Have you used a shredder? Help!

[SarfE4sticated]

Hi all, just wanted to find out if you had any experience of using a shredder? We live in SE London in a street full of Victorian terraces, so I need to know how nosiy it's going to be before I start using it.

Also, how easy is it to use? I'm actually quite frightened of it and thinking about not using it at all. My neighbour leant it to me and he has never used it either, so do you have any advice?

I cut back my winter flowering honeysuckle, some fruit trees and ivy and have about 20 square feet of stuff of vegetation to get rid of somehow. Would love to just set light to it, but it is sitting on a ground sheet and I doubt the neighbours would approve.

What would you do?

I'd probably do it in the day though - rather than evenings or weekends.

I'd prep my pile - you can't just shove it all in with the side branches - so prep into lengths that will fit into the hole. I usually go through with loppers and make long lengths with nothing sticking out the side that will jam it.

Remove anything that is going to be larger than the recommended diameter - that one looked like anything over 40mm would probably get stuck.

Get a container to put the shreddings into before you start.

I used to put a garden bag under the shredder output which was about 3 times the size of the output so that I could just move it towards the outside rather than keep emptying it time after time.

I'd do it for 30 mins then stop. Shredders can get too hot if running for too long.

If it gets stuck, turn off at the mains before investigating - and don't prod too much if things are getting jammed, only do a small amount at a time - 1 branch fully through then start the next one.

Ooh thanks for that. Would you put little leafy twiggy branches through, or would the leaves clog it us?

And, what would you do with the shredded stuff? I've emptied the compost bin, so should I just fill it up? It's all quite dry as it's been standing in the sun for last few days...

I use shreddings as a mulch direct around plants.

Anywhere you would use woodchip. Really good around those fruit trees that you mentioned.

If you have no need for that, yes into a compost bin.