The autumn fall of leaves has begun and for the next couple of months at least there will be the task of clearing them away to the compost heap.
You may well see that leaves on willow trees fall first while those from oak trees can stick around until the New Year even though they are dead.
But whatever trees you have in the garden, fallen leaves can block sunlight from lawns and flower beds and keep sunlight and moisture from the soil.
Raking leaves is a back-breaking job so here are ten top leaf blowers and garden vacs to make the job much easier.
The first is the Greenworks 24v Cordless Two-Speed Leaf-Blower (2400007-A), light and powerful relying on the latest battery technology.
It will run for 25 minutes continuously and is enough to clear the leaves from most smaller gardens.
It has a two-speed motor which gives blasts of air at 145 km/hr or 209 km/hr and you can adjust for speed via a simple lever.
It is a very well-balanced machine and comes with the battery and a charger that can be fixed to the wall.
It costs only £99.95, is delivered free the next working day and has a two year manufacturer’s warranty.
The next one is from a German engineering company. The Al-Ko Hurricane 2200E Handheld Electric Blower-Vac has a 2200 Watt electric motor powerful enough to pile up even damp leaves which are difficult to shift.
When used as a vac it will collect leaves and shred them to 90 per cent of their original volume and harder debris like twigs and pine cones end up in a box under the blower so they won’t damage the machine.
The collection bag will hold 40 litres which can be emptied by undoing the zip and dumped on the compost pile.
It also has a wheel kit so it can be used for clearing hard surfaces.
This one costs £109 is delivered free the next working day. Plus there is a two year warranty from the manufacturer.
The Toro 51594 Ultra Handheld Electric Blower-Vac has a 1450 Watt electric engine and lets you change from blowing to vac mode just by removing the blower tube and fixing the vac tube.
It has a variable speed motor delivering a maximum air speed of 350 km/h and has a metal impellor to shred the debris to one sixteenth the original volume.
The collector bag holds 52 litres.
It costs £119 and has a two year warranty from Toro. We deliver it free the next working day.
This one, from Germany, is one of the most popular petrol-powered blower vacs and is currently on special offer.
The Einhell BG-PL 26/1 Petrol Garden Vacuum / Leaf Blower lets you swith from blowing to vac at the flick of a lever.
It has an shredding van which will reduce the volume of the debris to a tenth and has a 55 litre collection bag.
It comes with a carrying strap and has a front handle as well both of which will make it easier to use to use over longer periods.
It costs just £139, is delivered free the next working day and has a two year warranty from Einhell.
Another simple yet powerful machine
is the Mitox 28BV Handheld Petrol Blower-Vac.
It has a 25.4 cc engine which starts easily and produces a 198 km/h blast of air. When in vac mode the debris is mulched and deposited in the 70 litre collection bag.
It weighs only5.5kg and is ideal for larger areas.
It costs £159 and is delivered free the next working day. There is a two year warranty from the manufacturer.
The next one is exclusive to MowDIRECT and on special offer.
The Oleo-Mac BV270 Pro Leaf-Blower with Free Vac-Kit is from a leading Italian manufacturer and has a 30.5 cc engine producing a 234 km/h current of air, the sort of performance demanded by professional gardeners.
This is the power needed to deal not only with leaves but pine cones and the like as well.
It has steel impellor to shred the debris ands deposit it into the 36 litre collection bag.
The recommended retail price is £299.95 but we have it for sale for only £199.95 and it comes with a free vac kit worth £40.
There is a three year warranty on this one and free next working day delivery.
Now one from a leading manufacturer often the choice of the professional gardener.
The STIHL BG 56-CE Handheld Petrol Leaf Blower has a 27.2 engine giving a terrific 64 metres an hour blast of air.
The engine has a catalytic converter to reduce emissions, a manual fuel pump for easier starting with just a two-fingered grip on the starting rope.
It weighs only 4.2 kg and has a host of extras including a vacuum kit and collection bag and a handy kit which lets you clean out gutters.
The recommended price is £250 but we are selling it for £239. Delivery is free within two to three working days and it has a two year warranty from Stihl.
Over to Tanaka now for a leaf blower from Japan.
The Tanaka THB-260PF Commercial-Grade Handheld Petrol Blower-Vac produces a terrific blast of air and is one for the owner of larger homes or the professional.
The 25 cc engine is made for a long life and comes with a free vacuum kit and 56.5 litre collection bag for the rubbish. There is also an auxiliary handle to allow for two-handed use.
This one costs £268, £100 less than the recommended retail price – the free Vac shredder kit normally costs £69. It has a five year warranty, two years for commercial use and is delivered free the next working day.
This next one is a professional machine intended for larger lawns and grounds.
The STIHL BR350 Backpack Leaf-Blower has a 63.3 cc engine giving terrific power and reduced emissions while being mean on fuel and has the company’s ElastoStart technology to make starting easier.
This one is made for longer periods of uses with a padded back frame and vibration damping.
Attachments which can also be purchased include a chest belt, straight round nozzle, padded hip belt and a bike handle, extras often required for professional working.
It costs £360 compared with the recommended price of £399, is delivered free within two to three working days and has a two-year warranty from Stihl.
And it’s back to Tanaka for another backpack machine on special offer.
The Tanaka TBL-4600 Backpack Leaf-Blower has a 44 cc engine which starts easily and produces a 322 km/h air blast, the sort of power demanded by the professional gardener.
Professional power: Tanaka TBL-4600 backpack leaf blower
It has a 2-litre fuel tank and weighs only 9 kg allowing for day-long use. And it has padding on the frame and straps to help this.
It costs £399 compared with the recommended price of £549 and is delivered free within three to five working days.
And it has a two year warranty from Tanaka.
Not all that long ago leaf clearing used to be an autumnal headache but there is now a huge variety of equipment to make the job easier.
If you are not sure which machine is the right one for you please give us a ring on 020 3026 8712.
