I’m kind of stuck on this too. My yard has a big maple right over the gutters, so I’m worried cups would just turn into leaf traps. But I do like how they look compared to the links. Has anyone found cups that don’t clog up as much, or is it just constant maintenance?
I get where you’re coming from—maples are notorious for dumping leaves everywhere. But honestly, I’ve seen just as many link chains get jammed up, especially if the links are close together or the chain hugs the house. One place I inspected last fall had links, and they were basically a solid column of wet leaves by November. Cups do need more cleaning, but if you go with larger cups and keep an eye on them during peak leaf drop, it’s not as bad as folks think. Sometimes it’s less about the style and more about how easy it is to reach and clear out.
I’ve seen both styles get absolutely wrecked by leaves, especially when you’ve got those big, messy trees overhead. Honestly, I’m a little skeptical when people say link chains are “set it and forget it”—I’ve seen them turn into leaf sausages after a couple of windy days in October. It’s true that if the chain is too close to the siding, or if the links are small and tight, you’re just asking for a vertical compost pile by Thanksgiving.
Cups have their own issues, no question. But with larger cups, there’s at least a fighting chance you can poke out the clogs without needing to dismantle half the setup. I know someone who switched to oversized hammered copper cups specifically because their gutters were getting overwhelmed every fall—said it was easier to just reach up with a gloved hand and scoop out the junk. Not exactly glamorous, but it beats dragging out a ladder every week.
I do think it comes down to how much you’re willing to deal with maintenance. If you’re someone who’s out there every weekend anyway, maybe it doesn’t matter. But if you’d rather not think about it until spring cleanup, neither style is really “set and forget” under a maple or oak. And if your rain chain is tucked into a tight corner or over a flower bed, cleaning it gets even more annoying.
One thing I’ve noticed—people rarely talk about how much wind matters. If you get those gusty autumn storms, cups can rattle like crazy and even splash water all over the siding. Links are quieter but they can swing and bash into things if they’re not anchored well. Just something else to throw into the mix.
At the end of the day, I kind of wish someone would invent a self-cleaning rain chain... until then, it’s all about compromise and how much hassle you’re willing to put up with.
You nailed it about the wind—my cups sound like a wind chime factory when a storm rolls through, and I’ve had to fish out more than a few leaf clumps. Still, I’d rather deal with that than the “leaf sausage” you mentioned. It’s all about picking your battles, I guess.
Wind’s a real pain with cup chains, no doubt. But honestly, I’ll take a little wind chime chaos over the constant clogging I dealt with on my old link chain. The “leaf sausage” is real—once that thing forms, water just pours over the gutter edge. At least with cups, I can see the gunk and clear it out before it becomes a problem. Not perfect, but less hassle for me. If you’ve got a lot of trees, neither option’s maintenance-free... but I’d rather hear the noise than deal with overflow.
