Garden Shredders

[Juswundrin]

Hi

We seem to accumulate ever-bigger piles of prunings - just the usual stuff, shrubs, hedges, roses and some conifers - that's too big to reasonably compost and/or too spiky to leave where we have animals, so I think the time has come to buy a garden shredder.

Does anyone have any recommendations regarding good makes, models, functions to look out for (or avoid), etc?

Given the difference in price, I'd prefer an electric model as, while there's a fair amount of stuff throughout the year, none of it is particularly heavy duty (anything too large to shred/chip just becomes firewood).

I've done a little research and Bosch Rapid models seem to get good reviews generally. On the other hand, as I've been very impressed with our Stihl brushcutter, I'm also tending towards a Viking GE105 which seems good value for money.

Thanks in advance

[Théière]

Electric ones you mention are pathetic by comparisson with a 13hp engined model that will handle anything up to 75mm and even they get bogged down with excess green stuff that is soft and green. I don't hire electric ones any more as they are a waste of money.

This is like my one:

[sid]

I have to echo the comment about electric broyeurs. We bought one from Casto, one of the "own brand" type. Costing nearly 300€ it lasted nearly 3 years. It worked pretty well, taking branches upto 38mm... then it broke! I looked at the Castorama guarantee and saw it was covered for 3 years so in the hope it could be repaired I took it back. I was given a repair document and told I'd be contacted in due course. After 3 days I received a letter saying it was unrepairable and  to "come and collect it". I decided to collect it anyway, but on asking at the service counter I was VERY surprised to receive a full refund !! Absolutely gobsmacked to get my money back after that length of time. So there is such a thing as good after-sales service!

We thought long and hard and decided agianst buying another, although the model we had has been discontinued. For the past two winters we've missed that shredder as we have loads of trees to prune and inevitably have to burn the cuttings rather than make mulching chippings out of them.

The petrol ones are rather expensive for home use.

 

[mik]

This workd for me. Found it in a neighbours barn and swapped it for a photo of their house. Use no electricity and never jams. I think it was originally used to chop up foos for animals.

[IMG]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/mikornisey/shredder1.jpg[/IMG]

[Théière]

Brilliant Mik

[Iceni]

Correct mik, used for mangel-wurzels, swedes, turnips etc., just needs a hopper to prevent finger slicing and a wheelbarrow for catching.

Would be ideal machine to develop a traditional big-busted barmaid since the demise of proper beer pumps.

John

[Just Chris]

Our Bosch twig-mincer has been brilliant, and used every year for the last five or so - we used it in the UK, and we use it here.

Chris

[tonyinfrance]

The Provence garden we work in uses a Bosch electric shredder - quite superb and copes with heavy duty work without complaints.

[ericd]

[quote user="mik"]This workd for me. Found it in a neighbours barn and swapped it for a photo of their house. Use no electricity and never jams. I think it was originally used to chop up foos for animals. [IMG]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/mikornisey/shredder1.jpg[/IMG][/quote]

An in apple growing places, it is used to mulch rotting apples prior to pressing to make cider.

[Juswundrin]

Thanks all. Unfortunately, as the assorted agricultural 'stuff' we inherited with the house didn't include one of Mik's 'shredders', I think we'll be going for Bosch.

Thanks again.

[kimg]

bosch is the only model to get

kim