I've seen several different types of "Leaf vacuum" mulchers/shredders but am not sure where to start - some look like a mower, some are more like a "shop vac" with a shredder, others seem to work like a tractor attachment.

Does anyone use them? Any recommendations?

Also, how fine would such a device typically shred/chop leaves? I'd like to get them small enough to look smooth and decompose relatively quickly, but not so small they could compact down and smother the soil. I'm thinking 1/4" pieces or so.

The biggest problem with most of the available systems on the market (in my opinion) is that they either don't shred leaves fine enough, or the collection bag is way too small. I have seen some professional companies with the stand-on riding mowers and a large hose that carries the mulched grass or leaves up into a garbage can that sits on top of the mower engine. I've not seen how fine the leaves get shredded, but that size of collection container seems better. I don't know how easily those are emptied.

Another option we considered was to hire someone to do a fall clean-up for us and use their industrial strength machines to shred my leaves and pile them where I told them to. I didn't get as far as pricing that option, but that would solve all the issues of equipment storage and maintenance and dependence on the weather and my schedule, etc. As I get older and stiffer, that option makes more and more sense. The appropriate equipment is out their, but it's too expensive for people like you and I who just have one yard to care for.

I hope this has helped. Before you buy anything, make sure you see it in action. If I had time to plan ahead and put aside a few hundred dollars, I'd hire the job out. I'm sure you could even have someone come weekly for the month of October (in my zone, anyway) and keep the leaves from getting too thick on the lawn. Good luck.

Martha

I bought a D.R. vac for $700 that was only one year old from a widow. It retails for about $2,600. I was about to buy one from Tractor Supply that retailed for $1200, on a coworkers recommendation. He has one and it does great too.

It shreds the leaves very small but they don't compact down and smother the soil.

You may have a small yard and it may be too expensive. I have over an acre of leaves with huge oak and hickory trees that I have to get up. It has paid for itself in labor alone. Plus my garden is getting better and better!

Keep a watch on Craigslist and estate auctions, you might get lucky too!

Lloyd

Through circumstances I ended up buying an electric stand up shredder thing, an Eco Shredder 1600. Works fine. Reduces the volume a lot. I am out there raking leaves once a week but I guess I can put up with that in a small yard. When I burn out the eco shredder, I'll go for the blow/vac for this small yard.

The mulcher mower worked great when I was only mulching but when I went to mulch and bag not so hot. Most mulcher mowers work by creating a vortex that cycles the material through the blade action at least three times but if you're bagging the stuff, the egress to the bag breaks the vortex and stuff only passes the blades once. I also mow my grass high so that mucks up the mulching vortex too. I tried looking for a good mulching mower but there's a dearth of information on that particular feature. I guess I should have gotten the gumption to try renting out mowers from different places.

Still, I used to rake leaves onto the lawn before mowing so the mower would chop them some and mix the leaves up with the grass clippings saving me that effort. Most of the time, that was good enough.

to sense
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Of course, the holy grail is curbside bags of someone else's finely shredded leaves!

But that was for stationary machines, and you mentioned vacs. So a moving type shredder vac may not be as flexible. The guy down the street has a Sear shredder mower vac, and the output is rather large. Like me running over the leaves once, maybe twice with my regular Sear push mower.

Take your time and check out used equipment as well. If any of the neighbors have stuff, ask if you can work with them some weekend for an hour or two. I started with a stationary Troy-Bilt chipper/shredder for two years. Did not like it until I tried a Sears model. But that had a intake which could be lowered to ground level. Nice if leaves were small and dry for older folks who could not bend down much. But I preferred the Troy-Bilt myself. After the engine on that went, bought a no-name model with a new engine, which was worthless.

Each to his own.