The zip on the catcher bag of my recently bought blower-vacuum-mulched broke. It made the vacuum-mulch function useless. I fully expected the bag to fail at some point as most online reviews about these machines warned readers of this. Buying a new bag was not an option if it meant the possibility of failure not long after purchase.

This hack makes use of an old pillow case to catch the mulched leaves.

Step 1: Cut Notches in Pillowcase

The original bag attaches via plastic clips on the bag to hanging points on the body of the bag. I cut buttonhole-shaped slots in the pillowcase about 5cm from the pillowcase opening (at the points indicated on the photos) and sewed them at the edges for strength.

Step 2: Clip Onto Body

The old bag is not removed. It acts like a baffle inside the pillowcase to stop leaves coming out the top. The strap at the front also helps to hold the front of the pillowcase on as the pillowcase in this blower cannot stretch fully between the clips. The buttonhole notch at the back of the blower takes the other buttonhole on the pillowcase. It's easy to remove, so it's the one undone for emptying the bag.