If you regularly use a lawnmower, you will agree that the performance of this machine depends on multiple standards, including the type of blades used.
Generally, lawnmower blades come in different shapes, but the most common blades are regular or mulching blades. Both regular and mulching blades are used for grass cutting and have many differences that set them apart. So, mulching blades vs regular: which one should you choose?
If you want a clean, well-manicured, and beautifully cut lawn, the standard blade is for you. It is also a good choice if you cut grass less frequently, once every ten days or two weeks. Mulching blades make the grass absorb additional nutrients and make your lawn look healthier.
It is typically easy to differentiate them if you know what to look for and how each works. The cutting edge on a regular blade is generally straight.
Keep reading to find out about mulching blades vs regular blades, how to differentiate them, their pros and cons, and how to pick the one that fits your needs.
See also: The Top 5 Mulching Blades (And how to pick the perfect one for your needs!)
What Is a Standard Blade?
Standard blades, also known as 2-in-1 blades, are straight and aerodynamic and designed to cut grass and discharge or bag the clippings. And they are the perfect choice if you don’t have the option of mulching the grass clippings.
Standard blade comes with a powerful lift that will remove the grass clippings from under the deck. Most professionals choose to bag the clippings for a cleaner-looking lawn. In addition, bagging clippings will remove leaves and debris from the yard, which leaves behind a beautiful and well-manicured cut.
Also, if you don’t often mow your lawn, bagging is a good option as over-grown grass can block under the mower deck and leave unattractive clumps of grass on the freshly cut lawn.
Main Characteristics Of Standard Blades
- Angular Design: Standard blades are designed to facilitate cutting and collecting the grass in the removable bag successfully.
- Robust Airflow: Standard blades are very powerfully designed to provide massive air into the cutting deck, making discharging grass clippings very efficient.
- Large Wind Wings: The large wind wings are very effective in helping clip off giant grasses, making them stand at a higher angle than the ground. Standard blades have large wind wings that stand at a high angle, which helps cut tall grass efficiently.
- High Energy Generation: You will notice fewer chunks of grass on your lawn dues to regular blades’ robust discharging process.
Pros And Cons Of Standard Blades
| Pros | Cons |
| – Standard blades provide an efficient method to discharge grass clippings – Suitable for cutting tall grass. – Standard blades don’t get easily clogged in the mower deck. – Standard blades are perfect for lawns not mowed regularly or for irregular lawn maintenance. – Standard blades are easily removable and replaceable. | – Standard blades require higher power capacity – Standard blades might be challenging to use in dusty conditions. – With standard blades, you can’t mulch clippings. |
Best Regular Blades
1- 8TEN LawnRAZOR Standard Blades (Hi-Lift Blade)
2- EGO Power+ AB2101 Standard Blades (High Lift Blade)
3- MTD Genuine Standard Blades (High-Lift Blade)
What Is a Mulching Blade?
Mulching blades also called 3-in-1 blades, can bag, discharge, or even mulch grass clippings. Mulching blades have more curves with an increased cutting edge, allowing them to cut the grass and bring it into the deck.
The curved design of a mulching blade does not deliver the same kind of lift and discharge power as standard blades. Using mulching blades on overgrown grass can clog under the deck and create piles of grass on the cut lawn. They are an excellent option for regularly mowed lawns (every three to four days).
In addition, mulching is an environmentally friendly form of dealing with grass clippings. You can also use mulched grass clipping and leaves as a natural fertilizer for your garden because plants and trees thrive when fed with natural and organic nutrients from the soil.
Generally, most mowers are suited to use a mulching blade; just ensure that you choose a mower model that supports mulching blades.
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Characteristics Of Mulching Blade
- Curved Design: This feature helps the grass clippings move circularly into the mower deck and cuts the grass into smaller pieces efficiently.
- Divided Airflow: It ensures that all clippings are evenly distributed as you mow your grass.
- 3-in-1 feature: It performs three tasks:
- Discharging
- Bagging
- And mulching grass clippings.
- Work as a natural form of fertilizer: Using mulching blades helps distribute grass clippings equally into the lawn and provides nutrients, including nitrogen and phosphates.
Pros And Cons Of Mulching Blade
| Pros | Cons |
| – 3-in-1 feature – You can use mulching blades to discharge, bag, and even mulch grass clippings, saving you extra time because of their multipurpose function. – Using mulching blades helps create natural and organic fertilizer – They are environmentally friendly – It makes the lawn look healthier and cleaner. – Mulching blades help get the job done quickly and neatly. | – Mulching blades are not generally suited for tall grass – Mulching blades might also be less efficient in discharging or removing grass clippings – Mulching blades are not very effective at bagging or discharging. – Mulching blades will usually experience clogging if you use them on longer grass. – Mulching blades can create a suitable environment for bugs and pests to reproduce |
3 Best Mulching Blades For You
Here are my top 3 picks for mulching blades. For more details on how to pick the perfect mulching blades check this article.
1- Maxpower 331528B Mulching Blade
2- Maxpower 561713XB Mulching Blade
3- Maxpower 561556 Mulching Blade
Mulching Blades Vs Regular: What Are The Differences?
| Mulching Blades Vs Regular | Standard Blades | Mulching Blades |
| 2-in-1 vs. 3-in-1 | – 2-in-1 – Regular blades also called high-lift blades, come with a 2-in-1 feature that performs the task of discharging and bagging grass clippings. | – 3-in-1 – Mulching blades perform three works in a single period: – Discharging – Bagging – Mulching grass clippings |
| Feature | Often, regular blades are called 2-in-1 blades because they can release grass clippings through the mower’s side-discharge chute or toss them into a clipping collection bag. | Mulching blades are often called 3-in-1 blades because they serve three jobs instead of two (as opposed to regular blades). Mulching blades can discharge or bag clippings, chop them into a fine mulch and leave them on the lawn. |
| Aerodynamics | Regular blades are known as “high-lift” blades because they create an aerodynamic lift that pulls grass clippings upward and throws them through the discharge chute. | Contrary to a regular blade’s one-directional lift, a mulching blade creates a circulating air stream that moves the clippings back toward the blade after being cut. |
| Blade Shape | Mulching blades have a curved shape, whereas the standard one looks like a regular blade. The curved surface of the mulching blade allows the grass clippings to rotate into the mower deck repeatedly to cut into smaller pieces. The standard surface of the standard blade enables the clippings to cut and discharge quickly. | A mulching blade generally has a more curved shape. It is also possible to have cutting edges, which gives a mulching blade the power to keep grass clippings circulating under the mower deck and allows the blade to cut the clippings continually into smaller and smaller pieces. |
| Length of The Cutting Edge | A regular blade doesn’t need a long cutting edge as the purpose is to cut and discharge the clippings quickly. | Mulching blades generally have a longer cutting edge. |
| Discharging | Regular blades do not typically chop clippings into small pieces as blades do. Regular blades are highly efficient as it focuses primarily on bagging and removing. Avoid using regular blades on standard mowers with mulching equipment because the insufficiently chopped clippings tend to clog the traditional blades underneath the mower deck. | Mulching blades keep the clippings under the mower deck rather than send them out directly, and they are not as efficient in discharge or bagging mode as regular blades. Therefore, mulching blades are less effective because the clippings stay in the deck for longer instead of getting discharged. |
| Electricity Consumption | Regular blades generally lead to lower energy consumption. To avoid increasing your electricity bill, choose standard blades because they generally require a smaller power capacity to function correctly. | Mulching blades might consume more energy than standard blades because they require more horsepower from the lawnmower engine to function correctly. |
| Kinds of Grass Cutting | – If you are dealing with tall or overgrown grass, choose to use standard blades. – Mow every 10 to 14 days | – Use mulching blades to mow small to medium size grass, or lawn mowed every 3 to 4 days. – Avoid mulching blades as they will get clogged into the deck |
Mulching Blades Vs Regular: Which One Is Better?
- Choose mulching blades if you want to mulch your clippings and cut your lawn every three to four days. But ensure you don’t let your lawn overgrow.
- And choose standard blades; if you are not interested in mulching and don’t mind bagging or discharging your clippings every time and enjoy a beautifully and neatly cut grass.
Even though regular blades are environmentally friendly, they are not as ecologically friendly as mulching blades.
| Features | Regular Blades | Mulching Blades |
| Grass Handling | Handling grass might be laborious with standard blades | Mulching Blades make it easy to handle grass |
| Blade shape | Curved | Flat |
| Finer clippings | Less fine clippings | Produce finer clippings that decompose quicker than larger grass blades. |
| Durability | Standard blades have lower durability. | Mulching blades have higher durability |
| Energy Consumption | Slightly lesser energy consumption | Higher energy |
Are Mulching Blades Good For Leaves?
Mulching blades are good for mulching the grass and very effective for leaf mulching. In addition, mulching blades are very efficient in providing your lawn with natural and organic nutrients, making it look healthier and cleaner.
But do not use mulching blades on overgrown or wet grass to avoid clogging under the deck of your lawnmower and leaving chunks of grass sprawled over your lawn.
Wrapping Up
So, mulching blades vs. regular: which one is better? Mulching blades are better than standard blades because they provide higher benefits.
In addition, mulching blades help create finer clippings, add natural nutrients to the soil, generate lesser grass clumping, consume less energy and time, and are more durable.
