WORX WG430 13 amp Electric Leaf Mulcher/Shredder Review

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(More customer reviews)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.

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The WORX WG430 Leaf Mulcher is the all-in-one solution to an annual problem: piles and piles of leaves in the yard. It smartly disposes of heaps of leafy yard waste in a few simple steps, turning hundreds of gallons of rotting leaves into vitamin-rich, organic mulch that's a perfect fertilizer for your flowerbed or garden. The WORX Flex-a-Line bladeless mulching system uses normal, heavy-duty grass trimmer line instead of dangerous metal blades to easily and safely mulch through leaves and debris.
A Lean, Green, Mulching MachineShredding leaves with a traditional gas shredder/mulcher can disturb the environment with noxious air and loud noise. Thankfully, with the electric WORX Leaf Mulcher, you can put the 'green' back in 'green thumb'.
Showcasing a powerful 13 Amp motor that delivers 8,500 RPMs, the WORX Leaf Mulcher will reduce a mass of dead leaves and twigs to 1/11th of its original size. That means you won't be lugging 11 bags of whole leaves to the curb for distribution or disposal--instead, you'll only have to worry about a single bag.
With the WORX Leaf Mulcher's 13-inch cut diameter and oversized mouth, you can mulch up to 53 gallons of leaves per minute. Acres of dried leaves can be collected and pulverized into manageable mounds of mulch in practically no time at all.
Create Mulch and CompostIt is estimated that almost 25% of the urban waste stream is made of yard waste and debris. In the fall, it can account for more than 60% of what flows into your local landfill.
The WORX Leaf Mulcher actually transforms your yard's dead leaves and debris, which would normally end up in a landfill, into vitamin-rich mulch and compost that can be recycled into your garden or flowerbeds.
Shredded leaf mass furnishes nutrients that assist in new plant growth during the growing season. Furthermore, mixing mulch into your garden and flower beds will aerate the soil and encourage new growth. Additionally, leaf mulch will increase water retention in the soil, reducing watering time and saving money.
Compact, Versatile, and Easy to UseAt less than 20 pounds, the WORX Leaf Mulcher features a compact design, in which the disassembled parts nest neatly together for convenient off-season storage on a shelf in your shed or garage. Setup takes only a few minutes, with absolutely no additional tools required!
In addition, the mulcher features a dust-reducing clean-air motor cooling system. Air and mulched leaves are separated through an external cooling air intake and exhaust to significantly reduce dust generation.
For further convenience, The WORX Leaf Mulcher's safe Flex-a-Line bladeless mulching system features tool-less cutting line replacement and a universal bag holder that accepts both paper and plastic bags. To top it off, an oversized on/off switch allows for easy, hassle-free operation.
The WORX heavy-duty Leaf Mulcher is the one machine that will end hours of misery once and for all and will make fall cleanup fast and easy!
What's in the BoxWORX WG430 Leaf Mulcher, 24 replacement lines, and one universal bag holder.

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McCulloch MC-1275 Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner Review

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(More customer reviews)After some research and contemplation, I bought this unit to clean and disinfect bathrooms and other household stuff. By in large, most of the observations from the reviews here have been consistent with what I've seen.
PROS:
1. Steam lasts a very long time. The manual says it can hold up to 48oz of water from which to generate 2 hrs of steam. This appears to be right if you're holding the nozzle open constantly. In reality, its longer because you have to steam-wipe-steam-wipe repeatedly, letting the machine rest during "wipes". I can get a good 3 hrs of cleaning done on one full tank of water. Also keeping you from holding open the nozzle is that you have to give it time to "recharge" since it appears that it does not generate steam as fast as you use it.
2. It works on what it claims: most "organic" build-ups like soap scum, toothpaste, dirt, etc. Cleans darkened grout nicely. Doesn't damage the finish on fixtures. I was expecting a little too much on the calcium deposits from hard water... steam just wasn't effective.
3. Nice supply of attachments (brushes) although its unclear what types of surfaces these brushes can be safely used on. In particular, I refer to the smaller round brushes. For example, my guess is that the brass brushes are not meant for highly polished finishes.
4. Good enough to clean hard to reach crevices like sliding door tracks (shower doors or patio doors), faucet details, etc.
5. Works well on car wheels. Brake dust is very fine and a pain to clean by hand. Not to mention that the chemicals are often not meant to touch the brake disc surface (I have yet to figure out how splashing water from a hose can be directed only to the wheel and not the brakes within).
6. Steam is the only option for cleaning chemically-prohibited surfaces (I never knew chemical cleaners were not recommended in microwaves!).
CONS:
1. Its loud! Not the machine, but the steam as it comes out of the nozzle. I strongly recommend hearing protection while you use it when indoors. My ears were ringing for about an hour after my first session.
2. Steaming takes time. If you're not opposed to using chemicals, often I find that bleach works as good, if not better, than steam. Compared to 5-10 mins steaming a polished chrome bath fixture to get it sparkling, it took 30 secs using your household bath cleaner with bleach.
3. Steam just doesn't work efficiently on mineral build-up. Chemicals are far more time-efficient. Hard water stains and deposits require lots of time and lots of elbow-grease (scrubbing). And even then, I'm not convinced it was cleaner than using chemicals (i.e., judging from the "gleam" off the surface).
4. The steam pressure is not very high. It isn't very low either, but definnitely not high enough to "blow" debris away more than an inch or two from where the steam jet hits. The best approach seems to loosen with steam then wash away with water or wipe away with sponge. Hence, I don't recommend using this for something like cleaning a car engine where neither wash nor wipe are feasible. (I guess you could steam long enough so that the condensed water from the steam was enough to wash away the gunk on its own, but that would take forever.)
5. It needs time to build up steam pressure while you work. The light is supposed to turn off when it is ready. While in use, the light will come on when the pressure reaches some threshold. Continued use beyond that point without letting it rest means you work with less pressure. When the tank is full of "condensed" water, the light comes on more frequently. As the water is depleted and more volume in the tank can accommodate vapor steam, the light comes on less often.
6. The width of the brushes simply do not permit reaching into 90 degree crevices or those really tight spaces. This is minor, however, but a flat or low-profile brush attachment would have been nice. A medium bristle toothbrush is a nice companion in my cleaning adventures...
Overall, pretty happy with this unit. To be efficient, I've found using a combined balance of chemicals and steam is best. It definitely reduces the amount of chemicals I need to use. For hard-to-reach or delicate surface areas, steam wins outright (with the mentioned toothbrush).


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Steam clean like a professional! The McCulloch Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner does it all. Melt away grease and grime from your engine, wheels and chrome accessories. Steam away stains and odors from upholstery, carpeting, floor mats and hard-to-reach places. Steam produced by this cleaner is hot and pressurized. Care must be taken to avoid burns or other injuries. Never point nozzle at people or pets. Please read all instructions prior to using your McCulloch Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner.

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