Worx WG430 13 Amp Electric Leaf Mulcher

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.

I think that this machine is excellent for its intended use. It works best with dry leaves, just like every other leaf mulcher out there. Here are a few thoughts:PROSIncredibly easy to assembleReplacing the "blades", is easily done in about one minuteOversized on/off switch - a very good safety measurePowerful to chew through leaves and stemsNot too cumbersome to move, but the top part is a little heavyCONS"Blades" - these are plastic trimmer like lines that rotate just like a trimmer. Any non leaf/stem debris will wear down the blade quicker. On average, you will be able to use one set of blades every 45-60 minutes. The more larger debris you put in, the quicker you will have to replace them. They begin to shear from the outside in, and when they lose 4-5 inches of their 13 inch length, the outside of the machine will clog with leaves and debris. A quick shake of the machine will tend to agitate the material, but at some point, you need to power off and replace.Tips:Buy extra "blades" right away. The are not expensive and you won't stress about using them up. After about an hour, replace them. It says to cut them, but you can undo them and replace them without any need for a cutting device.You can buy a collapsible bag, but only do this if you are going to actually use it as mulch. Fill the bag, remove the top of the machine to remove the bag, and dump wherever you need it. This can also be accomplished with a leaf bag. You will need to rip it a bit to get it to fit, but it can be done and at a fraction of the price. If you are just going to use it to get more into the leaf bags to dispose of, I wouldn't use the collapsible bag, or else you'll be filling up one bag to then empty into another...makes no sense.Make sure you have extension cords at the ready. Place this machine right where you need it. Use a blower to gather the leaves in a pile, and then I use a snow shovel to scoop the leaves right into the machine. It works faster if you don't put a massive pile in. A blower and shovel will do wonders on your back, since you won't have to bend down to pick up the leaves (that's what kids are for).If you really have the time, and the patience to do so, you can run the leaves through twice. This will grind them completely and give you an incredibly mulchy base. Like I said, IF YOU HAVE THE TIME.Overall - 4 out of 5 stars, because the "blades" have to be replaced every 60 minutes.

This is easily the best gadget I've seen in a long time!We have a tiny (8000 sq ft) property that receives the majority of the leaves from 3 large maples (combined trunk girth about 20 feet) and leaf removal was a nightmare until we discovered this product. I used to use my leaf blower/vac to shred and bag the leaves, but it was slow, tedious work and the vac was prone to clogging. The Worx shreds leaves down to nice fine mulch. It does produce dust if the leaves are dry, so use protective mask & glasses. The unit seems really well-engineered and well-made. Changing the lines is very easy. It does not like twigs larger than say, a pencil. I don't know how it feels about acorns.It works better with plastic bags than paper, but I discovered that if I used a large nylon laundry bag to catch the mulch, it was easy to transfer it into paper bags for disposal.When I ordered this, there was only 1 review listed on Amazon, but I took a chance on it because I figured that it was more powerful (13 amps) than the others and would probably perform better. I am so happy I got this!Update:This is my third autumn using this gadget and I still LOVE it! It's still working perfectly, and my nylon laundry bag is still going strong. (Note to manufacturer--you might consider including a reusable bag with the product. Plastic bags just don't hold up, and the paper ones are hard to secure in the frame).I don't know what's going on with the problems others have reported with the trimmer line--I don't find the line breaks easily, and I also discovered that the line my electric trimmer uses is exactly the same, and it's quite economical as long as you're willing to cut it yourself.It doesn't like leaves that are very wet--but neither do I, so it's nice to have an excuse to wait until they dry out a bit before going out to deal with them.I save the shredded leaves composting and mulching my vegetable garden. Brown gold!Another update: Year 4 of using this gadget and I still love it. (I was hoping hurricane Sandy would whisk away the leaves so I wouldn't have to deal with them, but if anything we gained more from the neighbor's yard!) It works as well as it did the first year, and I took another reviewer's advice and tried it with a heavier gauge of trimmer line, with the result that I don't have to change it as often.I've never used another brand of leaf shredder so I can't make any comparisons, but this gadget seems well-made and reliable. Even if it conked out today, I would purchase another (I think the price has come down since I bought mine, I hope that doesn't mean they're using cheaper materials or something!)