Electric leaf vacuum

[redpoint5]

How much do you have on credit cards and student loans? :P

Don't let your girlfriends know how much you have in the account, or they will think of a desperate need for a "loan".

And yes, $50 is a lot for an underperforming leaf vacuum.

[Xist]

I paid off my credit card a few months back and have not used it since. I tried to pay it off as fast as possible, while keeping a minimum of actual money in my account, for some emergency that would not accept credit.

Yeah, student loans. They are in forebearance, but I can definitely start paying them off now. I tried to log in the other day to start payments, but it just tried to get me to end forbearance, which is weird because they kept encouraging me to at least pay interest while payments were on hold. That sounded like a great idea, but I was not putting it on my credit card!

By the way, I went back and paid twenty dollars more for the other vacuum. The difference was stunning! I actually look forward to using it in the morning!

[Ryland]

Toro makes a Nice leaf vac with a metal impeller, sticks are still rough, a friend used his for vacuuming up blown in insulation, flexible duct on the output to blow it to another area, the same thing could be done with leaves and a wire bin instead of the bag.
I only use the leaf vac where the corded lawn mower with a bag doesn't get everything, the green works lawn mower drops down to 1/4" for clearing sidewalks

[Xist]

$55 model:


$75 model:


There is also a $99 one that looks just like the $75 one, but it has an attachment that is supposed to make it mulch better, and another to oscillate it from side-to-side, just to make cyberbullies and trolls happy.

I used the newer one this morning briefly, but it started raining. I had a huge pile from the first vacuum, I filled the bag eight times. The cheaper one is supposed to reduce 81% of debris to 1/2" or less, while the more expensive one is supposed to do 88%. That means 19% not reduced to 12%.

It seemed like a dramatic difference, but I am not sure it is compacting much more, which is not important, it should definitely compost better!

The expensive one is supposed to reduce 91% of debris, but it has the same motor and impeller. Then there is the $200 one with racing stripes and stickers for your car because you stopped reading by now.

[redpoint5]

Speaking of impellers, I just took my 1990 stand up jet ski out for the first time in 6 years, and I don't know why I don't run it all the time.

I bet it would slice and dice some leaves if you could funnel it in.

[NeilBlanchard]

The Toro I have with the metal impeller was about $80, and Amazon is selling it now for $70.

[samwichse]

I have the cheapo model at work.

6 years use, hard duty (vacuuming out a large gravel area full of leaves, it sucks gravel up all the time). Works great.

The major weakness on all those Toro models is where the plastic insert attaches to the shoulder bag. I get 2 seasons out of a bag, then need a replacement. The stitching/fabric around the neck is not well reinforced.

Recommended, with one reservation.

[Xist]

From what I saw on-line, people complain the control knob wears out after two or three years. There might be a minor market for someone who could sell them for $15.

It stopped raining and I was able to vacuum up most of the leaves in the front, but some were still damp. It looks great! I re-mulched eight bags from the other vacuum, which now take up six. We will just say the new vacuum makes them 8.6% smaller and the rest is from mulching them twice.

I am cropping those images, I did not realize how much white space there was!

[Gasoline Fumes]

Originally Posted by Xist

Then there is the $200 one with racing stripes and stickers for your car because you stopped reading by now.

Your posts are awesome!

[freebeard]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

You know, I'm having a real problem trying to decide whether this post is serious, or a satiric comment on suburban life. Either way, it's sad. IIRC, the OP is not exactly flush with money, yet has bought expensive electric devices (and is considering buying more) to do a job which can be done better, faster, and cheaper - and without subjecting himself and his neighbors to unpleasant noise levels - with a simple hand tool.

No, your mom's face is sad.

Xist rightly points out the folly of trying to save money when investing in a[n][ cheap] electric tool. I think the post should have been in Saving@Home, but [I guess] traffic and reasons.

What is being discussed is light-years beyond what I experience on my bicycle going past dental clinics and others using commercial landscapers. They use gas powered blowers to move everything into the street so it's someone else's problem. And you can hear the motor screaming for 2 blocks.

My personal favorite landscaping tool is the grass whip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Gq1gNVZNnI

Adequate replacement for a string trimmer. I keep mine sharp enough to cut grass with a 3" stroke.

For blackberries: gloves and a scythe.