By (User Submission)

Purchasing

I picked up a 2.25” Mendo Mulcher from mendomulchers.com (manufacturer website) for $50 USD shipped.  The shipping was quick and the grinder only took 3 days to get to me and was well packaged in bubble wrap.

Construction

The Mendo Mulcher is made of CNC’ed 6061-T6 Aluminum which is typically used in aircraft, boat, and bicycle applications.  Using such strong material may seem like overkill, however, it is good insurance against cracking/chipping of teeth that cheap Chinese knockoffs may experience.  The teeth are sharp and all the parts fit snug (with the exception of the freely rotating magnetic top) indicating that the grinder is made to tight tolerances.  The grinder also features fine ribbing on the sides and tops and bottoms.  The best part about this grinder is the construction of the storage chamber.  The storage chamber on the Mendo Mulcher is much larger than other traditionally designed grinders (like Space Case and knock offs).  This is because the lower grinding section and cap are more compact (They reduce wasted height by over 1/4”). Safety and cleanliness can also be a factor when purchasing a grinder.  For example, my knockoff grinder came with a significant amount of grease/dirt stuck in the teeth and over the metal surfaces (most likely lubricant from manufacturing).  The Mulcher was much better and only showed a little oil/grease when wiped with a tissue.  Since both of my grinders have had oily residue, it is highly recommended that you clean the grinder thoroughly before using it.

Performance

Versus my cheap Chinese knockoff, the Mendo Mulcher performs much better.  It grinds thick buds up quick usually only taking a couple twists.  The grinder breaks the plant into small fluffy chunks which are especially good for rolling.  The grinder also has a very nice screen that produces a good amount of kief if quality buds are used.  The Mulcher screen also seems to stay cleaner (less kief stuck in the screen) than my knockoff’s screen.  After using the grinder for a week, the parts are still running smooth unlike my knockoff which got jammed up within a couple days.

Improvements

Some changes I would make are the addition of an o-ring between the lid and the bottom half of the grinder (like the Space Case grinders).  This would help smooth the action and eliminate rattle/squeaks.  It would also prevent metal on metal contact and reduce the possibility of metal shavings getting into the herb.  I would also have preferred the grinder to have smaller holes because I felt that it didn’t grind buds quite enough for a vaporizer (flipping the grinder over and grinding it will help solve this).

Overall


The Mendo Mulcher is good for people that need to grind up a lot of buds quickly.  It won’t get jammed even when stuffed full and grinds to a good consistency.  The Mulcher will provide you with long lasting quality grinding for years.  The price, on the other hand, is less attractive.  At $50, the grinder is relatively pricey since decent knockoffs can be had for $10-$20.