Worx WG430 13 Amp Electric Leaf Mulcher

We have very mature, very large maple and ash trees on 1/3 acre and autumn is beautiful but produces many leaves. Mowing all of them with a mulching blade is just too dense on the grass and doesn't account for leaves left on the garden area. We have made mulch piles in the past and takes too long for my lazy, lack of turning the piles.This was our first year using the Worx WG430 and this is my initial opinion.1. very easy to set up and use. It is electric so requires a long extension cord to move around the yard.2. noisy. not more than expected, just as expected. I wear hearing protection when mowing and did with this too. Not a complaint, just an observation.3. mulch reduction rate. I don't know how manufacturers get their 4:1, 11:1, 16:1 reduction rates, but I didn't see 11:1 mulch rate with this. I played with running a mulched load back through again and even running that through a 3rd time and got it mulched down to very fine, but I take the 11:1 "rating" like I do a wet/dry vacuum that claims to be 5 HP. This is marketing mumbo jumbo and probably isn't reliable to compare between tools.I do believe that the mulch reduction rate is acceptable for either keeping in my gardens, mulch pile or moving them to a compost site. The Worx made big whole leaves into little pieces of leaves.4. the trim lines. I found that the Worx trims great when the trim line is new, and is progressively slower as the trim line is used and worn down. I've used line trimmers so I understand the concept. With line trimmers they bump to extend or magically extend as they are worn away. With the Worx there is no extending as they wear away. You have to stop your work and replace the pre-cut, pre-measured trimmer lines. The machine came with Worx brand trim lines and there were 10-20 (I don't remember) so you can get started and really get a lot of mulching done with what comes in the box, but you will change them out and maybe quicker than you expected.The changing of the lines is very easy and quick.I have a 350' spool of .080 string trimmer line and using one of the Worx lines, I cut a whole stack of proper length lines and used them in the Worx. I did not see any difference in durability while using my .080 string trimmer line vs the trimmer line that came with the Worx.5. Stores compactly.6. I found the paper bag adapter COMPLETELY useless. It went immediately into the garbage since I could not think of a way to repurpose it. I used contractor grade garbage bags that worked great and if I needed to use the paper lawn bags then I could just pour the leaves out of the contractor bags into the paper bags, easier than trying to use the paper bag adapter.After the first season of use, I am very happy for the purchase. It seems durable, easy to use, and does the job (the one job it is intended to do) well. Still have to rake or blow them into a pile and lift them into the machine.I would recommend this for a medium size yard (again my lot is 1/3 acre with 8 very mature trees, 18"-40" diameter base).

The media could not be loaded. The unit comes in three parts. The stand (you assemble), The shredder, and the deflector lid.Pros: Works well. (I use their canvas tote recommended here to transport the leaves as it didn't work as a catcher. Inexpensive.) Fast. It even mulches damp leaves, although I have to clean out the tub often.Cons: Their tote is too short to work as a catcher. I was covered with leaves and dust the first time I used them together. The plastic adapter for leaf bags is useless. My fix was to switch to large trash bags, raking the leaves into the tote and dumping them. Noisy. The poorly designed stand is flimsy and wobbles. The deflector fits oddly and the clips that latch it to the tub are a joke. The included lines don't hold up and need to be changed often. The cutter lines don't hold up long enough. I had to change them out after two hours.Thoughts: The I switched out the cutting lines with a thicker Dual Color Pre-Cut 0.095 twisted weed whacker line, then ran the shredder for eight hours over two days with little wear to the lines. ( thin out an end for easy threading (at 75, my hands aren't as strong as they were.) It makes it easier to thread through the drive unit. The machine mulches the leaves finer when stuffed with leaves, rather than loading it by a rake or handful. My yard is completely surround by mature maples, and the shredded leaves make a great mulch.

I used it for the 1st time yesterday for several hours continuously and had no problems at all. There were lots of comments about sticks not going through or clogging up the chopper but I didn't experience any problems. Granted, I didn't put limbs or branches in there, just twigs but never had an issue. I didn't have to change the line although it looks to be pretty straightforward to do. I chose not to assemble or attach the legs and sat the unit right on top of my plastic trash can an it worked fine. Yes, it was a little dusty but I'm outside sweating already and just stepped back picking up more leaves anyway. I'm really happy I bought this, living in a house surrounded by 50+ yr old oak trees. I don't usually bag them but rather blow them around into a few contained areas and let them lay as mulch cover. This will allow me to spread the 'wealth' of the mulch to other parts of my backyard that don't have the same dense leaf coverage. Easy to operate and assemble. Great product and design, IMO.