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Tools & Hardware : Toro Ultra 12 Amp Variable Speed Electric Blower/Vacuum With Metal Impeller #51599 |
- Love itSmall but powerful. We borrowed this Toro to use to suck up leaves in our rock landscaped yard - and had to have one! It sucks up the leaves without picking up the rocks and mulches them. The blower works great too.
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- Lots of powerWe love this for the leaf blowing but for the vacuum it just doesn't do the job. We live in Portland OR where we have lots of leaves that are very wet and this just gets clogged to make it practical.
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- Not as sturdy as Toro's earlier modelsI owned a Toro Model 51587 Blower Vac for four years - very similar to this Model 51599 except it had a plastic impeller and was single-speed. It finally just wore out - the plastic lugs on the suction horn that activated an interlock on the power unit that permitted it to start when the suction horn was attached just finally wore away from hundreds of hours of use - most of them heavy use. So I naturally assumed this model with the metal impeller would be even better - not so fast. What is better is that Toro improved every minor design weakness in my older model. The way the plastic parts attach together is nothing short of ingenious, with virtually no way they can wear out even under heavy use. The variable-speed motor is a decent feature, but I ended up running mine at maximum speed almost all the time except for very small, tidying-up jobs. Plus the Model 51599 is much quieter than my older Toro. The first time I turned it on, I wasn't even sure it was running it was so quiet - but that didn't last. Despite the metal impeller, this model couldn't compare to the ruggedness of my old Toro blower vac. I hadn't used this one 10 hours before it started to get noisier - barely noticeable at first, but with each use it got noisier and noisier. Then it started vibrating worse and worse, and I knew then it was just a matter of time before the main bearing would fail, and it did, less than a month after buying it. First, I called Toro customer service, who gave me the option of either shipping to them in Minnesota the main power unit (at my own expense, of course) for a free replacement or taking it to a local factory-authorized servicer about 10 miles away. What they failed to tell me is that the factory servicer has a tendency to close up shop and disappear for days or weeks at a time. Then I called the seller, who fortunately gave me an immediate exchange with the promise of a full refund if I'm not completely satisfied with the replacement unit. So I've not yet given up on the Toro Model 51599, maybe my first one was just a lemon; but, don't assume as I did that just because it's more expensive, has the same 2-year unlimited warranty, and has a metal impeller that this blower-vac is as solid or as rugged as Toro's earlier models. I'm going to "baby" this replacement - no jumping into any thick layers or piles of leaves or assuming it can handle sticks or small stones as well as my older Toro model. Honestly, I suspect the real reason Toro went to a metal impeller was because all the bad press associated with their Model 51586 that was recalled twice due to the plastic impeller disintegrating and injuring a few users with flying debris.
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- Toro Ultra 12 amp variable speed electric bolower #51599I had a gas blower thinking it was necessary to move the expected volumn of leaves. After reviewing the ratings in Consumer Reports I decided to purchase this blower and am completely satified. It moves a huge quanity of leaves with sticks in them with ease. The variable speed option is great for when you get in corners or tight areas. I have not used the vacuum and probably will not however I highly recommend this blower!
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- Good blowerThe Toro is just fine for keeping the sidewalk and garage free of leaves. I've not tried the suction of leaves as yet. It seems to be well made and simple to adjust.
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