[CJ]

Has anyone any experience of using these?  The ones I have seen all seem to need to be taken apart if you want to switch from blow to vac, in order to fit the different tube. :?:

[Gwiz]

All of the ones i've ever come accross are the same.
Using small handheld blowers in their "sucking mode" really ruins them. All the rubbish has to be chopped up by the fan, which is made of plastic. It doesn't last very long!!!
As a repairer, I wouldn't recomend doing it at all.

[Knight Family]

Well I agree the same also the bags break with the weight!

[si-mate]

I've been looking at getting one of these recently. I won't bother with an electric one after seeing all the bad reviews, but I can't seem to see much information about the petrol ones.

There are plenty of Ryobi machines on ebay for less than £100 and B&Q have a homelite blower / vac for £99.

Any recommendations?

[compostqueen]

I think if you have a look round on here there is a thread about it already  

My husband bought one, a Flymo  :roll: , it broke after about a week  :roll:  so he bought another Flymo  :roll:  :roll: .  It drives me nuts. The bag is a right faff to get on and off, esp with cold hands. The bag is so small you have empty every five minutes. The noise is makes is deafening.  My husband has giving up trying to suck with the damn thing and just blows all the leaves into a corner then picks them up with those plastic "hands" and bungs the lot into big sacks which go to the lotty or in the hen run.  

So no, I wouldn't recommend them, well not the Flymo anyway  

[Larkshall]

Keep your money in your wallet, get a couple of pieces of plywood and use them as finger boards to pick up leaves etc after sweeping them up.

[Gwiz]

Keep your money in your wallet, get a couple of pieces of plywood and use them as finger boards to pick up leaves etc after sweeping them up.

now that IS good advice!.
non polluting too!

[compostqueen]

having typed that about my crappy Flymo yesterday, I actually dug mine out the garage, having cascades of leaves swirling about.  In about two minutes I wanted to smash the damn thing to smithereens as it's such total dodo

Do yourself and don't buy one     or if you must, just blow, don't suck  

[naturesparadise]

i got given a cheap electric one

and it works like a dream

[Gwiz]

i got given a cheap electric one

and it works like a dream

Oh! it was you that got the GOOD one then?

[ANDY OF ILFORD]

Graham (see earlier post) is spot on. Unless you are sucking up leaves from a driveway you a lot pick up a lot more than just leaf and it all soon goes Pete Tong. I use a Stihl BG85 petrol blower at work. Had it for about 5 years and never had a problem - only ever changed plug and air filter- and its used most days. Blow it into a pile and get the boards out and pick it up. Really saves a lot of raking especially between plants. Stihl are more expensive but in the long run you'll forget the price but remember the quality.

[Gwiz]

Graham (see earlier post) is spot on. Unless you are sucking up leaves from a driveway you a lot pick up a lot more than just leaf and it all soon goes Pete Tong. I use a Stihl BG85 petrol blower at work. Had it for about 5 years and never had a problem - only ever changed plug and air filter- and its used most days. Blow it into a pile and get the boards out and pick it up. Really saves a lot of raking especially between plants. Stihl are more expensive but in the long run you'll forget the price but remember the quality.

I couldn't agree more regarding th BG85. It's the one I bought......

[spud]

I seem to have more leaves this year than ever and am tempted to buy a blower.

The Stihl seems to be getting a good review, do I still keep away from the vac models and just buy the blower type?

Any good tips to the best place on price?

Thanks

 

[si-mate]

I ended up biting the bullet and bought a cheapy petrol job from B&Q. It works reasonably well hoovering except the bag fills quickly. I find it more use at blowing, the only downside being that it does vibrate quite badly in this mode.
Overall I think a leaf blower is a good tool to have if you can't be bothered with a rake / broom and is particularly handy around garden furniture, pots, flower beds etc.

[spud]

I have a stoned/ gravelled street and yard which is a nightmare to rake, as you end up with stones mixed through the leaves   :evil:

Something easier will have to be considered  

Cheers