Mulching Mower vs Regular Mower: Which is Better?

If you are debating whether to get a mulching lawn mower or a regular lawn mower, there are a few things you should consider.

Both types of mowers have their uses. This blog post will help you decide which is best for you. Actually, you will find the best solution at the end of this article.

What Are Lawn Mulching Mowers?

A lawn mulching mower is designed to chop up leaves and grass into small pieces. Pure mulching mowers do not have a side discharge or a bag attachment. The small pieces are then dropped back into the lawn, where they decompose and provide nutrients for the grass.

Generally, mulching mowers can be gas-powered or battery-powered and have special blades that are designed to chop leaves and grass into small pieces. These clippings are then deposited on the lawn.

They can be very beneficial for your lawn. They help to fertilize your lawn naturally and also help to reduce thatch. Thatch is a layer of dead leaves and grass that can build up on your lawn. If it gets too thick, it can suffocate your grass and prevent new growth.

Can You Mulch With A Side Discharge Mower?

Yes, you can, but it is not as easy. A mulching mower recirculates the grass clippings and leaves under the deck, where the clippings come in contact with the blade multiple times before dropping back to the lawn.

To get the same effect with a regular side discharge mower, you would need to run over the yard multiple times. With mowing grass, it is still not as effective as a mulching mower. With leaves, however, you can mow the yard, blowing leaves inward into a pile. Then, you can run over the pile multiple times to mulch them up. The job is not as clean, but it’s better than raking the leaves.

Can You Convert A Side Discharge To A Mulching Mower?

It’s a common question many people have. The answer is you can add a mulching blade to your mower. Be sure it is the right size for your mower and the bolt pattern is the same. You may be able to find a discharge port plug so the clippings have no place to go but back down on the lawn. At the end of the day, your results will not be as good as a mulching mower. The reason is, the deck of a mulching mower is designed differently than a regular mower.

What Are The Benefits Of Mulching?

As stated earlier, mulching grass and leaves will return nutrients back to the soil. This is like free fertilizer. Mulching doesn’t leave a layer of grass clippings on top of the lawn like a side discharge mower does. This can smother the grass.

Another benefit of mulching is it saves you time. You don’t have to rake and bag your grass and leaves, which can take a lot of time and energy.

Mulching grass and leaves back onto the lawn helps the environment as well. By mulching instead of bagging you prevent filling the landfills with organic matter.

Are Bagging, Side Discharge, and Mulching Mowers All The Same?

No, they are not the same, but you can get all three in one mower.

A side discharge mower has a port that the grass and leaves are discharged from. The deck is designed to do this task well.

The mulching mower has a different function. It has a special blade that will lift the grass and leaves up and circulate them under the deck so the blade can chop them up into small pieces. The deck design helps to get this done.

A bagging mower blows the clippings and leaves into a bag, usually in the back of the mower. The blade on a bagging mower lifts the grass and leaves and blows them into the bag.

The cool thing is, you can get a mower that has all these design features in one. I own a Toro Recycler mower. To be honest, I have never used the side discharge option. But, I regularly use the mulching and bagging option. To switch from one to the other is a matter of putting the bag on or taking it off. Bag on… bagging mower. Bag off… mulching mower.

A mower that can mulch or discharge out the side cost about as much as a single function mower. To get one that does all three, you may need to spend a little more.

Will I Damage My Lawn if I Leave Excessive Grass Clippings On It?

If you leave too much grass on your lawn, it can smother the grass and damage your lawn. When grass is mowed, it leaves behind small clippings that eventually decompose and release nutrients back into the soil. This is beneficial for your lawn and helps it stay healthy. However, if you leave too much grass on your lawn, the clippings will start to pile up and block out sunlight and air from reaching the grass. This can cause the grass to suffocate and die.

It’s important to rake up any excess grass clippings after you mow so that your lawn can continue to receive the benefits of the nutrients in the clippings. If you don’t have time to rake up the clippings, you can also just mow over them again to chop them up into smaller pieces that will decompose more quickly. Either way, it’s important to remove excess clippings from your lawn so that it can stay healthy and happy!

Conclusion

A mulching lawn mower vs. a regular lawn mower comparison is an important exercise. You need to know what you want to get out of your lawn mower. If you prefer the time savings of a mulching mower, use one of those. If you want a side discharge mower, then use one of those.

Here is the perfect solution. In reality, you can get a mowing machine that does both for about the same price as buying one that will just do a single function.