Leaf Blowers, Vacuum and Mulchers – Best ways to tidy up the garden this autumn
Autumn is a beautiful time of year. The changing colours of the leaves and the fresh, crisp air offer an invigorating vibe as we prepare for the winter months. As beautiful as the leaves are, they do fall and leave us with a significant amount of work to do in our gardens and lawns. Raking and bagging all those leaves is exhausting!
There must be an easier way!
Well, there is. The traditional rake and paper bags have been replaced by technology. There are many new tools to make this chore easier and faster. Here, we share with you some of the better options available to you.
Leaf Blowers/Vacs
Leaf blowers are not a new technology, but they have come a long way since the early, loud (and annoying) models we remember. These come in a few varieties, from ones that simply blow the leaves to a central area, to those which can also vacuum the leaves into a bag and mulch, for easy disposal or reuse. To make it easy to access each products on the Internet we have included links to online retailer below. Please use the heading links if you wish to learn more about user experience, reviews, ratings and other related information.
1. Toro 51619 Ultra Blower Vacuum
The Toro 51619 Ultra Blower Vacuum is a robust, well-appointed unit with multiple attachments and add-ons and is a corded model. It comes equipped with a metal impeller for more blowing power and mulching. The motor only drives air flow in one direction so it relies on the attached accessories, to either make it a blower or a vacuum and mulcher, a truly three in one machine. Additional models are also available with less horsepower at a lower cost.
Features available are:
- New, larger metal impeller drives power and improved mulching
- Powerful up to 250 mph air speed
- Air volume in Vac Mode: 410 cfm
- Leaf reduction with percentage of debris reduced to under half an inch is 88%
- Vacuum tube, bottom-zip bag, power insert, concentrator nozzle and cord storage hook included; extension cord not included
- Variable speed control for better control in both blower and vac mode.
NOTE: If you like the Toro 51619 Ultra Blower Vacuum, a slightly higher model is also available. The Toro 51621 UltraPlus Blower Vac is driven by the same motor offering the same air speed and volume as the Ultra but has improved mulching capability and better leaf reduction of up to 97% of debris reduced to under half an inch.
2. Toro 51609 Ultra Blower Vac
The Toro 51609 Ultra Blower Vac while it is an older model is still capable of air speed of up to 235 and still benefits from a metal impeller for effective mulching. The Blower Vac is a corded, heavy duty 3-in-one blower, vac/mulcher that offers more power, less noise and also comes with loads of attachments.
Features available are:
- Move a substantial volume of leaves and debris with ease
- Air speeds up to 235 mph and
- Air volume up to 390 cfm
- Variable speed motor for better control; rugged metal impeller creates a fine mulch
- Quick-Release Latch lets you convert your blower into a vacuum in seconds without tools
- Comes with power unit, blower tubes, vacuum tubes, and vacuum bag
3. WORX TURBINE Corded Leaf Blower – WG520
The WORX TURBINE Corded Leaf Blower with Variable Speed Control – WG520 has 2 options, 600 CFM (as shown) or 450 CFM. This is a super lightweight, heavy duty unit, at only 7 pounds, making it easy to clear your garden efficiently. It is important to note that this is a leaf blower only without the vacuum or mulching functions. You can pair this with a standalone purpose built mulcher. We have a couple of these at the bottom of this article.
Features available are:
- TURBINE fan technology delivers forceful, high-capacity air volume that is up to twice as fast as professional gas blowers
- Air speed 110 mph
- Air volume 600 cfm or 450 cfm depending on chosen model
- Dynamic airflow design and Hyper-Stream nozzle for maximum performance, variable speed control to adapt to your outdoor cleaning challenges
- Very lightweight at 6.4 lbs. to easily control with one hand without getting fatigued
- Power cord retainer for hassle-free leaf blowing
If you are familiar with WORX and would like a three in one machine from then, check out the next item on our list.
4.WORX WG518 Electric Blower, Mulcher and Vacuum
The WORX WG518 Electric Blower, Mulcher and Vacuum is a smaller, more lightweight unit (only 10 pounds!) that packs serious power. Unlike the WROX Turbine, this is a multi-functional power tool with blower, mulcher and vacuum built in. A lesser known brand, but is comparable to the Toro, albeit without the extra attachments and accoutrements. It does however come with the necessary conversion tools to turn it from a blower to a vacuum, has a metal impeller for 16:1 mulching ratio and a mulching bag to hold mulched leaves.
Features available are:
- Powerful, 12 Amp, 2-speed Blower/Vac/Mulcher
- Metal impeller for 16:1 mulching ratio
- Air speed 160-250 mph and 400 cfm air volume
- Simple tool free assembly and one-touch Blower/Vac conversion
- Lightweight and easy to use
5. Black and Decker BV5600 High Performance Blower/Vac/Mulcher
The Black and Decker BV5600 High Performance Blower/Vac/Mulcher is a powerful model which can also bag the mulch created while vacuuming the leaves/lawn debris. Black and Decker is a well-known brand who have been in the lawn care business for some time. While there are other even higher models such as the BV6000, BV6600 and the BEBL7000, these are all powered by the same 12A motor offering the same 250 mph air speed and 400 CFM air volume as well as two speed controls. The differences are in the accessories.
Features available are:
- The 12-amp motor operates a 3-in-1 blower, vacuum and mulcher all in one
- 250 mph blower with 2 Speed selections
- Maximum air volume of 400 CFM in blower mode
- Can grind up to 16 bags leaves and mulch them down to one!
- Easy-change between vacuum and blower, Decibel: 68 dBA
- 2 Speed selections for flower beds and powerful enough for matted leaves.
6. Black and Decker BV6000 High Performance Blower/Vac/Mulcher
The Black and Decker BV6000 High Performance Blower/Vac/Mulcher is the higher and improved version of the 5600, in that it has dual speed settings and 50% less noise than other models from Black and Decker. It is super light at a mere 8.1 pounds, has an easy empty reusable collection bag and concentrator.
Features available are:
- The 12-amp motor operates a 3-in-1 blower, vacuum and mulcher all in one
- 180/250 mph blower with 2 speed selections
- air volume of up to 400 CFM
- Disposable leaf bag system, detachable shoulder strap, reusable bag assemly
- Can grind up to 16 bags of mulch down to one
- Easy-change between vacuum and blower. Decibel: 68 dBA
7. GreenWorks 2400702 24V Cordless Jet Leaf Blower
The GreenWorks 2400702 24V Cordless Jet Leaf Blower is a cordless model, which makes it easier to get into all areas in your garden. It does offer up to 11 minutes of runtime on high with a 2Ah battery, which is not a lot of time to get your work done, so if you have a large yard, this may not be a great option for you. It is important to note that this is a blower only and does not have the vacuum or mulcher functions.
Features available are:
- Powerful axial design provides 330 CFM at 100 MPH
- Reduce fatigue with comfort over mold grip and variable speed trigger. Weighs only 6 pounds
- Quick charger provides full recharge in 45 minutes putting you back to work
You may also be interested in:
If you are looking specifically at cordless blowers, you can find other more powerful cordless blowers powered either by gas or battery in our article below:
Mulchers
Now that many cities are no longer collecting leaves and lawn waste, they are recommending each household mulch their yard waste to be used as fertilizer for the soil and to cover and protect the flower beds during the winter. While most of the Blowers do mulch, it will not be on the same scale as a dedicated Mulcher.
8. WORX Electric Leaf Mulcher WG430
The WORX Electric Leaf Mulcher WG430 is a basic, robust offering which can mulch over 53 gallons of leave a minute! When the 3-in-one blower is not simply enough, this is a perfect addition to your yard maintenance toolkit.
Features available are:
- 13 Amp motor efficiently mulches up to 53 gallons of leaves per minute, deposits debris into a bag (not included)
- Flex-a-line bladeless system uses thick trimmer line to achieve an 11:1 mulching ratio
- Tool free, quick assembly and disassembly for convenient and compact storage
- Features a clean air motor cooling system and an easy start-stop system
- Includes 13 Amp Leaf Mulcher, 24 cutting lines, bag support ring
9. Sun Joe SDJ616 Shredder Joe
The Sun Joe SDJ616 Shredder Joe 16:1 Reduction Electric Leaf Mulcher/Shredder is simple to assemble and simple to use mulcher that offers a higher reduction of leaves and lawn debris as well as the ability to adjust the settings, depending on the type of material being mulched.
Features available are:
- Powerful 13 Amp motor with 8000 RPM mulches up to 12 Gallon (46 L) of leaves per minute using trimmer lines
- Reduces yard waste up to 1/16th its original size
- Conveniently attaches to leaf bag-lined trash container for easy disposal
- Adjustable control dial with settings for wet or dry yard waste, coarse, medium or fine.
- Dust-reducing motor cooling system for cleaner air during operation; Lightweight and compact for easy portability and storage
10. Flowtron LE-900 Ultimate Mulcher Electric Leaf Shredder
The Flowtron LE-900 Ultimate Mulcher Electric Leaf Shredder is a high end unit which can create a finer mulch with multiple adjustment options to better control the output. It has a unique hopper and funnel system to prevent material throwback and can easily be mounted on a standard garbage can or have a bag attached. The funnel measures 21-inch, big enough to feed large quantities of leaves in one go and with its two step process shreds and mulches it down from 8 to 1 to 30 to 1 reduction.
Features available are:
- Powerful universal motor with overload protection
- Up to 30:1 particle size-reduction
- Coarse to fine shredding adjustment
- Multi-angle positioning, can be placed over a bin or fitted with a disposable garbage bag.
- Lightweight and portable
Final Thoughts
With the right tools, you will be able to have a beautiful clean lawn that will be easy and quick to maintain. Using the 3-in-one or basic units along with the robust Mulchers will ensure you are being not only eco-smart, but serious about maintaining your garden.
Edited by Samuel Tan
