Do you need a shredder ?

Sweet!  Are you adding evergreens to that mix?

I think they are both evergreens. Bay Laurel and Podacarpus.

CapeCoddess wrote:

sanderson wrote:CC,  The fact that you can't remember if you already own this shows how small the unit is for storage.  
 

Yup, here it is in the back corner of the garage waiting with the rest of the summer stuff to go out.  You can see the footprint size comparatively next to the bird bath pedestal on left and the planting pots on the right:

DROOL!   I've been waiting to use that emoticon.

This is my leaf shredder ... a SunJoe Bladeless Electric Leaf Mulcher + Shredder, 13 Amp, Model SDJ616. It is only good for leaves and grass clippings (no wood).  So far it seems to work well with leaves I saved from last year. My only concern is that with damp/wet leaves the shredded leaves do not all fall shown into the bag (supply your own bag) and some stay up around the area where the shredding takes place. As a result, that area has to be cleaned from time to time. It will get a full work out this coming Fall.

No_Such_Reality wrote:..... The long stalky leaves of the Octopus plant (30 ft tree in SoCal) or any palm material is like feeding it rope to tie itself up with.

 Instantly reminded me of the green young hollyhocks and sunflowers (only the unwanted ones in the middle of the lawn or gravel driveway) and my mulching mower!  Also, the errant plastic grocery bag stuck in the weeds unseen until the mower suddenly sounds like a dying helicopter instead of a humming mulch machine...

Kelejan wrote:

CapeCoddess wrote:

sanderson wrote:CC,  The fact that you can't remember if you already own this shows how small the unit is for storage.  
 

Yup, here it is in the back corner of the garage waiting with the rest of the summer stuff to go out.  You can see the footprint size comparatively next to the bird bath pedestal on left and the planting pots on the right:

DROOL!   I've been waiting to use that emoticon.

This is one fine little shredder. For an electric it is a work horse. I had one for 2 years and only gave it up because I wouldnt have space for it in my new apartment....Now if I was able to utilize it, I's put it in my bedroom. that's how
much I think of it.


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CapeCoddess wrote:

sanderson wrote:CC,  The fact that you can't remember if you already own this shows how small the unit is for storage.  
 

Yup, here it is in the back corner of the garage waiting with the rest of the summer stuff to go out.  You can see the footprint size comparatively next to the bird bath pedestal on left and the planting pots on the right:

Early on this thread  jimmycee said it cost about $200.  I checked on Amazon and they are selling it for $412.19 includes free shipping.  A bit too much for me, I'm afraid.  What I need is a group of neighbours owning it on a co-op basis, like they do in Japan.

I'm not nearly as fond of mine as Jimmy.  It can be a workhorse, I have on occasion run nearly a cubic yard of store bought wood chips thru mine because i wanted a finer wood chip shred for the front flower beds.

It has two main problems for me.  The main issue for me is the small and awkward feeding slots. I need to shred magnolia and scheflerra leaves and they're large and hard which makes feeding them a tedious act of literally feeding one or two leaves at a time. The second is the branch feeder is too small .Branches need to be bone dry, brittle and small er than your finger or it will jam .The feed angle also encourages any green branch to peel its bark and wrap around the axle.

Maybe I'm just too lazy. My ideal shredder will allow me to wheel over the green waste bin that is filled with grass clippings, leaves, shrub trimmings and scheflerra leaf stems (12-18 inches long 1/4-3/8 inch diamter dried very fibrous with knot on the end) and the odd fallen branch and just use my manure fork to scoup and dump into the shredder.

No_Such_Reality wrote:I'm not nearly as fond of mine as Jimmy.  It can be a workhorse, I have on occasion run nearly a cubic yard of store bought wood chips thru mine because i wanted a finer wood chip shred for the front flower beds.

It has two main problems for me.  The main issue for me is the small and awkward feeding slots. I need to shred magnolia and scheflerra leaves and they're large and hard which makes feeding them a tedious act of literally feeding one or two leaves at a time. The second is the branch feeder is too small .Branches need to be bone dry, brittle and small er than your finger or it will jam .The feed angle also encourages any green branch to peel its bark and wrap around the axle.

Maybe I'm just too lazy. My ideal shredder will allow me to wheel over the green waste bin that is filled with grass clippings, leaves, shrub trimmings and scheflerra leaf stems (12-18 inches long 1/4-3/8 inch diamter dried very fibrous with knot on the end) and the odd fallen branch and just use my manure fork to scoup and dump into the shredder.

You must remember what this unit is designed to do. It has heavy steel cutters that are very sharp, however an electric shredder only has so much power. I've learned when feeding mine with the heaviest material to just hand feed by ear. Don't just push it in and expect it to do what gas powered machines do. Lightly feeding will work, just need to develop a feeling for adding. Also the branch feeder is sized to keep from damaging the unit. including the motor which can easily burn out from heat overloading.

Feeding the shredder is just like I used to use a hand trimmer for paper. Find out how many sheets it will cut easily, then stick to that and the job is easy.

When my dear husband tried it he put too many sheets in and ruined them. I did not need to point it out, he knew what had happened and then did the job nicely. He was  never a doer like me, he was management.

Well OK then. Y'all have got bigger shredders than me. 

trolleydriver wrote:Well OK then. Y'all have got bigger shredders than me. 

Betcha mine is smaller than yours....LOL....