Product Description

Blowers clean up leaves quickly and easily, or use them year-round for all-purpose clean up of dust, debris and dirt on deck, etc. The QuickShift enables it to switch from blower to vacuum with a flip of a lever! High performance with commercial-grade engine for extended life. Blower/Vacs have high-impact impellers that automatically mulch debris. 3/4-bushel bag capacity with zipper for easy use. Bag empties without removing it from the unit. Dual handle for left-or-right use. Lightweight, compact design for easy handling. Blower Type: Handheld Blower/Vac, Cylinder Displacement (cc): 31, Air Velocity (MPH): 147, Air Volume (CFM): 424, Tool Weight (lbs.): 19

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4265 in Home Improvement
• Brand: Troy-Bilt
• Model: 41CSGBPG966
• Number of items: 1

Features

• Gas-powered leaf blower/vacuum with 31-cubic centimeter engine
• Blows up to 165-miles-per-hour
• Easily switches from blower to vacuum; mulches leaves at a 10- to 1-reduction ratio
• Easy-start engine has spring-assist system
• Compact, comfortable design can be held in right or left hand

Amazon.com Product Review
Each year, more and more homeowners discover what professional landscapers have known for decades: You can save a lot of time --and your aching back--by trading in your rake for a gas-powered leaf blower. If you're ready to make the move, consider the Troy-Bilt TB310QS: a versatile leaf blower that converts to a leaf vacuum at the flip of a lever. This portable unit is specifically designed for clearing leaves from small- to medium-sized yards.

The TB310QS is driven by a 31-cubic-centimeter gas engine that's equipped with an easy-pull spring-assist starting system. The blower creates hurricane-force winds up to 165 miles per hour; that's powerful enough to blast away even damp, matted leaves. Flip the QuickShift lever to switch from blower mode to vacuum.

The 13.5-pound unit features a mulching impeller blade that shreds leaves--reducing them at a 10-to-1 ratio--and shoots them into the convenient collection bag. The zippered cloth bag holds about 3/4 of a bushel, and it can be emptied without removing it from the blower.

Besides clearing leaves from the lawn, the TB310QS can be used to remove debris from decks, patios and sidewalks. The powerful engine on this Troy-Bilt leaf blower/vacuum is rather loud, so it's advisable to wear hearing protection during use.--Joseph Truini

What's in the Box
Gas-powered blower/vacuum, cloth collection bag, vacuum kit, instructional booklet

From the Manufacturer
Mulchinator gas blower with a 31cc engine. Blows up to 165 MPH, includes a spring assist starting system and a bag that holds 3/4 of a bushel. Quick Shift blower/vac feature.

Customer Reviews

Solid Quality ...But A Little Bit Heavy
Most blowers throw in the vacuum option as an afterthought. The TB310Q's first priority is to vacuum and then secondly to act as a blower. Overall, very solid quality and starts extremely easy once you have broken it in. The switch from blower to vac is effortless. I like the fact that you can empty the bag without removing it. My only 'cons' would be that it is heavier/bulkier than most and the engine runs louder than average.

Perfect solution
I had an electric blower/vac (Black and Decker) for years. Worked fine, but it was always a pain to switch it from blowing to vac mode. Yes, the tubes just clicked on, but you had to carry them around to make the switch.

This is a perfect solution to that problem. You can blow the leaves (or whatever) into a pile, then just flip a lever and vac them up. Simple, easy, fast. Perfect for clearing out a patio, garage, driveway, flower beds, or average size lawns.

There are several pluses to this model. First of all, it starts very easily. Be sure to prime it 10 times as instructed, and it will fire up with one or two pulls. Secondly, it is very clog resistant - I've vac'd up wet leaves with no problems. Other pluses are the patio cleaning attachment (wonderful!), good construction and a good manual. While the 10:1 reduction is a bit optimistic, it does reduce the pile by a decent amount.

Some downsides as well, however. It is heavy. It's not unbearable, but you'll notice the weight if you're used to an electric model. It's on the loud side, but not more so than other 2 cycle engines. The bag is on the small side, but to be honest, anything larger would be too bulky when full. While it is very clog resistant, if it does clog you need to take off the tubes (need a torx screwdriver to do so) to unclog it. I'm not sure how well the plastic impeller will hold up - seems good so far, but the plastic impeller on my electric one took a beating. A metal one would have been a nice touch. The power is adequate - it's not the strongest blower out there, but it gets the job done. These issues knock the rating down to 4 stars (probably 4.5 stars would be more accurate, but you can't choose something in between).

But, those problems are quite livable due to the ease of switching from blower to vac, and the ease of starting. Wish I had bought this years ago!

UPDATE: Been using this weekly for the past four months, and still am very pleased. Works like a charm, and starts very easily. Can't understand some of the negative reviews - this has been a joy to use!

Update: August 2009 -- It's been two years, and still works great. The plastic impeller is showing signs of wear since I sometimes vac up a big chunk of bark mulch or a rock, but it still vacs up everything without a problem. Starts quickly, which I credit to using both Stabil and Seafoam in the gas (I know it's overkill to use both of them, but I have been for years and all my 2-cycle engines run great). There are better ones out there from Husky or Stihl, but for the price, this is an excellent performer.

Troy-Bilt TB310QS Gas Blower
I purchased this unit primarily for the vacuum/mulching feature. I have a fair amount of leaves and being able to mulch them reduced their volume by a factor of three (this meant a lot fewer trips to the city compost site).

There was some assembly required (the nozzle needs to be connected to the engine). Some of the plastic holes didn't line up very well, but it was no big deal.

The machine always started easily. It wasn't as loud as I had feared, but I still used ear protection. The vacuum/mulching worked well, but I found it was a lot quicker to first blow the leaves into a pile (or onto a sidewalk) and then vacuum them rather than trying to vacuum them directly off the lawn.

The bag fills up pretty quickly and at first I was wishing for a larger bag, but the machine is on the heavy side and it gets heavier still as the bag fills up. I didn't notice it so much at the time but I did feel it the next day. ;)

Overall I'm happy, as it is a lot less work than raking.