Tag: Corded Blower

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Toro Ultra Blower Vacuum and Mulcher Review: 2024

Toro blower vac

The Toro Ultra Blower Vacuum and Mulcher is a great mid-range blower if you want a step up from more basic blowers. Most folks think you can’t get a good electric blower these days and that you need to grab an expensive battery-powered blower to get any real power.

I’m here to tell you that these corded electric blowers have been around forever – and for good reason. This has been my main blower for about a year now and I’ve come to love it.

Bottom Line: The Toro Ultra Blower / Vacuum combo is a budget friendly option that makes leaf clean up in small yards extremely efficient. You can grab yours at Amazon for a super low price.

Jump ahead:

My experience using the Toro Ultra 260 MPH 340 CFM blower and vacuum combo

I first bought this unit a little over a year ago and after several uses I noticed a burning smell and saw smoke coming from the connection between the extension cord and the unit because I did not have the proper gage extension cord, stressed below. 

I got a replacement and the right cord and I’ve been using it without any issues ever since. This blower works fantastically for me during the fall or whenever I need to get debris off of my lawn, and the vacuum/mulcher works fine with a little set up. 

Toro Ultra Blower and Vacuum Combo: Features

Let me break down a few things I was looking at on this Toro blower before I finally pulled the trigger and bought it. 

Power and Performance Capabilities of the Toro Ultra blower

This blower boasts around 340 CFMs of air at around 260 miles per hour. If you don’t quite understand the difference between CFMS and MPH, then read this. 

This blower should be adequate for most lawns, but if you have a lot of trees that dumb a TON of leaves, I would recommend you buy a stronger blower.

A super powerful alternative.

For example, if you live on over half an acre or have a ton of really big trees in your yard, then I would look for something with at least 500 CFMs and a wider opening. This blower has a flat nozzle that is great for blasting away small piles of leaves or scraping away wet leaves or grass clippings, but will be inefficient for HUGE piles.

If you want something with some more CFMs, there are some great corded electric blowers that have more OR you can opt for a really nice high CFM battery-powered blower like the EGO 765.

Versatility of the Toro Blower and Vacuum combo

This blower is corded, so you can really only go as far as your cord can. Do not underestimate the importance of having a long cord, it’s better to have a little extra than to not be able to use your blower on the edges of your yard. 

But with a longer cord, it is imperative to get the proper gage. Below is a chart of the best gages for each cord length:

Extension Cord LengthMinimum Wire Gage (A.W.G)
25 ft (7.6 m)16
50 ft (15 m)16
100 ft (30.5 m)14
150 ft (45.7 m)10

This product’s main selling point is that it is 3 in 1, a blower, a vacuum, and a mulcher, full marks on versatility! It performs best as a blower and works decently as a vacuum/mulcher. Although if you plan on buying this purely for the vacuum/mulching side of things, I recommend you give this one a pass for a more specialized product.

Noise Level on the Toro Ultra Blower Vac

This blower comes in at about 70 decibels, which is equivalent to a kitchen blender or a washing machine. This level of noise will not be harmful to your hearing, but it may wake up light sleepers.

Vacuuming and Mulching Capability on Toro’s Ultra Blower

The Toro Ultra Electric Blower Vac boasts being 3 in 1, but is it really? The vacuum and mulcher are basically the same, the only difference being what you do with the bagged leaves. On the leaf blower side of things, it’s great and works as it should. But on the other hand, the vacuum/mulcher could use a little work due to its problem with rocks.

After a few uses, I came to realize that the vacuum/mulcher is very good at picking up everything you don’t want in there. The tiniest of pebbles can get caught in the blade and either jam it or damage it. I advise you to refrain from using this as a vacuum/mulcher unless you pick up any debris that it may not like before vacuuming.

Battery version of the blower is kinda nice.

One other alternative is to blow all the leaves into a large pile and THEN use the vacuum function to get them up instead of trying to vacuum as you go. This avoids the potential for any damage from rocks jamming up the mulching function.

Finding the best cost for the Toro Ultra Blower and Vac combo

The Toro Blower and Vacuum Combo comes in at a really good price on Amazon – under $120. I believe this is just about the right price for this blower, considering the value you’re getting from it with the 3 in 1 tools. 

In fact, compared to most battery powered leaf blowers, this Toro blower is absurdly cheap. While you may still get looks from your neighbors for using an old-school corded blower, you’re going to be hard-pressed to find a better deal. 

A few quick tips I learned the hard way

I wanted to share a few quick tips for those that are about to go grab this blower from Home Depot. I learned these the hard way after using this blower for the first time.

Usage

Before using, be sure to secure the plug firmly into the blower and the wall in order to prevent any mishaps. Also be sure there are no obstructions in your yard that the cord may get tangled on. Make sure there is no sitting water near for the cord to land in.

When using the vacuum/mulcher, be sure not to pick up anything that the blades won’t be able to handle, such as wood, rocks, and large sticks.

After Use

After using the blower, you can just turn it off and unplug the cord and you’re done. With the vacuum/mulcher, you’ll need to empty the bag and possibly clean off the blades after unplugging. One advantage to the unit is it is easily disassembled to be stowed away if you need extra garage/shed space. 

My Recommendation: Toro 260 MPH 340 CFM Ultra Blower Vac

My experience with the Toro ultra blower vac has been nothing but great. It gets the job done, has a good price point, and has all the features you’ll need. I recommend this one for anybody that is a first time homeowner, has a smaller yard, or is looking for a great swiss army knife solution on the cheap.

If I was doing it all over again, I don’t think I could find a better leaf clean up tool that fits the needs of my yard for a better price. 

Grab yours at Home Depot for a great price or on Amazon for a really good price as well.

What I look for in a corded blower

Corded blowers come in a bunch of shapes and sizes but there are two basic things you need to understand:

CFMs on blowers

Cubic feet per minute. This is a measure of air output on the blower. Higher CFM = more power, but not necessarily more miles per hour. High CFM with a wide nozzle = lower MPH. High CFM with a narrow nozzle = high miles per hour. Ideally, you want both a high CFM with a narrow to medium nozzle for most residential jobs.

Usability

What is the point of having a blower if it is hard to use? You have to get one that is lightweight, easy to start, and has some functions that make your life easier. One thing I look for here is how the weight is distributed. I also look for things like variable speed control, sound, and how easy it is to reach or change controls like cruise control.

Reliability

It’s important to have reliable equipment – hands down. For homeowners, having a blower that can easily start and requires minimal maintenance is key. The engine doesn’t get as much use as a professional landscaper, so hopefully doesn’t require the same maintenance schedule. For professional landscapers, you need to have a blower that starts quickly and isn’t a headache requiring frequent tinkering and minor replacements.

Looks cool but not as reliable!

These are three things you need to pay attention to when looking through the specifications. 

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Corded vs Cordless Leaf Blowers: Which is Better?

Corded and cordless leaf blowers are two often-overlooked blower types that are frankly…underrated. Gas powered blowers are the incumbent and most people still seem to prefer them. I prefer cordless blowers but my heart will always have a spot for corded leaf blowers.

But just like with cars, electric motor technology has evolved significantly – and it is catching up. I’m not saying it is all the way there, but some battery powered blowers and even some corded blowers are there. 

Let’s jump into why the benefits of electric blowers and then list out the best in each category.

Corded blowers still have benefits

Corded leaf blowers have a number of benefits. In fact, they are extremely underrated. Here are a few things to consider before being all judgmental about corded blowers:

  • They’re extremely light. No batteries and no gas means you can take a few pounds off. After a while of blowing off a large yard, it can make a huge difference on your shoulder and back.
  • No maintenance! These don’t require any of the standard maintenance required of gas powered blowers, like mixing oil, changing filters, and replacing spark plugs. 
  • Unlimited run-time. These bad boys don’t have batteries that die or gas that runs out. As long as you pay your electric bill, you’re fine!
  • They are extremely inexpensive. My favorite corded blower is less than $100. You can’t get a high quality battery powered or gas blower for anywhere near that price.

Benefits of battery powered leaf blowers

Battery powered blowers are also incredible. I own a handful, believe it or not – mostly from testing out blowers in a head-to-head matchup. I’ve tested dozens of battery-powered blowers, from small ones like this KIMO blower to the heaviest duty – like the EGO super powerful 765 CFM blower.

Battery powered leaf blowers have huge advantages. They have all the same advantages that corded electric leaf blowers have – like no maintenance and no fumes, but also the ability to be much more portable than corded electric blowers. 

I like my battery powered leaf blower because I can take it way out into my yard and get the same performance as my gas powered blower. They also tend to have more bells and whistles, like cruise control, turbo buttons, and more. Additionally, the same battery I use with my blower I can also use with a ton of other lawn tools.

Which is better: corded or cordless blowers?

It is hard to say which is better, so I’ll put it into the perspective of who should use which one. I think if you are a new homeowner or have a small yard, corded electric blowers are the way to go. They’re great for those on a budget or for those that just don’t have much space to worry about. The extension cord is all you need to get the job done without worrying about any maintenance or batteries.

If you have a medium to large yard or just love having the best of everything, battery powered blowers are way better than corded blowers. They can give you more power, more reach, and fit into your arsenal of battery powered lawn tools quite nicely.

My favorite corded blowers

So I actually have two corded electric blowers that are tied for my favorite – and they are both made by Toro. 

Toro PowerJet F700 corded electric blower

The Toro PowerJet is exactly that – a jet of freaking power. At 700 CFMs, this thing HAULS big piles of leaves. Here is why it made our list of favorites:

  • 700 CFMs mean big piles of leaves get yeet-ed
  • Adjustable speed knob lets you control how fast you’re blowing
  • Has a nice little spot to hang up the cord so you don’t pull it out when you’re blowing

Oh – and the best part is that it costs less than $100 at Home Depot (and is probably on sale).

Toro Power Sweep electric blower

My first blower, I couldn’t not put it on this list. For starters, I’ve had it for almost 10 years and it was old when I bought it. But it just won’t quit.

It isn’t the strongest blower in the world and it might not have any bells or whistles (outside of a 1-2 speed switch), but my word it may be the least expensive. When I spent ALL of my money putting down the down payment for my first house, I didn’t leave any money for other things.

Enter the PowerSweep. It was extremely inexpensive at the time and just like the Costco hot dog – it is somehow resistant to inflation. For anyone in the same situation as me, you can grab a newer version of this one at Home Depot for a really good price.

Favorite cordless blowers based on my experience

I’ve written a whole article about my favorite blowers and even recorded a Youtube video where I put them head-to-head, but I’ll give you a high-level overview of my top two and why they made the list.

Top choice: EGO LB7654 Battery Powered Blower

I write about the EGO 765 CFM blower all the time. I’m obsessed with it. Mainly because the first time I pressed the turbo button this blower actually pushed my arm back, causing me to fight against it. Never had a blower do that before. 

At 765 CFMs and well over 200 MPH, this thing is more powerful than my gas blower. It is my favorite blower I’ve ever used and is absolutely my go-to blower. It’s a freaking cannon strapped to your arm and you won’t regret buying it – I didn’t.

You can grab it from Amazon for a really good price right now.

Ryobi 40V Whisper Series Blower

The Ryobi 40V Whisper Series blower is a close second place. It’s called the Whisper series because, well, it’s quiet. Makes sense, right?

It has almost as much CFMs and MPH as the EGO blower above, but is slightly weaker. I will say if you already have a Ryobi 40V battery, this is the best blower you can buy. Because you can get the tool-only version without the batteries for a way cheaper price.

Ryobi crushed it with this blower and it is by far their most powerful handheld blower. You can grab it from Home Depot for a great deal with the tool-only version.

What to look for in an electric blower

Cordless blowers come in a bunch of shapes and sizes but there are three basic things you need to understand:

CFMs and MPH on blowers

Cubic feet per minute. This is a measure of air output on the blower. Higher CFM = more power, but not necessarily more miles per hour. High CFM with a wide nozzle = lower MPH. High CFM with a narrow nozzle = high miles per hour. Ideally, you want both a high CFM with a narrow to medium nozzle for most residential jobs.

Usability 

What is the point of having a blower if it is hard to use? Have to get one that is lightweight, easy to start, and has some functions that make your life easier.

Motor type

Brushless motors reign supreme. Cooler running motors with more torque, a longer run-time, and last many more years. Brushless is a no brainer when picking a blower.

These are three things you need to pay attention to when looking through the specifications. 

Why we review lawn tools

The reason we started this website in the first place was because we had so much trouble trying to find reasonable, understandable, honest reviews for lawn equipment. And it’s not cheap! After hours and hours of research, trying products and returning them, and messing up our yards – we started this site. 

reviewing lawn tools

As people who had to learn the hard way, we want you to know exactly what you are signing up for before you purchase a piece of equipment. That’s why we are committed to providing honest, easy-to-understand reviews that mean something. 

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Leaf Blower CFM vs MPH Explained: 2024 Update

CFM and MPH are often used acronyms to describe power on a leaf blower. These often get confused and I’ve seen too many get bamboozled, so I thought I would break it down.

CFMs and MPH tend to vary wildly between types of blowers and even in each category. Today I’ll also break down some of the best blowers in the corded electric blower, battery-powered blower, and gas-powered blower categories.

Let’s jump right in! What is better in a leaf blower: CFM or MPH?

Leaf blower CFMs vs MPH: Explained

CFM, or cubic feet per minute, is a measurement of the volume of air. This answers the question: how much air is moving through the leaf blower? While that seems like a weird question, it is super important for understanding the power of a blower. More on that in a second.

MPH, or miles per hour, is a measurement of speed. This answers the question: how fast does the air move through the blower?

CFM and MPH are related – generally the higher the CFM, the higher the MPH.

Leaf blower nozzle impact on CFM and MPH

I just said CFMs and MPH are related – but their relationship is impacted heavily by how wide the blower nozzle tip is. 

The wider the nozzle, the lower the air speed. That’s why you will see some blowers with high CFMs but low MPH (relatively). These blowers have high CFMs but a very wide opening. Blowers with high CFMs and wide openings move a lot of air, but not all that fast. This is a great blower for moving big piles of dry leaves across the yard. 

The more narrow the nozzle, the higher the air speed. You will also see blowers with low CFMs but super high MPH. These are really good for smaller projects like cleaning up a woodworking station, cleaning out your garage, or getting wet leaves or grass clippings off of surfaces. 

Other times you will see blowers with high CFMs and high MPH – this is common and means it has both volume AND speed. This combination is the sweet spot for power.

What is better in a leaf blower: CFM or MPH?

When it comes to picking out a blower – you’ll see both CFMs and MPH listed at the top. So, which is better?

The short answer is: it depends. If you are moving big piles of leaves, having high CFMs is better. If you are moving wet leaves or grass clippings, high MPH is better.

Leaf blowers with both high CFMs and MPH.

If you want to move big piles of wet leaves and are looking for raw power, having high CFMs and high MPH is better – but it will cost you.

The best leaf blowers in each category

Remember how I said it would cost you to have high CFM and high MPH? Well it can, but you can also get really good combinations of CFM and MPH in backpack leaf blowers, battery-powered leaf blowers, and corded electric leaf blowers. And boy – are you about to be surprised.

Best backpack leaf blowers

Backpack leaf blowers are essentially jet packs of air that are extremely loud, but extremely powerful. They are often used by commercial landscapers – which means they’re built to get the job done quickly and effectively.

Backpack blowers are really good options for those with large yards. I have used quite a few in my time and always come back to my favorite: the Sthil BR 600 backpack blower. I’ve owned the Stihl BR 600 for a few years and it was actually a gift from my mom.

This blower is great because it is the ultimate combination of extreme power and comfort. I see this blower strapped to all of the landscaping trailers that drive around my part of town – meaning it is the preferred option for professional landscapers 

It also puts out nearly 700 CFMs and over 230 MPH of air. WOW. We did a full review of the BR600 on our Youtube channel where you can see us do some serious testing.

Best battery-powered leaf blowers

We have written extensively about our favorite battery-powered leaf blowers, so we aren’t ashamed to echo our favorite one here. Battery-powered leaf blowers may actually become the gold standard in the next few years as many places are moving to ban gas-powered leaf blowers (weird, right?).

Anyways, battery leaf blowers have a lot of benefits – including great run times, super high power, and the ability to use the batteries across a bunch of other different tools. They tend to be pretty pricey, but the price can come down a TON if you buy the tool-only version. You can get the tool-only version of any battery-compatible tool from that brand once you already own the battery, which generates HUGE savings.

But our favorite battery-powered leaf blower continues to be EGO’s 765 CFM leaf blower. This is a mega powerful handheld leaf blower that is absolutely absurd. We filmed an awesome video that highlights how this one compares to the Ryobi 40V blower, another great battery powered blower (our #2). 

The EGO 765 CFM blower has 765 CFM (obviously), which is higher than the gas-powered backpack blower above. With this kind of air output, you can see speeds well over 200 MPH. For an electric tool, that is some serious leaf blowing.

All-in-all, this leaf blower is a bit on the expensive side, but you get to use the EGO 56V battery with a TON of other tools in the EGO 56V battery line-up, like their EGO mowers.

You can grab this one from your local Lowe’s or grab it from Amazon for a great price.

Best corded electric leaf blower

Don’t sleep on corded electric leaf blowers! I sure did. They seem cheap, old school, and out of touch. But so am I.

Corded blowers to me.

Anyways, my mind was blown when I saw the Toro PowerJet corded leaf blower. This bad boy has 725 CFMs and a decently high MPH. For reference, the EGO blower I referenced above, which is one of the strongest on the planet, has 765 CFMs. Needless to say, this blower kicks some serious butt.

But what sticks out about the Toro corded electric blower is that it is freakishly inexpensive. All the power of the EGO, but just has a cord attached. The thing is absolutely unreal and can be found at Home Depot for a super low price. 

What I look for in a leaf blower

Leaf lowers come in a bunch of shapes and sizes but there are three basic things you need to understand:

CFM 

Cubic feet per minute. This is a measure of air output on the blower. Higher CFM = more power, but not necessarily more miles per hour. High CFM with a wide nozzle = lower MPH. High CFM with a narrow nozzle = high miles per hour. Ideally, you want both a high CFM with a narrow to medium nozzle for most residential jobs.

Usability 

What is the point of having a blower if it is hard to use? Have to get one that is lightweight, easy to start, and has some functions that make your life easier.

Motor type

Brushless motors reign supreme if you are going with electric. Cooler running motors with more torque, a longer run-time, and last many more years. Brushless is a no brainer when picking a blower.

These are three things you need to pay attention to when looking through the specifications.

Why I review lawn tools

The reason we started The Lawn Review in the first place was because we had so much trouble trying to find reasonable, understandable, honest reviews for lawn equipment. And it’s not cheap! After hours and hours of research, trying products and returning them, and messing up our yards – we started this site. 

As people who had to learn the hard way, we want you to know exactly what you are signing up for before you purchase a piece of equipment. That’s why we are committed to providing honest, easy-to-understand reviews that mean something. 

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3 Powerful Corded Leaf Blowers For a Low Price

Corded electric leaf blowers aren’t all the rage. Everyone wants to talk about the cool cordless battery powered leaf blowers.

But some of us don’t mind corded leaf blowers. In fact, they have many benefits, which I’ll get to later. Yes, corded leaf blowers still have a place in the American garage. Today, I’ll break down my favorite corded blowers and where to grab them.

Let’s get started. Here’s my list of favorite corded electric blowers:

  1. Toro PowerJet F700 Handheld corded electric blower (most powerful)
  2. Ryobi 135 MPH 440 CFM corded electric blower
  3. Toro Power Sweep corded electric blower

How I tested these corded leaf blowers

Corded leaf blowers are one of those things I used to use all the time when I was a kid. My dad would have me plug in our old Toro blower into the wall and force me to blow out the garage. Needless to say, I’ve been using corded blowers in some capacity ever since. 

It took about 20 years of pulling cords out of the wall before I realized there were better options out there. Oh – and one big benefit of corded leaf blowers as compared to cordless – they are WAY cheaper and still extremely powerful.

When I am testing out a corded blower I am evaluating ease of use, power, and price.

Powerful and Cheap Corded Electric Leaf Blowers (Ranked)

Let’s jump straight into our ranking of the best corded electric leaf blowers on the market. My go-to place for lawn tools is Home Depot, but I know a lot of folks are loyal to Lowe’s or even Amazon. 

Toro PowerJet F700 Handheld Corded Electric Blower

The Toro PowerJet corded blower was NOT creatively named. It is what it says it is – a dang PowerJet. At 725 CFMs, this blower is one of the most powerful electric blowers – period. I’ve spoken highly of the EGO 765 battery blower, but this one is honestly close despite being ⅓ of the price.

The massive CFMs on this one combined with the wide mouthed nozzle make for a blower that has lower airspeed but pushes big piles of leaves. If this had a more narrow nozzle, the MPH would be super high. 

EXTREME POWER.

This blower is a really good deal for a few reasons:

  • The price is absurdly low
  • It’s great for big piles of leaves
  • It has a cool adjustable speed knob
  • The cord can be “locked-in” so it doesn’t pull out

You can grab this one for less than $100 at Home Depot.

Ryobi 135 MPH 440 CFM Corded Electric Blower

Ryobi is a super well known brand in the lawn tool space. We’ve used a bunch of their lawn tools, especially their 40V battery lineup of blowers. The difference between their average cordless blower and their corded blowers are not very stark – until it comes to price.

But this Jet Fan blower has equal specifications to a lot of their battery blowers. For example, it has 440 CFMs and about 135 MPH, which is almost exactly like their middle-of-the-line battery blower that’s super popular. 

A really sleek looking blower.

With 440 CFMs and 135 MPH, you’ll get less power than the blower above but still a pretty acceptable range of both elements of power. Most of these handheld corded electric blowers are super simple and don’t have a ton of bells and whistles. This one is no exception, but does have a two-speed switch and a nice soft-grip handle. It still has the ability to keep the cord plugged in and wrapped around to prevent it from pulling out whenever you want to take the extension cord to the max.

This one is an even lower price than the one above and is available at Home Depot.

Toro PowerSweep 7A Handheld Electric Blower

The Toro PowerSweep was my first handheld electric blower, so I have some serious nostalgia talking about this one. In fact, I still own it and will pull it out in my garage every now and then. You know why? Because when the batteries die on my dang battery-powered blower, then I can still rely on this one to get me through the job.

No bells, no whistles.

Yes, it doesn’t have many bells and whistles or really much power for that matter. But it has been with me for years. YEARS. It weighs in at under 5 lbs and doesn’t have a single bell or whistle on it.

This is a bare bones blower, but it is cheaper than dirt (literally. This blower costs under $60 and has lasted me for the past 7 years. That’s a pretty good investment if you asked me.

This Toro corded blower can also be bought at Home Depot for a great price.

Corded vs Cordless Electric Blowers

Corded and cordless electric blowers are great options. Heck, I own both types. I use my favorite battery blower as my main blower, taking it deep out into the yard. But the batteries eventually die. When I am in my garage or close the house, I’ll sometimes still whip out my corded electric blower for some light work.

They can be used together or alone. As we’ve seen throughout this article, corded blowers can still be way more powerful than a lot of cordless blowers – and are significantly cheaper. When it comes to overall performance, I still prefer cordless blowers due to their convenience and portability, but I do think there is a big space for corded blowers to still be relevant. In fact, I would recommend a corded blower for new homeowners and those that own townhomes.

What to look for in an electric d blower

Corded leaf blowers come in a bunch of shapes and sizes but there are three basic things you need to understand:

CFM 

Cubic feet per minute. This is a measure of air output on the blower. Higher CFM = more power, but not necessarily more miles per hour. High CFM with a wide nozzle = lower MPH. High CFM with a narrow nozzle = high miles per hour. Ideally, you want both a high CFM with a narrow to medium nozzle for most residential jobs.

Usability 

What is the point of having a blower if it is hard to use? Have to get one that is lightweight, easy to start, and has some functions that make your life easier.

Motor type

Brushless motors reign supreme. Cooler running motors with more torque, a longer run-time, and last many more years. Brushless is a no brainer when picking a blower.

These are three things you need to pay attention to when looking through the specifications. 

Why I review electric lawn tools

The reason we started this website in the first place was because we had so much trouble trying to find reasonable, understandable, honest reviews for lawn equipment. And it’s not cheap! After hours and hours of research, trying products and returning them, and messing up our yards – we started this site. 

As people who had to learn the hard way, we want you to know exactly what you are signing up for before you purchase a piece of equipment. That’s why we are committed to providing honest, easy-to-understand reviews that mean something.

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