Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I had an electric blower/vac (Black and Decker) for years. Worked fine, but it was always a pain to switch it from blowing to vac mode. Yes, the tubes just clicked on, but you had to carry them around to make the switch.
This is a perfect solution to that problem. You can blow the leaves (or whatever) into a pile, then just flip a lever and vac them up. Simple, easy, fast. Perfect for clearing out a patio, garage, driveway, flower beds, or average size lawns.
There are several pluses to this model. First of all, it starts very easily. Be sure to prime it 10 times as instructed, and it will fire up with one or two pulls. Secondly, it is very clog resistant - I've vac'd up wet leaves with no problems. Other pluses are the patio cleaning attachment (wonderful!), good construction and a good manual. While the 10:1 reduction is a bit optimistic, it does reduce the pile by a decent amount.
Some downsides as well, however. It is heavy. It's not unbearable, but you'll notice the weight if you're used to an electric model. It's on the loud side, but not more so than other 2 cycle engines. The bag is on the small side, but to be honest, anything larger would be too bulky when full. While it is very clog resistant, if it does clog you need to take off the tubes (need a torx screwdriver to do so) to unclog it. I'm not sure how well the plastic impeller will hold up - seems good so far, but the plastic impeller on my electric one took a beating. A metal one would have been a nice touch. The power is adequate - it's not the strongest blower out there, but it gets the job done. These issues knock the rating down to 4 stars (probably 4.5 stars would be more accurate, but you can't choose something in between).
But, those problems are quite livable due to the ease of switching from blower to vac, and the ease of starting. Wish I had bought this years ago!
UPDATE: Been using this weekly for the past four months, and still am very pleased. Works like a charm, and starts very easily. Can't understand some of the negative reviews - this has been a joy to use!
Update: August 2009 -- It's been two years, and still works great. The plastic impeller is showing signs of wear since I sometimes vac up a big chunk of bark mulch or a rock, but it still vacs up everything without a problem. Starts quickly, which I credit to using both Stabil and Seafoam in the gas (I know it's overkill to use both of them, but I have been for years and all my 2-cycle engines run great). There are better ones out there from Husky or Stihl, but for the price, this is an excellent performer.
Update August 2010 -- Three years, and still working well. The impeller wear has not affected operation to any noticable extent. The bag zipper did wear out on me so I replaced it (couple of bucks at a fabric store for a heavy-duty jacket zipper. My sewing skills are very poor, but it works fine despite it looking somewhat ragged. I cut off the teeth of the old zipper and fastened the new one on top of the old). Fires up with no more than two pulls. Only maintenance has been to replace the spark plug after two years, and clean out the air filter 2-3 times a year. My Stihl out-blows this by a wide margin, but for jobs when you need a blower and a vac, you can't beat the ease of switching from each mode with the Troybilt.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Troy-Bilt TB310QS Mulchinator 31cc 2-Cycle Gas-Powered 165 MPH Blower/Vacuum
Blowers clean up leaves quickly and easily, or use them year-round for all-purpose clean up of dust, debris and dirt on deck, etc. The QuickShift enables it to switch from blower to vacuum with a flip of a lever! High performance with commercial-grade engine for extended life. Blower/Vacs have high-impact impellers that automatically mulch debris. 3/4-bushel bag capacity with zipper for easy use. Bag empties without removing it from the unit. Dual handle for left-or-right use. Lightweight, compact design for easy handling. Blower Type: Handheld Blower/Vac, Cylinder Displacement (cc): 31, Air Velocity (MPH): 147, Air Volume (CFM): 424, Tool Weight (lbs.): 19
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