If you have large trees on your property, you know how much work it can be to rake all those leaves up and dispose of them every year — especially in the fall! A leaf mulcher like the Worx WG430 [Amazon Link] is a perfect solution to cutting down on the volume of leaves you must deal with each season, and the mulch you produce can be recycled into your garden for use around your plants. This article is a Worx Leaf Mulcher Review, and will take you through the ins and outs of this mulcher (not literally!) so that you’ll know if this is the right product for your needs.
Worx Leaf Mulcher Review
Today, we’re reviewing the Worx 13-Amp Leaf Mulcher/Shredder in order to provide you with all the information you need to decide if this product is a good choice for you. We’ll dig into the many features the Worx has to offer including functionality, cleaning and maintenance, quality, assembly and, of course, the competition. So let’s get started before that pile of leaves gets any larger!
Key Features at a Glance
- Powerful 13-amp motor with 8500 RPMs to efficiently shred leaves fast
- Easy to assemble with no tools required
- Environmentally friendly, since it doesn’t use gas
- Individual parts nest together for easy storage when not in use
- Use the shredded leaves as mulch for your garden
- Reduces 11 bags of leaves down to a single bag
- The motor utilizes clean-air cooling technology
- No blades to buy! Uses cutting line instead of steel blades for shredding leaves
- Also included with mulcher are 24 additional cutting lines and a ring to hold the bag open for easier filling
- Includes a three-year warranty
To get a quick view of what the Worx WG430 is all about, here is a short video highlighting its major benefits:
Dimensions and Specs
- Overall dimensions: 22.6” x 22.6 “x 13.2“
- Weight: 24.3 Lbs.
The Details
The Worx WG430 13-Amp Electric Leaf Mulcher/Shredder will greatly reduce the amount of work that goes into fall clean-up. It will also give you wonderful mulch for your plants or your compost bin, turning what once was a long and difficult job into added value by no longer needing to buy mulch for the garden!
Functionality
The Worx has a 13-amp motor with 8500 RPMs to give you all the power you need to grind up that pile of leaves in no time. This mulcher will shred 53 gallons of dry leaves in one minute, thereby reducing 11 bags of leaves down to a single bag (Note: use dry leaves for best results).
This greatly reduces the volume of leaves needing to be disposed of, saving both time and money. Want to be really green? Why not use the mulch for your garden or compost tumbler? Doing so provides important nutrients and water retention qualities to your soil for healthier plants. This is especially useful if you normally purchase mulch every year, saving you loads of money!
The Worx features a large opening to feed handfuls of leaves in at a time. It’s lightweight, which makes it easy to manage. In addition, there’s no gas to purchase and no annoying fumes, making it relatively earth-friendly.
The Worx can handle wet leaves, but the process will be slower and you will need to clean out the wet mulch often as it accumulates on the inside of the unit. If you stick to dry leaves, you’ll have a much more effective mulching session.
Cleaning and Maintenance
Cleaning is fairly straightforward: simply hose the WG430 off with water. It has been suggested that you blow the motor out with compressed air from time to time to keep it free of debris and working well. The disposable cans of compressed air, like these Blow Off cans that you would use to clean a computer, work just fine for this purpose.
It is not advised to store the WG430 outside when it’s not in use. There’s really no need to, as the mulcher easily breaks down, and the pieces nest together for compact storage in your garage or backyard shed. Worx did a good job keeping this baby compact for storage.
Materials and Build Quality
The Worx 13-Amp Electric Leaf Mulcher is made out of plastic and metal. It is lightweight but seems to be well-made. The manufacturer stands behind their product by offering a 30-day money back guarantee, along with a three-year warranty.
Assembly
The Worx mulcher is easy to assemble with no tools required. It is so easy, in fact, that you don’t have to even look at the directions to figure it out!
And, it is just as simple to break down and store away when not in use.
Competition
The Flowtron LE 900 has similar features, but a slightly different design to the Worx, and is placed at a much higher price point. It also uses trimmer cord. It features an extra-large adjustable opening for feeding leaves and also claims to mulch grass cutting and pine needles. The Flowtron can be mounted on a garbage can or used with bags, and claims the same 11:1 ratio as the Worx. It has a 5.9-amp motor and comes with a one-year warranty.
The Sun Joe SDJ616 Shredder Joe also features a 13-amp motor but has a little lower RPMs (8000 compared to Worx 8500). The price is comparable to the Worx and the design is very similar as well. The Sun Joe claims to reduce yard waste by 16:1 and to mulch up to 55 bags of leaves per minute as well as pine needles and grass clippings.
The Sun Joe has an adjustable dial that can be set for either wet or dry leaves, although that doesn’t seem to matter, as you still have to do the exact same thing with the wet leaves that you would with any machine—clean them out frequently. It also uses trimmer line and it’s very light at only 13.4 lbs. The Sun Joe comes with a two-year warranty.
Concerns
There are a few things to note of before deciding whether to purchase the Worx 13-Amp Leaf Mulcher. Many of the concerns are universal with any electric mulcher, however, it’s important to mention the potential downside so you can make a fully informed decision.
Even though the manufacturer claims it features a low noise and dust producing motor, the fact is, there will be some noise when operating this machine. And it can produce quite a bit of dust, so be prepared. It is advised to wear protective equipment such as eye protection, ear plugs, and a mask when you’re using your mulcher.
Additionally, the WG430 will not handle anything larger than the smallest twigs. It is not a wood grinder, and shouldn’t be used for that purpose. If you want one of those, get an electric wood chipper. The Worx works best with medium to large sized dry leaves and doesn’t do so well with small leaves. Because you cannot adjust the opening, some of the leaves may get through without being shredded, especially the small ones. If this happens, you can put them back through again, and that should do the trick.
Wet leaves will slow the mulcher down, and you will go through trimmer line much faster, as you will with twigs. The Worx replacement line is not expensive if you need more, or you can use any trimmer line. Some customers have suggested going with a heavier duty line for the toughest projects.
The Bottom Line
No yard machine is without its issues, plain and simple. But all in all, we feel the Worx 13-Amp Leaf Mulcher stands up to the competition well and is a great piece of equipment at an affordable price.
Picking up all those leaves is easier, and even fun with the Worx 13-amp Leaf Mulcher on the job. Not only does this little workhorse make light work of fall clean-up, but you can also use the shredded leaves as mulch for your garden, saving time and money!
- 53 GALLONS/MIN: That’s right, the 13.0 Amp motor mulches up to 53 Gallons...
- RIGHT INTO THE BAG: Disposes of leaves and debris into a bag you can attach...
- 11:1 MULCH RATIO: That’s 11 bags chopped down into 1, all due to the...
- STURDY YET PORTABLE: At 20 lbs., this tool is substantial and stays in...
- DO IT YOURSELF. DO IT BETTER. DO IT WITH WORX: WORX tools are engineered...
Last update on 2024-11-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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