We've all been there - standing in our gardens on crisp autumn mornings, gazing out at the kaleidoscope of colour before the leaves drop to the ground. But for those of us with larger gardens, deciduous trees or a growing disdain for thankless jobs (as I do as I get older), raking up the litter might be too much to handle.
For my latest investigation, I set about testing 10 electric leaf blowers and garden vacuums designed to reduce the physical load. The trouble was, the leaves were still on the trees when I started - a hurdle that required some creative problem-solving.
I gathered hedge trimmings, took our bay trees for a haircut (which smelled amazing but didn't yield many leaves), and even considered raiding my local woods for last year's fall. But then a neighbouring street dropped its horse chestnut trees early, leaving me with an unexpected bounty of brown leaves to collect.
As I gathered my bulk bags of leaves, I wondered how these electric leaf blowers would perform in the field. Would they send leaves flying, or struggle to make headway? I timed their battery life and ensured a decent air speed of at least 45mph using my trusty anemometer.
The results were mixed, but some models stood out from the crowd. The Milwaukee M18 Fuel Blower FBLG3-802 sent leaves an impressive distance despite being light and easy to carry around. For smaller jobs, the svelte Bosch Universal leaf blower 18V-130 would do well - with a narrower working angle for focused, targeted blowing.
Of course, not all of these blowers were garden vacuums (although half of them were). I was pleasantly surprised by how many models combined both functions. Testing and tidying up at the same time? It's a reviewer's dream come true.
As we head into the winter months, our gardens become even more littered with fallen leaves. But with these electric leaf blowers and garden vacuums, clearing up might just be the most enjoyable part of maintaining your outdoor space.
For my latest investigation, I set about testing 10 electric leaf blowers and garden vacuums designed to reduce the physical load. The trouble was, the leaves were still on the trees when I started - a hurdle that required some creative problem-solving.
I gathered hedge trimmings, took our bay trees for a haircut (which smelled amazing but didn't yield many leaves), and even considered raiding my local woods for last year's fall. But then a neighbouring street dropped its horse chestnut trees early, leaving me with an unexpected bounty of brown leaves to collect.
As I gathered my bulk bags of leaves, I wondered how these electric leaf blowers would perform in the field. Would they send leaves flying, or struggle to make headway? I timed their battery life and ensured a decent air speed of at least 45mph using my trusty anemometer.
The results were mixed, but some models stood out from the crowd. The Milwaukee M18 Fuel Blower FBLG3-802 sent leaves an impressive distance despite being light and easy to carry around. For smaller jobs, the svelte Bosch Universal leaf blower 18V-130 would do well - with a narrower working angle for focused, targeted blowing.
Of course, not all of these blowers were garden vacuums (although half of them were). I was pleasantly surprised by how many models combined both functions. Testing and tidying up at the same time? It's a reviewer's dream come true.
As we head into the winter months, our gardens become even more littered with fallen leaves. But with these electric leaf blowers and garden vacuums, clearing up might just be the most enjoyable part of maintaining your outdoor space.
but 45mph is kinda fast for me maybe too much? still, if it's lighter and easier to carry around like the milwaukee one, idk why not give it a shot 
I gotta say, testing those electric leaf blowers was a bit like trying to predict the weather - you never know what's gonna happen. Like, how many people really think about raking up leaves? 
It seems like some of these manufacturers just phoned it in with their designs. The Milwaukee one that worked so well is actually pretty basic. I mean, it's not rocket science to design a tool that can handle its weight in leaves. Not trying too hard might be the secret to its success. And Bosch, man... they're like the boring but reliable uncle of leaf blowers. Who knew you could get excited about vacuums and blowers? 
i'm loving how some of these electric leaf blowers are designed to send leaves flying in a specific direction lol, genius! and it's so cool that the bosch universal leaf blower comes with a narrower working angle for those smaller jobs - so precise! 
! I've got a big garden too, and trust me, raking up all that leaf clutter is such a pain 
. But these models you tested are game changers! The Milwaukee one is so lightweight, it's like a breeze to use 
. And the fact that some of them can also vacuum up leaves? Game. On. I've already ordered one and I'm excited to see how it'll do in my own garden this autumn 
. Can't wait for winter to come and see just how much easier leaf clearing becomes with these fancy blowers 
Like, I'd love to know about those electric leaf blowers and vacuums too, but do I really need a 200-word intro about the author's morning routine in the garden? 
️ Not exactly what I came here for. 
, and after a while, we'd just get tired of cleaning up everyone else's trash. But seriously, these electric leaf blowers seem like they could be super helpful for us busy people who don't want to spend all day raking leaves.
. The Milwaukee one you tested sounds pretty cool, by the way! But I'm not sure if they're worth the money for just a few uses... maybe someone with bigger gardens can try them out and let me know?
. the ones that can double as garden vacuums are like the ultimate multi-tasker 
. i guess what surprised me was how many models have both blowing and vacuuming capabilities - that's just so convenient 
.
. Like, imagine being able to charge it on the go while you're cleaning up your garden. That'd save me so much battery-life anxiety!
. Like, who needs a social life when you have a bunch of noisy devices to test out in your backyard? 
Anyway, I was pretty impressed with the Milwaukee M18 Fuel Blower FBLG3-802 - it's like they knew exactly what I needed (a fancy blower to compensate for my lack of free time). And yay for garden vacuums that can do both jobs! Because nothing says "fun" like vacuuming up leaves while simultaneously trying to find the perfect leaf-blowing distance 
. Now if only they could make 'em more affordable for the average Joe 
...
. And yeah, having a garden vacuum that combines with blowing is basically the ultimate multitasking tool... now I'm excited to try one out!
still, the ones with both blower & vacuum functions do sound pretty convenient 
gotta try them out myself...
anyway, i think the milwaukee one looks pretty cool tho