Been shopping for new blades recently and left with your head spinning at all the different options? It’s true, there are a lot of different blades to choose from, but always try to remember that there are only 2 main groups of mower blades: 2-in-1 blades and 3-in-one blades. There are lots of different variates within each of these groups, but these are the two main classifications of mower blades to remember.
In this post, we’re going to compare mulching blades (part of the 3-in-1 group) vs high lift blades (part of the 2-in-1 group). I’m going to run through the pros and cons of using each one, and touch on what each of these blades is most suitable for.
A Bit About Mulching Blades
A mulching blade is also known as a 3-in-1 blade because it offers you 3 different cutting functions. You can bag your clippings, discharge them or mulch them. And it’s that last function that its design is (unsurprisingly) geared towards. It features a curved blade to encourage increased circulation of grass clippings in the cutting deck, and a longer blade edge to cut them into a fine mulch.
Related Article: Can You Put a Mulching Blade on Any Mower?
An Overview of High Lift Blades
“What are high lift blades and do they allow you to mulch?” is what I asked the local mower shop owner many years ago. High lift blades CANNOT offer you the mulching function. Your options are limited to either bagging clippings or discharging them, hence why they’re known as 2-in-1 blades. But it’s the “high lift” that differentiates them from other types of mower blades. You see, within the 2-in-1 category, you have regular blades (which offer medium lift), as well as low lift blades, and then high lift blades.
All of these different variations have the same basic design that features a curved back edge, which is what creates the “lift”. What differs between the 3 variations is the angle of that curve. A high lift blade features a much more severe upward curve that generates more suction in the deck and enables the clippings to be discharged from the deck with more force.
Mulching Blades vs High Lift Blades: What’s the Difference?
If you were to compare a mulching blade vs high lift blade side by side, here are the differences that you’d notice right away.
Curved Blade vs Straight
A mulching blade is more curved in its design, as this helps to generate the increased deck circulation required for mulching. This also increases the surface area of the cutting part of the blade to aid in the mulching process. A High lift blade by contrast is typically very straight on the cutting edge side, as it’s designed to be as aerodynamic as possible to generate the “lift”.
Curve on the Back Edge
When looking at mulching blades vs high lift blades, you’ll notice a pretty big difference on the back edge of the blade. Both are curved upwards (as mentioned, this is how the “lift” effect is created), but this curve on a mulching blade is much more gentle, while on a high lift blade, it’s a much steeper curve. This part of the blade is responsible for generating the lift; the steeper the curve, the greater the lift generated.
Length of the Cutting Part of the Blade
This is another noticeable difference between mulching blades and high lift blades. The actual cutting edge on a mulching blade is quite a bit longer vs a high lift blade. Why? Well, mulching involves cutting the clippings much finer, and the longer cutting edge helps the blade to accomplish this.
Advantages of Mulching Blades
Just what are the perks you can expect to experience if you install a mulching blade on your mower? Here are a few of the main ones.
More Options
As I touched on earlier, you’ll be able to enjoy the 3 different cutting options with a mulching blade. In addition to mulching, you can also bag and discharge your clippings. Granted those last two options won’t be as effective as they would be with a high lift blade, but it can still do them, whereas a high lift blade won’t allow you to mulch at all.
Value for Money
Any time you get 3 functions for the price of one, people usually think of it as a pretty good deal. And you could say that here. I definitely think that should you keep on top of your yard maintenance (always important, but even more so with a mulching blade), a mulching blade will perform decently on all 3. All of that in one blade for one price.
The Green Option
If you’re investigating the possibility of buying a mulching blade, you probably already know about the benefits of mulching, but I will emphasize that when done right mulching can be extremely beneficial to your lawn. And you’re not dumping a load of yard waste into landfill sites too, which is great for the environment!
Drawbacks of Mulching Blades
Sounds like a no-brainer, right? But before you part with your hard-earned cash, it’s important to be aware of the drawbacks with this type of blade too.
Less Margin for Error in Terms of Mowing Frequency
With mulching blades, it extremely important that you don’t let your grass grow too long, as this can result in issues with clogging. Mulching blades don’t typically do well with longer grass, or thicker grass varieties. This means that in summer, you’ll likely have to mow twice per week to maintain it to a manageable length.
Less Lift, Lower Bagging Effectiveness
With the design of a mulching blade being centered around its ability to mulch effectively, lift does suffer as a result. For this reason, they’re often not as effective when it comes to bagging clippings.
Advantages of High Lift Blades
Now onto high lift blades. How do they compare vs mulching blades? Here are a few of the biggest benefits:
Perform Well in All Conditions
No matter what variety of grass you’ve got, what conditions you typically mow in, high lift blades will generally do a good job. They’re very adaptable in that sense.
Extra Lift Aids Discharge
The large curve on that back edge (or the “wings” as I often call them), generates a high amount of lift, as the name of the blade suggests. This increase airflow and force enables the mower to remove the clippings from the deck more effectively. This is especially useful when cutting longer or thicker grass, as the amount of grass flowing around the deck at any one time is controlled a bit better, so clogging is less likely.
Good Choice If You Want Lawn Stripes
The added lift isn’t only good for dispelling clippings from the deck though. The suction created underneath your mower is also great for ensuring a more even cut (with the grass held up straight due to the vacuum effect), and it also helps to create more defined lawn stripes. If that’s important to you, you’ll want to opt for a high lift blade vs mulching blade.
Here are a few more ways in which you can improve lawn mower suction.
Drawbacks of High Lift Blades
In terms of the cons of using a high lift blade vs mulching blade, there are a few, the first of which is pretty darn obvious (but needs stating nevertheless):
You Can’t Mulch
I know, I know. But as I said, it needed saying. If you’re comparing mulching blades vs high lift blades, if you opt for the latter you won’t be able to mulch your clippings whatsoever. So before you make your choice, you need to be clear on whether you want to mulch or not. Some people think the disadvantages of mulching grass outweigh the benefits. Which camp are you in?
You Need a More Powerful Mower
High lift blades can be used on electric mowers and gas mowers with lesser horsepower, but you’re not going to see the real benefits of this type of blade like that. High lift blades do require more power to perform, so they might not be an option if you’ve got a mower with a relatively weak motor or engine, as not only will they not perform well, but you’re putting a lot of extra strain on that motor/engine too.
Not Ideal for Sandy Soil
Again, you can use a high lift blade if you have sandy soil. There’s nothing stopping you and it’ll work just fine. BUT that extra suction is not just going to make your grass stand up tall. It’s going to suck up some of the dirt and sand, and then circulate it around your deck. This will dull the blades a lot quicker, and it’ll potentially also damage your deck over the long term (I’ve heard of people having holes form…).
Mulching Blades vs High Lift Blades: Summing It Up
When we talk about X product vs Y product, we’re often looking for “what’s best”. And while it may be true that some blade manufacturers definitely produce better blades than others, in terms of pitting two categories of blades against one another, there is no winner. It all depends on circumstances and what you want the blade to do with regard to which you should choose.
If you want the ability to mulch your grass, you’ll have to choose a mulching blade (if you have a super large lawn and it gets windy in your area, I maybe wouldn’t, but otherwise they’re a good option). Just be aware that it’s imperative to mow regularly with a mulching blade. Otherwise, if you’re happy to bag your clippings and want to gain an edge in your bid to try and create better-looking lawn stripes, go for a high lift blade.
Great info thanks. Didn’t think about the suction on sandy soil, very helpful. I’m gonna go with mulching.
Will high lift blades suck up the fertilizer after it has been down for a week?
Hi J. Thanks for the comment!
If you’ve waited a whole week after fertilizing, you will be okay to mow. Most of the time it’s recommended that you wait 24 to 48 hours after fertilizing grass to mow. This is just so that the nutrients in the fertilizer have enough time to break down and be absorbed into your lawn.
High lift blades do a great job of sucking up lawn debris and delivering a clean cut, but they won’t pull the fertilizer out of your grass. As long as you’ve waited long enough for the fertilizer to do its job, you’re good to go.
Cheers, Tom.
I have a cub cadet 2004 M48 Tank zero turn. I mow about 3acres. I’m have always used mulching blades, but do not close the discharge chute. I have always had a lot of grass build up under the deck. Would I be better off using high lift blades, I do not bag, nor as stated close off discharge chute with mulching kit. I think if I did mower deck would completely plug up. Which would you recommend! Thank you for your time.
Ted Perkins
Coleman, Mi.
Hi Ted! I’ve used Cub Cadet zero turns before, and am definitely familiar with the struggle of constantly having to scrape buildup off the deck. I can’t say with complete certainty that using high lift blades will eliminate or decrease buildup, but I suspect they would create less clogging compared to mulching blades.
What I have found makes the biggest difference in the amount of gunk I have to clean off my deck is moisture levels in the grass. I try to wait until after lunch (at the earliest) to mow because if there is any residual wetness from the morning’s dew, my deck tends to collect clippings like crazy. It’s hard to wait around all morning before getting the grass cut but that strategy works pretty well for me. Also, being sure to clean the deck thoroughly every time you mow, and trying not to let the grass get too long between cuts can help.
I know this might not be the silver bullet you hoped for, but I hope it’s of some use!
Thanks, Tom.
Hi Tom,
I recently bought a Toro model #25165. I used it a few times and noticed it was spitting mulched grass along the left side wheels. This makes me have to run back over that line increasing cutting time.
I talked to HD and they said return it for another which I did. The same thing is going on with this one I noticed. We had been in a bit of a drought and my grass went dormant. I was only cutting the lawn so it didn’t look straggly. Now with some rain and lawn co, came and fertilized it is greening back up.
So now I noticed this week it is leaving the lines. I have mower deck even, set at 2 1/2 inches as per owners manual setting guide, mulch plug is in. Driving me crazy, I try to keep my lawn as nice as time can afford. I have a busy work schedule. Is it possible that Toro fitted this mower with a high lift blade? But they call this mower the super recycler with excellent mulching capabilities.
I posted a question on HD’s site, Toro replied to contact them. Call Toro they say call an authorized repair shop. Have not done this yet. Any help would be great. It seems nobody else is complaining on HD site about what my mower is doing. My old Snapper mulched grass great.
Hi Brian,
Sorry to hear that you are not having a lot of luck with Toro and their associates. Let’s see if I can help.
I’m going to make some assumptions here and say that the mower is fine. The reason I’m doing this is because you said that when the grass was dormant/slowed down, the mower cut fine. But, once the rains and fertilizer kicked in, the line of grass came back. I would say that the thing that changed was the volume of grass the mower was/is trying to cut. I think if you raised your mower higher or cut the lawn twice a week, the problem could disappear, or at least it wouldn’t be as bad.
If I were you, I would do a couple of tests. First, raise the mower to its highest height, cut a couple of strips, and see what happens. If you don’t get the clumping, then lower it a level or two and try another part of the lawn. I’m pretty sure that you’ll find a level where the mower works fine.
Also, you mentioned your manual stated to set the height to 2.5 inches. It would be interesting to know what grass you have. If a guy who had a St.Augustine Lawn purchased the same mower and read the same 2.5-inch comment, then he would be scalping his lawn as St. Augustine should be cut up at 4-inches. So, you could find that you are cutting your lawn at the wrong height.
Here’s an article I wrote about clumping grass that might give you a few pointers.
https://lawnmowerguru.com/how-to-keep-grass-from-clumping-when-mowing/
I hope everything works out and be sure to write back and tell me how you got on.
Best, Tom.