Which Leaf Blower is the Best to Buy - With or Without Vacuum?
Now that I have a beautiful green lawn in the garden, I do my best to keep it free of leaves and debris and was interested to find out which leaf blower to buy and should it have a vacuum or not.
02/12/2020
Since having my new lawn installed, I have gone out of the way to make sure it is free from debris and fallen leaves every day. That's not easy when you are using a sweeping brush or rake and it also takes a long time with plenty of arm and shoulder pain and if there is one thing I do believe in it's that everything should be fun and not hard work - even my DIY!
Clean up the leaves on your lawn with a leaf blower with vacuum option.
While browsing online to see what types of leaf blowers were available, I also discovered that quite a few had bags on them. I just hadn't realised that leaf blowers now came in two different types: conventional leaf blower and leaf blower with a vacuum function. Someone must have heard my thoughts a couple of years back when I was wishing that there was a leaf blower that sucked up the leaves rather than just blow them around.
It doesn't make sense to me to use a conventional leaf blower. I don't see the point of blowing leaves all over the place to then still have to clean them up. With a leaf blower with vacuum option, you have the ability to set the machine to blow and vacuum. That means you can move all the fallen leaves and debris to one spot and then vacuum them all up. While this doesn't shred the leaves, it's still great to be able to empty the bag and empty it onto your compost heap or place it in the dustbin.
The leaf blower with vacuum doesn't even cost that much more than just a leaf blower. The model I bought was a Ryobi corded version at my local Builders Warehouse, and it cost just as much as some of the blowers. This leaf blower has a vacuum function that is operated at the click of a switch and is lightweight and very easy to use. There are also different options to choose from, whether you want a petrol-operated blower/vacuum, a battery operated blower/vacuum or a corded blower/vacuum. I settled on the corded version since I have a smallish garden and I wouldn't have to worry about refilling it all the time or charging the battery.
Purchase a leaf blower/vacuum that is light enough to be used anywhere - particularly to clean out gutters.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A LEAF BLOWER
There are quite a few considerations to keep in mind when shopping for a leaf blower, whether with or without vacuum:
• Lightweight and easy to carry around, preferably with a shoulder strap.
• Can be used to clean out gutters and possibly even dust from a braai or fireplace.
• Long extension cord (the one I bought is waaaay too short).
• Sufficient power to blow leaves since some models definitely lack in that department.
• Competitive pricing for what is offered (brand/power/guarantee).