Wood Shredder / Chipper

Camon Wood Shredder

A wood shredder, sometimes known as a chipper, is a machine used for reducing wood (generally speaking tree branches or trunks) into smaller parts, such as wood chips or sawdust.

Shredders are very handy helpers in the garden.  Tree branches and prunings can all be put through the shredder and reintroduced in the garden as chippings.  If you usually put your hedge or tree trimmings onto a compost you’ll know they take a fair while to decompose.  However, if you shred your waste the whole decomposing process is speeded up significantly.  You can also put your leaves and normal green material waste through the shredder and create a mulch, which again can be reintroduced into the garden around flowerbeds.

Shredders come in both electric and petrol variations.  We hire out a petrol shredder, called a Camon C150, which costs £49.95 per day or weekend.  Petrol shredders tend to be slightly more powerful than their electric counterparts and will process larger stems and branches.

Here you can see ‘surreyarborist’ on You Tube demonstrating the same wood shredder.

We recommend that you take sensible precautions whilst shredding – wear gloves, keep the area around you clear of any trip hazards etc.

The Rotavator

The Barreto Rotavator

We have finally taken the plunge and started our very own blog.  The idea behind it is that every month we shall be talking about a topical tool; what it is used for and how to get the best out of it.

So, with spring just around the corner (hopefully) we thought we’d start off with the rotavator.

A rotavator, sometimes also known as a tiller or rotary plough, is a machine used to work the soil by means of rotating tines or blades.  They are used to prepare soil ready for planting, levelling or turfing and replace exhausting manual digging work.  Generally speaking they are used in gardens, allotments and  fields.

Rotavators come in various sizes.  If you are looking to till an allotment or small area of uncultivated ground then you’ll be wanting to use a small to medium sized rotavator. Generally speaking they have engine sizes of up to 8HP, enough power to create a lovely, fine tilth for planting.

For the larger areas we would recommend a more powerful rotavator. They come with a larger working width and will tackle the most difficult of ground conditions.  With hydraulic motors you can adjust both the wheel and tine speed independently.