To paraphrase an old saying, a Jack of all trades is usually a master of none. We wanted to see if that was the case with the Worx Leaf Vacuum, a versatile yard cleaning tool that acts as a leaf blower, vacuum and mulcher, so we had two longtime gardeners and lawn care experts test it in their yard.
There are other three-in-one leaf vacuums, but Worx is one of the most talked about options among lawn enthusiasts due to its efficiency and various attachments, including one that places mulched leaves directly in your garbage can.
Read on to see what our testers had to say about the Worx Leaf Vacuum, whether it’s worth the price and how it stacks up to the competition.
What is the Worx Leaf Vacuum?
The Worx Leaf Vacuum is an electric three-in-one leaf blower, vacuum and mulcher that switches modes with the turn of a knob. On the blower setting, you get a two-speed operation with a wide-mouth tube. It has a maximum air capacity of 620 cubic feet per minute (CFM).
For those who don’t know, CFM measures the amount of air pushed out by a blower. First-time leaf blower or vacuum buyers may instinctively look for how fast a machine can blow (the Worx Leaf Vacuum reaches 70 miles per hour), but you also want to look for a high CFM if you have a larger yard.
The vacuum setting sucks up the leaves that are then mulched by a metal impeller at an 18:1 ratio (18 bags of leaves can fit into one). The leaves can be vacuumed into a bag worn over your shoulder or directly into a garbage can using the LeafPro collection system.
“As a gardener who likes to compost, the option to collect leaves directly into a garbage can is a nice feature,” says product tester Sheri Kaz, who’s been gardening since she was a child.
This is a corded model, so it might not be the best fit for people with larger yards. Our testers say the cord length was only 7 inches, and the vacuum has a tube length of 19.5 inches, so you’ll need an extension cord to reach every corner of your yard.
Looking to pull the plug on your gardening tools? We tested and reviewed the best cordless leaf blowers.
EMIKO FRANZEN FOR FAMILY HANDYMANWorx 3-in-1 Electric Leaf Blower/Mulcher/Yard Vacuum
Worx Leaf Vacuum Features
Three-in-One Functionality
Three-in-one leaf cleaning tools are becoming more popular, and it’s easy to see why. Nobody wants to drop money on several products, and it’s annoying to have to go in and out of the garage every 10 minutes to get a new machine. The Worx Leaf Vacuum has a knob that switches it from a leaf blower to a vacuum with mulching capabilities.
Kaz says the push-and-turn knob is easy, so we rated it a 5 out of 5 when it came to the ease of alternating between functions.
Leaf Blower
Let’s examine the Worx Leaf Vacuum as a blower. It has a maximum CFM of 620 and a 70-mile-per-hour air speed with a wide-mouth tube. This combination makes it great for people who have a large amount of leaves and aren’t in a rush. The lower speed, however, means it might not pick up wet leaves or heavy debris as well as more powerful blowers.
Kaz says the 9-pound machine feels lightweight in her hand, though she notes that it only has one handle, so it’s harder to distribute the weight evenly. This causes the user to tire quicker than with blowers that have a second grip.
Our testers also noted the cord was cumbersome, though the obvious benefit is you don’t have to wait for it to charge like other electric options. “The cord unplugged easily, so the machine kept getting disconnected from the extension cord and powering down,” Kaz adds.
There are two speeds to pick from, depending on where you are in your cleanup. The first setting is for more precise blowing, whereas the second speed is for blowing leaves “everywhere,” Kaz says. She says it’s easy to switch speeds while continuing to blow.
For those looking for a dedicated leaf blower, check out our Ego Leaf Blower review.
Leaf Vacuum With Mulching Capabilities
Our testers noted the Worx Leaf Vacuum had no trouble sucking up the leaves or mulching them. “It mulches leaves very finely,” Kaz says. She notes there were several times you could see dust or dirt coming out of the bag, though this happened with every electric leaf vacuum we tested.
Worx claims their leaf vacuum has an 18:1 mulch ratio, which means it turns 18 bags of leaves into one.
There were some difficulties with getting the mulched leaves into either disposal system.
“Many of the small pieces collect on and get stuck in the wrinkles of the LeafPro bag versus making it to the trash bin,” Kaz says. When using the shoulder strap bag, she says there were times she had to hand-feed clumps into the tube because they were getting stuck.
Our testers spent about five minutes and 50 seconds vacuuming and mulching dry leaves. Vacuuming and mulching a similar amount of wet leaves took just one minute and five seconds, and a lot less dust was created.
Bag/Trash Can Disposal
The Worx Leaf Vacuum comes with ashoulder-strap bag similar to theHusqvarna Backpack Blower. You can alsoadd the LeafPro attachment to your order so the mulch goes straight into a garbage can. The best part of the latter is that it’s a universal attachment, so it should work with other companies’ vacuums.
Kaz says the shoulder strap bag offers a bit more maneuverability and helps with stability.
Check out our picks for the best backpack leaf blowers.
The LeafPro attachment is a great feature, though it requires you to drag your garbage can around the yard or get all the leaves to one central location.
Quiet
The Worx Leaf Vacuum is much quieter than gas models and is quieter than other electric models. Our testers measured the decibel rating, the unit of measurement used for sound, at 96.8 for the blower and 90.5 for the vacuum (both on their highest setting).
Noise levels of around 100 decibels are considered dangerous and prolonged exposure to those noises could result in hearing loss, so we recommend wearing ear plugs or other hearing protection if you plan on using it for long.
How We Tested It
Our expert product testers analyzed the Worx alongside some of the best-selling leaf vacuums. Before we tried them, we researched standalone vacuums and three-in-one options based on industry rankings, customer reviews, brand reputation and price.
We then used the Worx Leaf Vacuum and the other models to clean up more than 500 gallons of leaves, dry and wet, for 45 hours to collect hundreds of data points on their performance.
Pros
- Unlimited runtime
- 18:1 mulch ratio
- Easy to switch between blower and vacuum
- LeafPro attachment for direct deposit into a trash bin
- Lightweight
- Versatile
Cons
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Only one handle
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Cord can be annoying to deal with
Why You Should Trust Us
Family Handyman has been researching and testing gardening and lawn care equipment for years, and our expert product testers have used models from all the big and small brands. Many of us are homeowners with large yards that we care for year-round, including when it comes time for leaf cleanup in the fall.
Sheri Kaz and Dylan Fischer have tested multiple leaf vacuums and three-in-one combination blowers/vacuums/mulchers, including the Worx Leaf Vacuum. They researched all specs and features and tested the leaf vacuum in real-life situations to compare its performance to the manufacturer’s promises and the competition.
Kaz has been gardening for more than 30 years. She started on her family’s Midwest farm, where she planted her first garden as a child, and now helps clients with exterior design, including gardens and hardscapes.
Fischer has tested hundreds of products for Family Handyman, Taste of Home and Reader’s Digest.
FAQ
Which Worx leaf vacuum is best?
In our opinion, the Worx Trivac Three-in-One Electric Leaf Blower/Vacuum/Mulcher is the best Worx leaf vacuum because it combines three machines into one. Our expert product testers said it performed well when sucking and mulching leaves, though it only has one handle, so it’s not the most stable when being used as a blower.
What is the difference between Worx 512 and 509?
The Worx 512 has a maximum cubic feet per minute (CFM) output of 620, compared to the Worx 509’s 350 CFM. This means the 512 can move more leaves per minute, though the 509 has a higher air speed at 210 MPH compared to the 509’s 75 MPH, so it’s better for heavier debris or wet leaves.
Finally, the 509 has an 18:1 mulching ratio, and the 512 has a 16:1.
What Other Reviewers/Experts Had to Say
As of this writing, the Worx Trivac Three-in-One Electric Leaf Blower/Vacuum/Mulcher has an average rating of 4.2 on Amazon, with nearly 4,700 of the 7,500 ratings being five stars.
“Now, I gotta tell ya, this Worx leaf blower is a Southern yard’s best friend,” writes five-star Amazon reviewer Cory. “It’s powerful like a thunderstorm, but easy to handle like a gentle breeze. It ain’t too heavy either, so you won’t be strainin’ yourself tryin’ to tame them leaves.”
Although there aren’t many negative reviews, some customers claim it has a short lifespan or fails to deliver on its promises. “It lacks sufficient power as a leaf blower and struggles to mulch effectively,” writes one-star Amazon reviewer Suzanne B. “The vacuum function is weak and often clogs. The build feels cheap, and it’s not as versatile or efficient as advertised.”
Worx Leaf Vacuum vs DR Leaf Vacuum
The DR Leaf Vacuum has leaf vacuuming and mulching capabilities like the Worx Leaf Vacuum, but instead of also having a blower, it serves as a wood chipper that can break down branches up to 1.5 inches in diameter.
“Anyone who has to spend a lot of time raking up branches on their lawn will undoubtedly find themselves using this feature a lot,” Fischer says of the chipping capabilities of the DR Leaf Vacuum.
So obviously, the DR is a better choice for those who have more branches in their yard than the average person. Let’s compare the two just as vacuums/mulchers. The DR is the easy choice for people with larger yards, as you can fit up to 50 pounds of leaves in one bag. The Worx fits up to eight gallons of mulched leaves when using the bag, and the LeafPro attachment is only limited by the size of your garbage can, though the cord limits how far you can go unless you have a long extension cord.
The DR is also much quicker. Our testers cleared wet and dry leaves in about a minute. The Worx took more than five minutes with dry leaves and just over a minute with wet leaves.
The Worx wins on price, at under $200. The DR Leaf Vacuum costs around $2,500. Our testers also noted the DR vacuum created a lot more dust and recommended wearing eye protection when using it. The Worx vacuum created some dust, but not enough to be a nuisance.
Final Verdict
The Worx Leaf Vacuum is a cost-friendly and versatile tool that can help speed up your leaf-cleaning duties. While it’s not perfect, especially when it comes to stability, it offers a lot of bang for your buck.
We recommend it for people with small or mid-sized yards who want to use one machine for leaf cleaning. Be aware that it only has one handle, so you’ll need a strong grip to distribute the weight evenly. Also, our testers said it’s not uncommon for leaves to get clogged in the tube.
The cord provides an unlimited runtime, though you’ll need an extension cord if you want to walk around with it.
Where to Buy the Worx Leaf Vacuum
EMIKO FRANZEN FOR FAMILY HANDYMANWorx 3-in-1 Electric Leaf Blower/Mulcher/Yard Vacuum
The Worx Leaf Vacuum is available on Amazon for under $125 with free delivery. It is also available at The Home Depot, Lowe’s and the Worx website.
The post Worx Leaf Vaccum Review: Does This Three-in-One Blower/Vacuum/Mulcher Beat the Competition? appeared first on Family Handyman.
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