It's a bit of a mystery to me why I could find hardly any reviews of this product online when I was researching lawn vacuums to make the Fall leaf cleanup season easier. A fair number of reviews of the comparable Billy Goat products, or even the lighter-duty Troy-Bilt chipper/shredder vacs (which may have been discontinued), but not much on this model. I took a chance and ordered it, given the reputation of the Echo name and first-hand experience with their leaf blowers and chain saws. They just perform year after year and don't quit. I'm pleased and impressed with this vacuum!
I have a lot of large, old growth trees all over my property (about a half acre) and was dreading the start of leaf season, which in its peak, results in piles of leaves several feet thick in spots. I've used the wheeled vacuum several times since I ordered it and while the leaves are falling only lightly so far, this machine has already saved me time and hassle. It's very powerful, with 2,300 cubic feet per minute of suction force through the nozzle, and easily picks up leaves, pine straw, and even small twigs and sticks (although it isn't recommended to pick up anything really large). It leaves behind it a completely clean path on grass, pathways, driveways, etc. The height of the nozzle is very easy to adjust on the fly with a simple lever, and the three-speed transmission means it pulls itself up hills and level surfaces without the operator enduring much fatigue at all. I would highly recommend getting one of the self-propelled models, as it weighs 126 pounds by itself empty. Emptying the bag is easy, with a huge opening and heavy-duty zipper, and while it can get heavy when full, this beats raking and bagging leaves manually by a mile. You'll save a ton of time versus the old method. Another benefit ... the manufacturer states on their website that not much reduction of the debris is to be expected, but I've actually found in my experience that it compacts and reduces the material quite well, giving it more capacity between emptying the bag. The engine itself is pretty quiet for something so powerful, but combined with the spinning of the large fan blades, it's recommended that you use ear plugs while operating. As with other Echo products I've owned, it's not inexpensive, but seems very well-made, durable, and like it will last a long time with minimal upkeep. I consider it to be a good value. The only other comparable products, the Billy Goat machines, seem to be several hundred dollars more when you compare feature-for-feature. If you have a relatively large yard, and/or heavy leaf cover, some of the lighter-duty options, or just mulching/bagging leaves with a standard walk-behind lawn mower, aren't going to come close to the performance or convenience of this machine. I look forward to using it for many years to come and reclaiming more of my weekends during the Fall instead of struggling with leaves and other yard debris.
