The 5 Best Leaf Mulcher Shredders [Ranked]
In this post, we examined 5 of the best-selling leaf mulchers.
These landscaping tools chop up leaves, which saves gardeners time- instead of having to rake and bag them.
Mulching cut down the number of bags you’ll need to dispose of your leaves. Also, if you compost, mulching makes it easier for the beneficial bacteria to aid your garden (Source).
Contents
How do they work?
Some leaf mulchers chop the leaves and drop them into a bag, while others have a blower/vacuum apparatus attached that aids in the clean up of your yard.
Either type makes it easier to maintain a clean yard and be environmentally responsible at the same time (Source).
Mulch is regarded as an essential part of a healthy garden, and most experts agree that organic mulch is superior in most ways to inorganic. Mulch made from wood, leaves, and grass clippings infuse the soil with essential nutrients that your plants need to grow (Source).
Comparing The Options
| Leaf Mulchers | Our Rating | Price ($) | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | The WORX Electric Leaf Mulcher | 4.1 | $$ |
 | The Sun Joe Electric Leaf Mulcher/Shredder | 3.6 | $ |
 | The Flowtron Ultimate Electric Leaf Shredder | 3.7 | $$ |
 | The Eco-Shredder 14-Amp Electric Chipper | 3.3 | $$$ |
| The Black & Decker High-Performance Blower/Vac/Mulcher | 4.3 | $ |
How Do They Compare
In this article, we look at five products for mulching and getting your yard in tip-top shape.
- Black & Decker BV6000 is a high-performance device that mulches, vacuums, and bags your leaf clippings. It features a 12 amp motor that drives the blower/vacuum. The blower itself puts out 250mph flow and has two-speed settings. What’s neat about this unit is that the combination of the vacuum/bag makes cleanup easy. Lastly, this device is engineered to operate at a 50% lower noise volume compared to similar units.
- The Eco-Shredder is a 14 amp electric chipper/shredder/mulcher that is easy to operate and makes quick work of light leaf and grass clippings. It features a three-way chute feed to make cleaning up your yard go more quickly. For safety, this unit automatically shuts off if there’s a jam. Lastly, this machine sits on 7-inch wheels that make it extremely portable and easy to roll into your garage or shed.
- The Flowtron LE-900 is similar to the Eco-Shredder in that it’s a chute system that operates via an electric motor. The extra-wide mouth makes loading easy, and users can attach a bag or trash can to the bottom of this unit for easier disposal of waste.
- The Sun Joe SDJ616 is another chute-style mulcher/shredder that features a 13 amp motor that mulches up to 12 gallons of leaves per minute. The motor is adjustable to handle both wet and dry yard waste. Like the other chute-style mulchers, you can attach a bag for easy disposal of your clippings.
- Last up is the WORX 13 amp mulcher, which is another chute-style unit. This one uses a 13 amp motor and handles up to 53 gallons of leaves per minute. Rather than a blade, this machine uses a trimmer-style line that delivers an 11:1 mulching ratio and is said to be safer. What’s nice about this machine is that it comes with a 3-year warranty.
Best Leaf Mulchers For 2023
Effectiveness
Price
Ease Of Use
This leaf mulcher offered by WORX is efficient, well-made, and an excellent choice for large yards.
Users love the tool-free assembly and disassembly, but some do note that it’s noisier than they expected.
The WORX leaf mulching machine has a 13-amp motor, which can mulch up to 53 gallons of leaves per minutes, a bladeless system with thick trimmer line, which can achieve a mulching ratio of 11: 1, and a clean air motor cooling system. Another great thing about this product is that it deposits the mulched leaves into a bag, which is not included in the package, however. In addition to this, it has an easy to figure out the start-stop system, 24 cutting lines, and a 3-year warranty.
In general, users have a high opinion of the WORX electric mulcher, and they praise its design and functionality.
A reviewer comments that he cut in half the time spend in yard cleaning thanks to this product and that he finds it to be a good investment. He adds that you can even use it for small twigs. Another buyer observes that it’s easy to operate and that the assembly is a piece of cake.
He highly recommends it as one of the best leaf mulchers. However, a couple of users have noted that the machine works better with dry leaves and that it doesn’t work as well as they expected.
Video Overview
Pros
- Well-made
- Tool-free assembly
- A bladeless system
- Easy to operate
- 11:1 ratio
Cons
- Noisy
- Some quality complaints
Effectiveness
Price
Ease Of Use
If you wonder what to do with the large heap of leaves in your backyard, you might try this shredder offered by Snow Joe. Users love the adjustable control dial with settings for wet/dry, but some do note that it’s not suitable for small twigs.
The Snow Joe electric leaf mulcher features a 13-amp motor capable of mulching up to 12 gallons per minute, a mulching ratio of 16:1, and a dust-reducing cooling system, which is perfect for dust-free operation. Another great thing about this product is that you can attach it to a bag-lined container to dispose of the leaves easily. What’s more, it’s light and compact so that you won’t have problems storing or moving it around.
A buyer comments that the Snow Joe electric mulcher works far better than he initially expected and that it’s easy to operate.
However, he adds that the more twigs you shred, the faster the string will wear out. Another user mentions that the machine shreds efficiently and that you can assemble and disassemble quickly.
A purchaser also observes that it’s perfect for dry oak leaves and that he highly recommends it as the best leaf mulching shredder because of the multiple settings. He also shares that the machine is easy to store. However, some customers have noted that the Snow Joe product is useless for wet leaves and that the blades wear out too quickly. Some also complain that it works too slow for their liking.
Video Overview
Pros
- Multiple settings
- Dust-reducing system
- Light
- Compact
- Easy to operate
- Powerful
Cons
- Wears quickly according to some
- Not suitable for twigs and wet leaves
Effectiveness
Price
Ease Of Use
This ultimate leaf mulcher offered by Flowtron is convenient, useful, and suitable for pine needles, grass clippings, paper, and thatch.
Users love the extra-large 21” funnel, which is perfect for easy loading, but some do note that it’s difficult to assemble. The Flowtron shredder features a 5.9-amp motor, which has overload protection, an on/off switch, and it comes with 36 heavy-duty double duty lines. Another great thing about this product is that you can adjust the particle size from eight to one (up to 30:1 size reduction).
What’s more, the light design and the built-in handles allow you to move this unit around the yard.
As a whole, users have a mixed opinion about the Flowtron ultimate electric leaf mulcher, and they agree that it works well for dry leaves, but the design has flaws.
A reviewer comments that the strings break too quickly if you shred pine needles and that it’s hard to put the machine together. He adds that changing string is not as easy as he expected. Another unhappy user mentions that it shreds slowly even if you don’t put any twigs in and that he doesn’t recommend it.
On the other hand, a happy buyer observes that it’s perfect for a small yard and that it performs beyond his expectation. He warns that you have to read the instructions carefully to avoid overheating the motor.
Video Overview
Pros
- Convenient
- Built-in handle
- An extra-large funnel
- Easy to operate
- 36 duty lines
- Adjustable particle size
- On/off switch
Cons
- Flimsy
- Strings break
- Not suitable for twigs
Effectiveness
Price
Ease Of Use
If you are looking for a way to clean your yard fast, you can try this electric mulcher offered by Eco-Shredder. Users love the compact design, which allows them to store it anywhere, but some do note that it’s too slow for their liking.
The Eco-Shredder chipper features a three-way feed to reduce waste, a three-cycle mulching system for consistent results, a 14-amp motor with overload protection switch, and 7-inch wheels for portability. Another great thing about this product is the rounded chute, which is perfect for easy maintenance and cleanup in addition to the free extra cutting blades included in the package.
In general, users have a mixed opinion of the electric mulcher, and they agree that it works, but not as well as they expected. An unhappy buyer mentions that the machine shreds well, but it jams too often, and the chute is too narrow.
He adds that it took him more than an hour to mulch one bag. Another reviewer mentions that he is very disappointed with his purchase because the machine lasted no more than 20 times and then the motor died.
On the other hand, a happy customer shares that the chipper is not heavy-duty, but it’s perfect for small branches and bushes. He also observes that assembly is straightforward and that the produced mulch is of good quality.
Video Overview
Pros
- Compact design
- Three-way feed/mulch system
- A 14-amp motor
- Portable
- 10:1 reduction ratio
- Easy to move
Cons
- Jams
- Shreds slowly
- Quality complaints
Effectiveness
Price
Ease Of Use
This high-performance blower/shredder offered by Black & Decker is well-design, affordable, and an excellent choice for keeping your yard clean.
Users love that they can make the change between vacuum and blower without any tools, but some do note that it’s too heavy for their liking.
The Black & Decker electric blower features a 12-amp motor, two blowing speed options, and a disposable bag system with two bags included. Another great thing about this product is that it can mulch 16 bags of leaves down to one, and it has a detachable shoulder strap so that you can carry it easily.
A buyer comments that he was skeptical of the usefulness of this high performance 3-in-1 mulcher, but he was very surprised how quickly he managed to clean up his yard. He observes that it has excellent capacity and that it’s powerful enough.
Another reviewer shares that the vacuum picks up wet as well as dry leaves and that it shreds them well (PrimeReviews).
He highly recommends it to anyone looking for a cheap leaf mulcher. However, a couple of customers have complained that the blower doesn’t work well and that it’s not powerful enough to blow or suck the leaves. Some also mention that it clogs often and that it’s not easy to make the change from blower to vacuum.
Video Overview
Pros
- 3-in-1
- Affordable
- Tool-free change
- Two blowing speeds
- A disposable bag system
Cons
- Not powerful enough for some
- Heavy
- Clogs
How To
Each year, fall introduces us to a raft of pleasures that no other season has to offer- pumpkin carving, hot apple cider and much more. But the season also signals the return of one chore that many of us fear: Raking tree litter.
What if I told you that there is a way that can save both your time and money and best of all quite beneficial for your grass lawn? This fall instead of raking and bagging up the tree litter in your backyard, why not use them as manure for your grass?
In this write up we discuss the different techniques you can use to mulch leaves and the tips to get the best out of mulching.
Using a lawn mower
Mulching leaves is the best way to dispose of them and can reduce a huge pile of leaves o almost one-tenth of its volume. It also mixes the leaf particles with grass clippings. The carbon-rich leaf particles and the nitrogen-rich grass particles compost even more quickly when blended than separately.
Mowers capable of mulching, side-discharging and bagging are particularly agile at leaf removal and can be done in a few different ways.
You can use the side discharge method if you want to compost tree litter back into the yard. It is the best method if the grass is tall and moist and the leaf cover is wet or heavy. Moving in stripes is recommended to ensure that you cut the discharged particles from the previous pass. Additionally, you can mow inward or outward in concentric circles to ensure that you cut and re-cut the discharged particles.
You can also set your lawn mower to mulch. This method works best with leaves that are moist but not wet and grass of normal height. Close the side-discharge port and insert the mulch plug. Mow as you would usually but ensure to make a second pass at the right angle to the first one to mulch the clippings back into the grass.
5 Tips
If done right, mulching can significantly enhance your landscape. It’s unfortunate that many homeowners and even landscapers make common mistakes. Below are tips to help you apply compost like a pro and get the best from your yard. Many homeowners employ hand pruning saws in conjunction with mulchers- doing a little shredding and then tossing it into the mulcher.
1. Don’t “over-do-it”
Did you know that a compost layer that’s too thick (often more than 4 inches) can make roots grow shallow making them highly susceptible during extended periods of drought? Trees will do with 2-4 inches, and that’s all you need. Only mulch when the plants sprout up and not before they do and while some tough plants like hostas and lilies might tolerate it most can sprout up through a layer of manure.
2. Never do it to close to the tree trunks
One bad habit most homeowner needs to stop is pilling “volcano mulch” against the tree trunk. This will only attract insects and promote disease-causing organism to invade your garden.
3. Mulching Depth
The rule of thumb is only to apply manure 2-3 inches deep, but with fast draining and sandy soils, you can apply a layer of up to 4 inches deep. Soils that drain slowly will need a 1-2 inch layer.
4. When to apply
Manure application can be done any season of the year, although it’s good to have it ready before the scorching summer heat arrives. In cold regions, it’s important to wait until when the soil warms up in the spring to apply or refresh the manure. A layer of compost during the fall will act as an insulator during the cold winter.
5. Use the right amount
One of the best practices that contribute to the effectiveness of mulching is knowing the type of compost to use for your garden. The best type of much is one made from 100% organic materials, for example, sawdust, compost materials, and mulched leaves.
Edging and Mulching Around Trees: How You Can Redefine An Edge
Before we dive in, let us know in the comments section if you'd like more content on the following mulching topics- sales, delivery, calculator, Lowes availability, with riding lawn mowers, Walmart options, around trees, alternatives, with stones, with termites, around houses, buying from Ace Hardware and Menards, issues with the Soil Council.
The video creator talks about why you want to make an edge around a tree and, first of all, he says, you're most likely going to create an edge for appearance's sake.
Second of all, you are going to create an edge because you want to use some mulch to be able to manage the moisture around the tree.
And if you just put this mulch on top of the existing grass there around the tree, then the grass is going to grow into that mulch.
So, due to this, if we create an edge around the tree, perhaps using a weed torch, and kind of create a trench around that area, then your grass cannot grow into that trench area. You can always use one of these new-fangled automatic, robot lawn mowers to keep your yard maintained.
We will, he says, have a nice defined edge and you will probably likewise be able to trim and mow around it much easier.
In the video, he works around a tree that he had earlier edged this past year. It requires a small amount of maintenance.
He says that he observed some weeds growing and now he'll have to get some new mulch on there and just define the edge a little bit better. If you are looking to start from scratch and you have never edged any of your trees before, he's got a ton of videos that show how to do that.
However if you simply just want to redefine the edge on your tree, or maybe a landscape bed on your lawn, that's what the gardener says he will be doing today.
He clarifies the tools you'll need, also- in order to complete this procedure, something which will be handy to start out with would be some kind of rake. It can be a hand rake. It could be a tiny bit larger rake, but you will need to pull all of that old mulch around the old edge away from there and kind of dig that out slightly.
Second of all, for those who have some weeds, it's good to make use of a weed pulling tool for some of the more stubborn weeds that will not come out easily. You do not necessarily need to have this as long as you pull out most of the weeds, and then you will cover this with mulch. It's going to hold down most of the weeds anyway and they are not likely to return as easily, but you will still get a few that come back.
So just a simple weed pulling tool helps slightly in this area. The next thing, it is probably the most important tool is to have something: that's going to redefine our edge, something that's going to cut the edge sharp. The YouTuber says he uses an edging tool that he purchased a year ago.
He says that it operates very, very well to create an edge around the tree or circling your landscaping beds, and it is very easy to use.
Without having a tool like this you're going to want to use some kind of trenching shovel or a spade, but make absolutely certain that it's sharp, so you can create a nice defined edge. Then, after this is done, it is likely you have a string trimmer or weed burner of some type, if you're doing work in your yard, so you can use that around the tree to kind of trim things up.
Otherwise, without having something of that nature- actually what the YouTuber likes to do is make use of a pair of scissors on the first cut- this is going to cut all the grass around that edge line really nicely for the first cut.
Following that, he commonly uses a string trimmer to help keep things trimmed around that area, but the first time you can do it by hand the old-fashioned way, and he finds that that works well.
One further thing you may need is simply some kind of way to remove any of the excess dirt or grass that you are removing as you redefine this edge, so you may need some kind of lawn bags or disposal bags to use. Having said that, when you do it in your area, make absolutely certain to correctly recycle this, and then this isn't really a tool, but at the end, you're going to want to place down some type of mulch.
The creator says that he just picked up some from Lowe's. You actually can generally use whatever you prefer to use in your area, color, wise and product wise, anything you like, but he says you should always put a fine layer of mulch down after you get this edge.
