Motor type
The type of engine that powers the grinder.
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Electric (mains). The electric motor, usually, is powered by a conventional 230 V household network. Electric shredders are less noisy than gasoline and
diesel ones, they have less weight and dimensions and do not produce exhaust gases, which allows them to be used both outside and indoors . In addition, the engines themselves are cheaper and easier to operate — electricity is inexpensive, you do not need to buy additional consumables, and maintenance, in fact, comes down to observing the simplest rules to prevent overload. Electrical units depend on sockets, and their freedom of movement is limited by the length of the mains wire; but, given the specifics of the application, in most cases these points are not critical. But one of the key disadvantages of this option can be called a relatively low power, which makes it difficult to create high-performance units for working with solid waste.
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Petrol. Gasoline internal combustion engine. Such motors are capable of developing more power than electric ones, while they can work independently of sockets (electricity is required only for starting, and even then in most cases a battery or a starter is used to scroll the shaft manually). In addition, they are less sensitive to high humidity conditions. On the other hand, gasoline engines are heavier, more
...expensive, more difficult to maintain, they require the purchase of fuel and oil, and the exhaust gases generated during operation require such units to be used only outdoors or in rooms with good ventilation. In light of all this, this option has become widespread primarily in high-performance professional equipment.
— Diesel. A type of internal combustion engine that uses diesel fuel. According to the main advantages and disadvantages, they are similar to the gasoline ones described above, but they also have features. So, diesel fuel is cheaper and more economical, and the torque (see below) for such engines is higher; on the other hand, they themselves are more expensive, and more difficult to operate. Therefore, such engines are typical for the most powerful modern shredders.Voltage
The standard network voltage for which the shredder with an electric motor is designed. This parameter can also be called “Network type”, because The two main options differ not only in voltage:
- 230 V. Ordinary household networks, available almost everywhere where there is electricity. Most devices with such power can be connected to a regular outlet, although the most powerful models may require connection directly to the panel. However, units with similar power are mainly of the industrial class, and in them manufacturers prefer to use three-phase power supply at 400 V.
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400 V. Three-phase networks used primarily to power heavy industrial equipment. At home, it is not always possible to connect to such networks, but in workshops, sawmills, etc., as a rule, there are no problems with it. In light of this, such power is used mainly in high-power shredders, for which 230 V networks are poorly suited. So if you are going to use the chopper often, in large quantities and/or simultaneously with other “gluttonous” power tools, and the place where it is used has a 400 V connection, you should pay attention to three-phase models.
Shredding system
The design of the tool used to grind the garbage entering the unit.
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Knife. The main element of such systems, as the name implies, are special knives. Their design can be different: triangular blades with sharpening, rotating discs with several blades, etc. Anyway, this option is considered optimal for working with leaves, because. it ensures thorough and uniform processing of such waste. But with solid large branches, knife systems are less compatible; see "Crushing" for details.
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Valkovaya. Also, such systems are called milling. Their action is based on the use of gears with large teeth, which, when rotated, “bite off” and crush pieces of the processed material. This allows you to effectively process thick dry branches, besides, the gears themselves draw the debris inside, in fact, providing automatic feeding (see below). But roll systems do not work well with leaves and other “soft” debris. Therefore, models of this design are usually intended purely for branches (see "Chipping").
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Turbine. Turbine systems use a cutting element in the form of a cylindrical or conical drum with blades located horizontally. Their design is such that the shredder is able to cope equally effectively with both leaves and thick branches (see "Chipping"). The main disadvantage of "turbines" is the high cost.
— Leskovaya. As the name implies, sys
...tems of this type use a fishing line that rotates at high speed during operation. They are designed to work exclusively with leaves (see "Crushing"), and it is the leaves that the scaffold unit processes in the best quality. But with other types of garbage — even with thick grassy stems — such shredders can have problems.Max. shredded material diameter
The largest thickness of debris that the shredder can handle normally. This parameter will allow you to evaluate how a particular device is suitable for a particular situation.
Note that the maximum diameter of the crushed material is important for models that allow working with branches (see "Chipping"). But in specialized aggregates for leaves, it is usually not indicated at all: the thickness of the garbage processed in such grinders is, by definition, small, and creating a design that works normally with any “soft” materials is usually not a problem.
Material throughput
The maximum amount of material that the shredder can process per hour. Note that in this case, the possibilities for perfect conditions are usually indicated: homogeneous garbage fed evenly, no interruptions in work, maximum speed (see “Adjusting the speed of the shredder”), etc. In addition, for universal models (see "Crushing"), the throughput is usually indicated for the most "convenient" material — leaves. Nevertheless, this parameter quite clearly characterizes the performance of the grinder.
It is worth choosing a model for throughput taking into account the volume of the proposed work. At the same time, it does not fit to take a certain margin, but it should not be too large — after all, high performance requires appropriate power, which, in turn, affects the dimensions, weight, price and "voracity" of the unit. Specific recommendations on optimal performance values for different situations can be found in special sources.
Shredder speed
The speed of rotation of the cutting tool of the chopper (see "Crushing system"). Variable speed models (see below) usually have a maximum RPM value.
In general, the general pattern is as follows: with equal engine power, the higher the speed, the lower the torque (see below), and vice versa. In addition, high speed improves performance (see "Bandwidth"). At the same time, this parameter in most cases is more of a reference value than a practically significant one: manufacturers select the rotation speed in such a way that it provides the claimed throughput and at the same time maintains the torque at a sufficient level for efficient processing of materials that were originally calculated design. Therefore, in some models, revolutions may not be indicated at all, and when choosing, it is worth focus on moments that are closer to practice.
Torque
The maximum torque provided by the chopper motor. This parameter can be described as the force applied to the working tool. The higher this force, the easier it is for the unit to cope with complex materials, primarily hard and thick branches, the larger, usually, the maximum diameter of the crushed material (see above). However to ensure high torque and power, you need the appropriate one. Therefore, this indicator is selected by manufacturers taking into account the specialization of the chopper: for example, a model for leaves simply does not need the same high effort as a professional unit for branches.
Collector type
The type of container for the collection of processed mass, provided in the design or delivery set of the grinder.
— Hard. Capacity in the form of a rigid container. Such collectors are very reliable, they carry any kind of debris without any problems — from soft crushed leaves to sharp hard pieces of wood that could pierce soft tissue; in addition, they are more convenient to unload than soft bags. On the other hand, hard boxes are bulky and take up quite a lot of space; in some models, this drawback can be partially compensated by various technical solutions (for example, using a container as a transport case for the upper part of the unit), but this does not change the essence of the problem.
— Soft. Capacity in the form of a soft bag, fabric or polymer. Such collections are extremely convenient in storage and transportation — a rolled bag takes up very little space, moreover, it is usually lighter than a rigid container of the same capacity. On the other hand, soft containers tolerate contact with large sharp particles worse, they are less convenient for unloading, and in many cases it is more convenient to use disposable garbage bags instead of reusable bags (see below for more details).
— Is absent. Absence of any collection in the chopper design/set. This option involves the use of external containers — most often, such models are designed for garbage bags, however, some units are more convenient to use with hard boxes, buckets, etc. On th...e one hand, the absence of a collection implies additional efforts to find it; on the other hand, finding a suitable capacity is usually not a problem, moreover, the user can choose it himself, depending on the specifics of the situation. For example, for recycled leaves, you can take an inexpensive garbage bag, and for wood chips left after thick branches, a box made of solid material is better; for large volumes of work, collections of the corresponding volume are usually required; if the crushed material is intended for export, you can immediately pour it into packaging for transportation (for example, bags), etc.
Waste container capacity
The capacity of the garbage collector provided in the design or delivery set of the grinder.
The larger the container, the more recycled material the collector can hold and the less often it will have to be emptied. On the other hand, it is not always convenient to carry a large amount of material, and a large container takes up a lot of space — and if for soft bags (see "Type of collection") the latter is relevant only when fully loaded, then rigid containers are bulky by definition. Therefore, when choosing, you should proceed from the optimal compromise between capacity and convenience.