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How To Select The Best Leaf Vacuum Mulcher Of 2015

Despite using high quality machinery for removing the
dust from our homes, many of us still bend our backs to
remove leaves manually during the fall season.
Alternatively, some of us remove the leaves using
standard vacuum cleaners, which result in clogging of
the tubes. This new year, you can choose to continue
with the outdated methods, or shift to a leaf vacuum
mulcher. A close cousin of the leaf blower and vacuum
cleaner, the mulcher nevertheless has some vital
differences which make it important to gather sufficient
information on the category in general and also the best
products in the market today. To save you the hassle of
going through endless product descriptions that
promise the moon and sifting the truth from the
Best Leaf Vacuum Mulcher
marketing claims, weve provided below vital
information about mulchers, buying tips from experts and reviews of top mulchers available in 2015.

What is Leaf Mulcher ?

Leaf vacuum mulcher, as the name suggests, uses vacuum to remove leaves from lawns, patios and other
areas. Unlike the ordinary vacuum cleaner that you use to remove debris from your lawn, the mulcher has special
blades that slice and dice the leaves into small pieces. These can, depending on the type of leaf mulcher
(discussed below), be removed or restored to the lawn to act as fertilizer.
Mulching leaves every fall is vital because of a number of reasons
1. Helps uncover grasses and flower beds, thereby allowing them access to sunlight and pollen.
2. Ensures snow/rain during winter falls on the flower beds directly. If snow falls on leaves lying
above flower beds, they can suffocate the plants underneath.
3. Prevents leaves from turning into a soggy mat come spring rain.
4. Prevents growth of crabgrass and dandelions, according to research by MS University.
5. If left as mulch in open areas, they decompose and act as mulch.
6. Ensure that an unsightly mess of leaves is not created in the lawn.
Despite recognizing the importance of removing leaves and/or mulching them, some garden-owners consider
mulchers to be a professional-only appliance. They instead prefer normal vacuum cleaners or leaf blowers
without mulching facility. Doing so is tantamount to doing a disservice to your lawn because
1. Ordinary vacuum cleaners cannot remove the leaves because of their typically larger size and presence of
hard leaf stems. Using a vacuum cleaner will not only clog the tubing, but can cause worms and bugs to
enter the cleaner along with the leaves. This can create a headache later when using the cleaner for
cleaning the interior of the house.
2. Leaf blowers without mulching attachments/options are usually meant for moving the leaves from one
place to another without breaking them down. You will still have to remove the leaves separately, unless
you want to be criticized for leaving heaps of leaves around. Further, such removal prevents the lawn from
benefiting from the mulch being mowed into the lawn as fertilizer.

Types of Leaf Mulchers

Since leaf mulchers evolved from various other gardening tools, they do not have a standard classification of their
own. However, you need to know some broad classifications that set one mulcher apart from another

Bag or without bag

Standard leaf mulchers come with a bag or basket in which the mulched leaves are collected, to be thrown
away or returned to the soil as the need may be. The bags themselves are carried on the shoulder, or
pulled/pushed along with the mulcher itself by means of an extra wheel.
Mulchers without bags are somewhat cheaper, but they tend to throw the mulched leaves back onto the
ground. This is acceptable as long as you begin mulching from the edges of the garden and intend to return the
leaves back into the ground, but in other circumstances, it is best to collect the leaf residue together in a bag for
easy disposal/dispersal.

Gas or electric
Gas Mulchers Belonging to the older generation of leaf vacuum mulchers, these products use gas to run the
mulcher. The obvious benefit of this is that the mulcher can be carried around regardless of the electric supply
situation. Indeed, if you are planning on opening a garden cleaning service and/or have to work in large areas
(like orchards), a gas mulcher is a good idea.
The problem however is that the gas mulchers are extremely heavy, and cannot be used in areas of extreme
heat. Further, gas mulchers are extremely noisy and can produce smoke if proper maintenance is not carried out.
Electric-supply only Mulchers Some products need an electric supply instead of gas to work, and this allows
them to be quieter and cleaner than gas mulchers. Further, since gas tanks are not needed, the products are
lighter and can be moved quickly and stored without fear of gas leaks.
The flipside of these mulchers is that they can only work in the area serviced by the power cord and/or generator
Battery powered mulchers The most advanced mulchers available, these products come with a small but
powerful battery that can be used when the mulcher is out of power cord range. At other times, electric power
allows the product to run and the battery to charge simultaneously.
The problem with these mulchers is that they typically come with a high price tag, though with improvement in
technology, the prices have come down vis--vis the other mulcher categories. Indeed, many of the best leaf
vacuum mulchers today are those that come with both electricity-only and battery powered hybrid functional
modes.

Top 5 Best Leaf Vacuum Mulcher Reviews

LSWV36 40V
Rating
Product Dimensions: 37 x 8.5 x 20.4 inches ; 6.9 pounds
Batteries 1 Lithium ion batteries required. (included)
Shipping: Free!
Origin: China

WORX WG509
Rating
Product Dimensions: 20 x 15 x 9 inches ; 11 pounds
Batteries: Not Inclued
Shipping: Free!
Origin: China

Toro 51609
Rating
Product Dimensions: 41 x 9 x 14 inches ; 10 pounds
Batteries: Not Inclued
Shipping: Free!
Origin: Mexico

BV5600
Rating
Product Dimensions: 15.6 x 20.8 x 9.9 inches
Batteries: Not Inclued
Shipping: Free!
Origin:

WG505
Rating
Product Dimensions: 20 x 15 x 9 inches ; 11 pounds
Batteries: Not Inclued
Shipping: Free!
Origin: China

Black and Decker LSWV36 40V Lithium Ion Sweeper/Vac

Breaking away from the tradition of vacuum mulchers with battery support that demand a massive price, this
Black and Decker product comes with a 40w Lithium battery, which allows the product to charge faster and work
longer. The available battery power can be used in two modes maximum power and maximum run-time so
you can modify the mode according to priorities set by you. Coupled with the ability to blow leaves if needed and
the ability to switch between vacuum and blowing modes easily, this product offers enough muscle to clear out the
average lawn with ease.

Interestingly, this muscle is coupled with sufficient design speciality for the product to be used in odd shaped
regions. This design includes a built-in scraper in the blow pipe, which allows
the user to clear out leaf mats that have been crated due to rain, etc.

WORX WG509 Electric TriVac Blower/Mulcher/Vacuum

Boasting of a variable speed of 75 to 210 mph, this WORX offerings 12 amp
motor is further enhanced by options like six speed settings and throttle
control. This system allows the product to scatter/collect leaves from large
areas, as well as remove it slowly from sensitive and narrow regions. Indeed,
such versatility extends to the function modification system as well, with
vacuum and blowing modes being interchangeable using a simple hardware
button.
In addition, two points need to be made about the design the product comes
with a special angled tube having a curved tip, which makes removing leaves
from inaccessible areas easier. Secondly, the products mulching system is
composed of a two stage mechanism a standard mulching stage followed
by a rare impeller mulching mechanism that reduces the leaves to minute
pieces with a volume that is 18 times lesser than the original volume of the
leaves consumed. Last but not least, the machine carries out all these tasks
without raising the noise level above 71 decibels.

Toro 51609 Ultra 12 amp Variable-Speed (up to 235)

Electric Blower/Vacuum with Metal Impeller
Matching the WORX product closely, this offering from Toro comes with a
powerful motor that can create air speed of up between 112 and 235 mph.
Coupled with a bag capacity of 390 cfm and a number of variable speed
levels, this allows the product to offer mulching and blowing options without
compromising on overall versatility or quality.
Where Toro really shines though is in the hardware there is a special metal
impeller blade in this mulcher too, and for good measure, it has been coated
with magnesium. Furthermore, depending on the speed being used, there are
two inserts power insert and concentration insert, which decide the type and
speed of leaf mulching/blowing. When added to the Ultra blower mechanism
and the range of speed options, it becomes clear how this product can
achieve a 16:1 leaf volume reduction ratio in a short span of time.

Black & Decker BV5600 High Performance Blower/Vac/Mulcher

One of the most affordable leaf vacuum mulchers in the market today, this
product nevertheless comes with a 2 speed motor capable of reaching
speeds in excess of 235 mph. Having a capacity of 12 amp, this motor is as
adaptable as its costlier cousins to rapid shifting between vacuum, mulching
and blowing modes.
Furthermore, it shines in all three modes the pivoting action turbo nozzle
loosens the earth in blowing mode, while the high impact metal fan ensures
that vacuum and mulching modes are not hampered by excess soil debris or
leaf capacity. Indeed, the product can reduce 16 bags of leaves into one,
equalling the capacity of many high end products.

WORX WG505 Electric TriVac Blower/Mulcher/Vacuum

The second WORX candidate on this list, WG505 offers a powerful 12 amp
motor that boasts of a maximum speed of 210 mph and a minimum of 75
mph. Like its cousin mentioned above, there is no requirement for tubechanging when it comes to shifting the work mode, and this, coupled with the
1 bushel capacity bag that comes with the product, allows the user to work in
different modes without having to change anything beyond the configuration
of a lever on the product.
In true spirit of a leaf vacuum mulcher, the product comes with a metal
impeller that can turn 16 bags of leaves into one bag of leaf dust. This is
coupled with the nice 14 gallon per minute processing capacity of the vacuum
system, which ensures that the fine leaf dust is created at a speed that is
convenient to your schedule.

Tips for Choosing the Best Leaf Vacuum Mulcher

Each person has his/her own garden size, tree composition and time schedule, and these area vital to deciding
what type of product will be the Best Leaf Vacuum Mulcher for him/her. However, as general pointers when going
shopping for a mulcher, you should keep in mind
1. Motor specifics While the best products mentioned above never go below 12 amp motor power, the
threshold for acceptable products is 10 amp. Below this speed, it is impossible to obtain a thorough
mulching regardless of the overall capacity of the machine to handle leaves.
2. Reduction ratio Reduction ratio refers to the ratio in which the original leaf volume is reduced when
passed through the mulcher. Good ratios are in excess of 16:1 , and can go up to 18:1 for top products.
3. Speed variations All of us have garden sections that are filled with nothing but tough grasses, and also
parts having delicate plants. Using the leaf vacuum mulcher at full speed in the former makes sense, but
can damage the plants in the latter. Variable speeds, which can save these plants from damage is
therefore a vital feature of any product. Aim for products with at least 2 genuinely different speed
variations.
4. Easy mode switching capability Most modern mulchers also come with leaf blower and vacuum
integrated, so it makes sense to be able to shift from one mode to another at short notice. The best
products come with a single lever or switch for making this transition.
5. Powerful impellers Though it is not necessary for impellers to be made of metal, it is important for them
to be present and be capable of taking high leaf debris impact while chopping the leaves into fine pieces.
6. Nozzle/pipe design The nozzle or pipe (also called tube) of the product should be designed to fit into
small spaces without creating a vortex of dust and residue that increases your work. A curved nozzle and a
wide tube are the best solutions for the average garden mulcher, though more specialized attachments are
always useful.

Conclusion
Mulchers are a varied and somewhat specialized branch of the large family of vacuum and blowing appliances,
and as we have seen, their position cannot be supplanted by other products of the family, regardless of the minor
similarities that may exist. Given how important proper mulching is for the health of your garden, it is wise not to
experiment with anything short of the top lawn mulchers in the market. Our guide has tried to explain in brief the
basic tenets of buying a good mulcher, and then how the top products fit into these categories. It is earnestly
hoped that this information, when combined with the special circumstances of your garden, can help produce a
clean, fertile and flourishing garden through the purchase of the ideal leaf vacuum mulcher.

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