[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I have two of these corded electric blowers, both older models bought several years ago. One, with the lowest number of hours used at home, simply stopped working one day, not turning on with the dial/speed control knob. The other, with substantially more hours, continues to work reliably. With the rise of battery operated equipment, I checked the Toro website today to see if corded electric blowers are still being produced. I’m glad they are, and Toro has made improvements. Great! Using an extension cord doesn’t amount to even the slightest inconvenience. Not having to deal with oil/gas mix or battery chargers is a huge benefit for me. These are powerful blowers. Although I’m disappointed the low hour blower stopped working, between the two blowers I’ve certainly gotten my money’s worth. I will be buying a new model.

I purchased this leaf blower/ vac a month ago and have used it several times. It does an excellent job of blowing the leaves. The only problem I have is it is heavier than I expected. The shredder vac also does a great job.

I just purchased this product yesterday, as my old Toro blower finally crapped while blowing leaves after 20 years of use. After unpacking and assembly, I noticed several new features from the old one. It is heavier, and I'm older, so it is going to be more difficult to lug around my 1/2 acre lawn. The metal impeller is a nice upgrade from the old one. One BIG complaint is the vacuum tube. It is noticeably longer than the old model. I am 5ft 6" tall, and the tube will have to be held out in front of me {instead of downward} for me to use as a vacuum, as I intend to use. I am sure this is going to be a problem for me to use. Am considering returning back to store before using, as it is not a warranty issue. Its a shame, as I got many years of use from my older Toro model. This new one is not made to accommodate use by a shorter person. I'm no dwarf, but that tube is 4.5 inches longer than the old tube. I didn't grow 4.5 inches in the last 20 years, so I don't know if it will be something i can use efficiently. I'm disappointed in that change. Could be why so many users complain about a bag they have to drag in the dirt because of the tube length.

When I read the reviews on this blower some years ago, I saw that the infinite speed switch was subject to failure. Because it was so powerful, though, I decided to buy it anyway, and just plugged and unplugged it instead of using the switch. Over the last few months though, I got lazy and decided I was maybe being overcautious so started using the switch to obtain variable speeds. Sure enough, yesterday I switched the thing off, then back on again only to abrupt, complete silence. No smoke, no clicks, no hums, no sparks, just silence, dead as a rock. So this AM I went into it and bypassed the switch. Now it works, only it just has full power with no speed adjustment, and the plug is my only on/off mechanism. I wonder if Toro has ever fixed their switch problem.