20 Best Walk Behind Leaf Vacuum (Jan 2023 Update)

If you're going to get a few leaves around shrubs, you'll only get a few. This vacuum is not suited to the task. It's like a vacuum cleaner so the suction tube sticks to the grass, and you have to continually pull it away from the grass to pick up the next leaf. If you rake a pile of leaves, then try to vacuum them up, the bag will fill within 2-3 minutes. Forget about that bushel word. The only thing this vacuum does well is vacuuming leaves off of concrete. You're still going to have to use a rake and barrel for the majority of leaf pick up.srodgers61

Don't buy. I had nothing but trouble with mine right out of the box-new. I took it to an authorize dealer ( buy it here, and no warranty) and they told me that the warranty doesn't cover the carbuerator. Fixed it for 97 $. I vacuumed one bag of leaves and the engine died. Worst power tool I ever owned.srodgers61

I have had a chance to use this product twice for 2 hours of work both times. It worked great lifting leaves off of my landscaping and keeping 95% of the mulch in place. Lots of power and great mulching capacity. My yard has never looked so good in the fall. I would highly recommend this product.Scott

I love the concept behind Ryobi's "one" battery / many tools. However now there's two batteries – and maybe more in the future. When I got this I didn't realize it was only a vacuum mulcher. Most of the corded leaf blower / vacuum / mulchers do all 3. That said, it did vacuum and mulch. on a full charge on one of my existing batteries (no battery or charged in this kit either) I could do a small yard and got part way through mulching the leaves that were there. Then I connected my old one with the long extension cords and finished the job. I don't do the job often enough to justify a gas blower, and was looking for the convenience and safety of no cord. But the job (which took 4 hours) would have easily taken 6 or 8 if I'd had to stop and change and charge batteries along the way. Plus, I would have to have a separate blower or rake the leaves before mulching them. For the new discounted price, I still would have hoped for more. That said, if you have a smaller yard? Not good for older people. A bag of leaves can be 20 pounds. Plus the tool and battery. Even with the wheels you would be carrying the heavy end of the tool, plus the leaves.Mitch

Moving this thing around is like moving a sack of potatoes. To get descent suction I had to place the nose of the tube flat on the ground. That's not the worse part. Emptying the bag wasn't all that easy. Ryobi could have made the inside of the bag with a smoother material so the mulched leafs can come out easier. Its a mess with the mulch stuck all over the Velcro and inside the bag. Will be returning product back to store ASAP. Unfortunately, had to return other Ryobi products as well. Beginning to lose faith in Ryobi.Lawn Nut

Bought this for the fall leaves. I am completely disappointed with this product. Will not keep running. Hate that I wasted my money but hopefully this review will save others theirs.Link77

I also have your shredder/mulcher, but using that has to wait for reluctant oak leaves to fall! The blower/mulcher is perfect for rescuing maple leaves from the lawnmower. I was able to blow them all under the 3 trees and then use the mulcher to collect them. Some mulched leaves were put in place immediately while others are bagged until I get their destinations ready! Easy to collect off hardwood mulched area. Only sucked up one piece of mulch that I had to stop and remove. The bag does get heavy for me, so I limit my work time to 2 hours at a time. Wish I could use 100ft of the lighter gauge electric cord (14) since I only have 50 ft of the heavier (12) cord and that would be too heavy to drag around. Mulched maple leaves were a nice shredded size, but I am not sure how finely shred oak leaves will be. Blowing leaves off paved areas very easy!Valurcha

I bought this item for vacuuming out some rock beds in my yard. I tried it in a rock bed full of small sticks and was amazed at how much it picked up. Just remember to zip the bag before you start the vacuum. It is very powerful. The weight is to be expected with a vacuum of power. The nylon impeller is in my opinion better than metal due to its flexibility and toughness.Me

While I originally purchased this specifically for leaves getting into my basement stairwell entrance, I now use it for the entire yard. It does a fantastic job of picking up and mulching the leaves. I'm only giving it 4 out of 5 stars because there is a flaw with the bag design. Toro did not do a good job with attaching the bag to the attachment piece. I recommend using duct tape to better seal the bag on the attachment piece that connects to the main unit. I had to order this online. Despite the store's website saying it was available in store, it was not. The employee informed me they don't carry Toro products in-store and it had to be purchased online. I thought that was odd since the website specifically said it was available at this store.anonymous

I am very pleased with the initial use of Toro Electric Ultra Leaf Blower/ Vacuum. It is pretty powerful considering the modest cost, simple to assemble (no tools required), and simple to operate. I have only used the blower to date, but the vacuum option is good to have. I don't find it especially noisy to use. I ran it for several hours almost continuously, except when re-routing my electric cord, so no need to stop for re-fueling. It is also not especially heavy, and the design of the carrying handle made it easy to use one or two hands as needed. I don't expect to use it much aside from leaf blowing, but it sure beats raking.RRBro

A well built product. Good suction power and lower noise. Easy to handle due to light weight. My only complaint is the the bag is so small. I have to make more trips to dump the leave when working on a large pile of leaves.Sylvesterwin

Overall this is a good blower at an average price. My purchase decision was based on price, shape of handle, and the claimed 250 mph air speed. I mainly bought this as a blower and don't have much use for the vacuum and mulcher. The unit is fairly light and well balanced and the on/off switch is conveniently located to operate with your thumb. The pieces seem to be sturdy and assemble easily. There is a very comprehensive user manual (in 3 languages) just in case you need detailed instructions. The 250 mph air speed is, of course, achieved by virtue of the very small narrowing nozzle. Sometimes to do need a very directed narrow jet of air, but sometimes you need a wider flow pattern, which you cant achieve with this blower. That last point is why I gave this 4 stars. It seems that blower manufactures have settled on an either-or design for the blower nozzle. You either get a small, narrow nozzle for speed or a big gaping hole for volume flow. I wish they would provide a nozzle adapter to achieve both. The 6 speed airflow is controlled by a rotary wheel on the side of the handle. I find myself just using the high speed most of the time. At the high speed I can push leaves around at about 10 feet away from the nozzle. A helpful design feature is that the electrical connection to the extension cord is actually an electrical cord extending about a foot for the blower housing, as opposed to being a socket within the blower housing. Another feature to better secure the extension cord is the design of the extension cord latch, which is different and (probably) better than other blowers. In this case you loop the cord through an opening onto a hook, as opposed to passing the extension cord socket head through an opening.MasterReviewer

I tuned up my Sunjoe Leaf Vac for the first time today. I don't have deciduous tree in my front lawn but I somehow end up with all my neighbor's leaves! Gone are the days when parents send their kids to clean up the mess of leaves that blew into my yard from their tree. Lord knows we were expected to clean up our messes no matter where they ended up! Yes, that included sweeping leaves from neighboring yards, sidewalks, and the street. Enter the SUNJOE leaf blower and vac. This puppy really does the job and I am more than pleased! The wheels under the nozzle make vacuuming a breeze and easy on the arms. The bag is easy to remove and empty. It makes a nice mulch too if that sort of thing excites you. I recommend using a heavy duty extension cord as it can pull up to 14 Amps. All that being said, I would highly recommend this product. Put your ear and eye protection on and blow or vac until the offending neighbor is glaring out the window wondering when the heck you will be done. Truth be told, it was so much fun to use, I'm kinda looking forward to next fall!ghorabkelb

As others have noted, the power switch WILL eventually fail. I have several tools by this company that work great. The R&D person who decided a .50 cent pressure switch would be a good addition to this should be flogged immediately. Within weeks of owning, I started experiencing issues. I use this all the time and didn’t want to wait to ship back and forth the product but it finally died completely at the switch. Customer Support isn’t great with these guys. Seems they have one person who answers phones. Maybe they should consider a second person to help with the call volume. I’d rate higher if the replacement process wasn’t as terrible as this power switch.Buzz112233

I was looking for a powerful cordless leaf blower/mulcher, particularly the mulcher cause leaves cannot always just be blown away and must be picked up and removed from the ground. This one fit my needs and can say it performs just as well as my chorded electric blower/mulcher without the hassle if the chord. Runtime is plentiful with the 4.0ah battery. I get about 20 minutes running at full power which is recommended for the mulcher function. Enough to fill the bag up once or twice, more if you’re just mulching down an organized pile of leaves. I can’t understand why the more powerful leaf blowers are not incorporating the mulcher function.Robert D

I bought the blower because I already have a chainsaw, polesaw and string trimmer. All the batteries are interchangeable. I really like the chainsaw and have no complaints on the polesaw. The string trimmer is okay. About the blower- delivery was lousy (fed-ex) they left it in the driveway near the road in the rain at night, I found it in the morning. The blower was a bit smaller than I thought it was going to be but it works fine and easy to handle and use. I would have preferred a round blower tube instead of a rectangle for ease of attachments. I can't say it's better or worse the the competition but it decent and I am happy with it.Bryan B

I should admit I have only used Toro mowers. They are the best. The blower/vac has always done the job. Bagging leaves is easy except when you try to vacuum a large clump of leaves. No, it will not work on acorns (darn). My wife and I think this is the best. The bags wear out, but considering how much we us the vac. We have only had to buy one bag over the forty years.Chuck47

I did not have much time to use this blower. Shortly after I received it and used it once I came down with COVID-19 and was in the hospital for two weeks. I cannot do any physical activity for another week. It may take a while before I can use it again. I still recommend it. I previously had two Toro corded blowers that I liked except that they stopped working after about 3 years. Hopefully, this blower will last longer.Thomas W.

This is a poorly designed product for someone who has even a moderate amount of leaves to pick up. I had to empty the bag about every 5-7 minutes. The hose clogged A LOT! Way too often to make using this comfortable. It claims to be a large opening on the bag, but it was difficult to empty. The teeth of the zipper became jammed quite often because of leaf debris as well. This was the only option my Lowe's store had so I took it home and muddled through but it is an inferior product. Don't buy.Yard girl

I bought this product and had high hopes that it would be the tool for keeping stone covered garden beds leaf and debris free. I used it for short periods of time five times. On the sixth occasion, it won’t turn on – completely dead. I work at Lowe’s and bought this unit because it claimed it could do the job I needed to complete. It also carries the Craftsman label and I trusted the brand. It is frustrating and disappointing. I do have a Craftsman ShopVac, which I like; yet, there is no excuse for this useless substandard product. Now I know that Craftsman is no longer the quality tool brand it once was. The silver lining is that I do have the ability to wave customers away from Craftsman electric tools. The similar complaints demonstrate that this is not an isolated case. It is simply a sub-par product. Consider other brands and bypassCraftsman.Robert n ABQ

I've had this product for about 4 months now and have used it 5 times. We have primarily only used the vacuum/mulch feature as we have a cordless blower. As we are getting into peak leaf season I pulled it out today to use around our deck and patio. Within 3 minutes of starting, the hose ripped from the bag and rendered it inoperable. It couldn't be worse timing as the leaves have really started to fall over the last 4-5 days. I almost didn't purchase this product as it felt extremely cheaply made in the store (Lowes) but we have had good luck and multiple seasons with our Craftsman blower. I really regret this purchase and cannot recommend it.RobK

The mulcher is great at picking up leafs. It picks up the leaves at a good pace and is reasonable in price. Easy to use and easy to carry. The bags may not be the best for the long haul because of the zipper.Retired

Heavy but powerful vacuuming/blowing. Does the job. Quality power tool. Works. The only downsides are the extension cord was not included and it's a bit heavy to hold.many_many_years

With dual battery packs, this thing packs a punch. I picked it up specifically for mulching, as I already had a leaf blower but it performs superbly there. The assembly was straight forward, and batteries were charged ready to go out of the box. I appreciate the wheels at the end of the vacuum/ blower to rest it on the ground while sucking up and mulching leaves -great idea! The mulching was as expected, and performs best on dry, freshly fallen leaves. The ground leaves take up a fraction of the size otherwise used in leaf collecting.DoubleOSevens

This cordless leaf blower and vacuum is OK. The blower is not very powerful when I compare it to lesser voltage units I've used. That second battery also adds weight so as a cordless blower it's just ok. It's pretty nifty as a vacuum. The wheels on the front allow you to roll it around as you vacuum and it does a decent job of chopping up the leaves. I've only done a little testing so far but it seems to work well. I'll really test it this spring when my Live Oaks start dropping their leaves.Gasboy1

It's not bad for what it is but there's no chance of getting 2 hours of work time. I got 2 bags full and it quit. I accept that it's battery-powered and not even close to the power of the Sun Joe electric one I also have. I only bought this because it was cheap and I wanted spare batteries for my Sun Joe chainsaw. The biggest problem is with the handle design. The front handle is fine but the rear one is very awkward. The weight balance is terrible. The batteries are behind the handle and you'll probably end up doing what I do, holding the unit under the batteries. If you're looking for quick light cleanup, then this should be fine for you but don't expect to be using it all day, and definitely don't pay full price. It isn't worth it.Mike

I bought this 2.5 years ago. Ran extremely well for the first 18 months or so. Then didn't like to run a full speed. Replaced fuel filter, air filter and spark plug. Ran better but still had issues. I Only use 90 octane no-ethanol gas with Husqvarna oil. Removed muffler screen and event he muffler to see if it was exhaust based. No avail. Then it started to run better after i put it back together. A few months later same issue. Replaced fuel lines primer bulb and carb. No good starts but won't run at high speed. Adjusted the carb never buy another. I had stihl products for many years but never had problems this soon in products lifeTonyC396

I bought the Husqvarna blower about five months ago directly from the brand site. Even though I live in the desert, we have some serious debris and brush that I am convinced has a personal vendetta against me. Husqvarna has been my favorite part of my summer. Husqvarna 125BVX blowers are light weight so carrying them is a pinch. It is extremely easy to use, turn on or off, and store. It is extremely strong to get you through any job no matter how large or how small. Now let's talk bells and whistles! Husqvarna 125BVX has the capacity to blow up to 175 mph and has a 425 CFM air volume. It will literally blow you away! It is 16:1 mulching capable, too! It mulches people! You do have to use the vac function and mulching knives but at Husqvarna's prices, it is inexpensive to make your blower amazing. The blower has smart stop which makes it start easier and faster as well! The stop switch automatically turns to on to maximize how quickly and efficiently it starts the next time. This blower even has cruise control! Variable speed throttle can be set for maximum ease when you handle it! This Husqvarna 125BVX blower is worth every penny. I recommend it for anyone from professionals to DIYers like myself!Tabitha O

I purchased this product solely for the vacuum component and have been very disappointed in its design. The bagger does not come off without having a tool on hand, forcing me to keep the bagger attached to the blower while emptying the bag. Also, when operating as a vacuum, the exhaust shoots into my face. After a less than an hour of use, the fumes get overwhelming. Once the bagger and vacuum hose has been attached, the blower no longer sits on the ground in a level manner that would allow easy fueling and pressing down on the blower while starting since the plastic bagging attachment extends past the lower end of the unit. The blower can be turned sideways to alleviate part of the offset problem, but then it is sitting on the gas tank sideways which makes me uncomfortable even though it does not leak. I have used it twice at this point for about three hours each usage and plan to only use it for blowing from now on. The vacuum portion was a waste of money since it seems to be poorly designed. On the positive side, the blower starts and runs great. The blower has plenty of power for a hand held and mulches quite nicely.David100

Just too week to be taken seriously as a yard tool, more of a light duty convenience item but not for the WHOLE Yard, not on one set of batteries or two, I have four 4.0ah batteries and it took everything from both sets just to clear half the front yard on a residential lot and now I am stuck waiting for a recharge to do the rest and hope the wind doesnt blow the leaves around while I wait. Blower isn't as strong as my budget level Craftsman Electric and vacuuming takes a technique of rolling over the leaves to kick them up and get caught in the vacuum airstream, just not good for doing any kind of decent sized yard. Took both sets of batteries to fill the leaf collection bag to about 75%, once.SteveQ

not a lot of power for something that requires 2 batteries that you have to buy separately. I sent it back, it's a good concept but does not get the job donePinkgirl310

Had this now for a couple of years and its been solid – I use the blower much more than the mulcher but I wish they had additional handle to better support when blowing the leaves as that spout is on the bottom so its a lot of weight on your one arm to flatten it out to blow farther out. Other than that it has been solid. The few times I used as a mulcher it does all right once you get into a grove as I have a lot of tight spots to get it down into to suck up the debrie.Tim1962

I bought this from Sams last fall. I was disappointed then and again this spring everytime I tried to blow debris from my driveway. The blowing power is very weak even on the high setting. I am so frustrated that I think I will throw it away and buy a new better one like the one I had before.Nibbs

Had great expectations, even though it was a plug-in. The blower, very weak, my battery run Worx blower is a lot stronger. The bagger, is cumbersome and found myself emptying the bag way more than should be expected even though the suction is abysmal. It struggles to pick up more than a FEW leaves at a time. The unit itself, is heavy and unlike the bag, has no strap. I tried to make it work as I would have to lose the tax and shipping cost if I sent it back. Alas, I decided to return it the same day, and take the loss. Good riddance !tscolt

I was a little concerned when I received your product. The box had some serious damage and I thought for sure that I would be sending it back, When I opened the box there was no damage to the machine at all. I used it and was very pleased. Started on the first pull and did exactly what I needed. I would give your product (5) stars, thank you so muchMichael H.

I am very impressed by this product! For my needs it worked perfectly. It went over several types of surfaces and made quick work of picking up the leaves. And was SOO much easier then a rake and manually gathering leaves. The sweeper did a terrific job of getting leaves and other debris into catcher and had no issues clogging like some reviews claim. Catcher is also a good design for getting leaves in bag or receptacle, but a funnel is useful. Cant say enough how happy I am with this purchase! I have never had so much fun picking up leaves. Assembly was very easy. Well worth the investment and a great value.Lauren

nbspWorks GREAT for pine needles, pine cones, leavessmall twigs! It works best if there’s not too little or too much pine needles on the ground. If there’s a lot, you have to go over it a few times because it will clump up in front of the sweeper. But that makes it easy to just pick up. This was the FIRST time we have raked our yard. Our neighbors came out while I was sweeping the needles and IMMEDIATELY ordered one.Also…delivery date was October 20-22. I got it October 17!!!Beth

If used correctly this will get 80-90% oh leaves. Best part is, you dont have to bend repeatedly and this is for sure easy then racking.we get lots of leaves and this makes things easy. Twigs get trapped in brush and that is little annoying. Also wondering if having metal brushes will help more!assembly was very easy. Might not work well in very uneven ground. Will not pick up big monkey balls or big sticks. Big sticks also another picked up which is expected.Christina

This isnt a bad blower. Handles well and has good wind speed. It falls short on air volume. I baught it after my my Little Wonder blower died after 11 years. I have less tress than before and this one struggles to keep up. When this one dies I'm going back to the wonder, no matter the cost..M from MD

I wish I had known about this item a long time ago! So far I've only used it once but I was able to vacuum up a bunch of leaves and mulch them. I had no problem assembling it and figuring out how to switch between blowing and mulching. Based on other reviews I decided on this model. I figured at age 69 it should last as long as I need it. I agree with another reviewer that a wider strap would be more comfortable but overall I found it pretty comfortable to use.Volume not too bad on the lower speed but probably ear protection would be good on high.mrsperk76

Dunno 'bout the complaints I'm reading, but I have one of the older models–had it ~10 years–and the motor finally burned out. But I used it a lot–my neighbors have 3 poorly maintained oak trees that span over my house, and I'm constantly buried in the debris from December to September (I'm in FL). GRRR. So I used it 4-5 times a week, and ~10 years is not bad for an inexpensive electric tool. I paid like $45 for it at WallyWorld. I also used the vac a lot, to pick up the oak leaves from hard-to-get places (like in rock beds that have heavier rocks) and my back yard (totally enclosed–nowhere to blow the leaves). Can't use it in areas that have small, light rocks (like pea gravel) 'cause it's too powerful (even on the low setting) and sucks up the rocks (likewise areas that have mulch, if you have that). Instead, for that I use my shop vac w/ the wide (sweeper-type) attachment. Ergo, little wear-n-tear on the impeller blades; after ~10 years, mine still look almost new. It's true that it doesn't completely mulch oak leaves, but oak leaves are small and get sucked up past the impeller blades easily. The claim that it turns 10 bags into 1 is pure fantasy. For oak leaves, you're better off using dedicated plastic yard cans than trash bags (trust me on this–I have 2). It's still much easier than raking and shoveling leaves all day. You'll want to keep the bag clean; it has pores to allow fine dirt to filter out, and they can get clogged. Hose it down until the water runs clear, let it dry and you're set. My only complaint w/ the old model was how the bag attached to the unit–it wasn't well-thought out, and if I didn't keep the bag really clean, the build-up of pressure would blow it right off. But the newer model looks like it has a much better designed attachment. I'm going over today to pick up this new model and expect another ~10 years of use (or abuse, in my case). For $53, it's really about the best option as both a blower (ever try to rake oak leaves out of St. Augustine Floritam?) & vac. You can pay lots more, but I doubt you'll get any more functionality. It's just a yard tool, right?smitty

My blower/vac arrived this morning. I'll bet that the FedEx delivery person had a chuckle when he saw all the zillions of tree berries all over my driveway and front walk so even he knew why I purchased this item. I assembled the unit to do vacuuming and went to work on my ugly tree droppings in my front yard and driveway. Even in the low speed it picked up everything quickly and easily, so I didn't disturb the neighbors. I used to broom and pick up the berries and leaves, and it took me an hour or two to do that. But the vacuum did the job in a hurry, so I was done in 20 minutes. I did have to dump the bag about 3 times. Since I am 6-02 tall, I have to lean over slightly to use the unit, and this is wearing. It is really set up for someone who is a little shorter than I am. Do wear ear plugs and wear a face mask. And after I came back into the house, SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED insisted that I change out of my somewhat dusty clothes. I haven't tried the blower yet. The case and parts need dusting with an old paint brush to get the dust off of them before storage. I'll have to clear off a shelf in my garage to store the unit because, with so many pieces, it is a bit of a storage problem. I am really glad I bought it because it will save me a lot of work. I don't know how long it will last, but at its price, it does not have to last forever.OldEngineerinTexas