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77 of 79 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worth every penny!, January 11, 2007
I have MANY leaves to remove from my yard each fall, and I am always looking for ways to simplify and speed up the process (short of hiring someone else to do it!). As an extremely satisfied owner of the Toro blower-vac, I did not hesitate to purchase the accessory Universal Leaf Collector. I ordered it from Amazon after finding that its popularity caused it to be sold out at all of my local vendors -- I live in New England.
This product lived up to my EVERY expectation. The part of the entire leaf removal process that I hate the most is the actual disposal of the leaves. My system is as follows: blow the leaves into a manageable pile; convert the blower into the vacuum/mulcher mode; suck the leaves into the fairly small "catch bag" attached to the vacuum; empty the catch bag into those large, brown paper leaf bags. The bags would then be collected by my town on "Leaf Days." The Toro vac/mulcher works great, but the brown bags would fill up very quickly: approximately three catch "bags-worth" per brown bag. It was also very awkward and difficult to empty the catch bag into the paper bags. I have a metal stand to hold the paper bags upright and open, but it was still a very time-comsuming task that often resulted in some spilled leaf detritus as well as a nose full of dust.
The Toro Universal Leaf Collector attaches to the vac the same way that the catch bag does. The hose coupling snapped on easily (although it was sometimes a little "sticky" to remove it), and at the other end of the hose there is a heavy-duty fabric "can cover" (for lack of a better term) with a drawstring hem. This cover can be placed over the top of a trash can or one of those collapsible barrels that are popular garden accessories these days. (It is important to make sure that the drawstring is pulled tight and securely around whatever collection conainer you are using, but that is not a problem.) Once you are set up in this fashion, just turn on the vac and away you go!
Depending on the size of the container you are using, you can quickly and easily remove MANY leaves from your lawn, eliminating the whole bagging step. I was concerned that the hose might clog during the vacuuming process, but it NEVER did during my many hours of use. As my available trash cans filled quickly, I was able to figure out a way to attach the "can cover" to the top of the frame holding my paper leaf bags. This worked very well, too. There was, however, a little spillage, as the shape of the can cover does not evenly conform to the top of the leaf bags, no matter how tight I pulled the drawstring. This minor inconvenience was FAR outweighed by the time I saved by being able to vacuum the leaves directly into the bags.
One minor complaint or bit of advice: Wear a dust mask, as dust is generated into the air when using this attachment.
In summary: I would not hesitate to HIGHLY recommend this product. It is a GREAT time- and labor-saver for what can be an arduous job. I am once again pleased with the high quality and durability of Toro products.
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31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
FAIL., November 23, 2008
There are three primary points of failure, and if you are not suspecting, you will quickly find them all.
The hose fits into a canvas sheet that will, in turn, fit over the Toro collapsing bin. The fit is achieved by pulling a drawstring and closing the bin. While in vacuum mode, there is considerable air pressure from the vac into the bag.
The first failure is that the draw is simply not enough to hold the canvas to the bin while the vac is operating. After having it pop off a dozen or so times, I came up with the idea of *clamping* the bag to the bin, using, of all things, automobile jumper cables. This worked, but the loose fit still allowed bits of leaves to be ejected around the lid.
The second point of failure is the hose - it is simply inserted into the canvas, and is held in place only by an elastic band inside the canvas sheet. Anyone who has ever messed with venting a dryer knows this simply will not work - and the air pressure here is much higher (not to mention the additional effect of the flying debris). With the lid finally secured by clamps, the hose kept popping out of place, further spewing leaf debris everywhere. The fix for this is some kind of cable tie, like what you would find on a dryer vent. Having none at hand, I simply used about a half roll of duct tape and put an end to that issue.
The third point of failure is that the hose has a small diameter and can get clogged up fast. During operation, you must make sure the hose is as straight as possible, as any kinks will cause debris to collect inside the hose.
These problems made a very difficult afternoon of it, having to stop and spend an hour or so re-engineering the equipment. I would not recommend it for that reason. Honestly, do people ever test these things before they start selling them?
GRADE: F.
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31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good Design, January 13, 2007
Overall the design of this leaf collector is great. The problem lies in the minor parts such as the straps securing it to the leaf blower, cheap, weak. You're lucky if they last through the first use. Also the clip that is supposed to keep the cord tight securing the collector to your collection container, Toro makes a nice collection container, is also cheap causing the device to loosen and blow off. Even with the weak links the overall product works, it would just work better if Toro would address the obvious flaws.
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