Trust us – 45mm is getting up to small log size. It is quite something to put something of that diameter through an electric garden shredder and see it chewed up in moments. These shredders are quiet in operation – just listen to the video above – and certainly seem to live up to their quoted sound figures. You won’t have to use ear defenders for short periods of use – a real boon on a hot summer day. If you are going to use it regularly, or for any period of over 2 hours, you are still advised to wear ear protection. The Bosch 25TC is a distinct improvement on both the usual crusher and impact type shredders. Waste is chopped more finely than with crusher shredders and, unlike impact shredders, they do not jam on knotty branches. You can even expect to shred right up to the quoted maximum allowable diameter. Turbine Cut shredders are pretty quiet. The 25TC is rated at 82dB while idling. It doesn’t seem to get much louder in use either. 82dB is about the noise level in a crowded pub. Importantly, it is below the level at which HSE recommend the use of ear protection. The Turbine Cut relies on strength (torque) rather than speed to cut. The turbine rotates at around 41rpm making it inherently quieter than impact and rapid shredders.

The supplied cable is short. Four metres isn’t overly miserly for a supplied cable but it doesn’t allow you to reach the corners of even a relatively small garden. Under load these machines could be drawing upwards of 10 Amp current. Make sure you have a [amzon link=”B00BGI1IQU” title=”heavy duty, outdoor extension lead”] so you can easily move your shredder to where you want to do the shredding. As with all Bosch products the 25TC seems solid and well built. If you do have a problem Bosch’s customer service is excellent.

The short video below shows the AXT 25TC in operation. While the women cuts off any big branches or knots with the lopping shears, the guy just gets on with feeding the machine. Not bad but you will still need a heavy duty, outdoor extension lead so you can easily move the shredder to where you want to do the shredding. As the turbine rotates the blades trap the larger cuttings against the side plate. The blades then cut into the firmly held branches. As the wood is cut through the ongoing rotation of the turbine pulls the branches through the machine. Branches and clippings are cut by the blades rather than crushed so the shreddings are cleaner and more precise than those produced by the roller/drum mechanisms deployed in quiet shredders.

It’s a really nice touch – one that has been replicated by many of the manufacturers of quiet shredders. To be fair, I am not sure I have anywhere as neat and tidy as the slot shown for storing the shredder in the picture below. Folding down for storage would not be that much of a benefit for me. Bosch calls the AXT 25TC mechanism the Turbine Cutting system. What it has got to do with turbines escapes me. The cutter more resembles a cylinder lawnmower. Smaller clippings and waste drop between the turbine blades and are swept to the side and cut against the side plate. The gaps between the turbine blades ensure there is nowhere for the softer, green clippings and waste to accumulate and jam. Turbine cut shredders will almost never jam.The Bosch AXT 25TC boasts 2500W of garden shredding power. It is not the most powerful shredder we have reviewed but its unique cutting mechanism delivers an incredible 230kg/hr shredding capacity. Unlike other machines, the AXT25TC can readily meet the quoted throughput figure. In fact, it exceeds that of many, smaller petrol machines. OK, so much with the description on how they work but, are they any good? We’ll get on to that but for now here are the technical details. Note: The self-feed mechanism is very strong. Branches can get whipped out of your hands and can thrash around while being drawn in. Ear defenders are not essential while using the AXT 25TC but we strongly recommend using gloves and eye protection. Sound Levels