Lawn maintenance can be enjoyable; as long as you have the right tools. One of the best tools I own is a leaf mulcher.
Maintaining a pristine lawn consists of several aspects - regular cleaning, trimming, watering, fertilizing, pruning, and waste management. If you have trees, you have to learn to deal with fallen leaves.
Well, raking up leaves and bagging them is fine, but what do you do with the bag? I was confused about it too, till my husband got me a leaf mulcher for the garden. To be honest, I’ve never had to look back since then.
Hi! I’m Stacy, and in today’s guide, I will be telling you how does a leaf mulcher work. The workings of this fascinating tool intrigued me so much that I decided to research it during my free time last weekend.
Well, here’s everything I found out about it.
How Does A Leaf Mulcher Work
What Is A Leaf Mulcher?
Before I delve into the workings of a leaf mulcher, let me begin by introducing this tool. It is one of my favorite garden tools, and you will soon find out why.
As the name suggests, a leaf mulcher is a device that “mulches” or grinds leaves, twigs, and small branches into tiny pieces. The device contains powerful blades that shred leaves and deposit the mulch into a container or a bag.
The best part is that the shredded leaves can be added to a compost pile. This eliminates waste and prevents air pollution and other emissions that may arise if you burned the discarded leaves instead.
What Does A Leaf Mulcher Look Like?
During my research, I found several leaf mulcher models in the market. From handheld mulchers to walk-behind mulchers, large container mulchers to vacuum cleaner mulchers, there is something for everyone.
Essentially, a leaf mulcher consists of three primary parts:
- A hollow unit to place leaves and twigs
- Sharp, powerful blades or metal strings for mulching
- A catch chamber to collect the mulch
While most leaf mulchers are equipped with powerful blades that enable the quick shredding of leaves and twigs, not all mulchers have blades. You may find certain mulcher models that have a metal string instead. These mulchers work in a way similar to weed eaters. The sharp metal string works like a blade to shred leaves into tiny pieces.
You may also use compostable trash bags which allow the mulch to decompose naturally without any interference on your end. These bags are typically made from plant starch and are completely natural. Over time, the bags (along with the leaf mulch inside them) will decompose into yard debris or kitchen waste.
These wastes can then be reused for several applications, eliminating unnecessary waste while providing an excellent source of nutrition for plants and seedlings.
Types Of Leaf Mulchers
As I mentioned earlier, there are several types of leaf mulchers in the market. Choosing the best one for your requirements depends on several factors. You need to consider many factors such as the usage frequency, the quantity of dead leaves and twigs in the garden, the budget, etc.
Here are some of the most common types of leaf mulchers you will find in the market:
1. Ride-On Leaf Mulcher
This type of leaf mulcher is ideal for those who own a lawn mower or tractor. The leaf mulcher can be attached to the back of (or under) your vehicle. It continuously gathers and mulches leaves as it rides along with the mower or tractor.
2. Walk-Behind Leaf Mulcher
As the name tells you, a walk-behind leaf mulcher is a device you drag along the yard, similar to a lawn mower. Although some models have a smaller hose that helps you reach hard-to-get-to areas, these mulchers are typically designed for large, open yards.
Furthermore, these machines are generally equipped with large engines, so they consume a lot of power.
3. Handheld Leaf Mulcher
Handheld leaf mulchers can be a handy tool if used correctly. As such, these mulchers are designed to handle small jobs and are thus equipped with small motors, blades, and engines.
You must be very careful when using a handheld leaf mulcher, as larger branches, acorns, and other debris can easily clog the system. Once this happens, fixing the machine can be a hassle and is a job best left to professionals.
- 3IN1 DESIGN – Easily converts into a corded leaf blower, leaf vacuum, or mulcher for versatile use..Blower is ideal for clearing debris from hard surfaces and leaves from yard. Vacuum is ideal for mulching leaves and other lawn debris INCLUDES – (1) BEBL7000, (1) blow tube, (1) vac tube, (1) backpack bag.
- POWERFUL AIR SPEED AND AIRFLOW – Air speeds up to 250 mph and airflow up to 400 cfm deliver the power you need for quick, effective clearing.
- BACKPACK STYLE – Easy-to-wear backpack with up to 2x the bag capacity allows for hands-free operation.
- 3-IN-1: Eliminate hand raking or bagging. This versatile electric leaf blower, vacuum & mulcher effortlessly shreds leaves and collects debris, making yard work a breeze. Enjoy premium performance with up to 350 CFM air volume and 210 MPH air speed.
- SPACE-SAVING COLLECTION: The blowers for lawn care slices and dices yard debris like never before. The 2-stage metal impeller mulches 18 bags of leaves down into 1, so you can cover more ground without stopping to empty the bag.
- SIMPLIFIED SPEED CONTROL: Leaf vacuum mulcher with bag offers variable speed control, giving you complete power adjustment. Perfect for a range of tasks, from light-duty sweeping to blasting away leaves.
4. Stationary Leaf Mulcher
These leaf mulcher models are medium to large-sized. They work like wood chippers but are able to process only small quantities of leaves, twigs, and small branches at a time. In case you want to grind larger branches, it is best to opt for a Power Take Off (PTO) model instead.
Benefits Of A Leaf Mulcher
In my opinion, using a leaf mulcher has made the task of cleaning dead leaves much easier. Here are some of the top benefits that I noted:
- The mulch produced is excellent for plant and soil health
- Several models of the device are available
- Collects dead leaves, twigs, and small debris
- Adjustable speed options for different requirements
- It saves time and effort
Final Words
That’s all for today. I hope you enjoyed going through my guide, and now have a better understanding of the workings of a leaf mulcher.
As I mentioned earlier, I think this is one of my favorite gardening tools. I have a small handheld model as well as a walk-behind one, each for different purposes. I recommend researching the other models, their functionality, and prices before selecting the right one for your garden.
Let me know which leaf mulcher model you prefer and why. Don’t forget to leave a comment below, and stay tuned for more such guides and reviews. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me in the comments below, and I will get back to you at the earliest.
Until then, stay safe!