Customer Reviews

WORX WG430 13 amp Electric Leaf Mulcher/Shredder

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I am a huge believer in creating compost and living in Oregon with an abundance of trees and leaves has led me to try a number of different products that mulch. I have purchased many combination blower-mulchers as well as stand-alone leaf eater (leaf shredder) electricity-driven products. I would like to share with you my review of the WORKX WG430 & compare it to the Flowtron LE-900 and to the McCulloch 14-AMP Electric Chipper/Shredder- MCS2001.

Pros:
All 3 pieces of equipment shred leaves sufficient to allow for mulching and ultimately composting. The WORKX is easily put together and this is so simple that the instructions are not needed. The assembled unit is stable despite some other reviews that it may not be so. The assembled unit is easily disassembled for better cleaning, for storage and to facilitate putting in new leaf-eater line. The Flowtron assembly is a little more involved but easily done. The assembled unit does not feel as sturdy as the WORKX but it is durable and the first Flowtron unit that I bought in 2007 lasted two years; it was the electric motor that died, and not any other part of the unit. I still have the McCulloch chipper-shredder. It has lasted over 5 years and shows no signs of impending demise. Therefore, I do not think that the construction, stability or assembly/disassembly of these units plays a major role in my choice of what the best unit is.

Cons:
The WORKX and Flowtron both generate a major amount of dust and the Flowtron is especially noisy. Definitely advise use of a face mask or some form of protection for the eyes and ideally the lungs (simple mask) when working with dry leaves. Ear protection is important as well. All units can emit (spit out) pieces of debris that could result in trauma to your eyes or any exposed soft tissue so safety should be a key issue when running these machines. Of the 3 units, the Flowtron is most offensive to the ears. Of the 3 units, the McCulloch emits the least amount of dust with the Flowtron and WORKX tied for a very distant second.

Inability to handle even small twigs is a major downside for the Flowtron and WORKX since both use filament line to act as leaf eaters. This is the same kind of line used in weed wackers. If you intentionally or inadvertently toss in twigs or even small branches into either machine the filament length is whittled down quite quickly and you will be inserting new line often. This is not a super simple task for either Flowtron or WORKX. On the contrary, the McCulloch handles branches and of course twigs, pine cones, etc very well. No problem there. The major downside of the McCulloch is the need to hand feed the leaves, twigs, or anything else that you are chipping or shredding. The Flowtron and WORKX allows you to grab large handfuls of leaves and quickly toss them into the unit. Not so with the McCulloch. If the McCulloch had this ability there would be no issue as to which machine to select.

The mulched product is the finest with the McCulloch, followed by the Flowtron with the WORKX the least impressive. The reason for this is that the WORKX has no way to adjust the opening for the shredded leaves; it is one size. The Flowtron has a sliding device that allows you to select a fine or coarse adjustment. Both the Flowtron and WORKX talk about the ability to shred moist leaves but I would tell you that although this is possible you end up after 5 minutes stopping the machine and scraping off a large amount of mushed leaf product and the trimmer line rapidly is eaten up as well. Same issue with the McCulloch but here you have not a problem with trimmer line but caking up of this mushy mulch on the inner walls of the machine that forces you to disassemble the McCulloch. The disassembly of the McCulloch is a time-consuming and not at all enjoyable procedure and if McCulloch could devise a quick release set up like the WORKX, this would be wonderful (assuming it to be safe).

I do not like that the WORKX has a two-pronged plug. I feel better with a 3-prong which is seen with the Flowtron and McCulloch.

Lastly, with the McCulloch you have 3 major working blades. These can be sharpened by the homeowner or new ones purchased online. These are not cheap but I have found it pretty easy to sharpen them myself so I do not consider this a major downside for this machine.

I just purchased another Flowtron after trying the WORKX and today have returned the WORKX for the reasons listed. I did a side-by-side comparison of the quality of the shredding and it was clear that WORKX allowed to many fully intact leaves to pass through without shredding.

Final conclusions: of the two leaf eaters, the Flowtron is clearly better. Of all three units, I would have to say that the McCulloch's ability to chip leaves, twigs, pine cones, seeds from cedars makes it my favorite. It just does not handle leaves as fast as the Flowtron. I have no connection in any way with any of these companies. Anyone that uses one or more of these products will find this review to be complete, clear and right on target. Lastly, I purchased and returned the WORKX via Amazon and purchased the FLowtron via Amazon on two separate occasions. I bought the McCulloch locally. I am very pleased with the delivery and return policy of Amazon.

This is my first experience with a leaf shredder other than my mulching mower. I filled a large plastic contractor bag in it's first use. It does shred about a 9:1 ratio. And I used the mulched leaves for a landscaped area.

Pluses:
The motor seems very strong and the weed whip material seems to hold up well. And it's simple to assemble, move around and store. Fairly light weight too.

Issues:
My plastic bag didn't allow air circulation and the leaves were dry, causing a LOT of leaf dust to blow out the top. Mostly on me. I may try a different bag or no bag next time and that may resolve that proble. BUT wear a dust mask. And the unit needs to be on flat ground as it's a bit tippy on its legs.

It's simple to operate, put it on the lawn, rake or leaf blow the leaves round the mulcher, and start loading them in. It has a very large top and lots of leaves can be dropped in at one time. I wish I had tried one of these jobbos before. It's a real time saver and landfill reducer. Nine bags into one mulched bag! Makes me feel Green.

I am buried in leaves after 4 straight weekends of rain. I have a 3-bucket lawn tractor, but when the leaves get deep it clogs constantly and needs to be emptied every 20 feet. So I bought the WORX WG430. You can't feed it faster than it can eat the leaves, or it will clog. However, if you feed it a couple of handfuls and wait until it grinds them up before feeding more, it works great. It grinds the leaves into almost a soil. A heavy-duty plastic bag of 30 gallons hold a rather large pile. It works with wet and dry leaves (you feed wet ones slower). If you change the plastic strings with each bagfull, it really works great. I have filled about 10 bags so far and just dump the contents in the garden as mulch. Sticks should be avoided. I live in the woods and have found it better to use bare hands to pick up the leaves so I can feel and pull them out before feeding the leaves. If one gets in and bounces around, you can power down and pull it out. Little twigs about the size of pipe cleaners go through fine. Finger-sized sticks need to be avoided.

I have 5 large oak trees on my property and they produce a mountain of leaves in the fall. It takes years for them to decompose into mulch if simply left in a pile. So after reading about leaf shredders I purchased an 8 amp Flowtron shredder and used it the fall of 2008 and for part of the fall of 2009 when the motor eventually burned out. I then purchased a 13 amp Worx shredder and have been using that since. Here are my observations about both models that may help you decide which to buy.

Both shredders are basically inverted string trimmers with a funnel on top that directs the leaves through the spinning line. With both models you get nicely shredded leaves that turn into good dark mulch when left in a pile for about 6 months. It is a pleasure to be able to reduce a mountain of leaves into a manageable pile of mulch, saving the effort of bagging fall leaves for trash pick up and then buying mulch in the spring. Dry leaves shred faster, but they produce a lot of dust. Damp leaves produce very little dust and go into the mulch pile with some moisture which helps with composting. I prefer using the shredder after a light rain. The Flowtron fits well over a big plastic trash can which is slightly better for managing the shredded leaves. I use a tarp under the Worx which is fine, but I liked the trash can method slightly better. The Flowtron has some features that the Worx does not have, like selecting course to fine shredding, and adjusting the tilt of the bucket. I didn't really use these features and don't miss them on the Worx.

The downside is that these shredders require frequent line changes. The lines snap when they contact anything thicker than a pencil lead and to keep production up I find myself replacing them about every 5 or 10 minutes. I try to pick out the sticks, but inevitably some slip through and snap the lines. The Worx can use a slightly heavier .090 line, but it doesn't last appreciably longer than the .080. The Flowtron has a built-in line storage compartment which is handy since you will be changing lines frequently. The Worx would benefit from a feature like this.

In terms of design and build, the Worx is superior. Its motor is powerful, it is nicely constructed and the power switch is easy to locate and operate with gloves on. Out of the box there is much more assembly time with the Flowtron. The Worx snaps together in a couple of minutes. And for storage, the Worx breaks down nicely to store in a compact space. My experience with my burned-out Flowtron makes me wonder if the 8 amp motor is undersized. I am still working my way through the 2009 leaf pile, but I feel confident that the Worx will get me through this season and many more.

Call me "Mr. Frugal." I just refuse to spend any money on some new motorized contraption when I think the job can be accomplished with a little muscle. Maybe I'm a Luddite, but I think that leaf blowers are just a silly, waste of time (I've clocked myself against a neighbor with one and I can do it faster with a hand-rake), and noisy with that high-pitched whine which makes my ears bleed. That being said, I am just plain tired of leaves. I planted all evergreens in my yard, but my neighbors' oaks and maples (mostly oaks) all blow into my yard thoughout October and into December. Since I live in a town without leaf pickup, I am forced to rake them all into those large Home Depot paper leaf bags and make about 30 trips to the transfer station. Sure, the station only charges $1 per bag, but, it takes two full weekends of my time (bagging and loading and driving), and after 16-years of living here, I want my time back! That being said, I broke down and spent the $150 (free super-saver shipping!) to buy the WorxWG430. This is, by far, one of the best things I have ever bought!!!!! First, received it about three days after ordering. Assembly wasn't too bad (maybe three stars), as the directions took a little while to figure out. Suggestion to Worx: Mark the pieces with a sticker and letter or number (e.g., A,B,C, 1,2,3 etc.) to make assembly a little faster. Overall, it took less than an hour: 30-minutes to stare questionably at the directions, and 20-minutes to actually put it to together. That being said, there is not a whole lot of parts and once you have it figured out, it's really pretty simple. I had a boss once who used to say, "Everything is easy once you know how." So, I started it up and this thing chewed those leaves into bits in very little time. I had about four full-size pick up trucks worth of leaves (mostly oak) and the 430 reduced the pile to a very small size pile in less than three hours. Of course, it probably would have taken less time had I picked out the twigs and thick branches which tended to chew up the cords. Replacement of the cords was very easy, however, so I will give back a half-hour for changing these, bathroom breaks, and keeping the dog from chewing on the extension cord. That being said, the 430 is a actually bigger than it appears on-line, handles both wet and dry leaves (dry go faster), and can be left outside, excepting for the motor housing, which comes apart easily. I plugged the extension cord into a GFCI outlet in the kitchen and ran outside onto the patio. The GFCI only tripped once- due to a large amount of 1" thick twigs which jammed the cutters. Suggestions: Always wear safety goggles and/or a face shield. You WILL get pinged in the face with an occasional acorn, twig, or stray stone. Also consider a face mask as the dry leaves can get very dusty. Other than that, just use common sense and the experience will be well worth it! Also, I didn't do a scientific study on the amount of leaves before versus after, but I think the 11:1 ratio is probably close. I put the shredded leaves around my evergreens and in my garden for winter mulch. No more trips to the transfer station! Now, if only everyone could just plant evergreens...

so my first review ever..., here is the deal, spent plenty of time picking a leaf mulcher as I end up with several truck loads of leaves each year.....the only concern I had was confirmed, but I have a resolution....yes the 2.1 Mil string that came with the mulcher are too small, I picked up a spool of 2.7mil and that works MUCH better. I had to make the holes slightly larger to accept the string, no other issues. Once mulched I add a bit of nitrogen in the form of urea or sulfate of ammonia fertilizer, that gives the mulching the power to digest into excellent compost....KM in California

I had purchased a Flowtron Leaf Mulcher/Shredder previously and am totally unimpressed with it. So with accumulating piles of leaves, I ordered the Worx. It was simple to assemble. Although lite to move around, when placed on level ground, it felt steady enough to do the job. I loaded it continuously and it whirled and reduced the damp leaves without any apparent effort. I did need to clean around inside the funnel after using it for awhile due to accumulated leaf buildup but that was a quick and simple step. It seemed much more powerful than the Flowtron which after very few loads kept tripping. Restarting the Flowtron was awkward because you had to turn its funnel upside down in order to get at the reset button.The Worx reduced the leaves to very small particles which made great mulch to put around my plants for insulation as well as food as they breakdown over the winter.I use a muck bucket under the Worx and that allows me to easily move the shredded leaves to whereever I want to use them. When I finished with the leaves, the Worx was easily disassembled and I put it back into its shipping carton until I need it next time. I just wish that I had bought the Worx first.WORX WG430 13 Amp Electric Leaf Mulcher/Shredder

Do not buy this WORX leaf mulcher. The replacement cutting strings, 2.1mm in width, are not available anywhere in the US or Canada. The WORX official site will not assist because you did not buy it from them. Amazon will only refund 50% because the item was used for 2 weeks.

After reading nearly every review posted for the WORX WG430 and the competition Flowtron unit, I bought the WG430. The the larger 13 Amp motor of the WG430 led me to believe it would be more durable and longer lasting. Assembly was intuitively obvious, and I did not need the manual for assembly. The manual was only useful in explaining the purpose of the orange plastic band (bag holder) included in the package. There was one loose screw and wing nut in the box from the plastic band, and the manufacture would do well to either tape these small items or seal them in a plastic bag to keep them from getting lost.

The WG430 proved quite effective at shredding up dry leaves and grass clippings. A mixture of fresh, green grass clippings and leaves picked up by my mower processed through the WG430 quite nicely, and the WG430 made a nice blend of green and brown material which should aid composting. Some whole leaves, grass clippings and vegetable scraps which had been in the compost bin for awhile and were fairly damp did not process well through the WG430, but I was not expecting good results based on what other reviews had indicated.

So far I see only two negatives for the WG430. First, the trimmer line used is too small and wears down fairly quickly. The Flowtron unit uses similarly small trimmer line, so this problem is not unique to the WG430. I don't know why the manufacture didn't use a much larger line to provide more durability since it is the cutting diameter that determines the load on the motor. I likely will experiment with some larger trimmer line. Second, the line cutter inside the trimmer base catches and causes material to hang up and accumulate at that spot in the tub. I'm not sure why this cutter is really necessary as one can easily cut the line to the appropriate length by other means. Eye protection and a respirator mask are essential, and ear protection is strongly recommended based on my experience. The WG430 is not extremely noisy, but several hours of continuous operation would be hard on ones ears.

Based on my limited use so far, I would recommend the WORX WG430 leaf mulcher/shredder for anyone who has a lot of leaves to handle and who wants to compost them. Assembly and set up could not be any easier.

This leaf mulcher does the job... I recommend upgrading the cutter strings to Stihl's slightly thicker cutting cord (for their trimmers / weedwhackers) as this cord lasts longer. This machine does not handle wet leaves or sticks very well; leave your leaves on the yard until you are ready to shred, and don't shred right after a rain. The occasional acorn seemed to help keep the flow path open pretty well. I found that mulching into a pile (on top of a tarp) was more productive than using bags. Eye protection is wise.