Customer Reviews

Ryobi 190R Electric Blower/Vacuum/Mulcher

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After comparing several models of electric blowers, I selected the Ryobi 190R....partly because of the features vs. price, and a LOT because I have been so pleased with my Ryobi RT3000 table saw. That proved to be a GOOD MOVE! The 190R has MORE than enough POWER (I wouldn't point it directly at the ground in the high-speed mode when blowing....you might set off several "dust devils" in the neighborhood. Mine was strong enough on the "low" setting to blow away GRAVEL and made me reluctant to try the VACUUM setup, since we have small pets...). As for the FEATURES: The SHOULDER STRAP AND BAG for collecting leaves and mulch is a handy touch; the DUAL-POWER SWITCH is positioned within easy reach; the ONE-OR-TWO-HAND GRIPS help prevent fatigue when doing a big yard; CHANGING from blower-to-vac is a little tougher than going back from vac-to-blower (but neither one is a real big deal); and the DIRECTIONS are CLEAR, but NOT TOO LONG TO READ before you start. All things considered, I think it's a LOT OF VALUE FOR THE BUCKS and would definitely RECOMMEND this product to anyone else considering tossing out THEIR leaf rakes.

I checked this one out in Consumer Reports and it was rated very highly. I am very pleased. It is easy to assemble and has plenty of power. It is also quiet, which I'm sure my neighbors appreciate. I only wish it were easier to switch between the blower and mulcher attachments.

Having never owned or used an blower/vac before, I went on Consumer Reports reccomendation of the 190R. While I'm not dissapointed, I must say it's a little less than I was hoping for. First of my complaints is that the tube that connects the collection bag to the unit doesn't attach tightly, causing it to constantly fall off. A little duct tape corrected this, but it is a design flaw, and a potentially dangerous one at that - nothing like getting hit in the leg by a high velocity accorn.

Second, while the vac is strong enough to pick up pine cones and other assorted large yard debris, the mulching blade is not strong enough to cut them up, resulting in frequent stuck blades, requiring partial disassembly to fix. Not a huge problem, but a bit of a time consuming pain. Because of this, I genrally ruin it on low speed, just so it won't vaccume such items up in the first place. I must say though it works superbly on dry leaves, and mulches them up into a fine powder - excellent mulch, or at least requireing much less space in the yard waste bin.

For the money this blower probably cannot be beat. I had bought a Black & Decker blower/vacumn at Home Depot and returned it. It was so loud it made my ears hurt. No such problem with this blower. While it's not quiet, it was not annoyingly loud like the B&D blower or blowers I've heard my neighbors using.

It does take a few minutes to convert from blower to vacumn but it's not like I'm going to use it every day or even every week. The vacumn/mulcher did a great job with a pile of leaves I had and also was terrific for getting debris out from hard to get to places (small areas adjacent to my house and the steps going down to my basement door). I like the two speeds, as well.

The only potential downside could be that the opening at the end of the blower is a little smaller than others I've seen. This means that it may take longer to get what you set out to do done. If you have a very large yard with many trees, that may be something you want to consider. It should work fine for the size yard and trees I have (and the number of trees adjacent to my property). We'll know for sure come Fall. So far, I'm very glad I bought it.

I agree with all the positive points the other reviewers had touched on. I just want to add that I have fibromyalgia, and have a problem with muscle fatigue and spasms when I do physical activity, especially in my back. This unit is lightweight, and when the bag is slung across your shoulder correctly, it doesn't feel that heavy, even when the bag is full. I had more problems dealing with the slope and tree branches than I did with the unit itself. The only way I would improve it would be with an optional extension for the tube, so taller people could use it without having to bend over to get the intake tube close enough to the leave when vacuuming. (I'm 5'8")

I have only used this 2 times. I only use the vacuum mulcher feature. I had to tape the 2 pipe sections together because they kept falling apart. Using it is about as much fun as vacuuming your house. It does mulch heavy alvacodo tree leaves nicely.

WHY IS IT THAT THIS MACHINE CAN NOT BE PURCHASED IN THE UNITED STATES. GOING ON LINE YOU CAN GET IT IN THE UK BUT THEY WILL NOT DELIVER TO THE UNITED STATES. WHAT IS UP WITH THAT???????????