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16 of 17 found the following review helpful:
Toro Electric Leaf Blower / Vac 10.5 AMP - Wins On Convenience Oct 31, 2008
By Mark
"Technology, Music and Movies"
The Toro 10.5 Amp 2-Speed Electric Blower/Vacuum #51574 is a nice unit that has the power to handle most yards. While not as powerful as some of the gas powered leaf blowers, this guy really wins on convenience. Being able to quickly finish a small area without having to worry about the correct mixture of oil and gasoline is worth the trade offs. It won't satisfy the professional landscaper or the homeowner trying to groom 2 acres, but it's going to meet the needs of many people with average sized lawns.
In my case, I actually do own a gas powered unit by Poulan and a different Toro electric model. While the gas unit has some nice extra features and great power, I have found that after not starting it in a while it is difficult to start up again. So this Toro unit eliminates that problem, because whenever I have to quickly gather up fresh fallen leaves I can just plug it in and go.
Now one of the drawbacks to an electric leaf blower is just that, dealing with having to plug it in and managing the extension cord. I have found that I can do about 3000 square feet within 4 hours. It only takes me a little while to move the cord around as I work.
Just one note about extension cords. These blowers do use a fair amount of electricity. So don't skimp on the extension cord. Make sure you use a grounded cord that is rated for exterior use. I err on the side of caution and use a contractor grade exterior extension cord, because it's important to be safe when using electrical equipment. Some of the better ones on Amazon are made by Coleman such as the Coleman Cable 02469 14/3 100-Foot Hi-Visibility/Low-Temperature Outdoor Extension Cord or the Coleman Cable 02569 12/3 100-Foot Hi-Visibility/Low-Temperature Outdoor Extension Cord. While those prices may seem high, they are an affordable way to have peace of mind when using electric power tools outdoors.
Pros
+ The blower has enough power to move dirt and leaves well
+ Requires no regular maintenance other than basic surface cleaning
+ More convenient than gas powered units that require fuel and oil mixing
+ The plug tucks neatly and securely into a small rear hook, so it won't come loose
+ The rear bar also allows you to keep your extension cord tied securely
+ The price is pretty good, and much less than a gas powered unit
+ The looping handle and front bar allow you two handed control
+ The air intake has a grate for easy access to remove debris
+ The power dial is located conveniently under the handle
+ The included nozzle concentrates air flow into powerful bursts
+ Leaf vac option, though not with much power (see below)
Cons
- Less power than a gas powered unit for larger properties or frequent use
- This model doesn't shred leaves very much, best used as a blower only
- Has a slightly noisy motor when on high, though this is true of most blowers
- Have to purchase and use extension cords, which add a little cost
- The front nozzle is not very durable and will wear with use
- The unit is not well balanced so you must shift it from hand to hand
- The cost of electricity will exceed that of gas for very large yards, so keep that in mind
There are some cons as you can see, but they are relatively minor. Despite the shortcomings, this is a great unit to supplement your gas powered blower or completely replace it if your needs are less. I find I use this unit much more than my gas powered unit simply out of the convenience of not having to constantly tune up the other unit before use. While this one has less power and a few less features, it's more than enough to meet my week to week needs during the fall. You should check it out.
Enjoy.
14 of 17 found the following review helpful:
Toro Rake & Vac 51574--less vibration, lighter vs Toro Ultra 51599 Dec 31, 2008
By stainlesssteel
"engineer musician"
I needed an electric blower for a 9-unit apartment building, for sweeping the balcones, stairwells, patio and carports. I didn't need heavy lawn raking or mulching capability. I wanted one without exhaust fumes and as quiet as possible as I prefer not having tenants throw eggs and hand grenades at me, so gas blowers were right out. These Toros were top rated by Consumer Reports, and the local Home Depot had these two on display out-of-box. As a certifiable gadget-itis afflicted Star Trek fanatic, I was all set to get the fancier one... the red 51599 Ultra. The black 51574 was noticeably lighter though--6.5 vs 7.5 lbs. The Ultra had variable speed vs 2 fixed speeds....however the fixed speeds were not too far inside the extremes of the Ultra--roughly 5% above and 10% below...so it appeared I could trade off maximum quiet for maximum power roughly as well. I also didn't need the mulching capability of the metal impeller. Still, I decided to try them both.
For my application, the Rake & Vac had more than enough power even at the lower speed. Therefore the variable speed of the Ultra was cool, but not particularly useful. The vacuum function on both was fairly weak....I don't think I'd bother digging out and changing the attachments for vacuuming, manuevering this clunky configuration above the debris, unzipping the blower bag into the trash then storing the vacuum attachments then changing back to the blower attachment...it's faster just dustpanning blown debris into our wheeled trash bins. Both had approximately the same relatively tolerable whitish noise spectrum i.e. no irritating tones or whining, like some hairdryer-like blowers. It's a shame spectral diagrams of products' noise are not given by manufacturers...they make a big difference to users. They were also reasonably quiet, though I'd prefer quieter....the Toro website lists them at about 63dBA both at the lower speed...important for an apartment building. Additionally, hearing a blower speed vary is more noticeable than a constant speed...as anyone subjected to a gas leaf blower's operator constantly varying the speed can attest.
But the Rake & Vac's surprising smoothness clinched it for me. I vastly preferred using it...not only is it significantly lighter, but it had much less vibration. This gave it a quality, well balanced feel, vs the rough, buzzy, heavy feel of the Ultra. Looking at the Toro website, the 7.5 pound weight of the Ultra vs the 6.5 pounds of the Rake & Vac is mainly from the 12 amp vs 10.5 amp motor, with another 1 pound maybe from the metal vs. plastic impeller. I'm guessing the vibration could be a badly balanced metal impeller, or maybe just the larger motor.
As the Rake & Vac has more than enough power for my application, I might still try the lighter 4.6 pound Toro Power Sweep 51585, but I suspect it will have a whiny noise spectrum that might be quieter in the dBA sense but more annoying...
If you need that metal impeller or variable speed, you might prefer the Ultra...otherwise you'll probably prefer the lighter, smoother, cheaper Rake & Vac.
8 of 9 found the following review helpful:
 Great Tool Nov 29, 2007
By J. Riffel
I bought this to vacuum the leaves out of my window wells. From there I used it in the yard and gutters. It did a great job, and I used the mulched leaves to cozy flowers in for our long North Dakota winters. It became quite popular with the neighbors as well... In all I feel that it has already paid back the investment several times over.
6 of 7 found the following review helpful:
Blower Jun 27, 2007
By J. Baker
This blower is wonderful. I did have to get used to the power; it really blows. The vacuum (mulcher) is great, I have really cleaned up the moldy leaves that have accumulated over time.
5 of 6 found the following review helpful:
Good Value Dec 11, 2007
By Caveat
This unit works great as a leaf blower, and ok for vacum mode. Just remember not to vacum any hard objects. I am not sure how long the plastic impellers will last, but I will give it a full test next fall.
The unit is somewhat awkward with the vacum bag attached.
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