Leaf Blower / Mulcher Recommendations

[Hank Camacho]

Paddock,

The house next to me has a huge oak hanging over my yard and I've got a huge maple. Leaves and acorns are everywhere.

I would like to get a leaf blower that is powerful enough to handle blowing the acorns off my driveway and has a vacuum to suck up and shred the leaves for compost / mulch.

Reviews I have read online suggest that Toro is the go-to for the leaf blower but the vacuum / mulcher portion is finnicky and prone to failure. That'a main component for me.

Within reason, cost isn't really an issue since I would like to just buy the best and figure it will last for years.

Any recommendations?

 

[weused2luvhim2]

Stihl

 

[Hank Camacho]

Stihl

Does the vacuum / leaf shredder part work well?

 

[krazykats]

Cut your grass in one direction toward your neighbors yard.

Let him buy a solid product and then ask to borrow it.

 

[mashburned]

Get a couple good field goats munch them leaves right up

 

[RacerX.ksr]

I got a Black and Decker 12 amp, corded blower/vac. Whatever you get, make sure it has a metal impeller. The plastic ones won't hold up, especially if you're going to be sucking up acorns.

 

[trueblujr]

One and a half trees? Is that all you got? Try about an acre and a third of about 35 mature old very large trees. It rains acorns at my place. They were particularly bad this year. Your best investment would be to pay a neighborhood kid 30 bucks and sit on the porch with an ice cold beer while he rakes and bags the leaves.

My leaves are about to get easier this year though. Just bought me a Big Dog Stout MP 54" zero turn with a mulching kit. The days of riding around on a lawn tractor with a bagger all day for 3 weekends while the kids man the two burn piles are over.

 

[UKRob 73]

I have the best leaf blower in town, his name is Jorge.

 

[buckethead1978]

Mine is named Isaias. I prefer Guatamalans.

 

[Chuckinden]

I bought a Hitachi leaf blower from Lowe's this year and it has worked great so far. $130 and a 7 yr warranty.

 

[We-Todd-Did]

I agree with trueblujr2 - I mulch the crap out of them and leave them on the yard. They mulch easy so I drive WFO and pretend to be outrunning Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane.

 

[Kooky Kats]

Something tells me there were more Leif blowers on the market in the 70's,

Then there are today...

 

[80 Proof]

I would get a leaf blower and a mulches seperation if you aren't worried about cost. Function will be much better, and I would get a Stihl blower.