150 MPH 460 CFM 25.4cc 2-Cycle Handheld Gas Leaf Blower Vacuum

Needs to warm up fully before runs but does alright. Once you find the sweet spot on the choke it starts right up.

I have about 7 cubic yards of size #1 river rocks for my landscap with Magnolia, River Birch, and couple others. This Toro exceeds met my expectations in vacuuming the leafs. What I learned is to vacuum them earlier when river birches shed leaves early only during the longer dry hot days of summer.

I had the previous model, the T25 or 51987, and wow, what a difference. This machine is badly design and the extended warranty is a joke. For me who uses more the vacuum feature is horrible. 1) Toro changed the bag/tube securement feature. With the previous model it took a simple 1/4 turn to remove the tube/bag. Now you need a screwdriver, press on a lever but not to hard cause you could brake it (plastic). For me is a big hassle since I fill many bags. It is very inconvenience. 2) The bag/tube were designed to hinder your view. Yes, the curvy-tube attachment obstructs the view. The tube instead of going underneath the blower it is design atop of the blower. Can't vacuum what I can't see. Very much inconvenient. 3) If you buy the Extended Warranty be careful. Supposedly the Toro blower/vacuum is covered by the manufacturer for 4 years and the HD extended warranty takes it to 6 years, right? 4 + 2 = 6 years. Well not to Asurion, the company managing HD protection plans. To them 4 + 2 = 5 years!!! Ever since I registered my machine I've not been able to get the 6 years. I paid for 2 extra years of protection, not 1 one.

I had the previous Toro T25 which was the similar top of the line Toro leaf blower vacuum this new one replaces. The new one is just known as the Toro 150 MPH 460 CFM 25.4cc 2-Cycle Handheld Gas Leaf Blower Vacuum, model 51988. I sold my old Toro T25 unit thinking this new one would be better especially since the specs were even higher than the T25 and still the best of all handheld units, but now regret it. It looks rough after 18 months of ownership and not taking care of it's looks because I dislike it so much. I often sits and tumbles around in the back of my truck with little use and gets scratched up by tools and I recently had it on an asphalt roof. The bag was in my truck when it rained and turned dark brown from the accumulated dust inside it and just needs to be washed but might fall apart. PROS: Vacuums and blows. Cotton bag does not melt from exhaust. Large vacuum tube is easily removable. 4 year warranty. CONS: Low power. Poor ergonomics with bag and curved tube which is in the way during use. Bag tube locking mechanism is very difficult to use. Bag shoulder strap tore off with little use. Bag thin and wearing through with little use. Bag zipper pull broke with little use. Cheaper and weaker parts throughout. Fan/Mulching impeller has much smaller and thinner blades than the old T25. The clearances for the fan/mulching impeller are much wider probably for less jamming but, I think it must cause it to flow less, how could it not? Plastic fan/mulching impeller was worn and a blade was broken after little use. (T25 never broke and I sucked up pine cones and rocks and sticks all the time with regular jamming) Difficult starting process. Stalls and will not start and run often. Warranty service is hard to find and Toro phone service reps are not really helpful or nice. Shut off switch is very hard to operate. I'm sure I'm forgetting things. I used this new Toro model 51988 for 5 months of light use (especially compared to my T25) and then left it in the garage unused for 8 months. When I tried to use after 13 months ownership with little use, I could not get it to start and I have never ever had any issue like that with any other tool. I fought for a week trying everything I could think of to start it and I am very good with small engines and even automobiles. It had a faint spark which now I know is normal because I replaced the plug and it was getting fuel and I even tried starting fluid and finally a power drill on the impeller nut to no avail. I thought it must be an ignition issue which should be warrantied so, I finally took it to my favorite service center (Toro sales and service center) I take all my stuff to because I have enough other things to do to make more money than they charge but, they refused to work on them or look at it. I tried another Toro service center which refused also. Since 2 out of 3 Toro service centers refused to work on it I called Toro (I think it was hard to find a number) and the woman was not very polite and told me there is nothing Toro can do and they only work with Toro service centers anyway. She told me to try the 3rd service center but I told her I was unhappy with their service but she insisted I use them. They had it for 2 months and told me they could not figure it out until for some reason they removed the muffler and tried to start it and it fired right up so they replaced the muffler under warranty and it ran like normal. I cut off the vacuum bag tube lock out of frustration with it's difficulty and have been very happy with that decision. I rarely use the vacuum anymore and wish I kept the T25 and never bought the new one. I was using the new one November 12th 2017, for hopefully the final leaf clean up, and was so frustrated with it that I am writing this review. "Damp" leafs and plants kept getting stuck on a corner in the housing and in the curved tube. The bag's shoulder strap had torn off months ago and the bag was wearing thin around the tube and I haven hardly used it. Again I was frustrated with the ergonomic of the curved tube and having to hold my arms high to use it because the tube is too long and the ergonomics of the bag to the power head and vacuum tube. After it stopped vacuuming I tried to find the issue which was a clogged curved bag tube and debris stuck in the housing. The plastic fan/impeller was missing a blade and very worn down already after little use and then it died for no apparent reason and would not start again. I left it in the yard for 30 minutes and it started right up (with it's difficult starting procedure). The old T25 worked pretty well for me for 5 years of heavy use. I stopped using it after I got a backpack blower except for using the handheld unit in tight spots and light debris in street gutters. It gave me lots of satisfactory use. I mostly had bag issues with the zippers jamming, tearing out and pull tabs breaking and shoulder strap coming off. After going through and fighting with 2 Toro bags I purchased another brand of bag and made it work. A stick had gone through the housing and debris would come through it on occasion and hit me so, after I wore out the plastic fan/mulching impeller and the metal mulching blade I overhauled the entire unit and really couldn't tell much difference from before.

Opted to get a gas blower and glad I did. Very powerful compared to electric ones that I've used in the past. Can't wait to try out the vacuum option in the fall.

I've used a 110 VAC Toro for years to clean my gutters, driveway, and sidewalks. Great $50 investment. Last time walking on the roof to clean gutters, I got tangled up in the extension cord and almost fell. Time for a cordless. I looked at all the Li-on battery powered units. With only 30-45 minutes of use per charge I said. "NOT". For $150 I bought this Toro 2-cycle blower at The Home Depot. I fueled it and it would not start. Darn it! It had no spark to the spark plug. Hence, I dinged Toro on quality. I exchanged it at The Home Depot is less than 5 minutes, no questions asked. Fueled up the new one. It started within 3 pulls. As a blower (which is all I'll use it for) it worked fantastic. Hence, my overall rating. It's just as powerful as my Toro 110 VAC, but sooo much easier to use (no cords). Vibration was less than what I expected and totally tolerable. It's noisy, but then again, it's an internal combustion engine. The suction inlet is on the right hand side, which is great for right handed blowing the gutters out. Some of the blowers out there have the inlet on the left. Watch out for your pant leg. It will surely get sucked up against the grille. To help loosen debris in the gutters, I did the same thing to this blower that I did to my 110VAC Toro. I attached a 2" wide x 1/8" thick piece of polycarbonate (Lexan, not Plexiglass) to the exit tube with Gorilla Tape. See the attached pictures. The only unknown is if this blower will last 5 years. We shall see.

It’s too heavy and complicated to convert to vacuum.

I got it I put it together I find it up , I haven't used it yet but I like it I love Toro.

Good and nice product

Wish it was a little stronger blower. Glad I didn’t get a weaker one.