The differences in shredders
Chopper (€ 397.62 at Amazon *) is not just a chopper. They can be distinguished in several directions. On the one hand in their drive form: there are choppers that work with normal current (220 volts), those that are driven by high voltage (380 volts) and are therefore more powerful, and those that have a gasoline engine. The latter are particularly suitable for places where there is no power connection.
Furthermore, shredders can be differentiated according to their chopping technology. There are:
- Knife chopper: Here the clippings are cut into slices with a series of knives.
- Roller chopper: The clippings are crushed with a roller. The chopped material is therefore very fine and rots faster.
- Turbine chopper: Here a blade turbine shreds both fine and coarse cuttings.
also read
- Repair a broken chopper
- What to do if the chopper is blocked
- Can I build a playground myself?
Roller choppers are significantly quieter than knife choppers, but they are usually a bit more expensive. A knife chopper from a well-known brand costs € 168, but the same model as a roller chopper costs € 199. You can get turbine choppers online from around 400.
Is it worth building it yourself?
Building a chopper yourself does not make sense for many reasons:
- You need a lot of know-how and expertise to build a functioning, safe chopper yourself
- Safety regulations must be observed. If these are not adhered to, insurance companies will not cover any costs in the event of a claim.
- The individual parts are difficult to obtain and often so expensive that building them yourself is not worthwhile financially.
Alternative: convert the chopper
However, it is possible to convert an existing chopper or to use it differently. Several do-it-yourselfers report that they use a maize chopper to chop branches and twigs and have achieved good results with it. Some also report that they replaced the knives. Here, too, the safety and accident regulations apply. If an accident occurs due to a manipulated device, insurance companies will not pay.
Alternative lawnmower shredders - is it worth it?
If you don't want to buy a chopper but need a lawnmower, you can kill two birds with one stone and buy a lawnmower that also shreds. However, at € 669, this device is so expensive that you can buy a good chopper and lawnmower for it and still pay less. So this combination is not worthwhile, at least not yet.
