Fallen leaves can be a huge problem, and by ‘huge’ I mean the size of leaf piles and the number of trash bags you usually need to clear your yard. I used to rake, scoop, and haul too, but it annoyed me too much. Blowers simplified the task a bit, but they couldn’t set me free from bending to fill the bags.
Finally, I came across vacuum mulchers. These power tools make leaf mulching and yard cleaning simple as they set you free from bending, raking, and dealing with trash bags. In this article, I want to share the best leaf mulcher vacuum tools that I’ve tested so far.
Contents
- 1 Top 7 Best Leaf Vacuum Mulcher Reviews
- 1.1 1. WORX WG509 TRIVAC – Best Electric Leaf Vacuum Mulcher
- 1.2 2. Greenworks 40V – Best Cordless Leaf Vacuum Mulcher
- 1.3 3. TECCPO 12-Amp Leaf Blower Vacuum – Best Cheap Leaf Blower and Mulcher
- 1.4 4. BLACK+DECKER BEBL7000 – Capacious Easy-Carry Leaf Vacuum
- 1.5 5. Remington RM1300 Mulchinator 3-in-1 – Top-Rated Leaf Blower Vacuum Mulcher
- 1.6 6. TACKLIFE Leaf Vacuum – Excellent High-Capacity Vacuum
- 1.7 7. Sun Joe SBJ605E-RED 14-Amp – Great Commercial Leaf Vacuum Mulcher
- 2 What is a Leaf Vacuum Shredder?
- 3 Types of Leaf Vacuum Mulchers
- 4 FAQ
- 5 Mulch It
Top 7 Best Leaf Vacuum Mulcher Reviews
I tried to do my best to compare all the tools objectively. The draft listing included 15 devices, but I decided to exclude all but these 7 as they were either less cost-effective or offered fewer features than their closest competitors.
- WORX WG509 TRIVAC
- Greenworks 40V
- TECCPO 12-Amp
- BLACK+DECKER BEBL7000
- Remington RM1300 Mulchinator 3-in-1
- TACKLIFE Leaf Vacuum
- Sun Joe SBJ605E-RED
Some of the devices below can be interchanged, but I know that all of us have different budgets and leaf amounts. My leaf vacuum mulcher reviews will help you to see the difference.
1. WORX WG509 TRIVAC – Best Electric Leaf Vacuum Mulcher
Specifications:
- Power Source: Corded Electric
- Style: W/ Debris Collection Bag
- Voltage: 120V~60Hz
- AirSpeed: 75 to 210 mph
- Collection Bag Capacity: 1 Bushel
WORX is a trusted US-based outdoor equipment manufacturer that offers a variety of quality tools. I like that these guys are concerned about the environment and struggle to make their tools powerful with minimal emissions or without them.
WG509 TRIVAC is a 3-in-1 tool that can blow, vacuum, and mulch leaves with an excellent 18:1 mulching ratio. It means that a default bag can be filled with up to 18 trashbags of leaves! Due to the all-metal impeller, the tool is durable.
The electric motor is corded and lets you benefit from 2 speed modes: 80MPH (133CFM) and 210MPH (350CFM). Such power is more than enough for anything. Due to the absence of batteries and a fuel-powered engine with a fuel tank, you can operate the mulcher holding it in one hand. The tool with an empty sack weighs just 9.3lbs. The full bag will be notably heavier than that, but such a low starting weight is an important feature anyway.
By the way, the bag has convenient straps for carrying it around on a shoulder. Other extras include a curved tube design that makes it easier to blow and vacuum in hard-to-reach places without the need to move objects.
What’s included:
- WORX WG509 12 Amp TRIVAC 3-in-1 Electric Leaf Blower with All Metal Mulching System
- lightweight design (0nly 9.3 lbs);
- one-handed operation is convenient;
- curved vacuum tube for better accessibility;
- powerful 12 AMP motor;
- high 18:1 mulching ratio.
- requires an extension cord.
2. Greenworks 40V – Best Cordless Leaf Vacuum Mulcher
Specifications:
- Size: 4Ah Battery and Charger
- Noise Level: 70 dB
- Speed: 185 Miles per Hour
- Air Flow Capacity: 340 Cubic Feet Per Minute
- Item Weight: 6.8 Kilograms
Greenworks is the leader amongst manufacturers of battery-powered blowers and vacuums. The company was founded just 13 years ago, but it already has massive results on the market. My first tool from the brand was a cordless chainsaw in 2016. It satisfied me so much that I’ve decided to try other tools by the brand.
Unlike the device by WORX, this one doesn’t offer a 3-in-1 system. Instead, you can change the blower and vacuum nozzles and attach the mulch bag when necessary. As a result, the tool with an empty bag weighs just 5.6 lbs.
The combo of a 40V 4Ah Lithium-Ion battery and a brushless motor provides from 20 to 60 minutes of effective blowing/vacuuming at up to 185MPH (340CFM). Using a convenient dial-type trigger, you can easily scroll between 6 speeds. If the pile is too wet and heavy, push the turbo button to activate the jet mode. It drains the battery faster, but lets you get through tough piles much easier.
What’s included:
- Blower and blower tube
- Vacuum
- 4.0Ah Battery
- Charger
- jet mode for tough leaf piles;
- up to 340 CFM;
- six speeds and a convenient switcher;
- up to 60 minutes of blowing/vacuuming.
- requires extra battery for uninterrupted operating.
3. TECCPO 12-Amp Leaf Blower Vacuum – Best Cheap Leaf Blower and Mulcher
Specifications:
- Voltage: 120.00 volts
- Power Source: Corded Electric
- Style: Leaf blower
- Air Flow Capacity: 410 Cubic Feet Per Minute
- Speed: 250 Miles per Hour
TECCPO is a newborn power tool manufacturer. Similarly to Greenworks, the company managed to achieve excellent sales in a very short time, but their products are generally much cheaper. This corded tool always comes below $100, which makes it an attractive solution for occasional use.
This leaf mulcher vacuum is designed similarly to the solution by Greenworks. You have to attach the right nozzle to activate the blower or the vacuum, and it’s very easy to do. The tool is equipped with a powerful 12-AMP motor that has 2 speed modes.
The lower mode blows/vacuums at 170MPH(290CFM) and 250MPH(410CFM). The 2nd gear sucks in leaves very fast, so the large 10.6-gallon bag is really to the place! Due to these specs, the tool has a 16:1 mulching ratio. It’s not as high as WORX WG509 offers, but the price is also different.
What’s included:
- Collection Bag
- 2 Blowpipe
- User Manual
- Aspiration Channel
- Warranty Card
- TECCPO TABV01G Leaf Blower Vacuum
- 24-month warranty card provided;
- lightweight design;
- easy to convert;
- very affordable device;
- one-hand operation.
- plastic impeller;
- not the best for commercial use.
4. BLACK+DECKER BEBL7000 – Capacious Easy-Carry Leaf Vacuum
Specifications:
- Power Source: Corded Electric
- Style: Blower/Vacuum
- Speed: 250 Miles per Hour
- Air Flow Capacity: 400 Cubic Feet Per Minute
- FLEXI-TUBE: Allows for enhanced maneuverability when vacuuming leaves and debris.
BLACK+DECKER is a 110-year-old American manufacturer of power tools. I haven’t seen this one in reviews of other professionals, so I decided to test it myself. As you can assume, the experience was good enough.
The first reason to try this tool was the backpack mulch bag. It was my first blower/vacuum with such a bag configuration. The bag appeared to be very convenient to wear and carry. It makes the weight of leaves less tangible. Due to the broad flap without zippers, you can empty it at no time and keep working.
Similarly to the majority of tools in the listing, this one comes with replaceable nozzles for blower and vacuum. On the one hand, this makes the tool a bit lighter, but on the other, you have to spend a bit more time switching between the modes, so planning is essential.
What’s included:
- (1) BEBL7000
- (1) blow tube
- (1) vac tube
- (1) backpack bag
- easy-to-carry backpack;
- 16:1 mulching ratio;
- up to 250MPH and 400CFM;
- light enough for one-hand operation.
- requires nozzle replacement.
5. Remington RM1300 Mulchinator 3-in-1 – Top-Rated Leaf Blower Vacuum Mulcher
Specifications:
- Power Source: Corded Electric
- Speed: 150 Miles per Hour
- Air Flow Capacity: 350 Cubic Feet Per Minute
- Powerful electric motor: Reliable and durable 12 amp electric motor moves air at speeds up to 150 mph and air volume up to 350 cfm.
- 10:1 Mulching: High impact metal blades turn 10 bags of lawn debris into 1 bag of finely chopped mulch
You probably already know about Remington. This power tool manufacturer has been amongst industry leaders in the US and the world for over a century. Today, the brand holds the bar high and keeps offering competitive-quality tools for relatively low prices.
The RM1300 Mulchinator is the best alternative to WORX WG509, as it offers a similar 3-in-1 design that doesn’t require you to replace nozzles all the time. You can simply push the shift lever to switch.
In addition, the tool has a bigger wheeled vacuum tube that lets you push the device backward and forward without too much strain in your back and hands. While it’s not useful on grass, it makes vacuuming on hard surfaces much simpler.
What’s included:
- RM1300 Mulchinator
- Vacuum Kit
- Attachable rolling nozzle
- Operator’s Manual
- toolless switching between vacuum/blower;
- attachable rolling nozzle;
- 2-year warranty;
- two speed modes.
- the bag is quite small.
6. TACKLIFE Leaf Vacuum – Excellent High-Capacity Vacuum
No products found.
Specifications:
- Max air volume: 540CFM
- Voltage: 40V
- Speed: 5 speeds for your choice, let you switch smoothly and easily to meet your different need
- Power Source: 4.0Ah battery
- Warranty: 2-year
I was very surprised when I found that this brand is only 5 years old. Such a small team manages to create worthy instruments and makes them affordable. Their leaf vacuum is equipped with a powerful corded unit that can reach up to 175MPH for blowing and 495CFM for vacuuming. You can quickly switch between 5 speeds to achieve the needed effect on different surfaces.
What’s included:
- TACKLIFE 40V Cordless Leaf Blower with 4.0Ah Battery & Charger, Brushless Motor and 5-Speed Optional, Perfect for Lawn and Snow Cleaning
- wheeled vacuum shaft;
- powerful engine;
- medium leaf bag;
- toolless nozzle changing.
- plastic impeller.
7. Sun Joe SBJ605E-RED 14-Amp – Great Commercial Leaf Vacuum Mulcher
No products found.
Specifications:
- Noise Level: 96 dB
- Speed: 250 Miles per Hour
- Power Source: Corded Electric
- 3-in-1 design: blower, vacuum and mulcher for fast leaf cleanup
- Warranty: 2-year
Sun Joe is another young brand that offers high-quality electric gardening tools. I consider SBJ605E one of the best solutions for professional use as it offers a combo of a relatively low price with excellent characteristics. The conversion is made simple, while the metal impeller guarantees better sustainability to damage.
What’s included:
- Sun Joe SBJ605E-RED 14-Amp (up to 250 MPH) 3-in-1 Electric Blower/Vacuum/Mulcher
- powerful 14-AMP motor;
- six speeds;
- 16:1 reduction ratio;
- low-noise model;
- two-year warranty.
- I think the blower nozzle is easy to break.
What is a Leaf Vacuum Shredder?
Leaf vacuum mulcher or leaf shredder vacuum is a powerful outdoor vacuum cleaner with a built-in leaf mulcher. All vacuum shredders can suck in large amounts of fallen leaves and shred them at the same time. This gardening tool is the best substitute for rakes and numerous trash bags. All you have to do is carry the device around and empty the bag when it’s full.
Benefits of Mulching
First of all, mulching is much faster than raking and doesn’t strain your back that much. Second, the tiny pieces take notably less space and are much easier to dispose of. You can throw the mulch away when the bag gets full or use it as a complement to your compost pile, which is very useful for gardening.
Studies revealed an almost 100% decrease in dandelions and crabgrass in lawns where fallen leaves had been mulched and used as turf for three years in a row. Practicing this, you can reduce the population of weeds and save money on weed control remedies.
Mulched leaves keep the soil warm during the winter season and cooler when it gets hot. Moreover, they serve as a powerful natural fertilizer, which is also a useful tip to save up a bit. The decaying action of mulch provides the roots of grasses on your lawn with nutrients.
The mulch always biodegrades and disappears by spring, so such a practice is incredibly beneficial. I recommend you mulch the leaves and cover plant beds in autumn to synchronize plants’ life cycle with mulch biodegrading.
Types of Leaf Vacuum Mulchers
There are 3 types of vacuum mulchers. Each of them includes both benefits and disadvantages, so I recommend you learn the differences to see what’s yours. As an ecology-concerned gardener kind, I prefer to minimize the use of gas-powered tools if it’s possible.
Gas
Gas-powered leaf vacuum mulcher is powerful and can survive rather long work sessions on a single full tank charge. On the other hand, it has multiple drawbacks that have lead to the mass adoption of electric machines. The payment for the power offered by gas-fueled blowers includes heaviness, expensive and time-taking maintenance, awful noise, and, of course, emitting and inhaling unhealthy air pollutants.
Electric (corded)
This type is my favorite. Corded electric models are usually the lightest and offer an uninterrupted process as you don’t have to recharge or refuel them. As a result, you can save quite a lot of time on that. On the other hand, the cord makes you a bit less mobile.
You’ll need a very long extension cord to serve a large yard! If your yard design makes it a problem to manage a cord, look for a battery-powered model. If you aren’t a fan of handheld options, there are also walk-behind leaf vacuum mulchers available.
Cordless (battery-powered)
Modern batteries can provide rather long one-charge sessions and usually don’t require too much time for recharging. However, I recommend you purchase an additional battery to avoid unwanted pauses. Two batteries are enough to keep working with short stops for battery replacement.
The best thing about such devices is their mobility. You can work even in the most remote corners of your yard. Cordless leaf vacuums can be notably heavier than corded, but rarely as heavy as gas-powered ones.
Features to Consider Before Purchasing
Before you decide which mulcher to buy, I’d be wise to learn about some more essential considerations. Independently from your yard size, you need the best value for money, and I want to help you figure out how to achieve it.
Power source
You already know that there are 3 power source types for vacuum mulchers. As you can easily assume, gas-powered models, consume the highest amount of your money during the year, while electric models are significantly less greedy or equal. Electricity is cheaper in any case.
Electric devices are also much easier to carry around. Most vacuum mulchers are handheld, so you should make sure that you can carry the tool without overstraining long enough to clear the entire garden.
Suction power
If you worry that your electric tool will have a worse blowing and mulching ability, be attentive to the power definition of each model you look at. The vacuuming power should be high enough to suck in both dry and wet leaves independently from their amount.
The air flow is usually measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM). Personally, I usually look at amps to understand how powerful the machine is. For example, 12-amps is an excellent choice for most cases.
Mulching ratio & bag size
Mulchers reduce the size of the leaf pile you suck in. The mulching ratio defines how small will the pile become after mulching. You should look for the highest ration possible. The actual ratio depends on the design of blades as well as on how moist the leaves are.
Most models offer a ratio of between 10:1 and 18:1. Choosing the right bag size, you should consider the size of your yard. Take a bag that’s big enough to reduce the number of emptyings to a minimum, but small enough to avoid back overstraining.
Speed adjustability
Of course, the higher the top speed you have, the better, but it’s necessary to have an adjustment button if you want to avoid sucking in delicate plants and flowers. Most machines have it, but you should double-check anyway.
Impeller material
An impeller is a fan system that helps to shred the leaves. Unlike home vacuum cleaners, leaf vacuums don’t have filters to be protected from debris. That’s why small rocks, wood chunks, and even nuts can heavily damage the blades. A good metal impeller will be able to withstand potential dangers (do your best to avoid them anyway) and improve the mulching ratio.
How to Use Leaf Vacuum Mulcher Correctly
Using a vacuum mulcher, you should be attentive to avoid sucking in debris as they can damage the impeller. If you see leaves on gravel or similar surfaces, use the blower mode to relocate them before mulching. If you want to remove leaves from amongst delicate plants, you should either use the lowest speed or blow the leaves away first.
Thinking of when to start? The best time is when you still can see grass between the fallen leaves. You may need to repeat the procedure 2-3 times, but it’s better than struggling to remove large piles in one day.
FAQ
Houseowners who ask me for professional advice and my readers frequently ask similar questions about vacuum mulchers. I decided to reply to these questions here to set you free from emailing me and googling for extra information on forums.
Is a leaf vacuum mulcher effective on wet leaves?
There’s actually much discussion around this question. Many gardeners are convinced that it’s better to rake wet leaves or wait until they get dry as wet leaves are heavy. Low-power blowers may not be able to deal with them. The same goes for vac mulchers.
But if your tool is powerful enough, wet leaves won’t be a problem unless you have difficulties with carrying a significantly heavier bag. Some models are compatible with wheel accessories for such cases. There are no significant benefits of vacuuming wet leaves, but you can do it if there’s no other option.
How do leaf vacuum mulchers work?
Leaf vacuum mulchers use airflow to suck in leaves and a rotating blade to mulch them. The mulch gets into a bag attached on the end of the tool. When the bag gets full, you can detach it, dispose of the mulch, and get back to work.
Can I use a leaf vacuum mulcher on gravel?
These devices aren’t designed for dealing with stones and twigs. They can simply break the mulcher. If you need to remove leaves from gravel, pebbles, or soil, then use the blower mode first to relocate the leaves on to the grass or other secure surfaces. While a single tiny stone won’t do anything, larger stones can damage the blade.
Mulch It
While most vacuum mulchers are quite cheap ($150 and below), you should pay attention to each model’s performance. Look for the one that’s light, powerful, and durable enough. I included different tool variations into my listing so that you could choose easier. My favorite one is WORX WG509 TRIVAC, as it includes all the needed specifications and durable construction. However, the rest of the items have their pros, too, so be attentive.
Have you used leaf mulcher vacuum before, or would it be your first time? If the choice is too difficult, you can ask me for explanations in the comments section below the article. I will reply as soon as possible to help you out. For more reviews of power tools, stay tuned to my blog and add it to bookmarks not to miss the updates. I have many useful articles in the queue.
“A good tool stays with you for many years and choosing carefully ensures the job is done right, your work is neat, and the tool is always a pleasure to use”
