You might have the best, and perhaps the most expensive lawnmower, but the true and the most legitimate test of your lawn mowing skills lies in your ability to keep the lawns well-manicured, something that will happen only if you invest in the best mulching blades.
A mulching blade is a crucial power tool for the maintenance of gardens, and even though you have the option of investing in a mulcher, the stocking blade of the mulcher doesn’t offer the same level of efficiency you need, which is why you need to find a high-quality mulching blade.
So, if you have been wondering why your lawn doesn’t look as good as you’d hoped or as good as your neighbor’s, it might have to do with the fact that you don’t have or aren’t using a mulching blade.
Table of Contents
Never used a mulching blade before?
Well, we’ll help you find and get started with some of the best options for mulching blades. But first, you need to know exactly what we are talking about. A mulching blade, also called an all-purpose blade, is a versatile blade used in mowing and lifting.
But even with its versatility, a mulching blade is specially designed for mulching, and it features a curved surface that allows for effective mulching – pulling grass up from the ground then cutting up all that grass.
The grass clippings will then go into the cutting deck from there. They are chopped into even smaller grains.
Thanks to the mulching blades, you will be able to furnish your lawn with a nice, clean, and well-maintained look. The mulching blades might also be referred to as a 3-in-1 blade given its triple functions of discharging, mulching, and bagging.
You might also want to invest in the best mulching blade because it is the tool that gives you the best chance of eliminating grass clumps around your lawn. On top of that, the blade would allow you to recycle the lawn’s essential nutrients by facilitating the discharge of the finer grass clippings back into your lawn.
The other benefits of the mulching blades include improved health of the grass thanks to the reduction of the size of the grass clippings for faster decomposition and the transportation of the decomposed nutrients back to the grass.
Essentially, you could think of the use of the mulching blade as the difference between good enough mowing, and perfectly manicured lawns. Given all these benefits of a mulching blade, it makes sense for you to invest in the best mulching blade on the market. Below, we look at 10 of the best.
Here is a comparison table for the best mulching blades
Best Mulching Blades
1. MaxPower 331713XB Heavy Duty 42-inch Mulching Blade
The best mulching blades feature a curved style, a design function that is designed to ensure an unprecedented level of precision, a feature that everyone seeks in the gardening world.
And with the use of two high-quality mowing blades that are placed perpendicular to each other, your mower will have the most powerful dual cutting force, hence a neater lawn.
This MaxPower is designed to offer all these benefits, which is the reason the brand’s popularity and its recommendation as one of the top American gardening tools. Some of the features of this mower include a doubled thickness, a feature that ensures the easy battling of weeds and unwanted plants on the lawn.
This blade also boasts a significant level of heaviness, and that means that you won’t have to worry about the blades bending under force if you hit a rock during mowing, while also allowing you to comfortably use the blades in commercial settings.
The blade also boasts carbide-strengthened edges, which means that you won’t have to sharpen the blades often, and the best part is that you could start using the mower right out of the box.
The blades come with a 2-year warranty. You might also like these mowers because they are compatible with top 42-inch brands such as Poulan, Husqvarna, and Craftsman.
Just keep in mind that you’d have to buy two of these blades for your 42-inch mower. This mulching blade is one of the longer blades on the market as it has a length of 21inches and a width of 2 ½ inches.
Pros
Cons
2. Oregon Longer Life G5 595-605 Gator Fusion 3-in-1 Blades
Oregon is a reputable brand known for professional-grade gardening tools, and this 3-in-1 set of Gator Fusion blades might be one of the best investments you make for your garden. This triple-threat set of mulching blades is versatile, and it boasts a high level of adaptability seen in their compatibility with 28 of the best lawnmowers.
The blades are made of high-strength tungsten-carbide, a metallic compound that strengthens the edges of the blades, while also reducing the gradual loss of the blades’ sharpness over time.
The blades also have a great curvature, which promises fast and consistent mowing and mulching results.
The size of each blade is just right for a mulching blade at 18 7/16 inches in length, a thickness of 0.164inches, 3 inches in width, and an offset if ½ an inch, as well as an airlift of 1 inch.
Pros
Cons
3. Oregon G3 Gator Blades
Next on the list of the best gardening tools by Oregon is this Set of 3 Oregon G3 blades. These blades boast great quality and functionality, and they offer more adaptability compared to the older models by Oregon and mulching blades from other brands.
The blades are made of an all-carbide and an armored steel material, but they are not as thick as you’d expect for blades that boast a high degree of strength and efficiency. The blades are also not noisy, and they are versatile, meaning that they are compatible with most lawn mower brands.
And since this purchase gives you access to a set of 3 high-quality blades, you will use them for a bit of time before their replacement rotations. Each of the blades in this set measures a length of 18 ½ inches, a width of 2 ¾ inches, a thickness of 0.187 inches, and a center-to-center length of 3 ¾ inches.
Pros
Cons
4. MaxPower 561738XB Commercial Mulching 3-Blade Set
Compatible with 54-inch lawnmowers by Poulan, Craftsman, and Husqvarna lawnmowers, this set of 3 mulching blades is one of the most versatile mowers on the market today, and you might want to invest in these three mulching blades, especially if you need commercial-grade mulching blades for use with your 54-inch cutting deck mower. 5-point star center hole ensures easy attachment of the blades.
There’s also the centrifugal airlift design of the mower, which would ensure the uniform distribution of the clippings, and since the blades are made of carbide, and they come sharpened, you might like them because they provide and will ensure a precise cut.
The blades each measure 18 ½ inches in length and 3 inches in width, which is pretty much the standard size for most mulching blades.
Pros
Cons
5. Stens 335-859 2-in-1 Blades (Ideal for Cub Cadet, and Troy-Bilt Lawnmowers)
Stens might not be the first brand name that comes to mind when thinking about the best brand of mulching blades, but this Australian brand might be what your garden has been missing.
Stens boasts a wide variety of high-quality mulching blades made out of an alloy of carbide and a special kind of industrial-grade steel. These 2-in-1 blades come as a set of six blades, a nice selling option which allows you to stock up on replacements, and you won’t have to think about replacements after some months.
These blades have been designed specifically with a center hole which replaces the six-star-pointed center design. The center design allows for easy mounting of the blades to the mower. This mower is 18inches in length and the 2 ½ inches in width.
Pros
Cons
6. Rotary 12963 PK3 Mulching Blades (Copperhead)
This set of 3 PK3 copperhead mulching blades could be an ideal option for you if you are looking for different replacement mulching blades. The blades are easy to install into the lawnmower because of the star-shaped center hole, as well as the fact that the blades have the right thickness for perfect mulching.
The blades work with different types of lawnmowers, including the zero-turn mowers.
It’s worth noting that Rotary is a big brand of gardening equipment, and that means that your decision to invest in this set of 3 mulching blades might be an excellent one. With a length of 18.5 inches and a width of 3 inches, this blade has the right dimensions to ensure perfect mulching.
The blades are made of a titanium alloy mixed with carbide, leaving you with a durable, high-strength, but light mulching blade. These copperheads mulching blades will also fit your 54-inch Craftsman mower with ease.
However, the biggest advantage of these blades is that they are non-sears-specific, and they have been designed intentionally to fit into some of the best mowers on the market.
Pros
Cons
7. Maxpower 561713XB Mulching Blades
For the best-performance mulching blade, you might like this MaxPower 561713XB, which boasts high efficiency of grass clipping. With a length of 21 inches and a width of 2 ½ inches, this blade works well for 4-inch lawnmower decks, and since it sports sawteeth on either end, you can look forward to a high degree of efficiency when cutting and mulching grass clippings.
This MaxPower mulching blade is compatible with 42-inch lawnmowers from leading brands such as Craftsman, Husqvarna, and Poulan. The blades’ installation is easy thanks to the 5-point start center hole, and thanks to the construction of the blade out of tungsten carbide, you can use the blades right out of the box.
For cleaner and nicer cuts, you need to attach the blades to the spindle.
On top of the great performance offered by the blades, you might also like them because of their durability, as well as the fact that they are made in the USA, and they meet the OEM specifications for quality.
The durability comes from the construction of the blades out of the thick and robust steel plus carbide, all with a non-rusting coat, allowing the use of the blades in all conditions.
The unfortunate bit is that at 5.2lbs, the blade is heavy, and you will find it tom be much heavier than the standard blades on the market. Its weight means that the mower will shake as it mows.
Pros
Cons
8. Toro 131-4547-03 Mower Blade
The other mulching blade you may want to consider is this Toro blade, which makes it to our list as one of the most lightweight mulching blades on the market today – it only weighs 1.76lbs. It boasts high efficiency, and it’s an excellent fit for lawnmowers with a 22-inch cutting deck.
This mulching blade is 2 ¼ inches in width, and it has a length of 21 11/16 inches, as well as a thickness of 0.15inches. As a result of these dimensional features, this mower has very little vibration, enhancing the smooth operation of your lawnmower.
The installation of the mulching blades is quite easy, and it will take a few minutes thanks to the fact that this mulcher blade features 3 center holes which ensure easy assembly– the difference between the outer holes is 0.382 inches, and the best bit is that they are compatible with a number of lawnmowers.
Note, however, that the mulching blade might be a little wobbly and might have to sharpen it a few times for the desired level of balance.
Pros
Cons
9. Rotary 12475 Mulching Blade
As mentioned above, Rotary is one of the big brands of mulching blades on the market today, and this Rotary 12475 boasts an excellent design, as well as a high level of efficiency. It’s an excellent fit for 48-inch lawnmower cutting decks, and you might like its striking design too.
The design of this mulching blade features teeth on each end of the blade, and this means that the blade offers a higher level of mulching efficiency.
And with its dimension of 16 ¾ inches by 2 ½ inches, and a thickness of 1.87 inches, this blade is compatible with most of the leading brands o lawnmowers, including Poulan, Husqvarna, and Craftsman.
You might also like this mulching blade because it’s quite lightweight and also well-balanced, and that means that the blade is not noisy during mulching because it has less vibration.
You might also like the sharp edge with the teeth as it allows for the production of clean, consistent, and super-smooth cuts. Sharpening the blade is also easy since you could use a hand file, and you only need to sharpen it after some uses.
This mower is not perfect, though and this imperfection is seen when the blades are used on wet grass because the discharge and the mulching will not be perfect as it leaves huge grass clumps throughout the lawn, forcing you to collect or break apart the grass clippings once you are done mowing.
Also, the blade dulls too soon, meaning that you’d have to re-sharpen it.
Pros
Cons
10. Stens 532134149 Mulching Blade
If you are working on a budget but need one of the best mulching blades that you can find on the market, then this Stens Mulching Blade might be the best option for you.
The set of 2 blades boasts a great level of affordability, along with a significantly high level of efficiency.
The blades are made out of high-quality steel, and that means that you could use them for mulching of thick, as well as high grass. It weighs 3.5lbs, meaning that it’s relatively lightweight, and you will enjoy a low-vibration operation.
You might also like its innovative design, which boosts the performance of the mower, ensuring perfect mulching and the discharge of grass clippings, whether in wet or in dry conditions.
You won’t have to worry about damage to the lawnmower or the blades or even the formation of clumps from the clipped grass. Unfortunately, this mower lacks strength, and you have to avoid rocks and boulders because the blade might bend or even experience worse damage if it hits rocks or any other types of hard obstacles.
Also, the blade doesn’t come ready for use because it comes with a protective seal made of thick paint, which must be removed for you to sharpen the mower.
On the flip side, the blade will remain sharp for an extended period once sharpened, meaning that you won’t have to worry about the blade running out too soon after purchase.
The installation of this lawnmower is also easy thanks to the blade’s 5-point start hole, which is compatible with several 42-inch cutting deck lawnmowers, including Craftsman, Poulan, and Husqvarna.
Pros
Cons
Conclusion
To choose the best mulching blade, you need to look at the brand and whether it’s reputable, the functionality of its design, the construction material, blade size, and the curvature of the blades. The best mulching blades have the best of these features, and they allow for easy and faster mulching, healthier soil, and a perfectly manicured lawn.
The blades reviewed above are the best, and they promise the best of all these features.