I have bought a few Toro blowers. I decided to go with the 51619 because of the power and metal blade. The first one started acting up after a few uses with the variable speed knob. It became very touchy and wouldn't stay on or at full power, then it wouldn't shut off unless I unplugged it. I got it replaced and the same thing happened to that one. Neither one lasted a season. There is no warranty for replacements and I imagine it will cost almost as much to fix it than to just buy a new one. I have a degree in the Electrical field and they won't sell me just the part so I can fix it. Anyone with general knowledge of electricity would be able to wire this out. I am very disappointed in this product. I never had any problems with the other models with different switches. I guess I will go buy a generic variable speed switch and custom install it. For now I will bypass it and use the safety switch as my ON/OFF by taking out the cover inlet.
Cons: variable speed knob went out on both units
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from ToroDealer.comBy Toro Customer Care, September 22, 2015
Warranty replacements for the 51619 hold a two year warranty from the day you receive the replacement machine. Contact customer care for further assistance with this matter. http://www.toro.com/en-us/customer-support/Pages/Customer-Inquiry.aspx
This Toro Ultra Blower/Vac is a very good tool. I use it extensively for my property clean up of leaves and twigs...Very dependable and reliable. Very good blower performance at high speeds...
I am very impressed by this machine. The variable speed really provides great utility. So far I could not be happier with this product. Keep up the good work!
I bought a second Toro electric blower as first one has performed so well for many years. I needed a second for another house and no reason to look for another one based on performance of the first one.
After a short time, and because these blowers are so powerful the zipper separates from the bag. It would help to reinforce the bag to the zipper by adding additional stitching.
My experience with Toro products have been very successful. The power dial is a great feature, sometimes you just need a mild source of wind and other times you want a hurricane. The metal impeller is also great. I have used other blowers (not Toro) with plastic impellers and the mulching capabilities are less than adequate. This blower is surprisingly quieter than I expected given the blower capacity. We live in a Pecan Orchard and I look forward to many years of dependable use. Thanks Toro