Anyone tried this out yet?
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napper wrote:Anyone tried this out yet?
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I have one, works fine as a blower but not enough power to really suck up the leaves. Bag fills up too fast as well.

I need something to vacuum up the leaves as well as a blower. What would you suggest?

napper wrote:I need something to vacuum up the leaves as well as a blower. What would you suggest?

Your mower with a bag. Better yet, just mulch the leaves.

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jglongisland wrote:

napper wrote:I need something to vacuum up the leaves as well as a blower. What would you suggest?

Your mower with a bag. Better yet, just mulch the leaves.

[ Post made via iPod ]

Yeah that would work but I import leaves because I have no trees. I just want to suck up the leaves not the grass and weeds at the locations I get my leaves from.

napper wrote:

jglongisland wrote:

napper wrote:I need something to vacuum up the leaves as well as a blower. What would you suggest?

Your mower with a bag. Better yet, just mulch the leaves.

[ Post made via iPod ]

Yeah that would work but I import leaves because I have no trees. I just want to suck up the leaves not the grass and weeds at the locations I get my leaves from.

I tried that, leaf and a pail work better, faster. For that unit to be effective I think it would need about 10x the motor and 5x the bag size.

I have a machine from Sears that is a Vaccum, blower, chipper. The chipper is great for small twigs, branches and yard clean-up. The blower is great for "sweeping" the lawn or for blowing off the driveway. Gets rid of the sand every spring. As long as the leaves are dry and free from sticks, it sucks up leaves perfectly. If it has a lot of sticks, you'll spend a good deal of time clearing the inlet.

They are pricy if you buy new but I found one dirt cheap on Craigslist 4 or 5 years ago and still going strong.

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The Stihl looks like a nice machine. I had a Craftsman that was similar but it bit the dust last year and I got a regular blower Echo. I miss the vacuum feature!!! A lot of leaves get into my low lying evergreens and they simply do not blow out--I used to be able to vacuum those up.

I bought the Stihl SH 56 C-E over the weekend. I got to try it out a couple of times this week. I thought the shredder did a good job it just takes a little time and the blower worked well also. I would say it is comparable to my electric toro blower/vac. I just wanted something without a cord as I import leaves.

napper wrote:I bought the Stihl SH 56 C-E over the weekend. I got to try it out a couple of times this week. I thought the shredder did a good job it just takes a little time and the blower worked well also. I would say it is comparable to my electric toro blower/vac. I just wanted something without a cord as I import leaves.

The blower is about 10x more powerful than the vacuum, so you can use it that way to get the stuff into a pile and out from under things and then connect the bag/tube for sucking.

I disagree with most folks here, mines 2-3 years old, same style, probably a different model #, I'll have to check. I use it specifically for vaccuming around tight spaces and small piles. Mine has worked flawlessly, the mulch blades inside shred the leaves nicely and the bag can hold quite a lot of mulched leaves. This is all comparitavely speaking however, I would never do a whole yard with this unless it was a postage stamp, but for around the bushes, edges of yard etc its great. Use it at home and at a commercial rental property. Will suck up a pile 4 feet wide by 20 feet long by 8 inches high.

Tips:
1) Make sure the leaves are dry.
2) Watch out for bark mulch, if you suck up a chunk it will jam the mulch impeller and cut the engine immediately.

Unless you go with a Pro Model like the Shindaiwa, the Stihl will outperform all the other hand vacs. Again, works for its intended purpose, but not suitable for a whole yard.

.02 P

paulr wrote:I disagree with most folks here, mines 2-3 years old, same style, probably a different model #, I'll have to check. I use it specifically for vaccuming around tight spaces and small piles. Mine has worked flawlessly, the mulch blades inside shred the leaves nicely and the bag can hold quite a lot of mulched leaves. This is all comparitavely speaking however, I would never do a whole yard with this unless it was a postage stamp, but for around the bushes, edges of yard etc its great. Use it at home and at a commercial rental property. Will suck up a pile 4 feet wide by 20 feet long by 8 inches high.

Tips:
1) Make sure the leaves are dry.
2) Watch out for bark mulch, if you suck up a chunk it will jam the mulch impeller and cut the engine immediately.

Unless you go with a Pro Model like the Shindaiwa, the Stihl will outperform all the other hand vacs. Again, works for its intended purpose, but not suitable for a whole yard.

.02 P

I think this is all accurate. I originally bought it thinking I could use it on all 30,000 sq. ft. of my property. Mulch locks it up good.