I bought this to mulch leaves for compost. I can vacuum the leaves but they aren't shredded. How do I shred? Speed?
1766532
My experience the vacum/shredder is that this is not the ideal tool for this. While the blower works quite well the vacum lacks even with the metal flywheel. It will only mulch the debris to a size that will pass through before spitting it into the bag.
1766533
I can't imagine the problem as we shred over a thousand pounds of leaves each fall. The unit will mulch at almost any speed, the only difference being the amount being vacuumed. It slows the process of work if the unit is overloaded, so, it is important to find the balance between the load and the speed. Then too, we use a 32gal. garbage can with a 40 gal. plastic bag and Toro's accessory hose and cloth cover. We learned that the cover blows off, so we threaded a 1/4 inch rope through the string slide at the top and use bungee cord under the lip of the garbage can and above the rope -- no more problems. I hope this helps as we bought a new unit this past fall, but are still using the 5 year-old Toro as well, mostly for the vacuuming, saving the new unit. Good luck, the Toro is likely the most dependable 120 volt AC unit made.
1766534
If the leaves are wet, they won't shred. Check at the impeller and unclog it. Wet leaves will clog this up solid. R.
196784
You should oil it, it will last longer. The manual says cooking oil is OK. Youtube has videos on how to oil shredders.
852179
Have not used it for shredding papers as I have a shredder and use the paper from the shredder for composting.
512766
I believe it could definitely shred the wheat straw although it won't be fine pieces. Double shredding it could decrease the size particle you end up with. As for the horse manure, I think it probably could do that too, but there may be a fair amount of kick back as the clumps hit the blades (which are angled upward like in a drink mixer) so wear eye protection. I get the finest chop when things go through the side chute designed for limps because it goes through a different set of blades that are in a different orientation (more slicing involved). Remember to keep the chute clear. That will help avoid clogging.
2190310
No, I don't think so. It makes slices (think tomatoes or cucumbers) it doesn't shred.
838471
The real answer depends on you and how much time you want to spend mulching the leaves. Essentially you have to feed the leaves by hand; i.e., a handfull at a time. You cannot dump a bag of leaves into this machine. First of all, it will not let you. I have a similar situation and am building an adapter to widen the top so that I can more easily put a tub of leaves on top and tip them into the machine. I like this device because it is quiet and easy to start; just flip the switch. If you are doing up to a half dozen bags, I think you could be happy. If you are attempting to do 20 bags you will be disappointed; it will take a long time.T. The real answer depends on you and how much time you want to spend mulching the leaves. Essentially you have to feed the leaves by hand; i.e., a handfull at a time. You cannot dump a bag of leaves into this machine. First of all, it will not let you. I have a similar situation and am building an adapter to widen the top so that I can more easily put a tub of leaves on top and tip them into the machine. I like this device because it is quiet and easy to start; just flip the switch. If you are doing up to a half dozen bags, I think you could be happy. If you are attempting to do 20 bags you... » Read More The real answer depends on you and how much time you want to spend mulching the leaves. Essentially you have to feed the leaves by hand; i.e., a handfull at a time. You cannot dump a bag of leaves into this machine. First of all, it will not let you. I have a similar situation and am building an adapter to widen the top so that I can more easily put a tub of leaves on top and tip them into the machine. I like this device because it is quiet and easy to start; just flip the switch. If you are doing up to a half dozen bags, I think you could be happy. If you are attempting to do 20 bags you will be disappointed; it will take a long time.T. « Show Less
1109615
It is indeed hard to move the debris to a bag. We're fortunate to be able to dump our fall leaves (by the gross) at the curb and the city picks them up with vacuum machines and/or front loaders. In lieu of that, I would suggest a large trash can in which you can place the plastic bag and drape it over the edges of the trash can. Just make sure the two match up size wise. You can lay the bag on the ground and rake the leaves into it. The larger the bag, the better. Good Luck.
126282
Yes, it will do a great job with straw. I use it to shred the straw for mulch in my garden. It will shred it down to 2" to 4" pieces, with a lot of it smaller. It will compost quickly.
1894628
Mine didn't even work well with mulching grass and I removed them. Purchased a John Deere sweeper which solved the problem.
1877396
It did nothing to break down chipped and shredded materials in my rotatable composting drum over a period of 3 weeks. My view is that it likely doesn't work in any application. I'd concentrate on excluding the needles (screening them out).
838468
I would rather buy a blower/mulcher in 1. It will be faster. Just vacuum the leaves and empty the bag into a pile or the trash when full.
292713
Yes, it works fine for that as long a pile is not super high. If you get it into a foot high pile of leavs the leaves, it will stall out and there is a thermal protection circuit that will keep the mower off for about 60 seconds and you can restart it after that time is up. You did not mention if you planned to bag the leaf pieces for mulching or mulch on the spot. For mowing leaves on the lawn and pulverizing them into tiny pieces in the mulching mode, it works fine.
1695913
The shredder/mulching feature is simply accomplished by "reversing" the way you use the blower. To use as a mulcher: Attached the wider plastic tube onto the underside of the blower unit. (air intake) This is where the air comes IN and where the leaves and very small twigs will get sucked up into the plastic blades, The mulched up debris will be ejected out the end you would usually use for blowing leaves into a bag that attaches to it by removing the air-flow reducer (normal front piece). As you can see, yes, it is always on, but it is how you use it, similar to a reverse vacuum, so there is no turning this feature ON or OFF. Hope this helps!
292712
I used my CMM1000 to shred leaves this year. Raked them into 4" to 6" high piles, went over the piles with the mower with collection bag attached. Then raked 4" to 6" high piles again, and mowed over them a second time. Any leaves remaining after two passes were raked up the old-fashioned way :-)The bag fills up fairly quickly, so I had my wheelbarrow nearby and just kept dumping the shredded leaves from the bag into it. Had to keep making sure the chute between the blade and the collection bag was kept clear of debris too.I thought it worked pretty well. How did things work out for you?Regards,Mark Widmer (New Jersey, USA) I used my CMM1000 to shred leaves this year. Raked them into 4" to 6" high piles, went over the piles with the mower with collection bag attached. Then raked 4" to 6" high piles again, and mowed over them a second time. Any leaves remaining after two passes were raked up the old-fashioned way :-)The bag fills up fairly quickly, so I had my wheelbarrow nearby and just kept dumping the shredded leaves from the bag into it. Had to keep making sure the chute between the blade and the collection bag was kept clear of debris too.I thought it worked... » Read More I used my CMM1000 to shred leaves this year. Raked them into 4" to 6" high piles, went over the piles with the mower with collection bag attached. Then raked 4" to 6" high piles again, and mowed over them a second time. Any leaves remaining after two passes were raked up the old-fashioned way :-)The bag fills up fairly quickly, so I had my wheelbarrow nearby and just kept dumping the shredded leaves from the bag into it. Had to keep making sure the chute between the blade and the collection bag was kept clear of debris too.I thought it worked pretty well. How did things work out for you?Regards,Mark Widmer (New Jersey, USA) « Show Less
234363
Use a rake to gather the leaves in a pile and then use these to gather big scoops of the leaf pile to dispose of. This cuts the time it takes to clean up leaves in half or more. I love these things!
1824402
You can more easily shred cardboard by soaking it 24-48 hours in a plastic bin, then use a metal "paint mixer" attachment that attaches to a power drill. Basically the cardboard fibers soften to the point that the blender action will shred it. Be aware that the cardboard can tend to "clump" in the compost bin - even though cardboard and twigs are "brown", add some twigs to create airspace, plus add your "greens" like leaves and food. (And yeah, ancient post, I know. It wouldn't be productive to use one of these for cardboard because you'll just wear out the blades or motor anyways).
2202967
I have it attached to a hose that feeds the shredded leaves directly into a bag. Works fine. Big leaves - no problem. It shreds small sticks too. Very happy with the product