Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have 5 large oak trees on my property and they produce a mountain of leaves in the fall. It takes years for them to decompose into mulch if simply left in a pile. So after reading about leaf shredders I purchased an 8 amp Flowtron shredder and used it the fall of 2008 and for part of the fall of 2009 when the motor eventually burned out. I then purchased a 13 amp Worx shredder and have been using that since. Here are my observations about both models that may help you decide which to buy. Both shredders are basically inverted string trimmers with a funnel on top that directs the leaves through the spinning line. With both models you get nicely shredded leaves that turn into good dark mulch when left in a pile for about 6 months. It is a pleasure to be able to reduce a mountain of leaves into a manageable pile of mulch, saving the effort of bagging fall leaves for trash pick up and then buying mulch in the spring. Dry leaves shred faster, but they produce a lot of dust. Damp leaves produce very little dust and go into the mulch pile with some moisture which helps with composting. I prefer using the shredder after a light rain. The Flowtron fits well over a big plastic trash can which is slightly better for managing the shredded leaves. I use a tarp under the Worx which is fine, but I liked the trash can method slightly better. The Flowtron has some features that the Worx does not have, like selecting course to fine shredding, and adjusting the tilt of the bucket. I didn't really use these features and don't miss them on the Worx. The downside is that these shredders require frequent line changes. The lines snap when they contact anything thicker than a pencil lead and to keep production up I find myself replacing them about every 5 or 10 minutes. I try to pick out the sticks, but inevitably some slip through and snap the lines. The Worx can use a slightly heavier .090 line, but it doesn't last appreciably longer than the .080. The Flowtron has a built-in line storage compartment which is handy since you will be changing lines frequently. The Worx would benefit from a feature like this. In terms of design and build, the Worx is superior. Its motor is powerful, it is nicely constructed and the power switch is easy to locate and operate with gloves on. Out of the box there is much more assembly time with the Flowtron. The Worx snaps together in a couple of minutes. And for storage, the Worx breaks down nicely to store in a compact space. My experience with my burned-out Flowtron makes me wonder if the 8 amp motor is undersized. I am still working my way through the 2009 leaf pile, but I feel confident that the Worx will get me through this season and many more.