It is extremely comfortable to use. B&D really thought the design out. Switching from blower to vacuum couldn't be more easily or quickly accomplished. It's quieter than I expected (95 decibels measured on the vacuum). It really does mulch well and provides a steady supply for the compost pile. And to address the negative comments:

Someone complained about the impellor wearing out because it's plastic. They can't make it out of steel because of spark and fire hazards and if it was aluminum, it probably wouldn't last much longer and in either case it would add considerable cost. Another bright reviewer complained about having to tie a knot in the chord because the clip in the handle wasn't adequate. Well, a quick overhand knot has worked extremely well since the extension chord was invented, and is used by professional tool users everywhere! Someone also complained about the bag coming off, but they never noticed the clever clip there for the chord to help hold the bag on. Someone thought the vacuum was inadequate but they're probably not realizing that it draws a lot of amps and requires the appropriate gage extension chord (I recommend at least 12 gage). I found the vacuum to be plenty powerful enough and I had to turn the blower to "low" because it was blowing the rocks out of my (desert landscape) yard! I can't directly address the long-term reliability since I've only had mine a month or so, but it seems well built for the price.

The bottom line is: The Leaf Hog is a well-designed tool with great performance that is worth the cost (think about it - it's the price of a dinner for two at a nice restaurant and people are complaining that it's not built of titanium and nuclear powered). It will probably last longer if you treat it with the respect a tool deserves. This is an extremely useful tool that anyone with a yard will be happy to own. Also, if you plan on vacuuming a lot of leaves, I recommend getting the BV-006 leaf collection system because the included bag is for smaller jobs (and would get too heavy anyway if it was bigger).

126 of 132 found the following review helpful:

Does what it says it does ... only.  Aug 18, 2000
By J. Olshefsky
I've had a Leaf Hog for about six months now, and it has performed as I would expect it to. I was looking for an inexpensive, electric chipper/mulcher as I've got a 1/8 acre yard and don't have a need for a 25hp beastie. The Leaf Hog was the only thing that fit the bill and it does exactly what it says. For dry leaves and grass clippings, it vacuums them and mulches them nicely -- my compost now holds a lot more debris than it used to (and is finally composting for a change). However, while you can easily vacuum _dry_ leaves and even small twigs, most wet debris (wet leaves, weeds, green sticks) has a tendency to plug it badly.

The other minor problem is that it was designed using the modern "all parts should have equal durability" mindset. More specifically, the plastic mulcher/blower part (the actual impeller/blower fan blades are _plastic_) is showing tremendous wear and is no longer sharp like it was originally. It would have been much better if this part was made of metal or at least had a metal edge.

In all, however, I'm quite satisfied with it. I was surprised it mulched as well as it does, and the bag is quite large -- you can fill it enough so it's uncomfortably heavy to carry for most people. It is cumbersome to maneuver in tight places, but for most tasks it's just fine.

50 of 53 found the following review helpful:

Pleasantly surprised  May 06, 2000

My father-in-law told me this was useless b/c it wasn't gas but it had alot of blowing power. The vacuum was not as strong as the blower but worked really well. You have to be careful not to suck up pebbles, etc. Seems like I emptied the bag twice in a 15 minute span. Mulched pretty well also. It worked alot better than I ever thought it would. I'd recommend it.

40 of 42 found the following review helpful:

Great Leaf Blower  Mar 23, 2000

I recently borrowed a Leaf Hog from my neighbor and it was great. It really helped me get the yard cleaned up for spring. I am definitely going to buy my own so I'll be ready for Fall. The thing is really easy to change from blower to vacuum. Since they won't pick up leaves and lawn clippings where we live it helps to be able to mulch them up into a small trash bag with the vacuum part. It sure makes yard clean up easier.

33 of 34 found the following review helpful:

Plastic Parts Easily Broken  Jun 03, 2004

I would not recommend this item. After a single use as a vacuum, the plastic housing and impellor will be damaged.

Seems like a strong blower (until you break the housing or wear down the impellor with a pebble, as I did on the very first usage).

B&D sent a replacement housing (begrudgingly), but refused to replace the impellor.

With shipping, a new impellor is about $15. You'd be better off spending the extra money on a better blower / vac from the get-go.

See all 156 customer reviews on Amazon.com