Homemade herb grinder ☘ from a washing machine and simple instructions for craftsmen

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.

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.

Using a grass cutter

Finely chopped grass clippings are an excellent organic component for creating compost and can also be spread out for mulching purposes. By feeding on organic matter, the soil is saturated with essential micronutrients and becomes more fertile. Flowers, fruits and vegetables grow well on such soil. It’s worth a little work and creating in your garden all the necessary conditions for growing the necessary plants.

If the areas of cultivated land are large enough and require a large amount of compost, then the grass will need to be processed in large volumes. You can also cope with a small number of mown plants using a fairly simple device - a chopper. Farmers have been using it for quite a long time, since mowed and chopped grass is needed not only to nourish the soil, but also to feed poultry and livestock. This invention is a metal triangle that fits onto a holder. In the lower part it is equipped with a sharp edge, which crushes the grass when struck. But if the amount of work is large and it will be done more than once, then it makes sense to purchase or create an automatic herb chopper with your own hands. It is no secret that folk craftsmen sometimes invent and create equipment from such improvised means that it is immediately difficult to guess how the mechanism works.

Alfalfa grinding

You can create a grass cutter with your own hands using a washing machine, a vacuum cleaner, a regular drill, and even a grinder saw. Some specialists assemble such units from unnecessary electrical appliances; the main thing is to know what parts are needed and have an understanding of the operating principle of any hay chopper.

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.

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?

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.

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.

Homemade options

To make a grass cutter with your own hands at home, you do not need to have engineering knowledge. In terms of its characteristics, the finished tool will be in no way inferior to factory analogues, and will be more convenient and economical to operate.

Grass cutter from a grinder

Today, almost everyone on the farm has a power tool like a grinder. This is an ideal option for making a manual herb grinder. In addition to the grinder, you will need the following tools and parts:

hammer;
screwdriver;
engine;
steel brackets, bolts and nuts;
shaft;
frame;
cutting discs or blades;
pulleys;
net;
container for chopped grass.

The frame is the base of the grass chopping unit. The remaining elements of the product are firmly fixed on it: the electric motor from the grinder, the shaft, the container for raw materials. During operation, the engine will transmit torque to the shaft, directly to which the cutting discs or knives are attached. Shredding of vegetation is carried out in a wooden or iron box mounted on a frame. Its bottom is a mesh through which the chopped grass will fall into a separate container located under it.

Drill herbal grinder

You can make a good tool with your own hands according to the drawings of a grass cutter from an angle grinder. Grinding raw materials with such a device resembles the operation of a household food processor. Operating principle: A standard cylindrical bucket is used as the body of the device, which houses a sharp knife. As a result of the rotation of the knife in a circle at high speed, raw materials are cut.

To operate the grass cutter, an electric motor from a drill with a power of 850 W is used. The knife is made from hacksaw blade

It is important to sharpen the blade correctly so that vegetation does not wrap around it during rotation. The knife should always remain free of grass and clean

One-sided sharpening of its lower plane is performed.

From a washing machine and vacuum cleaner

There is another unique option for making an automatic tool with your own hands for cutting grass using a washing machine and a vacuum cleaner. To do this you will need the following spare parts and tools:

Vacuum cleaner housing.
Washing machine electric motor.
Strong sheet iron for making a cutting knife.
Two plastic containers for the bunker and grass catcher.
Metal corners.
Screws and nuts, other fasteners.
Electric welding.
Drill and grinder.

Step-by-step instructions for making the tool:

Preparing the body. According to the diagram, the body is taken from a vacuum cleaner, at the bottom of which a 70x70 cm hole is made to dump crushed raw materials. Electric motor installation. The unit is installed on the bottom of the product body with the shaft up. The motor itself is taken from a washing machine. The knife is cut from sheet iron using a grinder. Its edges are raised slightly upward. Bunker and grass catcher. These two containers are made from plastic buckets

They are lightweight and the material does not rust, which is very important in this case. A bag is placed on top of the catcher for the finished chopped greens so that they do not fly away in different directions during the cutting process. Tool frame

This is an important structural element on which all other parts are fixed. For its manufacture, strong metal corners are used, which are connected to each other using a welding machine.

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.

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.

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.

Care

Before using the equipment, you must carefully study the technical documentation so as not to unknowingly damage the mechanism. You should pay attention to the following points:

The raw materials entering the machine must be the same size as specified in the instructions.
It is necessary to carefully monitor the raw materials that are poured into the crusher so that stones, glass, plastic and other material do not fall into it.
Try to avoid getting into the root mechanism with soil that is on the root system.
To increase the life of the shredder, wood waste must be fresh.

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.

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.

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.

Types of wood crushers

There are crushers:

standard;
universal.

Standard ones process wood from one meter in length, and universal ones are used for processing small branches and bars.

According to the type of motor, crushers are:

electrical;
autonomous (diesel or gasoline).

Electric ones, as a rule, are light in weight, they operate at a low rated power, two kilowatts is enough, but maybe more.
In such models, a person puts wood into the equipment independently, and the main element that is used in the operation of the mechanism is a cutting disk. Semi-professional and professional wood crushers usually run on liquid fuel, although among professional ones there are machines with an electric motor. They have large dimensions and weight, cutting speed.

Main components of a garden shredder

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.

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

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.