Garden Vacs

[doug]

Hedge trimming time again. I've just bought a new Flymo Garden Vac - the old one was just about clapped. So I'm now starting on the beech hedge again - 450 feet of it about 6 foot thick, goes 3/4 around my little plot. Now the hedge trimmer is a 24 inch job and does a good job. I don't try and cut too much at once but make several passes to get down to the final position. I then use the Garden Vac to suck and shred the leaves and branches, which the go on the compost heaps - I've got 3 ~ 1 m cubed which are rotated and then finish up back on the garden. going on a bit but it does do wonders for the soil.

Now my problem is that the Flymo cutting lines dont last 5 mins and the alternative to the Flymo ( Almo)are a bit cheaper are a bit cheaper but it still works out rather expensive but more irritating is the time wasted fitting new cutting lines as I find I have to wrap insulating tape round the base in the centre of the line to get it to stay in place. An alternative that seams to work is to cut lengths of garden wire - the thicker type - and screw on half of a chocbloch terminal which fits into the boss of the rotor. When working these do a very good job producing a fine shred but nothing lasts very long.

Has anyone else got experience in this area and can make any suggestions, was thinking of trying different materials for the wire, such as Nylon, polypropylene or stainless steel.

[Tankus]

burn the hedge...... builda fence ...job done ...end ov guv !

[doug]

That's defeatism and my hedge looks smashing as well as cutting down road noise, great habitat fo the birds and was here when we moved in - about 30 years ago. I've become attached to it even though it's a pain to do twice a year.

[Gandalph]

Have you thought about a dedicated shredder Doug. Feed the leaves and branches into the top and take the remains from the bottom. The shredder can take branches up to one inch thick.

[andsome]

Can't beat home made compost. The worms love it. :D

[D4\/!d]

burn the hedge...... builda fence ...job done ...end ov guv !

Trust you to come out with that one Tankus. I think we prefer live hedges to dead trees ;)

[D4\/!d]

doug, have a look at this site. It's a bit strange to navigate, but nevertheless a good read. It might just give you an idea, or do what I've done in the past. eMail Fred and ask. He's prompt with his replies :)

Fredshed site plan

fred's powertools

[rong]

Yes I would go along with Gandalph's idea, I have a professional garden blower vacuum with metal blades for shredding and wouldn't want to put beech cuttings through it, I do try to cut hedges in one go though so get bigger bits.

[doug]

Gandalf, have got a shredder, which as you say does up to 1 in thick but it doesn't do thin stuff.

[catgate]

Has anyone else got experience in this area and can make any suggestions, was thinking of trying different materials for the wire, such as Nylon, polypropylene or stainless steel.

Sounds as though you have got a very good solution to the problem. The only thing that I can think of would be a trial using what used to be called "piano wire". It is made from a tempered high-carbon steel. I have also known it as "spring steel". I'm not sure of the diameters available these days (without going to China to find out).

[doug]

Think I've cracked it! Managed to purchase 10 m of heavy duty nylon wire 2.4 mm dia as sold for use in heavy duty petrol strimmers - grand sum of £3.99. As I will be using 20 cm lengths this should give me 50 cutters. The cut down terminal block, once I had removed the bur from sawing in half was a perfect size for the cutting wire. I lost one which had flipped out of the recess in the Garden Vac so I then converted the next one to mark 2. This consists of wrapping some insulation tape round the terminal block and wedging into the boss with a scewdriver - a mod I always had to use with previous purchased cutting lines, my hedge must be tougher than the norm. The first of the mark 2 lines has been doing a superb job on the 1st 20 ft of hedge producing a nice almost crumb-like mass of shredded leaves and branches. Looks as though I may not need the other 4 spares I made up just in case. So any gardeners out there with a Flymo Turbo Garden Vac I can post more details of the nylon wire and terminal blocks. Hopefully next years will find I have a vintage pile of compost. Last years has all been spred on the flower borders.