In the autumn months, leaves start to turn from a luscious green to a golden brown to signal the end of summer and the start of winter. Once these brown leaves start to fall and cover our garden they can look unpleasant and littered.
Fallen leaves are a hotbed of diseases and can become an incredibly dangerous and slippery surface when wet. Depending on the size of your garden and the task at hand, a broom and rake could be the best way to remove unwanted leaves and debris from your garden. The best garden vacuums are incredibly effective at clearing leaves and debris, making them a valuable addition to your gardening toolkit.
However, for large gardens and outdoor spaces, a broom and rake just won’t cut it. Garden vacuums can be the best way to remove leaves quickly and effectively, make light work of collecting leaves and say goodbye to tedious garden maintenance tasks once and for all.
Garden vacuums are essential gardening equipment that can save you time raking and collecting dry leaves. From garden vacuums that can easily clear leaves and dirt from driveways and patios to leaf vacuums that are designed for demanding and challenging garden tasks, there’s a large selection of budget-friendly and versatile garden vacuums to choose from.
Brands such as Cobra, Ego and Karcher have a variety of high-quality and innovative products that can tackle any gardening task, choose from all-in-one garden vacuums that can help you combat stubborn garden debris from converting between, leaf blowing, vacuuming, and mulching. Below, we've compiled a product guide to help you navigate the buying process.
Why Buy a Garden Vacuum From Trafalgar?
Garden vacuums help you to easily clear large piles of leaves by mulching and compressing them so they can be turned into compost or removed from your garden. Most garden vacuums also have the same functionality as leaf blowers, meaning that you can complete multiple gardening tasks with one machine.
Best Garden Vacuum Features: what to look out for
The main feature to look out for when buying a garden vacuum is checking how they’re powered. With the option of cordless, petrol, and electric vacuums, there’s a model suitable for a range of gardening tasks. Each garden vacuum model has its pros and cons which have been listed below:
Electric Corded Garden Vacuums
Electric corded garden vacuums are reliable, robust, and affordable but come with the disadvantage of being bound to a wall socket. This means you are limited to large outdoor areas and demanding gardening tasks. It’s best to opt for an electric garden vacuum if you are undertaking small jobs such as clearing small driveways and patios.
Cordless Leaf Vacuums
Cordless garden vacuums cater for those who want more freedom and flexibility when conducting garden maintenance. Without the inconvenience of a trailing cable, cordless garden vacuums are undemanding and straightforward to use. In addition to this, these types of models are lightweight, quiet and environmentally friendly. Although there are some limitations with cordless leaf vacuums such as small battery life and affordability, these vacuums can still make challenging gardening jobs easy and manageable.
Petrol Leaf Vacuums
Petrol garden vacuums have the advantage when it comes to both flexibility and power. With the choice of models with a two-stroke engine, you’re sure to have the capacity to tackle any gardening task with ease. On the other hand, these models have a negative environmental impact and they're often heavy as well as noisy.
Other Garden Vacuum Features To Look For
After deciding on the model of your garden vacuum, there is also a selection of other features to consider before making a final decision.
COLLECTION BAG
A large collection bag, usually 45 litres, will make tackling demanding gardening a breeze. Without the need of emptying the bag frequently, a large collection bag can save you both time and effort. It’s also good to look out for a waterproof collection bag to stop damp leaves from getting your legs wet.
SOFT GRIP HANDLES
Soft grip handles will make long and exhausting gardening tasks easier and much more comfortable.
PADDED SHOULDER STRAP
Similar to soft-grip handles, a padded shoulder strap will take the weight of the collection bag and make it easier and stress-free to complete long and demanding garden maintenance.
METAL MULCHING BLADES
Metal blades are more robust and tougher than plastic blades, which makes them the ideal choice for garden vacuums.
VARIABLE SPEED CONTROLS
Variable speed controls provide you with the option to change the speed and power of your garden vacuum depending on the size of the garden you’re working on. These controls are extremely useful when working near flower beds and patios.
How To Use a Garden Vacuum
Using a garden vacuum is much like using a standard domestic household vacuum. Basically, all you need to do is slowly push the machine around your garden, and the suction will take care of the rest.
Similar to a standard vacuum, It’s best to avoid big items, such as rocks, sticks, and branches as they can damage and break the machine.
Adjusting the snout of the vacuum is always recommended when moving over long grass or rough terrain to avoid bumping it against the ground. Bear in mind that the closer the vacuum is to the ground, the better the suction will be.
What Else To Consider when Buying a Garden Vacuum
We recommend wearing high-quality ear and eye protection for robust and powerful petrol garden vacuums as they are extremely loud and produce a lot of unwanted debris. It’s also beneficial to wear good quality gardening gloves and sturdy shoes. An extension reel is also a requirement if you opt for an electric corded leaf vacuum.
If you choose to go for a petrol leaf vacuum then you’ll need to ensure you’ve got an approved container to collect fuel from a petrol station.
We’ve researched the best garden vacuums on the market, depending on your individual needs. Each model has a detailed list of specifications so you can make the right decision when purchasing your garden vacuum.
Best Garden Vacuum: Value For Money
COBRA BV2600 Electric powered leaf vacuum
The Cobra BV2600 Blower Vac with 10:1 mulching is not only lightweight, but the machine's ergonomically placed controls have increased durability and stability, as well as providing operator assistance for challenging gardening tasks. This versatile tool has increased user control due to its variable speed selection.
The included strap makes clearing your garden easy and stress-free. The Cobra BV2600 is designed for easy cleanup. The lever for quick exchange between blowing and collecting makes it even easier to clear debris. This garden vacuum is packed with innovative features and is considered as one of the best garden vacuums on the market
Specifications
- Price: 49.99
- Rated Power: 2600W
- Rated Voltage: 230V-50Hz
- Wind Speed: 270km/h
- Mulching Ratio: 10:1
- Dust Bag Capacity: 45ltr
- Quick Change Blow to Vac
- Cable Length: 10m / Weight: 4kg
- span>Domestic Warranty: 2 Years
Most Powerful Garden Vacuum
COBRA BV26CC Petrol Powered Leaf Vacuum
The Cobra BV26C 26cc has high-performance mulching capabilities and is ideal for medium to large outdoor areas. The Cobra BV26C provides you with the option to convert from collection to blow in an instant, making clearing garden debris simple and easy. with Innovative features and a 2-Stroke 26cc Cobra engine, this garden vacuum is unrivalled when it comes to performance.
Specifications:
- Price: £146.99
- Engine: 26cc Cobra
- Engine Type: 2-Stroke
- Starter: Recoil
- Mulching Ratio: 10:1>
- Quick Change Blow to Vac
- Weight: 5kg
- Domestic Warranty: 2 years
Best Domestic Garden Vacuum
Karcher Blower Vac BLV 18-200
The Karcher Blower Vac BLV 18-200 is cordless, so you can move around freely without worrying about a trailing cable. The basic 2.5Ah battery will give you about 15 minutes of vacuuming or blowing. This vacuum is easy to use and carry, weighing only 3.5 kilograms, It also has wheels to support the long tube while you work.
The versatile and affordable Karcher Blower Vac BLV 18-200 is ideal for removing leaves and dirt from patios and driveways effortlessly. With a comfortable soft-grip handle and 45l collection bag, this garden vacuum from Karcher is perfect for clearing both wet and dry debris.
Specifications
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Price: £164.99
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Engine: Brushless motor
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Battery Platform: 18v
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Runtime per battery charging (min.): max. 15 (2.5 Ah) / max. 30 (5.0 Ah)
A Round up of the Best Garden Vacuums from Trafalgar Ground Care
With affordability in mind, electric garden vacuums will provide you with all the power you need to tackle small domestic gardening jobs. If you’re in need of more power, then petrol garden vacuums will be much more convenient. On the other hand, both models come with a selection of drawbacks, from a cable holding you back to a noisy and heavy machine that can have multiple restrictions.
Cordless garden vacuums provide the best solution when it comes to an everyday vacuum, whilst being powerful, and affordable, these models dominate the market with modern technology and ease of use.
For a large selection of high-quality ground care products, explore our main collection and discover a large variety of garden vacuums from brands such as EGO, Karcher, and Cobra. With so much to choose from, you’re sure to find something to suit your gardening needs.
Trafalgar Ground care stocks a large array of garden maintenance products from lawn mowers and chainsaws, to hedge trimmers and grass strimmers. Whatever the task, we’re sure to have the solution. If you need further help with buying a garden vacuum, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our customer support team who will be more than happy to provide you with expert advice. To get in touch, call us on 01403 273 444 or email us at customerservice@tce.org.uk
