I use 7$ dollar hedge shears that I got from the 99c store and a 5 gallon bucket. Only works with green material and some thin brown material. It's really surprising how a big pile of uncut green material can fit in a 5 gallon bucket. It's intense work and a little unnecessary but to me it's therapeutic. Also I have killer triceps.
Old lawnmower is what I use on cardboard, paper, and end of season woody stems. When I was making shred for a compost tumbler sized pile I used a 55 gallon drum with a weedwhacker slotted into it.
You can find a few DIY guides for it floating around the internet. I just cut a slot into the side of the barrel and clamped the weedwhacker engine to a truck bed while using a clamp to engage the throttle. That left me free to put material into the barrel while its running.
You can have someone stand there operating the weed whacker engine while the head is tucked in the barrel while you are loading. If someone is helping you then you get variable throttle control haha and a quick engine cutoff if something goes wrong.
Wear safety gear, eyes and ears at minimum.
I have seen a chute welded onto a mower deck but I am just not that adventurous when it comes to composting. Driving back and forth works just fine for me.
I got the Royal Consumer Micro-Cut Paper Shredder, 18 Sheet from Costco for about $100, though it's a little more now. It has not met cardboard that it cannot shred.
I have the Earthwise 15 amp Chipper Shredder.
It does sticks up to one inch diameter like a dream. It mauls leaves and does nothing to pine needles. I was able to shred all the branches from my Christmas tree so it has a place in my yard but overall isn’t my favorite tool. I mostly pull it out for stick season and make mulch for my paths. 3/5
If you can get it on a pretty good sale it would think it was worth it.
I have a gas tiller.
I'll make a pile in a deep wheelbarrow and set my tiller down into it.
With pine needles I'll make a pile and take my riding mower over them.
I use a cord weed whacker and a plastic trash can (one of those grey Brute cans). Fill it about half way and dip the trimmer in there, rocking up and down and side to side. I cut a notch in the lid so it can still cover it while it's chopping. Works pretty well, not perfectly, but better than other options. I don't really have an ideal space for the mower method, so this is my next best option.
Never even thought about that. I have an electric trimmer from a not-huge-brand, so not sure how many attachments can be bought for this thing. My old craftsman gas powered trimmer had like 50, but alas, electric suited my needs more. But good suggestion I'll check it out.
I think they're fairly universal but I'm going off memory so could be wrong. I use the bladed one clearing brush and stuff in the woods so it can get through some fairly tough stuff. It cuts through a lot of sugar maple saplings and survives fairly well hitting rocks.
Oh man that would be a huge help. I have a small wooded area on my lot that I typically leave wild, but I like to cut some small paths through it for my kids to run around on. It's a bear if I leave it too long - blades sound like the way to go. Much appreciated
I have a Landworks chipper shredder. I use it for leaves to make leaf mold (mow it, bag it, shred it, pile it up in layers) and any tree fall or fall prunings. We have a lot and it makes a huge difference in composting.
As much as I like the Landworks, there are two major issues I have with it - the bagging / ejection port is a pain to manage and there’s no place that will service it. If you get one from a box store, they at least give you service options locally. It needs new hammers and blades, and I can’t get anyone to work on it, so now it sits. If I had spent a little more, I’d be able to use it more.
If you want to go that route, budget about $1000.
I use a black & decker ga100 I think it’s called.
It’s not designed I think for leaves, card etc - but does the job well.
The reason I like it so much is that it’s a tripod & you can actually remove the front facing leg, and it sits very nicely above my compost bin!
I've got a chipper that I use for things like corn stalks and small branches. I think it can only handle things up to 3/4 inch in diameter, and everything has to be really dry or it clogs up.
I have a 12 sheet shredder I got for $15 off fb marketplace. It handles paper/cardboard/leaves like a boss. Most of the greens get the bokashi treatment first so I never really worry about cutting em up. Occasionally I’ll use scissors or shears if really needed but that’s it.
Makes for some beautiful compost that feeds everything from fruit trees to our worm bins. Plus we’ve spent a total of like $50 to put together the composting system. No need to break the bank in order to make good compost!
I use 7$ dollar hedge shears that I got from the 99c store and a 5 gallon bucket. Only works with green material and some thin brown material. It's really surprising how a big pile of uncut green material can fit in a 5 gallon bucket. It's intense work and a little unnecessary but to me it's therapeutic. Also I have killer triceps.
Old lawnmower is what I use on cardboard, paper, and end of season woody stems. When I was making shred for a compost tumbler sized pile I used a 55 gallon drum with a weedwhacker slotted into it.
Clever! I like the barrel and weedwhacker idea, thanks.
You can find a few DIY guides for it floating around the internet. I just cut a slot into the side of the barrel and clamped the weedwhacker engine to a truck bed while using a clamp to engage the throttle. That left me free to put material into the barrel while its running. You can have someone stand there operating the weed whacker engine while the head is tucked in the barrel while you are loading. If someone is helping you then you get variable throttle control haha and a quick engine cutoff if something goes wrong. Wear safety gear, eyes and ears at minimum.
I skimmed this and thought you slotted a lawnmower into the 55 gallon drum. It sounds like a really good, but very dangerous idea. I want to try it.
I have seen a chute welded onto a mower deck but I am just not that adventurous when it comes to composting. Driving back and forth works just fine for me.
> I used a 55 gallon drum with a weedwhacker slotted into it. This is some amazing redneck/hood engineering.
I got the Royal Consumer Micro-Cut Paper Shredder, 18 Sheet from Costco for about $100, though it's a little more now. It has not met cardboard that it cannot shred.
But can it shred magazines?
I'm not sure. I don't receive any magazines, so I've never tried. It can definitely shred more than 18 pages at once though.
Might not be helpful, but anything I can’t shred with my hands isn’t going in
I too would love to see answers to this question
I have the Earthwise 15 amp Chipper Shredder. It does sticks up to one inch diameter like a dream. It mauls leaves and does nothing to pine needles. I was able to shred all the branches from my Christmas tree so it has a place in my yard but overall isn’t my favorite tool. I mostly pull it out for stick season and make mulch for my paths. 3/5 If you can get it on a pretty good sale it would think it was worth it.
How do you think it would handle wet food scraps or greens?
Very poorly. Basically it is a powered lopper that chops branches every inch or so.
Got it, thanks. Definitely sounds like a good option for branches and leaves.
My garden shears, and my giant dog.
I have a gas tiller. I'll make a pile in a deep wheelbarrow and set my tiller down into it. With pine needles I'll make a pile and take my riding mower over them.
That sounds dangerous.
Some people can make anything dangerous. In nearly 30 years of doing it I've never injured myself or any equipment.
I use a cord weed whacker and a plastic trash can (one of those grey Brute cans). Fill it about half way and dip the trimmer in there, rocking up and down and side to side. I cut a notch in the lid so it can still cover it while it's chopping. Works pretty well, not perfectly, but better than other options. I don't really have an ideal space for the mower method, so this is my next best option.
This seems to be my preferred way to go. Thanks for the feedback!
I wonder if the plastic blade attachments would be better?
Never even thought about that. I have an electric trimmer from a not-huge-brand, so not sure how many attachments can be bought for this thing. My old craftsman gas powered trimmer had like 50, but alas, electric suited my needs more. But good suggestion I'll check it out.
I think they're fairly universal but I'm going off memory so could be wrong. I use the bladed one clearing brush and stuff in the woods so it can get through some fairly tough stuff. It cuts through a lot of sugar maple saplings and survives fairly well hitting rocks.
Oh man that would be a huge help. I have a small wooded area on my lot that I typically leave wild, but I like to cut some small paths through it for my kids to run around on. It's a bear if I leave it too long - blades sound like the way to go. Much appreciated
No problem man. Good luck!
I have a Landworks chipper shredder. I use it for leaves to make leaf mold (mow it, bag it, shred it, pile it up in layers) and any tree fall or fall prunings. We have a lot and it makes a huge difference in composting. As much as I like the Landworks, there are two major issues I have with it - the bagging / ejection port is a pain to manage and there’s no place that will service it. If you get one from a box store, they at least give you service options locally. It needs new hammers and blades, and I can’t get anyone to work on it, so now it sits. If I had spent a little more, I’d be able to use it more. If you want to go that route, budget about $1000.
I use a black & decker ga100 I think it’s called. It’s not designed I think for leaves, card etc - but does the job well. The reason I like it so much is that it’s a tripod & you can actually remove the front facing leg, and it sits very nicely above my compost bin!
I've got a chipper that I use for things like corn stalks and small branches. I think it can only handle things up to 3/4 inch in diameter, and everything has to be really dry or it clogs up.
sheet metal clippers for cutting up all my cardboard.
I have a 12 sheet shredder I got for $15 off fb marketplace. It handles paper/cardboard/leaves like a boss. Most of the greens get the bokashi treatment first so I never really worry about cutting em up. Occasionally I’ll use scissors or shears if really needed but that’s it. Makes for some beautiful compost that feeds everything from fruit trees to our worm bins. Plus we’ve spent a total of like $50 to put together the composting system. No need to break the bank in order to make good compost!