Mower - mulch or not mulch

[bk T]

My 20 year-old Masport mover has decided to call it a day. Not worth repairing, I think.

Am now looking for a new mower. Should I get a much mower or stick to the good old bag mower with catcher?

Your views, please.

[dugimodo]

Personal preference. I don't like dealing with grass clippings so I have been mulching year round for about 3 years now and my lawn looks fine to me. You do need to keep it reasonably short, but it makes the mow quicker and easier and as a bonus reduces the amount of flies around your property.
Most decent mowers are combo mowers these days aren't they? Mine has a catcher I never use but I have the option if I want it. I initially thought I'd have to switch to the catcher in winter but it's never been an issue.

I notice my lawn doesn't seem to brown off as badly as other peoples in summer, but that could also be because I don't mow it as short as they do.

[1101]

Mulcher .
Many of the mulchers arnt dedicated mulcher mowers now , sort of a bastardized do everything & do nothing very well.

[allblack]

I don't have a lawn at my whare. It's sad because I used to enjoy mowing the grass and the 7 beers afterwards.

Now I just have the beers.

Best I find a support group.

[Arnie]

Mulchers work fine if you cut the lawn often enough and only when reasonably dry. Too tall or too wet they don't work very well.

[tweak'e]

most mowers are mulching mowers. the difference between non-mulch and mulch mowers is if they come with the mulch plug or not.

i would go with mulching mower because it is useful. however there is other features thats more important.
big one for me is side chute. very few have a real side chute and the old style seamed to have disappeared. i think masport has its little red built in chute on all its models now. i find that its ok except for long wet grass.

[bk T]

OK. Thanks folks for the inputs.

Looks, most mowers have mulching capabilities - how do they work?

Next question is, 2-stroke or 4-stroke engine?

[dugimodo]

They just have a shaped plastic plug that goes in where the catcher is and causes the grass to circulate back into the blades instead of going into the catcher. The plugs can be a bit of a ***** to put back in on some models though, on my masport I used to sit on the ground and kick it into place with my foot

I went crazy this time though and went battery electric and the mulching plug has never been removed. If your section is under ~800 sq/m I thoroughly recommend a battery mower. Otherwise mixing 2 stroke eventually annoys me so I always had a 4 stroke.

[piroska]

We don't like mulchers. They don't throw it back in as well as they claim, and in any case, we compost.
We do like the ones with the chipper though.

[allblack]

Next question is, 2-stroke or 4-stroke engine?

4.

4 is bigger than 2 and bigger is always better.