The K-tchak® – 100% Manual Vegetation Shredder, Made in France

The K-tchak® is La Fabriculture's answer for gardeners and growers who want to process their green waste without relying on a motor. Designed and hand-built in Moyrazès (Aveyron), it lets you chop all kinds of plant material using nothing but your own muscle power.

Inspired by the traditional chaff cutter, the K-tchak® has been redesigned for greater safety, comfort and efficiency. Its self-sharpening blade and flywheel deliver a clean, consistent cut, whether you work alone or with a partner.

Advantages

✅ 100% manual and silent – The K-tchak® requires neither electricity nor fuel. Its silent operation makes it well suited to noise-sensitive environments (residential areas, schools, market gardens near dwellings);

✅ Made in France – Designed and built in La Fabriculture's workshop in Moyrazès (Aveyron). Built to last, repairable, with consumables available;

✅ Mobile and stable – Two puncture-proof wheels (Ø 40 cm) make it easy to move across any terrain. Two retractable legs provide stability during use;

✅ Adjustable cut length – Adjustable from 1 to approximately 60 mm to suit the material: faster pace for soft stems and fresh herbs, slower pace for dry wood or brushwood;

✅ Self-sharpening blade – The 300 mm steel blade self-sharpens against the Hardox 500 counter-blade, keeping maintenance to a minimum;

✅ Versatile – Handles straw, small wood up to 25 mm in diameter, rushes, brushwood, fresh herbs and cardboard. Ideal for producing BRF, mulch, or chopping fresh and dried medicinal and aromatic plants for herbal teas or oil macerations.

How to use

• Move the K-tchak® to your work area using its two wheels, then deploy the retractable legs to stabilise the machine;
• Set the desired cut length (1 to 60 mm) according to the material being processed;
• Feed the plant material into the feed chute. The rollers draw it towards the blade with each turn of the crank handle;
• For soft materials (young stems, fresh herbs), you can increase the pace. For harder wood or brushwood, slow down and feed branches in gradually;
• The machine can be operated alone or with two people: one feeds material while the other turns the crank, significantly increasing throughput;
• The chopped material falls directly through the discharge chute onto the ground or into a container of your choice, ready to be spread as mulch, piled for fast composting, or incorporated into the soil as BRF;
• For large volumes or very hard wood (branches up to 25 mm), a motorised shredder will be more suitable.

Maintenance

• After each use, clear plant debris from the feed chute and around the blade using a stiff brush, or a compressor and air nozzle;
• Check the condition of the feed cable regularly. A worn cable reduces material feed and must be replaced (see K-tchak consumables);
• The blade self-sharpens against the Hardox 500 counter-blade. It is nonetheless advisable to remove and sharpen the blade manually once or twice a year, depending on use. If you notice an unusual loss of sharpness, check blade/counter-blade alignment or replace the blade (replacement blade available here);
• Lubricate moving shafts and joints with a light machine oil at the start and end of each season;
• Store the machine in a dry place. For long-term storage, apply a light film of oil to metal parts to prevent rust.

FAQ

What types of plant material can the K-tchak® process?

The K-tchak® is designed to chop straw, rushes, brushwood, fresh herbs, vegetable stems, dried leaves and cardboard. It also handles small wood up to 25 mm in diameter. For thicker branches or very large volumes, a petrol or electric shredder will be more suitable.

Do you need two people to use the K-tchak®?

No, the K-tchak® works perfectly well with one operator: they feed the chute and turn the crank alternately. Working in pairs does increase throughput considerably, especially for larger volumes or tougher material.

What cut length can be achieved?

The cut length is adjustable from 1 to approximately 60 mm (the more material between the rollers, the less precise the cut). A short setting is ideal for fine mulch or BRF; a longer setting suits rapid composting or coarse mulch preparation.

Does the blade need regular sharpening?

The blade self-sharpens during use against the Hardox 500 counter-blade, so no manual sharpening is needed under normal conditions. That said, it is advisable to remove and sharpen the blade manually once or twice a year depending on use. If the blade wears out, it is replaceable and available as a consumable on the website.

What are the lead times?

The K-tchak® is made in small batches in our workshop in Moyrazès. Lead times may vary depending on the current stage of production. Call us on +33 5 65 71 95 21 for availability, or collect directly from our workshop to save on shipping costs.

Which consumables should I plan for?

Two parts are likely to wear over time: the blade (heat-treated special steel, 300 mm) and the feed cable. Both are available in the shop under the K-tchak category.

Further reading:
→ Replacement blade and cable for the K-tchak®
→ All our manual machines