Power of gas, convenience of electric.
Written: Feb 20 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: metal impeller blades, strong motor, 16 to 1 mulch ratio
Cons: none really
The Bottom Line: With all the power of a gas unit without the hassle of a 2 cycle engine, this is a great blower.
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| xpander007's Full Review: Toro Leaf Blower Vac 51598 |
Many people are looking for an electric blower with the power of gas but without the hassle of dealing with a 2 cycle gas engine. Toro may have just come up with a good solution for some. The Toro Leaf Blower and Vacuum item # 51598 combines power you normally see in a gas blower with the convenience of an electric.
If you have ever used a 2 cycle engine before you know why they are a pain in the neck. They are extremely temperamental creatures and can be hard to start if they have been sitting idle between uses. Also they are not the best for the environment either, spewing smoke from the engine and choking me in the process. I had always used a gas blower in the past though because the electric units were only good for light duty work and they didn't seem to mulch as well as their gas counterparts.
Along comes the Toro 51598. You can pick up this unit at Home Depot for around $75. The first difference you notice when picking the blower up is the weight. It weighs a light 7.3 lbs. which is a dream compared to those 20 lbs. gas machines. When you hold the blower it feels quite comfortable. Many blowers tend to feel awkward and bulky but this unit feels nice. The hand grips are a nice added feature to prevent you from losing your grip while working. It uses a standard 12.0 Amp motor so most of your regular duty extension cords will suffice for the job.
One of the main reasons I was attracted to this model was the fact that it has a 16 to 1 leaf reduction. Essentially, what this means is if you had 16 bags of leaves and sucked them into the blower and mulched them you would have 1 bag of leaves when you are finished. This is a beautiful idea for anyone who has raked 20 bags of leaves and then had to place all those bags on the curb for pickup.
Another excellent feature that is rare for electric blowers is the fact that this unit has metal impeller blades. On most electric models they use the hard plastic blades and they tend to get worn down and break after some decent usage. If you wanted the stronger, metal blades you had to step up to a gas model. I was very impressed to see the metal blades being used by Toro on their electric models.
The 51598 also has variable air speed. You can use the lower speeds when you are doing small jobs so the unit is easier to handle. I use the low speed when trying to clean small items off of a smooth service like my garage floor. When I get into leaves and heavier jobs you can crank up the speed. When you are using the blower side it can reach speeds of 275 CFM and the vacuum can reach speeds of 385. This will tend to be more than enough power for the average user.
When you need to change from blower to vacuum it is nice to be able to accomplish this without having to pull out a set of tools. If you are using the blower side of the machine all you would have to do to start vacuuming is release a switch and attach the bag and you are ready. The Toro comes with a two year warranty from the manufacturer. This is a pretty standard warranty when comparing other blowers on the market.
Overall, I think this blower is a great value at around $75. It does much of the same work as a gas blower without all the hassle of a 2 cycle engine. Metal impeller blades and a strong engine make for the strongest electric I have used.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
xpander007
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 - Top 1000 |
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Location: st louis, mo
Reviews written: 130
Trusted by: 24 members
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