Toro Leaf Blower...

[generator12]

I have a Toro leaf blower that doubles as a leaf vacuum - a fairly common type of item.

Problem is that when vacuuming leaves from my flower berms, I often draw up a piece of wood mulch or other debris and occasionally it's big and hard enough to break a vane off the plastic/composite impeller. (Try to be careful, but....)

When that happens, the impeller becomes so out of balance that it seems foolhardy to keep it operating. I don't think the forward motor bearing would last long. The replacement is a fifteen dollar fix, and this occurs just often enough to have me wondering if someone offers a replacement made of hard rubber, or any other material that's more durable.

Anybody have an idea?

Thanks guys.

 

[halfmoa]

Re: Toro Leaf Blower...

I had to give up on vaccuming my landscaping because the neighbor's god aweful American Sweetgum tree's gumballs are worse than sucking up a rock. I wish I had a good answer for you.

I'm sure there's a high dollar option that'll do what we need it to do though.

 

[foodfisher]

Re: Toro Leaf Blower...

Blow onto a better surface before vacuuming?

 

[CharlieB]

Re: Toro Leaf Blower...

I have an old red Sears blower/vac that has a couple of steel blades mounted just inside the plastic fan blades. They swing on pins just like the blades found inside the food disposal in the kitchen sink.

I don't know about larger chunks of material but smaller stuff gets right thru fine without damaging the plastic blades, so far. (Knock on wood)?

I don't vacuum anywhere near the walnut or hickory nuts.

 

[minuteman62-64]

Re: Toro Leaf Blower...

The problem is the design - the fan is ahead of the bag so everything has to go through the fan to get into the bag. If someone were clever (and had nothing better to do) they might be able to design or modify a blower/vac more along the lines of a household vac - where the stuff is collected ahead of the fan and the fan is protected by a filter.

 

[rbh]

Re: Toro Leaf Blower...

Trade on the vacuum/ blower for a rake???

 

[CharlieB]

Re: Toro Leaf Blower...

I'm taking a break from using my blower/vac on the leaves.

I looked up that grinder that's on the fan, check out item #37 Blade

It is held against the fan and just fits the inside of the vac tube, so everything has to get by the swinging knives before it passes thru the plastic fan. I bought this unit used so I have no idea how old is it or how much it has been used, the end of the vac tube is well worn from being drug along the ground. I've used it 3 years so far and I work the but off most all my outdoor stuff, so it really does hold up surprisingly well.

PART NUMBER: 530095461 at Sears parts $7.27

http://www.searspartsdirect.com/par...P0112160/00002?blt=06&prst=0&shdMod=358797341

 

[MrBigStuff]

Re: Toro Leaf Blower...

I started out with one of those type. It broke in its first season. It went in the trash. Then I bought a push lawn vac with shredder blades and a hand-held Poulan blower to blow them out and vac up. The Poulan broke after less than 5 hours of intermittent use! Ignition coil failure. New coil $25 + shipping. It went in the trash.

Despite being the lightest handheld I could find, it was still uncomfortable after a short time. So I bought an Echo backpack blower and never looked back. No more cheap cr@p. Cheap gets expensive in the long run...

 

[eastont]

Re: Toro Leaf Blower...

I have a Toro, but it has steel blades that grind/cut almost anything it can suck up from my lawn including acorns.

I would think if you went to the dealer they could replace your plastic blades with the steel ones.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Toro Leaf Blower...

Use a rake so your neighbors stop plotting your demise?

 

[generator12]

Re: Toro Leaf Blower...

I finally identified a magnesium impeller that appears identical except for the material composition. The center where it mounts on the spindle (motor output shaft) is larger, but there is an insert sold with it that appears to be of proper fit. I'll know in a couple of days, after it arrives.

Also discovered that Toro had a recall on a later model due to debris fracturing the blades and the machine spitting the broken parts out at high speed. Seems there were some injuries. My thought is that the recalled units had the same configuration as mine, but mine is old enough that they probably thought they were no longer in service - thus no recall. The impeller I ordered was specified as a replacement for a plastic one.

We'll see.