In message
,
harry writes
On 30 Aug, 19:57, Gordon H
wrote:
Halfway through shredding the off-cuts my shredder started making
interesting noises that I could hear even through the ear defenders, and
soon there was smoke. * After dismantling and cleaning it, only a hum
could be heard, and it will have to be dumped.

[..]

Any recommendations for electric shredders please? * * I am not entirely
sure whether the "silent" ones are effective, having read a few
reviews...
--
Gordon H

The shredders you but in garden centres are crap. I have a "ALKO"
commercial one with a 3500watt motor. Had it for years.

There are two technologies.

There is a high speed rotating disc usually with two reversible cutter
blades. Thes are very noisy, prone to jamming, slow and the material
has to be stuffed down the slot. The cutters need constant
maintenance.Crap in my view.

The only attention my B & D shredder has had was the occasional clean
out when shredding soft or wet stuff, and it has been abused I suppose
by being left outdoors for a number of years, so no complaints, it owes
me nothing!

The other technology has a gearbox and cogwheel(s)/roller with pointed
teeth. The stuff is drawn into the cogwheels and is cut up and
crushed. Almost totally silent, self feeding and no maintenance. And
more expensive but I think worth it.
I have a hundred yard natural hedge, I put all the cuttings througj
the shredder and use the result as anti-weed mulch under shrubs and in
the veggie plot between rows. If there's plenty of leaf. it rots down
well in the compost heap.
My cuttings, hazel, elder, ash &c are ideal to go in the shredder as
they are straight rods, not twiggy branches. It crunches up stuff up
to 1.5" dia.

I appreciate your comments and understand them, but my requirements
would not justify such a powerful unit, as I have only a small garden,
and at 76 I am attempting to minimalise! However, I do prefer to
make my own compost/mulch, so I will probably go for one of the B & Q
offerings.
The reviews on their web site are quite useful if I eliminate each end
of the "bell curve".

Thank you for your response.
--
Gordon H
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