Recommend a garden shredder please

[Taxboy]

After years of good service our old Bosch garden shredder gave up the ghost and I replaced it with what I thought was the equivalent a Bosch AXT 2200 rapid. What a waste of time I spend as much time clearing blockages as shredding plus I need ear defenders

Can anyone recommend a decent electric shredder that works without breaking the bank or is it a case of biting the bullet and going petrol. We have a medium size garden with a number of shrubs but I'm not looking to break into the tree surgery business !

Any advice appreciated

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[Padders]

I find the crushing shredders work much more reliable and quietly than the spinning blade type which seem to emit the same noise as a jet engine. They don't make the same kind of perfect wood chip but if the intention is to decrease volume, for disposal then this is a decent choice and v cheap at this price:

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/7305100

I should mention, these are much more robustly built than the blade shredder and as such weigh rather more, think circa 20kgs, this can be an issue if you aren't Geoff Capes and need to cart it about like my poor wife does for her gardening business.

[aldfort]

I find the crushing shredders work much more reliable and quietly than the spinning blade type which seem to emit the same noise as a jet engine. They don't make the same kind of perfect wood chip but if the intention is to decrease volume, for disposal then this is a decent choice and v cheap at this price:

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/7305100

I should mention, these are much more robustly built than the blade shredder and as such weigh rather more, think circa 20kgs, this can be an issue if you aren't Geoff Capes and need to cart it about like my poor wife does for her gardening business.

We make garden compost all the time probably close to a tonne a year.

Crushing shredders are only any good for dry woody material. They will work with dry green material but not so well.

The only all purpose shredder is the spinning blade type. We use a Viking (same company as Stihl), can't remember the model number but it's quite big and in almost daily use. The only thing it's needed in several years of very hard work is a few sets of new blades.
It deals with everything from green waste to small branches. It is noisy.

[demonloop]

I bought that Argos one to shred a load of paper. I can conclusively, eveal it doesn't shred paper.

Lasted about 2 minutes - load bang - some smoke - and off to the dump.

[Padders]

I bought that Argos one to shred a load of paper. I can conclusively, eveal it doesn't shred paper.

Lasted about 2 minutes - load bang - some smoke - and off to the dump.

Umm it isn't designed for shredding paper but for crushing wooden stalks, branches etc. Take another look, either you are mistaken or you bought totally the wrong thing in the first place. As noted above, the crushing kind aren't ideal for making compost or wood chip as anything wet or green will crush but might not shred entirely. As I say above though, if the desired outcome is massive volume reduction for easy disposal then this kind is great, quiet and very robust vs the cheaper blade kind that Aldi etc sell.

[aldfort]

Umm it isn't designed for shredding paper but for crushing wooden stalks, branches etc. Take another look, either you are mistaken or you bought totally the wrong thing in the first place. As noted above, the crushing kind aren't ideal for making compost or wood chip as anything wet or green will crush but might not shred entirely. As I say above though, if the desired outcome is massive volume reduction for easy disposal then this kind is great, quiet and very robust vs the cheaper blade kind that Aldi etc sell.

A cheap shredder of any type will be a poor investment. As such I'd always use a specialist dealer rather than a supermarket.

[Taxboy]

We make garden compost all the time probably close to a tonne a year.

Crushing shredders are only any good for dry woody material. They will work with dry green material but not so well.

The only all purpose shredder is the spinning blade type. We use a Viking (same company as Stihl), can't remember the model number but it's quite big and in almost daily use. The only thing it's needed in several years of very hard work is a few sets of new blades.
It deals with everything from green waste to small branches. It is noisy.

Can I ask if the blade spins vertically or horizontally. On the current Bosch it's vertical and if you get a couple of woody stems together these seem to catch between the blade and the guard very easily and jam the machine.

Our old machine was of the crushing type but worked pretty well on prunings, having a screw input that drew the stems in. The only things it didn't like were soft climbing stems such as ivy which wrapped around the screw

Or perhaps it's just me trying to shred too much material

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[demonloop]

Umm it isn't designed for shredding paper but for crushing wooden stalks, branches etc. Take another look, either you are mistaken or you bought totally the wrong thing in the first place.

Not for the first time, I thought I'd found a way to do something cheaply and with minimal effort. And was wrong.

[ptcoll]

We have a spinning blade one, and our neighbours have a crushing one. We lend these to each other depending on the material to be shredded. As has been pointed out, each is good at its own thing.

Pete

[aldfort]

Can I ask if the blade spins vertically or horizontally. On the current Bosch it's vertical and if you get a couple of woody stems together these seem to catch between the blade and the guard very easily and jam the machine.

Our old machine was of the crushing type but worked pretty well on prunings, having a screw input that drew the stems in. The only things it didn't like were soft climbing stems such as ivy which wrapped around the screw

Or perhaps it's just me trying to shred too much material

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Ours has a horizontal ( well nearly) disc with 2 primary and 8 secondary blades. It has a long feed chute and discharges into a basket.

[Taxboy]

Ours has a horizontal ( well nearly) disc with 2 primary and 8 secondary blades. It has a long feed chute and discharges into a basket.

Thanks for that it sounds like you've got one of the more expensive Vikings. I'll have to see if I can visit a local garden machinery dealer to have a look

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[bootneck]

I bought one from Aldi for a cheapo one off job when we first moved here 8 years ago planning to replace it once funds had replenished after buying house furniture etc etc after 8 years it's still going strong, jams very occasionally when doing the weeping willow but aside from that it's been great for what was around £40 at the time.

[Taxboy]

A quick update from me. I did something no respecting male should ever be found out doing...... I read the instruction manual and discovered that the blades are reversible. I changed the cutter over and lo and behold it works perfectly. I've spent the day shredding a lilac hedge and not a single blockage with nice fine shreddings. Additionally it is much quieter than before.

All I can think is that the blade was seated slightly out from new as I was never that impressed with it when I first got it. Now I understand all the good reviews that tempted me to buy it in the first place.

So alls well....... not exactly my Oris has got condensation on the glass but that's another issue

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[Kingstepper]

Yes, thread resurrection but Amazon 'Deal of the Day' today is the Bosch AXT 25 TC for £299.99. Allegedly a 35% saving but significantly cheaper than anywhere else I've seen.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...ilpage_o00_s00

Unlike most shredders crushes and cuts so good for both soft and woody material.

[VDG]

Depends on the size of the body.