I've only used this leaf blower once and it's the first one I've owned. I liked the variable speed and the power it yielded. It's easy to use and not too noisy. All-in-all, I'm pleased.
I've only had the blower about a month but it looks well made and certainly has a lot of air speed. I like the metal fan and feel it will hold up well when vacuuming leaves. If there is a negative it's the fact the fan is very noisy.
Unfortunately we didn’t move and purchase this blower/vac until mid November. That being the case I was facing wet leaves when cleaning up the mess the previous owner left us. I realize no vac is recommended for wet leaves but this unit was a trooper. Yes I occasionally had to stop and clean it out but I’ve never owned one that helped me get the job done like this one did! Looking forward to using it as intended (with dry leaves).
It is a bit heavy, but it does a good job of both blowing and sucking leaves. The collection bag has its zipper on the bottom and requires being turned upside down and shakened before trying to unzip it.
It is too soon to know how it will hold up. My previous unit lasted quite well, and that is why it was replaced when the control part went bad with another one. I like the Toro unit.
I would have been happier if the control part could have been replaced instead of having to replace the whole unit. But the price was not bad.
Pros: grinds and blows
Cons: bag is sometimes awkward but still quite usable.
I purchased the Ultra Blower Vac (51599) 7 years ago after my old Toro blower was damaged when it fell from the roof while I was cleaning gutters. The 51599 worked very well for me and my son and neighbors borrowed it. The 51599 finally quit working and I bought the 51619 within a week. It is very useful removing leaves as a blower or vacuum.
This is the second leaf vacuum I have purchased. The metal impeller is a key feature. Deals with large quantities of fall leaves in an efficient manner. Compacts them nicely for composting.