the bushing and the axle, secure them with bolts.
- Temporarily screw the motor to the bottom of the housing. Use mounting studs or long bolts.
Advice. The shredder tank should have dimensions convenient for operation. Therefore, even before starting work, adjust the parameters using a grinder.
You cannot immediately secure the engine tightly. During further assembly, you may need to adjust the height and location of the mechanism elements. The next step in creating a herb grinder is to attach the blades. They also need to be baited (loosely fixed) first.
Try to see if the mount meets the following parameters:
- knives do not touch the walls of the body;
- the blades are fitted tightly, do not warp or dangle on the axis;
- the knives are located at a height of 8 cm above the bottom level.
Advice. Water nuts with a diameter of 32 mm are suitable as reliable fasteners for all structural elements of the grass cutter.
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.
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:
- The turner turned out the flange.
- Holes were drilled and threaded in the flange.
- The knives were made from a piece of an old rusty two-handed saw.
- The knives were screwed to the flange.
- 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.
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.
We make a motorbike
Home craftsmen managed to make a more practical vehicle out of an ordinary bicycle - they replaced it with an engine from a lawn mower. At the same time, options with both a gasoline engine and an electric motor are practically implemented.
Required tools, materials and parts
The electric motor for a bicycle is powered by a battery, which, depending on the power of the unit (it is taken 0.35-1.2 kW), lasts from 30 minutes to 2 hours.
To convert a bicycle, two- or four-stroke gasoline engines are used. The latter option consumes less fuel and is less noisy during operation. The recommended power is from 1.5 hp, and the optimal option is 2 hp. When using a motor with a lower parameter, the motorbike will barely move or will not be able to move at all.
The rotational movement from the gasoline engine to the bicycle wheel occurs through the use of a belt or chain drive. Because of this, you will additionally need to make the following details:
- a metal suspension in the form of a frame with sides to secure the motor to the bicycle frame;
- driven and driven pulleys or sprockets for attachment to the engine and wheel, respectively.
To implement the project, you will need to select a suitable gearbox. After installing the pulleys, select the belt of the desired size.
The dimensions of the frame for the engine depend on its dimensions. The suspension itself is secured to the frame of the motorbike:
- bolted connection;
- using welding.
The last option is the best in terms of strength if the welder is good. If the design of the bicycle frame allows, then the suspension is replaced with a clamp that secures the engine. This mounting option is more practical. The method of fixing the motor should be convenient, reliable and allow it to be quickly removed if necessary.
Doing all the work yourself with an old, functioning trimmer, a bicycle and a small set of tools will require time and patience from the performer.
Sequence of assembly of the structure
To independently assemble a bicycle with a gasoline engine, you will also need, in addition to the materials and parts considered, the following:
- controller;
- cable for adjusting motor operation;
- fuse;
- welded exhaust pipe;
- sleeve;
- washers;
- bolts;
- chain tensioner.
The motorbike is assembled according to the following algorithm:
- put a sprocket on the rear bicycle wheel;
- use a clamp to fix the engine (with a sprocket on the shaft) on the frame behind the seat or on the trunk, if the design features of the bicycle allow, otherwise you will need to choose another convenient place for this purpose;
- put the chain on the sprockets of the wheel and motor;
- attach the tensioner;
- adjust chain tension;
- fix the throttle;
- stretch a cable from it to the engine;
- secure the fuel tank;
- install the carburetor.
For the purpose of personal safety when operating a motorbike, the braking system is modernized, the wheel tires are replaced with non-slip products, and the integrity and stability in motion of the created structure is checked. After the entire structure is assembled, it is tested, having previously been inspected for defects.
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.
Description and purpose
A grass cutter is a necessary unit for the household. With it you can chop not only grass, but also green branches, young corn stalks, clover, alfalfa, and vegetable tops. The chopper minimizes manual labor and quickly and efficiently processes greens and straw.
Chopped grass has found wide application in the economy:
- Herbal compost. The production of such fertilizer is accessible to any gardener, and it is rich in all the microelements necessary for the full growth of plants.
- Mulching the soil. To increase soil fertility, you can cover it with grass mulch immediately after mowing.
- Feed for livestock. Chopped grass is eaten both fresh and in the form of hay.
There are three types of homemade shredders:
- Manual grass cutter. This homemade chopper is suitable for small amounts of grass. As a base, a regular cut is suitable - a triangular plate with a sharply sharpened lower edge. It is placed on a stalk and with sharp movements the grass that has been previously laid out on the ground is chopped.
- Gasoline grass cutter. The installation does not depend on electricity, due to which it can work anywhere on the site. Its power is enough to process both grass and large branches.
- Electric grass cutter. It differs from gasoline in its lighter weight and compact size.
If processing of a small amount of raw materials is required, then a power of up to 1.5 kW will be sufficient. For long and labor-intensive work, a higher power motor will be required.
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.
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.
Types of cutting attachments used
Homemade products, like factory units, are equipped with cutting attachments of various types:
- disc (with three blades);
- milling;
- milling-turbine (universal).
The first type is flat blades. When they rotate, they grind plant debris. If you have to process branches, then such blades quickly become dull. Milling knives are a cutting shaft in the form of gears from circular saws. They grind dry waste from branches and grass well, and clog the cutters with wet waste. Milling-turbine cutting attachments can cope with thick and undried branches, but making them yourself is difficult.
At home, knives from lawn mowers or made from wood saws are often used.
It should be taken into account that the degree of processing of plant waste directly depends on the installed cutting attachments. The output is pieces of branches from 10 cm long or shavings or dust.
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.
Powerful homemade shredder
The main element of such a device is a powerful electric motor. In order to work with branches 5-7 cm thick or more, without fear of burning the motor winding, its power must be at least 4 kW.
For manufacturing you will need the following tools and materials:
- Bulgarian;
- drill;
- square, tape measure;
- nuts (and keys for them), bolts, washers;
- welding machine;
- electric motor;
- shaft (drum) of an electric planer;
- springs for making knives;
- pulleys;
- BR type belt;
- metal corner;
Operating principle of the device
The design of the grass and extra branches shredder itself is quite simple. This will include several basic elements:
- Protective cover.
- A special working shaft, which is equipped with additional knives.
- Engine.
- Reception box.
- Pulley with additional belt.
- 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.
Assembling the body
Let's start making a grass cutter with our own hands from the top container into which the grass is thrown. And in which it will be crushed. To do this, the body of the washing machine needs to be cut in height, thereby making it more convenient. At the bottom side of the body we make a rectangular hole measuring approximately 20x7 cm so that the knives are located slightly above the hole, or at least level with it.
Around the hole you need to make a casing from a metal plate. The cover will prevent grass from flying in all directions. The casing can be secured with bolts. Next, we will make a stand from a metal corner by welding. Its height will depend on what you will be placing under the silo. If it’s a basin, then you can get by with a low stand; if it’s a bucket, then it should be higher.
As for the engine, you first need to make two holes with a diameter of about 7 mm on its shaft using a drill. Then a bushing, also with holes and a thread at the end, is placed on the shaft and secured to the bolts with your own hands.
Now you need to secure the engine to the bottom of the tank using studs. Then put the knives cut and sharpened in a special way onto the shaft and carefully secure them with nuts, for example, 32 mm water nuts. Knives should not touch the walls of the container.
Next, the container together with the engine is rigidly fixed to the stand by welding. The design must be reliable. The stand for the wood and grass shredder can be covered with a metal sheet, but first connect the starter mechanism and electrical wire to the motor.
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:
- Finding a suitable shredder design.
- Selecting a power plant and calculating the final drive.
- Selection of metal components and parts that need to be turned using a lathe.
- Frame installation.
- Installation of drive, cutting parts and belt drive.
- Installation of the protective casing and hopper.
When creating, you should be guided by the following rules:
- If the priority is to obtain small wood chips with minimal resources, give preference to models made from circular saws.
- If you are going to chop small diameter branches into a larger fraction, a cutting mechanism such as a jointer is the ideal solution.
- 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.
Grain crusher, feed cutter, grass cutter in one device - is it really possible to make it?
As they say, one chopper is good, two are even better. But this is not the limit of the dream. After all, most modern industrial models have long had this property. At home, achieving such a universal result will be more difficult, but quite possible. The basis of the design for such a homemade unit can be almost any medium-power motor or household circular saw.
It is important to remember the following:
- the quality of threshing correlates with the strength of the knives and their sharpness;
- For each type of feed, a separate knife or cutter should be installed. When working with cereals, it is better to use 2 knives rotating in the opposite direction;
- when crushing forage crops, the structure can be strengthened with graters, grain - with sieves;
- For homemade products, select only serviceable electric motors and electrical wiring.
In conclusion, I would like to note that your own safety comes first. Therefore, compliance with labor protection and electrical safety standards is an important stage in the creation of any equipment.
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.
Operating principle of a wood chipper
Of course, I would like to know what the operating principle of a homemade device is, how it functions, what sets it in motion and causes it to crush its contents.
In fact, everything is much simpler than it might seem at first glance: the chopper works on the principle of a regular meat grinder.
After the material gets inside, it moves to the part of the device where the cutters and cutters are located. And already there it is crushed.
The power rating influences how much raw material a crusher can process in one go. The main thing is that this figure does not exceed 2600 W.
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Grass cutter from trimmer
A garden shredder can be made using a gasoline or electric trimmer. In this case, the tool will work in an upside-down position. To create equipment designed to chop grass and thin twigs, you will need, in addition to a brush cutter with cutting attachments, the following materials:
- plastic or metal container with a volume of at least 50 liters;
- approximately 1 sq.m. steel mesh with small mesh size;
- about 3 meters of metal tube (aluminum or steel) half an inch in diameter;
- a piece of board or moisture-resistant chipboard, plywood of such width that the trimmer fits on it;
- clamps that will attach the brush cutter to the wooden base;
- self-tapping screws, bolts, nuts, washers;
- wooden blocks (5 by 5 cm is enough).
To assemble a chopping mechanism from a trimmer, you will need to use the following tools and devices:
- a screwdriver or screwdriver with bits;
- electric drill with a set of drills for wood and metal;
- an electric jigsaw with files for cutting metal or a manual equivalent;
- hammer;
- open-end or socket wrenches;
- punch;
- an anvil or a flat iron plate.
A punch is needed to make it convenient to drill holes with an electric drill. This tool is pointed at the point where the metal needs to be drilled. Then it is hit with a hammer. The drill does not slip out of the resulting recess when drilling a metal part.
Hole punch set
Preparatory activities
A grass cutter from a brush cutter is manufactured in a number of stages. Initially, they are prepared in a container where the grass and branches will be ground:
- make markings on the bottom (along the perimeter) for four trapezoidal holes with rounded corners;
- drill holes with a cross section of 1 cm in each drawn segment;
- a jigsaw file is inserted into them and trapezoids are cut out;
- process the cuts with a file or sandpaper;
- a hole is drilled in the center of the bottom for the chopper shaft;
- a circle is cut out of steel mesh with dimensions according to the diameter of the bottom;
- using small scraps of boards or blocks, the prepared mesh fragment is secured to the container from below;
- Legs for the container are made from metal tubes, attaching them to the tank with bolts.
The wooden pieces are fixed with self-tapping screws, twisting them from the inside of the tank into metal jumpers between the cut trapezoids. In this way, the mesh is securely attached to the bottom of the container.
The legs are made in the following way:
- bend the tubes in a vice or using a pipe bender in the shape of the letter “P”;
- the ends of future supports are flattened with a hammer;
- 2 holes are drilled into them on each side (6.5 or 8.5 mm cross-section);
- fit the workpieces to the bottom of the container and mark the points of bolted connections;
- drill according to the hole mark;
- using bolts with washers and nuts, attach to the footrest casing.
After preparing the casing, in order to reduce the dimensions of the created mechanism, the following operations are performed:
- disassemble the trimmer, disconnecting the motor, rod and cutting attachment from each other;
- cut off a fragment approximately 20-40 centimeters long from the rod with the cable;
- collect the lawn mower;
- check the performance of the equipment.
Chopper assembly
If the trimmer works well after assembly, then it is used to create a grass grinder.
- The motor of the brush cutter is attached to the board with clamps.
- Fix the bar on a wooden base using clamps and a handle from a brush cutter.
- Connect the cutting attachment to the end of the rod, previously inserted into the hole at the bottom of the casing.
- They start the mechanism and test it in operation.
After these steps, you will get a unit, the photograph of which is presented below.
If the trimmer used to assemble the shredder is equipped with a gasoline engine, then the motor is placed on the base so that it is convenient to fill in fuel, start the device and regulate its operation (speed).
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:
- Drawing 1 - This is a standard design for a stationary rotary chipper that works well as a garden chipper.
- 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.
- Drawing 3 – Design of a two-roll shredder.
- 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.
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.
GRASS - CUT!
Our reader I. Shamotin, a resident of the village of Volodarskoye, Kokchetav region, in M-K No. 12 for 1983, talked about how to independently, and from quite accessible materials, make a grinding mill, so necessary in almost any rural house.
The simple and reliable device aroused interest among the magazine's readers. Today we offer a new development by I. Shamotin - a feed chopper. The mechanism is designed for grinding meadow grasses, nettles, burdocks, reeds, corn stalks and cobs, and various root vegetables. The degree of grinding of green mass is regulated by the time it is in the bunker. But more on that below; First, let's talk about what a shredder is.
It consists of a tripod, a 500 W 220 V electric motor, a hopper with a lid and a cutting apparatus consisting of two knives - a working one and a “sweeping blade”.
The tripod is welded from steel rods and plugged water pipes. The bunker is made from a tin can Ø300 and 100 mm high. In the center of the bottom of the can there is a hole made for the electric motor shaft, and in the wall (with a grip on the bottom) there is a window measuring 70X70 mm with a damper for the exit of the finished product.
In addition, a corrugated steel strip 40 mm wide and 1 mm thick is riveted to the wall from the inside, designed to throw large particles flying away from the center onto the knives.
Rice. 1. General view of the chopper (cover removed):
1 - hopper, 2 - damper in open position, 3 - exit window, 4 - bumper belt, 5 - cutting device, 6 - start button, 7 - electric motor, 8 - tripod.
The hopper is attached with three M6 studs to the body of the electric motor mounted on a tripod, and is covered with a lid in which an inlet hole measuring 50X50 mm is made for supplying the feedstock.
Now about the knives. They are made from a two-handed saw blade and are mounted on a sleeve secured to the electric motor shaft with an M6 screw. The lower one, the “blizzard”, is curved like a propeller and is intended for throwing uncut stems onto the working knife, located twenty millimeters above, as well as for sweeping the finished green mass into the exit window of the bunker.
Unlike the dull “blizzard”, the working knife has sharply sharpened cutting edges. The ends of the knife are slightly bent down - this way it chops better.
Rice. 2. Shredder device:
1 - hopper, 2 - bumper tape, 3 - cover, 4 - "blizzard", 5 - working knife, 6 - inlet hole, 7 - knife fastening screw, 8 - cup-shaped washer, 9 - bushing, 10 - outlet window, 11 — damper guard, 12 — damper, 13 — hopper mounting, 14 — electric motor, 15 — motor shaft, 16 — washer.
The chopper is used as follows. The engine is started, and the grass intended for cutting is directed into the inlet hole in the lid (the damper is closed). The rotating blades pick up the grass and chop it up. The degree of grinding, as mentioned above, depends on the time spent in the hopper: the longer, the finer. On average, 5-6 seconds are enough for the entire operation. After which the damper is opened, and the green mass begins to pour out of the exit window in a continuous stream. Under normal operating conditions, you can produce up to 100 kg of product per hour.
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:
- The mechanism will jam if damp branches or grass are placed in the device.
- You cannot store raw materials in large quantities. Everything should be in moderation.
- The device must always be supervised when it is switched on.
- The mechanism has piercing and cutting elements, so children should not be allowed near the device.
- To prevent the device from getting wet in the rain, it is installed under a canopy.
- Do not allow foreign objects such as glass or metal to get inside the device.
- If something is stuck inside, the device is disconnected from the network and only then the stuck part is removed.
- 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
Safety precautions when working with a chopper and during its manufacture
Since the design of the garden shredder includes piercing and cutting elements driven by a powerful engine, in order to avoid injuries you should follow the safety rules when working with it:
- Before starting work, it is necessary to protect your face, eyes and head from wood chips, which can fly in different directions during the grinding process. This point is especially relevant when processing large branches. To do this, it is recommended to wear special safety glasses, a hat and a mask. You also need to select protective gloves that are sized so that they do not fall off your hands while loading raw materials.
- The garden shredder must be installed on a flat surface to avoid it being thrown over during the working process. It is strictly forbidden to operate electric grass cutters in rainy or windy weather.
- You can push and straighten the branches located in the funnel of the device only with a special pusher, but not with your hands.
- Breaking branches should be of the recommended thickness, which will help avoid equipment breakdown.
- Before loading the grass into the grinder, 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 short circuits, do not use units with a damaged wire or socket, or allow moisture to come into contact with the cable. When refueling a petrol shredder, do not use an open fire near it, or smoke.
- Before cleaning the device, you must wait until all units have completely stopped and disconnect the chopper from the power supply.
A garden shredder is an indispensable and useful thing for gardeners and farmers, which can be easily purchased at markets or made with your own hands. The main thing is to follow safety precautions and properly maintain the unit.
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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:
- Place the disk on the pin (its diameter of 20 mm coincides with the hole of the saws).
- 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.
- 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.
Types of cutting parts
A grass thresher must have sharp and strong blades in its design in order to grind not only grass, but also branches. Depending on agricultural needs, they can be of several types:
- a circular knife consisting of three blades (for grass and thin branches);
- milling knife (for larger branches);
- milling-turbine knife (copes with large and small branches at the same time).
The first type of knives is well suited for processing small plant debris. If you grind coarse grains with them, the blades will quickly become unusable. A unit with such a knife will be useful for a gardener who does not need to process large volumes. The remaining two are suitable for working with large elements (a good solution for medium and large farmland).