Mulching has become more and more popular over recent years as it’s generally accepted that grass clippings shouldn’t be removed from properties and taken to landfills. Several regions across the United States have prohibited the disposal of yard waste in landfills and have passed legislation stopping city collection services.
So, mulching blades have stepped in and eliminated the need for bagging and collection by finely chopping the clippings. But are mulching blades up to the job, or do you need something better? Let’s take a look at Gator blades vs mulching blades and see which will work for you the best.
What are Gator Blades?
Gator blades were patented back in 2001 by Fisher Barton. Their patent describes the Gator blade as a blade with a leading cutting edge and a trailing cutting edge. The leading edge is designed to cut and mulch then the trailing edge is designed to shred.
So, the front of the blade will cut and mulch the grass, whereas the trailing edge of the blade is designed to shred leaves and twigs into tiny pieces. Before Gator blades, you would need to use a shredding blade to shred leaves sitting on a lawn, then use a mulching blade to cut the grass.
Now, not that many people would want to cut their lawn twice or have to swap out their blades. So the only easy way to have a tidy-looking lawn was to collect the clippings.
Introducing Mulching Blades
Mulching blade design has been around a bit longer than the Gator blade and was patented back in 1995 by the Toro Company. Yep, the lawn mower manufacturer. The blade is described as a blade designed to improve the ability of the lawn mower to finely chop grass clippings.
The patented design states the entire length of the cutting edge is curved/concaved with an additional twist at the blade tip to improve lift and mulching ability. So, the mulching blade is specifically designed to just cut and mulch.
Gator Blades vs Mulching Blades: How Do They Differ?
The only real difference between mulching blades vs Gator blades is the fact that the Gator blade utilizes the back of the blade for cutting/shredding, whereas the mulching blade doesn’t. So, both blades are classified as high-lift lawn mower blades, and both generate increased airflow within the cutting deck. This means they both keep the clipping up in the deck so that they can continue mulching for longer.
Now, if you take a look at the trailing edge of both blades, you’ll see a significant difference. The mulching blade has a continuous solid trailing edge, whereas the Gator blade has cutouts that form teeth. Hence the name Gator. So, not only will the Gator blade mulch, but it will also shred.
Pros of Gator Blades
Why would you want to upgrade to a set of Gator blades? Well, if your mulching blades aren’t quite cutting it, then Gator blades probably will. So, let’s take a look at some of the pros of Gator blades.
Improved Mulching of Grass
Gator blades can take care of both the big stuff and the small stuff in one go. All working at the same time, the front of the blade cuts and mulches the grass while the middle of the blade throws the clippings up into the deck, and the back of the blade shreds. Then, the grass falls back onto the lawn, and the process is repeated.
Even long grass will be mulched and shredded quickly enough so that just fine clippings are left behind. As you can see, Gator blades are great for mulching and for shredding.
Improved Shredding of Leaves and Twigs
When you head out to your yard when it’s time to mow, you’ll probably find leaves and twigs from the trees and bushes covering the grass. Well, these are no match for Gator blades. The teeth of the Gator blades will shred and make material small enough so that the mulching feature of the blade can take over.
For example, when I trim the bushes in my yard, I throw the cuttings onto the lawn and then run over them with my Gator blades. At most, I’m left with a few sticks to pick up. If I were to put the trimmings from my hibiscus bushes out for collection, I’d need a couple of trash cans. Now all I have is a couple of sticks.
Gator Blades Take Care of Fall Leaves
Now, if you don’t like raking leaves in the fall, then Gator blades have you covered. Just because it’s a blade connected to a lawn mower doesn’t mean you have to actually mow your lawn.
If you set the deck a little higher than normal and mow over the leaves, then the trailing edge of the Gator blade will shred everything it passes over. I watched a buddy of mine who lives in Allentown, Pennsylvania, take care of his whole yard in just a few hours. He told me that it would take him and his kids days to rake the whole yard before he learned he could use his mower with Gator blades.
Long Grass is No Problem for Gator Blades
There are a number of times during the summer that I just can’t get to my yard because it’s just too wet from the summer downpours. This means that from time to time, my lawn can grow a lot longer than I would like.
Before I started using Gator blades, I would have to run over my lawn a couple of times because the grass was just too long. My lawn mower would cut just fine, but it would throw out some very long clippings. Not with Gator blades. These mulching and shredding features really get the grass clippings down to a very small size, meaning I only need to run over long grass once.
Cons of Gator Blades
Ok, so I think you already know I like Gator Blades. But there are a few things to keep in mind so that you don’t run into trouble. Here are a few items you might want to know first before you head out to buy a set of Gator blades.
Gator Blades Need a Lot of Power
If you are using Gator blades for what they were designed to do, then you’re going to need a lawn mower with enough power. You’ll need some extra horsepower for the additional teeth of the trailing edge to shred larger materials, such as leaves and shrub trimmings.
More Frequent Sharpening
Gator blades are intended to keep the grass in the deck for as long as possible. This gives the blades enough time to cut the clippings into very small pieces. This means the blades can end up coming into contact with a lot more grass. As a result, you’ll need to sharpen your lawn mower blades more often.
Your Lawn Mower Needs a Closed Cutting Deck
For a Gator blade to be effective, you need to have a closed cutting deck. This means chutes need to be closed off so that clipping can’t escape. Also, you might need to add a mulching shroud to the deck.
Usually, manufacturers like Husquvarna sell mulching kits that include everything you need. So, be prepared that if you choose to go the Gator blade route, you’ll need to modify your lawn mower’s cutting deck.
Mowing can Take Longer
With all the extra material in the cutting deck, you’ll need to go a bit slower if you want the Gator blades to work their best. I don’t know about you, but I prefer to spend that extra time on the lawn mower than raking and bagging leaves.
Pros of Mulching Blades
If you think Gator blades might be too much for you, then you can take a look at a regular mulching blade. Here’s how I think mulching blades stand out.
Great for Mulching
So, if bagging isn’t an option for you, then mulching blades will take care of all the clippings. The benefit of mulching blades over standard high-lift blades is that high-lift blades are going to leave a trail of clippings in the path of the lawn mower, whereas a mulching blade won’t.
Require Less Power
If you are concerned that your lawn mower may not have enough power to handle a set of Gator blades, then mulching blades should be a lot easier on your mower’s engine.
Cut Quicker
Because you will only be using a mulching blade to mow and mulch, then you’ll be able to go a bit quicker. So, if you had a regular blade vs a mulching blade, you might find you need to run over the lawn twice to be able to chop the clippings up enough so that they are not going to be noticeable.
Cons of Mulching Blades
The only real drawback of mulching blades over Gator blades is that they don’t do nearly as good of a job with shredding. If you have a lot of trees on your property, then you’ll still find yourself in the yard during fall with a rake and a leaf blower. Now, Gator blades on a good mower will shred them into nothing.
My Recommendations for When to Use Gator Blades vs Mulching Blades
If you are still on the fence about Gator blades vs mulching blades, then here is a table I put together to help you decide which is right for you.
| Scenario | Mulching Blades | Gator Blades |
|---|---|---|
| Small Yards | X | X |
| Medium Yards | X | X |
| Large Yards | X | X |
| Lawn Cutting | X | X |
| Field Cutting | X | |
| Leaf Mulching | X | |
| General Vegetation Mulching | X | |
| Push Mowers | X | |
| Tractor Mowers | X | X |
| Zero-Turn Mowers | X | X |
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