I think of gardening much in the same way I think of (bear with me on this one) steaks. Now, you probably think I’m mad, but when you ask “is it worth buying a garden shredder,” I think “Is it worth buying a good steak.” Because sure, you can get a supermarket value-branded one and eat it at home. But, would it taste or feel the same as a 5* Michelin dining experience in a fancy restaurant. No, it wouldn’t. Because you get out what you put in – and the same applies to your garden.

Moreover, steaks orders (much like gardens) are as individual as the person creating them. How can you compare a rarely cooked to a well-done steak – you can’t. In the same way, you can’t compare a much-loved garden with all the tools necessary to a wild unkempt jungle (and who wants an unkempt jungle). If you want a Michelin starred garden, you’ll get out what you put in, and you should definitely put in a garden shredder. If you want a tidy, nutrient-rich and cost-effective garden – a garden shredder does that. Read on to find out more.

Is It Worth Buying a Garden Shredder than Renting?

In short, yes. Think, if you’re renting a shredder for £50 at a time. Say you need to use it 3 times a year, that’s £150. Now, over a 5 year period, you’re looking at a whopping £750. Furthermore, factor-in convenience (think returning the machine in a certain time frame), having no control over the quality of the machine (what if it breaks down mid-use) and having to build up your waste over the months (imagine doing it as you please.) Suddenly that £50 a turn doesn’t seem like such a good deal does it?

Moreover, much in the same way as a steak (ironically I’m vegetarian) the more you invest, the more you get out. You could get a bargain buy garden shredder from a local supermarket. Much in the same way you could get a steak from a run-down pub. Or, invest a bit more and get a top-notch, perfectly cooked steak in a fabulous environment. In the same way, you can invest in a reliable shredder that won’t block and can handle thicker branches. Rather than a cheap model that’s more effort than it’s worth. Better yet, imagine it could also become a wood chipper – ours can do that! (check it out here).

How do I choose a shredder? Is it worth investing in?

As Which say “Don’t settle for a poor-performing shredder that’s constantly blocking and fails to shred branches properly.” They believe have a good shredder should bear the following in mind:

• Easy Waste: it should make light work of easy-to-shred items
• Difficult Waste: it should be able to handle conifer prunings
• Efficiency: it should be easy to manoeuvre
• Safety: safety is king, as such it electrical and mechanical standards should be met.

Which says if you’re going to invest, the machine should “have some tricks up its sleeve.” Why invest in a boring machine that does half the job. Worse yet, a cheap machine that blocks all of the time. Check out our blog on what we believe is the must-have Mulching tool.

Speaking of mulch, as you’re well aware here at Forest Master we love it. It truly helps ease a whole host of problems while providing these benefits:

• Helps suppress weeds
• Locks in moisture
• Keeps your plants warm in the winter & cool in the summer
• Deters pests such as slugs or snails
• Makes your beds look tidy
• Breaks down and feeds your plants

Want to improve your mulch? Tree chippings do just that by helping the process along quicker. This is why we designed our market-leading shredder to also chip wood – it offers the best of both. Want to make the most out of your garden leaves?

Is it worth buying a garden shredder, what can you do with them?

If you’re wondering is it worth buying a garden shredder? Think, how much money do you spend on mulch or compost? How many times have you paid for someone to not only service your garden but remove the trimmings? Shredding allows you to reuse your waste, while wood chippings and shavings enable you to tidy and style your outdoor home.

Moreover, by reusing you’re not having to pay for waste collection. Also, with a good piece of kit, you can share the love with both your plants and your pals. Have you ever considered renting it out? Or just be everyone’s best friend with a shredder to match – the possibilities are endless!

By having your own shredder you avoid having to go to the tip (avoiding making your car a tip in the process.) You don’t have to annoy your neighbours by burning your trimmings or be at the mercy of the council’s green waste programme. It puts you back in charge, while tidying up the garden and who doesn’t love that.

What’s the best garden shredder?

Now, like everything in life, you get what you pay for. And, if you’ve learnt anything from this blog it’s that gardens (much like steaks) are as individual as you. Why? Because it depends on where you place value. If you place emphasis on cost then you won’t get fine dining. Similarly, if you want the best, you’ll have to invest; top of the range ain’t cheap and cheerful. But do you know what is top of the range with a bargain price tag – our garden shredder.

It has a massive 6hp engine with an unbeatable 3600 rpm. Mulch any and all garden waste, you can even throw paper in there! It’s lightweight and compact while also packing a real punch; gone are the days where size mattered. It’s been stressed tested, so anything you can throw at it – we already have!

The innovative, market-leading product doesn’t stop there! Nope. It’s a 2 in 1 design that enables you to both shred and chip your garden waste! This 2 in 1 solution not only helps create better mulch, quicken up the mulching process and tidy up your garden. But, it provides ultimate flexibility to switch between the two whenever you see fit! Incredible right? Want to see more – of course, you do! Check it out here.

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In an age where technology has been advancing at an incredible rate and there are new, exciting and innovative products being released every other month. I think it’s safe to say that gardening tools have been left behind and leave a lot to be desired, looking medieval at times. Well, that time is thankfully coming to an end with the release of the brand new Forest Master Compact Mulcher series – the ultimate mulching machine!

New to March 2021, the Forest Master compact mulcher series is hitting all large online shopping platforms and will be the go-to machine for any mulching and shredding purposes. The Compact Mulcher series utilises a similar compact, lightweight and unique design as the compact chipper series, but with a number of upgrades.

What was the inspiration behind the machine? For years we have received customer enquiries asking if we had a suitable machine for such mulching tasks as well known competitor brands had often tried and failed at the first hurdle of being able to process wet green waste such as ivy. Our machine is a tried and tested one-stop-shop for all of your mulching (and chipping) needs.

Unique Mulcher Design Features

The design of the mulcher was no easy task to perfect, it has been undergoing development for a number of years alongside the compact chipper series. Each innovative feature serves a direct purpose and provides an advantage to the mulching process.

Rotatable Drum

Both the petrol mulcher and the electric mulcher include a rotating drum that swivels the hopper and chute. What is the purpose of this? Well, it provides you with complete control over how fast the material is fed into the mulching machine.

Moreover, you’re mulching hard material, you can rotate the drum so that the hopper chute is vertical, this way you can simply leave the material in the top of the chute and it will process it into the drum and produce mulch. This prevents the engine/motor from stalling or being overloaded.

The easier the material is to cut/mulch, the less steep you should set the machine. This game changing design allows you to easily dictate how much material is processed and mulched at once, again to prevent the engine/motor from stalling while in use.

Wood Chipper or Garden Mulcher?

If you’re looking for a machine for a question and you’re struggling with this question, believe me, you aren’t the first. It’s been a question we’ve been asked for years, and the truth was that there weren’t any machines that could suitably perform both chipping and mulching tasks comfortably and effectively. Well, until now.

The new compact mulcher series is designed in a way that allows the mulcher to be easily converted into a powerful wood chipper in just a few short moments. The conversion unit to turn the mulcher into the wood chipper is sold separately, but this is a small price to pay as you gain the function of two machines for less than a quarter of the price.

Perfectly Balanced and Lightweight Design

When setting out to create this mulching machine (and the compact series), our goal was to create something in which the market was lacking; a robust, lightweight and compact machine which doesn’t compromise on power. This is exactly what we have created. #

The machine itself weighs around just 38KG and can easily be moved and manoeuvred around with little to no effort.

The mulchers implement the same beloved feature from the compact chipper series in that that they can be easily folded away or dismantled in just a few short moments so that they can simply slide into the back of a van or estate vehicle while taking up little space.

Why do I need a mulching machine

Well, the real question is, why don’t you need a mulching machine. Mulch does everything. You want your wallflowers warm in the winter and cucumbers kept cool for the summer – done. Do you want healthy, nutrient-rich plants – mulch does that. How about pesky pests, well, mulch protects from them too. Mulch is the secret tool in any gardeners arsenal and really helps to maximise the return from your plants. Let’s face it, why nurture and love your garden to see it destroyed by the seasonal changes. The mulch insulates your plants protecting them from the harsh seasons, think of it as a cushion between them and the snow. It also helps keep weeds at bay by lessening the competition for nutrients and allowing healthy flowers to prosper.

Moreover, the most satisfying part about growing your own plants is the sense of achievement. Now, imagine the sense of achievement you’d get from making your own mulch & being completely self-sufficient. Need some inspiration, check out our guide to creating your own leaf mould.

Bigger isn’t always better!

Designed with you in mind our beautifully engineered machine is compact but still packs a punch. It’s designed to enable you to pick up and go to your job to then pack up and store it with ease. While the size of the machine may not matter, the size of the engine does! With 4 & 6 house powered machines available, they’re as flexible as you. Now, if you’re like me and you aren’t entirely sure what horsepower means and why it’s important. Here’s a quick lesson. The term horsepower originates from a Scottish inventor who needed to market engines to a horse-driven market. Today we see horsepower as equal to a horse lifting 550 pounds of weight 1 foot high in 1 second; imagine the strength of 4hp – or even 6! So, while that 2 hp difference may not seem like a lot – it can go a long way!

If you’re wanting to understand more about horsepower, here’s an article to help you understand. Moreover, if you’re worried about rpm both machines have a whopping 2800 (4hp) & 3600 (6hp).

What can I do with a mulching machine?

The question is, what can’t you do with one? Firstly, as we’ve touched upon this market-leading product has the capacity convert over into a wood chipper. Why choose between the two when you can have both – our thoughts exactly. Spend your mornings mulching and to afternoons chipping – this beauty can do it all. Furthermore, previously mentioned, this mulching machine enables you to be self-sufficient. What’s more organic than create-your-own? Sick of paying more for organic produce, us too. Creating your own mulch with our mulcher and using it on your plants will enable truly organic gardening. Want to learn more? Here’s our blog post telling you how to do just that.

Furthermore, with this 2-in-1 solution, you’re gardening abilities will be able to flower just as much as the plants you’re protecting. Think, no more having to run to the hardware store or waiting for deliveries of produce. You can spend all day planning, planting and protecting your crops. With our mulcher the possibilities are truly endless, how about getting that allotment you’ve always wanted? Well, we’ve got a blog post for that too.

Not only that but if you’re tired of your plants passing away over the winter months – mulch can help stop that. Mulch helps retain moisture in the summer while enabling rain to penetrate the soil in the winter. It also helps protect and preserve the roots of the plant in winter. Speaking of protecting your garden in winter, we’ve got another blog post showing you how to do just that.

Are there different types of mulch?

The short answer, yes. You can create both organic and inorganic mulch with your mulching machine. Organic mulch includes matter which was formerly alive such as leaves, grass clippings and even wood chips. Inorganic mulch includes black plastic or geotextiles. Both types help keep weeds at bay, but organic mulch helps improve the soil as they decompose. While inorganic doesn’t enrich the soil, mulch made of black plastic helps warm the soil and radiate heat during the night. The 6 most popular types of mulch include:

• Wood Chips/Shredded Leaves
• Grass Clippings
• Compost
• Straw or Hay
• Plastic Mulch
• Landscape Fabrics

Want to learn more, check out Good Housekeeping’s guide

Feeling inspired to make your own? Us too! Check out our mulcher here to see the 2 in 1 to all your gardening needs. Moreover, why not check out our blog to learn more about all things green. Got an idea for a blog post? Comment below!