Do-it-yourself grass chopper or grass cutter

It is more convenient to store and dispose of cut grass in chopped form, just as it is more convenient to feed chopped grass to poultry. In order to finely chop the grass, there are special devices - grass cutters. You can buy a grass cutter at a specialized store, or you can make it yourself at home. To do this you will need the necessary spare parts, tools and free time.

Grass cutting device

A grass chopper or grass cutter is a convenient and indispensable device in your garden. Grass clippings or weeds can be finely chopped and used in compost or as insulation material for the winter. A grass chopper for chickens or any other poultry is also very useful: finely chopped grass is much better for feeding. The device is capable of shredding a large volume of mown grass or weeds in a few seconds, which will save both time and physical effort of the owner.

A regular grass cutter consists of:

metal frame,
Working shaft with cutting knives,
Motor,
Boxes or funnels for receiving raw materials,
Pulley with belt,
cables,
Protective casing.

Garden grass cutters are lightweight, making them easy to move, compact, and have good performance.

The grass cutter engine can be electric or gasoline.

The electric version of the engine is less noisy and more convenient to use, it is lightweight and is turned on by simply turning a toggle switch. Disadvantages of the electric motor: dependence of the device on the length of the wire and restrictions on the size of the thickness of the raw material.
The gasoline engine allows you to use the device even where there is no electricity, it is more powerful, and can even chop tree branches. The disadvantages include its noise and relatively heavy weight.

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.

Homemade grass cutters

Making your own herb grinder is not that difficult. Homemade products are in no way inferior to their store-bought counterparts, and the advantage is that the homemade device will be more economical and easy to maintain.

Sechkarnya

The simplest version of a homemade shredder is a chopper, which can chop grass and branches in a small volume. The cutting part is a plate made of durable steel, made in the shape of a triangle with a pointed lower edge. The steel plate is placed on a long wooden handle. The tool is ready to use. It is recommended to cut grass on a hard and metal surface, otherwise the cutting edge will quickly become dull.

A chopper for freshly cut grass can also be made from an angle grinder or washing machine, drill and many other available tools.

Drill grass cutter

A device for chopping grass can also be made from a conventional drill operating in two modes. In addition to the drill, you need knives and a shaft, bearings, a grass container and a stool. First, you need to drill a hole in the stool with a diameter of 1.2 centimeters. A frame with a bearing is attached below the hole. A hole is also made in the bottom of the bucket, after which it is attached to the stool with self-tapping screws. A shaft with a knife or cutting disk is placed on the bearing. The drill is installed from below so that the chuck is connected to the shaft tail. The grass is placed in a bucket and the drill is turned on.

Grass cutter from a grinder

A grinder is an indispensable tool available in every farmstead, from which it is easy to make a manual grass cutter. In addition to the grinder, you need:

Bolts, nuts and metal brackets,
Motor,
Shaft,
Cutting knives or discs,
Net,
Container for already cut grass,
Frame,
Pulleys,
Screwdriver and hammer.

To make a grass cutter, you need to attach the engine with the shaft and box to the frame. A homemade grass cutter made from a grinder will use a motor from the saw itself, which will transmit voltage to the shaft. Knives or discs are attached to the rotating shaft. You can use blender blades. A box is also attached to the frame in which the grinding takes place. It can be metal or wooden, and another one is installed under it, for already chopped grass. The bottom of the box is made of mesh, through which the chopped grass will be sifted.

Grass cutter from washing machine

From a washing machine you can make a universal device that can be used both as a grain crusher and as a grass cutter. Before making the device, you need to make two sharp knives. Their size should be smaller than the diameter of the machine drum. Using bolts, a second engine is mounted under the cover of the machine. One of the knives is mounted above the washing machine motor, and the second is mounted on the additional motor. An important point is that the knives must rotate in different directions. To fill the material, a hole with a funnel is made in the lid. Remove the drain hose from the washing machine, enlarge the hole, and place a box under it. The already chopped grass will spill out through this hole.

There are no standard drawings for such a grass cutter, since washing machines have many varieties and features.

The second version of the grass cutter involves using only the body of the washing machine. A hole is drilled at the bottom of the body, under which containers for chopped grass are placed. The engine is secured inside the housing with special clamps. A bushing with blades is bolted to the engine - the device is ready for use.

Grass cutter from a vacuum cleaner

You can also make a grass cutter from a Typhoon vacuum cleaner. It is convenient in that it allows you to feed raw materials through the top hole, and the already cut grass will pour out through the bottom hole. If you don’t have a vacuum cleaner housing, you can use a piece of pipe and a motor with a power of about 180 W, as well as a sleeve, knives and a profile. To install the shaft, two holes are drilled on the sleeve. A motor is attached to the body, on which a shaft with knives mounted on it is placed. It is advisable that the knives be sharpened on both sides.

Step-by-step assembly of the chopper

For a large garden or farmstead, you need a powerful unit that can quickly process thick branches into firewood. A simple shredder made from an activator-type washing machine lying around idle can handle the disposal of grass, straw, and leaves.

detailed instructions

Tools you will need: tape measure, screwdriver, wrenches, pliers, hammer, drill, angle grinder. Stages of work:

The body is cut off.
A rectangular hole for waste disposal is cut out in the lower side part - 7 × 20 cm.
To prevent the mulch from flying away, a casing is constructed from tin and secured with the socket down.
They make knives.
A sleeve is placed on the motor shaft, knives are attached to it, they are placed at the same level as the hole or slightly higher.
The body is attached to a stable frame.

To start the grass cutter, install a start button. The homemade device runs on a household network.

A homemade shredder facilitates manual labor and solves the problem of recycling grass, tops, branches, and fallen leaves. Operating equipment without complying with safety requirements creates a health hazard. Before each use, it is necessary to check the reliability of fastening of the units, and to work in glasses, gloves, and protective clothing.

Tips for making a grass cutter

The magazine “Constructor” very often publishes tips on making various types of grass cutters, feed cutters and straw cutters. Along with the tips, drawings and assembly diagrams of various parts and components are also published.

Most grass cutters work like a food processor: the grass is chopped in a container with cutting blades. This explains the simplicity and lightness of the device.

But to make your own grass cutter made from any materials more functional, you can do the following:

Sharpen only one side of the knives if you plan to chop plant branches,
If you plan to use the grass cutter as a feed crusher, the blades need to be sharpened on both sides.
To chop only herbs, use only diamond-shaped knives,
Replace conventional fastenings with metal frames - this will increase the strength of the device,
Cover the outside of the grass cutter with a sheet of metal. This will not only reduce the risk of injury, but will also protect the device from dust getting inside.

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.

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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.

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

Where to use chopped branches?

Here are the main ways to use wood chips:

decorative and agrotechnical mulching;
wood concrete production;
production of woodchip cement boards (CPC);
fuel for some types of boilers and furnaces;
infusion of alcoholic beverages;
smoking of various products;
making crafts.

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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.

Do-it-yourself crusher for branches and wood waste for home and garden: production technology

To manufacture this unit, it is imperative to have bearings and durable metal panels with a thickness of at least 20 mm in your arsenal of tools.

Any old working engine can be used for production

It is necessary to acquire a special engine with a power of 2.5–3.5 kW. If this indicator does not correspond to the specified range, you will not be able to split larger branches. A diesel engine can have a power of 5–6 liters. With.
Calculate so that your crusher operates at 1500 rpm. The developing torque is of great importance.
Pay attention to the dimensions of the drive pulley; its size should be no more than 100 mm, while the diameter of the driven pulley will be 200 m.

Pay attention to what pulleys for agricultural shredders should look like
Disc knives can be used as knives for crushing branches and small twigs. It is ideal to arrange them in groups on one shaft, see photo.

It is advisable to place the knives sequentially. This way they will create a more rigid cutter that can cope with crushing a whole bunch of twigs and branches

You can make knives for crushers yourself or order a part specifically for rotary propulsion devices. They meet the requirements of quality and rigidity.

Order grass mowing: approximately how much does it cost and where to find the service?

Grass mowing is carried out by both enterprises and private entrepreneurs, as well as various “shabatniks”.

The cost of this service depends on factors such as:

height of vegetation and thickness of stems;
the ability to use motor vehicles for mowing;
scope of work;
terrain;
the presence of stones on the site;
time of work;
additional services, for example, removal and disposal of mowed grass.

You will find detailed information on those who provide such services and the cost of their work here.

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 shredders

Before creating a homemade garden shredder, you need to decide on the type of waste to be loaded. Its design and performance characteristics depend on this. The classification of garden shredders is carried out according to three parameters: the type of drive, its power, and the type of cutting structure.

Cutting mechanism

Shredders manufactured in production have the following cutting systems:

Knife (Fig. 4). They represent a universal option.
Milling (Fig. 2). Process solid plant organic matter.
Rotating turbines for recycling thick branches (Fig. 3).
Valkovymi. Designed for bushes and tree branches.
Hammer (Fig. 1). Capable of grinding thin branches.
The grass chopper is equipped with a fishing line instead of knives.

There are other shredder designs on the market. If you want to assemble an electric garden shredder with your own hands, choose models with a knife cutting system or one consisting of stacked circular saws.

type of drive

The garden branch chopper is equipped with a gasoline or electric motor; each option has advantages and disadvantages. A gasoline-powered chipper is easier to process large branches. It is characterized by mobility and independence from the distance of the power source. But some designs need to be connected to agricultural machinery in the form of a walk-behind tractor or a walk-behind tractor.

An electric garden branch shredder is lighter in weight, less bulky and easier to operate. Disadvantages: connection to energy resources and lower power. Depending on the planned size of the organic matter intended for processing, the following engines are selected:

For low-intensity work with branches up to 20 mm in diameter, a power of 1.5 kW is sufficient.
It is better to equip a small area where you need to process branches up to 40 mm thick with a 3-4 kW shredder.
For large farms, where there is often a need to dispose of branches up to 100-150 mm thick, it is better to make a shredder with a 6 kW motor.

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Another design feature of garden shredders is the type of drive. This function is performed by a belt, chain, or the knives are fixed directly to the motor shaft.