Are Mulching Lawnmowers Worth It? My Honest Experience

Cutting the grass shouldn’t feel like a half-day job, but for years, that’s exactly what it was.

Our old lawnmower came with a collection bag that needed emptying every few passes. Stop, empty, restart. Repeat. By the time the lawn was finished, I’d lost all interest in the job and still had a pile of clippings to deal with.

When it finally gave up, I started looking at alternatives. Mulching mowers kept coming up, but I wasn’t convinced. Leaving grass behind sounded like a recipe for a mess. We even considered robotic mowers, until I realised I’d be digging up the garden to lay boundary wires.

In the end, we went with a mulching model from O’Neills Power Equipment in Tralee… and it completely changed how I look at cutting grass.

Close-up of a freshly cut lawn showing the striped pattern and clean finish created by a mulching lawnmower in Ireland

The out-of-place lines you see are just where I pushed the mower off the grass from the centre, they’re not part of the actual cutting pattern. You can see the clean finish otherwise. The lawn also looks greener later in the season, this was an early cut in March.
If you’re into tools that make everyday jobs easier, I put together a post on useful Amazon tools and gadgets that I’ve found genuinely handy around the home.

🛈 This post contains affiliate links — I may earn a small commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you.

Mulching vs Collection vs Robotic Mowers

There’s no one “perfect” lawnmower, it really depends on how you want to manage your grass. These are the three main types I considered before making a decision:

Mulching mowers
● No grass collection
● Faster once you keep on top of it
● Feeds nutrients back into the lawn

Collection mowers (traditional)
● Cleaner for long or wet grass
● More stopping and emptying
● More waste to deal with

Robot mowers
● Fully automated
● Expensive upfront
● Setup can be awkward (boundary wires, maintenance)

Why I Chose a Mulching Mower (and What Happened Next)

Once I decided to go with a mulching mower, the difference was noticeable straight away. First of all, it was brand new, not tired and worn like our old Mountfield (which, to be fair, had done its time well).

Instead of collecting and dumping cuttings, the mower finely chops them and redistributes them back into the lawn.

The result?
● A cleaner-looking lawn
● No repeated emptying of the lawnmower collector bag
● No more bags of clippings or piles of dead grass
● A surprisingly greener finish thanks to the nutrients from the mulched cuttings

And best of all, less work. Cutting the lawn was now a pleasure to do. The mower even leaves a tidy striped pattern on the grass that looks freshly manicured.

The Downsides

Like everything, there are a few trade-offs.

● You have to cut more regularly, ideally every week during growing season.
● The grass should be very dry before cutting, wet grass tends to clump, and the mulching function won’t work as well. This is painful in Ireland as it tends to rain a little lol.
● You’ll get faint ridges or high spots, especially if you always mow in the same direction.
● The blade must be sharpened annually, preferably before the start of the cutting season.

A Few Tips That Helped

Since I started using it, I’ve learned a few tricks to keep the lawn looking sharp:
● Change mowing direction every couple of cuts to level out high points.
● Use a lawn spreader to apply moss and weed control evenly — it makes a big difference to overall appearance.
● Don’t cut too short — let the grass stay slightly higher to maintain that lush look.

If the grass is continuously wet as often happens here, cut at a higher setting, leave to dry off for a few hours and then recut at lower settings. Sometimes, if you miss a few cutting windows as often happens when you're busy, away on holidays etc. you'll have to do this. It is a bit of a pain but worth it in the end. Keep cutting every week if possible and it shouldn't be an issue.

Mulched clippings act almost like a natural fertiliser, reducing the need for added lawn feed and keeps your grass green and healthy looking.

One mistake I made early on was letting the grass get too long before cutting. Mulching works best when you stay on top of it, otherwise you’ll end up doing two passes anyway.

Blade Sharpening

The dealer will tell you that the mower needs and annual sharpening so that it cuts properly and you should heed this advice. I left it off the first year and had to do it midway during the second season. The difference was immediate and the mower was cutting perfectly after resharpening.

The growing season is generally March to October, sharpen in February and if you feel it's not cutting right later in the year, get it done a second time. Resharpening is generally €10. I have not needed to service the lawnmower since we got it so the blade sharpening is money well spent.

At this point, I'm considering buying a second blade so cutting can continue when the other blade is away for sharpening. Removing the blade is easy with a socket wrench. Take a photo of all the components in the order you take them off or better yet, bring the entire lawn mower into the shop and let them do it for you. If you are not 100% comfortable working around tools and dangerous machines, it would be better to get an expert to do it for you.

Further Advice for Your Lawnmower

A word of advice on petrol lawnmowers, don't leave petrol sitting inside in the tank in winter as it will rot the carburetor and lines. I generally only top up enough to do the lawns and use the winter fuel off season so it doesn't damage the internals.

Who Is a Mulcher For (and Who It’s Not)

A mulching mower won’t suit everyone, so in short here’s my honest take:

✔ This is for you if:
● You want to cut time spent mowing
● You’re happy to cut the lawn regularly (weekly in season)
● You prefer a cleaner finish without dealing with clippings

✖ It might not suit you if:
● You let grass grow long between cuts
● Your lawn is often very wet or shaded
● You prefer a “cut and forget” approach

The Verdict

If you have a mid-sized lawn (ours is 19m x 11m approximately), a mulching mower is absolutely worth considering. It saves time, keeps your grass healthier, and gives a neat, professional finish once you get into the habit of regular maintenance.

I went into it unsure, but after 2 seasons of use, I wouldn’t go back to the old bag-collection style. The convenience and results speak for themselves.

If you don't like cutting your own grass, you can pick up a robot mower. Personally, I find it to be therapeutic to cut the grass and make the garden presentable.

If you’re shopping for lawn mowers or lawn care accessories, you’ll find plenty of options on Amazon Ireland or Amazon UK — including mulching models similar to mine, lawn spreaders, and moss control treatments that actually work.

Affiliate links – I may earn a small commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you.

That said, I’d always suggest checking your local dealer first. They’ll stand over the mower if anything goes wrong and can usually offer quicker servicing. For accessories, though, Amazon often has great deals on items that local shops might have to order in specially.

You can always read the mower reviews so that you are well informed when you go to your local dealer.

Thanks for Reading,

David

About the Author

I’m David Condon, a small business owner and blog writer based in Tralee, Co. Kerry. Running my own woodcraft business means I’ve seen first-hand how much confusion there can be around shipping times, delivery dates, and what “business days” actually mean. That’s why I wrote this post — to share a bit of what I’ve learned and hopefully save you some frustration.

Every so often I step outside the workshop to write about wider business topics like this one. If you’d like to know more, you can follow the link in the Note from the Author section below or visit my About Me page to learn more.

💬 Note from the Author
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