Black & Decker Leaf Hog 12 Amp Electric Blower/Vacuum/Mulcher #BV4000

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Product Description

Amazon.com Product Review

Leaving nothing behind for the rake to gather, Black & Decker’s LeafHog blower snorts out a whopping 230-mph blow-speed for rooting up wet, matted leaves, heavy piles of debris, and more. That’s right. That stubborn windrow of leaves hunkered down next to the fence line is no match for the LeafHog. Like a handheld hurricane, this baby keeps the leaves blowing fast, even as they pile up high against the friction of the fence line and in those down-sloping corners of the yard. No more scooping debris into awkward garbage bags either, this blower converts to a vacuum with the push of a button. An easy-empty bag design dumps mulched leaves quickly. And, an anti-clog mechanism resists clogging during mulching operations. Knowing that most blowers are so loud they overpower earplugs and cause headaches on extended jobs, Black & Decker hushed down the LeafHog with a low-noise design that operates at a maximum of 66 decibels. Ideal for clearing lawns, driveways, sidewalks, decks, and garages of leaves, grass clippings, and other debris, this blower also features a 10-to-1 mulch ratio that, for example, reduces 10 bags of raked leaves down to 1 bag of mulch for healthier lawns and gardens. Black & Decker covers this blower with a full, 2-year warranty. --Brian D. Olson

What’s in the Box
Blower, blower attachment, vacuum attachment, leaf bag, adjustable shoulder strap.

Amazon.com Product Description

Keep your front yard and driveway free of clutter and debris with this powerful and efficient three-in-one product from Black & Decker. The #BV4000 functions as a blower, vacuum, and mulcher, so you can collect and condense 10 bags of yard waste into just one bag. Performing at a speed of 230 MPH, the blower works quickly and easily to clear pathways and lawns. The high-performance vacuum features a Vortex system that resists clogs and easily pulls in grass clippings, leaves, and pine needles. It's also a snap to transition from the blower to the vacuum, thanks to straightforward push button operation. Additionally, the bag is easy to empty, so you can get back to work in no time. For added convenience, the #BV4000 boasts truly quiet operation (its maximum rate is only 66 decibels), and comes with a 2-year warranty.

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Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 18 x 11.2 x 24.1 inches ; 10 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 16.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B0002Q8TWS
• Item model number: BV4000
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #22,580 in Home Improvement (See Bestsellers in Home Improvement)

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  Home Improvement > Outdoor Power & Lawn Equipment > Outdoor Power Tools > Blowers & Vacuums

• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Save time and money and maybe even have some fun, December 6, 2005

By	skst (Arlington Hts., IL USA) - See all my reviews

My family spent hours (if not days) raking leaves last fall. This fall, I ordered the Leaf Hog, and I'm glad I did. We "raked" (or is it "hogged") three times, as the leaves dropped off the trees, and each time put out two to four yard waste bags. There's no question that the vacuum attachment decreased the volume of the leaves. I'm not sure by how much, but if I had to guess, I'd say 4:1 or better, which saved me money on bags and on the yard waste stickers we have to put on the bags.

The Leaf Hog excels in reducing how long it takes to collect all of the leaves into piles and vacuum them up. I found the low speed was more than adequate to blow around dry leaves. It's also more accurate than the higher speed. What previously took four of us hours can be done in about 30 minutes. If you've got mulched beds, you'll want to use a rake to pull the leaves away from the beds so you don't blow your mulch all over the place.

Of course, both of my children (11 and 8 years old) wanted to try it. On low speed, I wasn't concerned about damage to their hearing, and they could each easily manipulate the blower. They were also able to use the vacuum, but it got too heavy for my 8-year-old when it started filling up.

The vacuum is where the Leaf Hog really earns its money. It quickly and easily sucks up leaves and small sticks. After using it to fill about ten bags of mulched leaves, the impeller seems to have suffered no damage. My 11-year-old discovered a trick to dumping the bag into the yard waste bag: simply insert the Leaf Hog bag's plastic handle into the yard waste bag first (to keep the yard waste bag open) and then tip over the Leaf Hog bag to empty the leaves into the yard waste bag.

I can see, as other reviewers noted, how the plastic clip that holds the bag onto the motor might break. However, if you fully depress the tab before you pull off the bag (and don't just yank it off), there should be no problem.

When using the vacuum, there may be a small amount of dust that comes through, but the bag filters almost all of it. What does come out is caught by the plastic cover on the back of the bag. When I was done, I just wiped off whatever loose dust I could and put the parts away.

The Leaf Hog reduces your workload, saves you money, and might even be fun.

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Too much fun, November 4, 2004

By	MikeL - See all my reviews

The new leaf hog really lived up to my expectations. I gave it a very rough time right out of the box. The blower works very well on high speed, almost too well. After blowing the leaves into a pile I began to vacuum. Converting to vacuum mode is very simple. Remove the blower attachment, attach the vacuum. Simple. I love the way the bag attaches to the vacuum nozzle. Awesome feature. Anyway, the vacuum sucked up leaves, twigs, pine bark mulch, rocks, etc. Outstanding job. The impeller didn't even show a mark. The vacuum is not super powerful but that is a good thing if you want to keep your grass alive. The leaves really should be in a pile before using the vacuum mode, as it saves a lot of time. The impeller shreads the leaves down to tiny pieces. Very impressive. Simply pull the bag out and empty it and slide it back in. The unit never clogged up. It is super quiet, even on high speed. I used the low speed to clear the driveway, deck, and sidewalk. The vacuum even has a low and high speed option. The extension cord lock is excellent. Outstanding product. The unit does get a little cumbersome after vacuuming, but the shoulder strap alleviates the pressure from your arms. In blower mode the unit is light and easy to maneuver. I love it. All my neighbors loved it because it is so quiet, and because I didn't just blow the leaves into the street and into their yards, I vacuumed them when I was done. My decision to purchase this unit over the Toro model came down to the excellent design with the bag. No zipper to get jammed! The bag is much stronger than on other leaf blowers, it wont rip open. It just slides out. And I don't look like an idiot balancing a huge bag on one shoulder and a leaf blower on the other. Excellent design and functionality. I would rather replace a $10 impeller each year than a $30 bag that won't last very long. I can't wait to use it again.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I really wanted to like this, August 18, 2007

By	Brian Holdridge "behold5" (Springfield, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I live in an established neighborhood with large mature trees with an average sized yard. I spend at least one day every weekend from late October through November cleaning up leaves. My first impression as I unpacked it and put it together was that it felt fragile. The on/off switch feels like it could break at any time. Here are my observations.

This product is not as durable as I had hoped. After the end of one fall season, one of the shoulder strap clips broke and the plastic impeller is all gouged up from sucking up twigs and acorns. The mulch ratio varies from 1:1 when the leaves are wet or damp to maybe 5:1 when they are dry.

The bag is easy to empty and easy to attach. The plastic clip that keeps the bag from sliding out requires special care or it will break.

I do not have any issues with the blower function, and if that is all you have to do, then you might not be disappointed. Switching from blower to vac is toolless and is not an issue with me either other than the plastic clips and catches need to be used with care.

I will probably end up buying the Toro model rated best buy by Consumer Reports (metal impeller) before the leaves begin to fall this Fall. I expect the Leaf Hog not to survive its second season. My dad told me that he has found B&D products to be low end and designed to break and the Leaf Hog seems to live down to that.