Do cordless leaf vacuums work?

Biermeier also notes when it comes to thick, wet leaves “a more powerful, corded or gas model might be able to blast them out, but a cordless model only does a fair job of it when the gutter contents are thoroughly dry .”

What can leaf vacuums pick up?

You can use a blower to displace and pile up leaves, cut grass, twigs or sawdust, whereas with a leaf vacuum, you can suck all these materials into a collection bag .

Are leaf vacuums worth the money?

Leaf vacuums can be a useful tool for cleaning up leaves in your yard . To use a leaf vacuum effectively, it's important to consider a few factors: - The type, size and moisture level of the leaves. Leaf vacuums work best on small, dry leaves and may have difficulty with larger, wet leaves.

What is better, a leaf blower or a leaf vacuum?

Leaf blowers are often better used for larger areas and places where you have room to create larger piles of leaves. For these larger jobs, a leaf blower is by far the superior choice. Quick clean-up: While a leaf vacuum is convenient, it requires you to move much slower to pick up all the leaves.

Will a leaf vacuum pick up pine needles?

It won't pick up ALL of everything; not leaves, not acorns, not pine needles, not pinecones . Bits of nature tend to lock themselves into other bits of nature and sometimes it just takes brute force to separate them... more than just blowing or vacuuming.

Will a leaf vacuum pick up acorns?

A lawn or leaf vacuum can either be purchased or rented. While it is typically used to collect leaves, it can also vacuum up your acorns . The unit is powered by a small motor and sucks the debris into the attached bag.

Are cordless vacuum cleaners effective?

Power is limited — First, while the power of cordless vacuum cleaners has improved substantially over the years, unfortunately it's still not a match for corded designs . The pick up on floors is generally more limited, particularly when it comes to difficult debris, such as entangled pet hair in carpet.

What are the disadvantages of a cordless vacuum cleaner?

Cons of Cordless Vacuum Cleaners Cordless vacuum cleaners may also have lower suction power compared to corded vacuum cleaners, making them less effective for deep cleaning carpets or removing heavy dirt and debris.

Are leaf mulchers worth it?

Mulching the leaves on your lawn has many advantages: It reduces noise and greenhouse gases, because it reduces the use of leaf blowers; in an added bonus, it also enhances the health of your yard by creating valuable compost, which enriches the topsoil.

Powerful and flexible: Einhell cordless leaf vacuums put to the test (2024)

By Marina Liefke

Published on 20 Oct 2021 |
11 min reading time

Remove leaves with the powerful cordless leaf vacuums from Einhell

In the most beautiful shades of red and orange, the trees are a beautiful sight in autumn. If only the brightly coloured leaves stayed on the trees! As beautiful as the foliage may be, the autumn leaves are annoying when they fall to the ground. The driveway simply looks unkempt due to dried leaves, the lawn doesn't get enough oxygen due to the layer of leaves, and the paths become a slippery slope due to wet leaves. Instead of battling the leaves with a broom and rake, you can also reach for the convenient solution: the cordless leaf vacuum! Our leaf vacuums have proven what they can do in the Einhell practical test. We explain to you what to look out for when it comes to cordless or electric leaf vacuums!

Cordless leaf vacuums in the test: How it works

A leaf vacuum basically works like a normal vacuum cleaner. The motor creates a vacuum in the device so that air is drawn in through the suction tube. This air simultaneously sucks up leaves, dust and smaller branches into the leaf vacuum and finally into the collection sack.

However, before the leaves reach the collection sack, they are shredded by the integrated shredding function. And incidentally, every leaf vacuum model from Einhell is equipped with this function. The click-in collection sack can then be easily emptied and the shredded leaves disposed of or composted.

Cable-free and freely mobile with the cordless leaf vacuums from Einhell

Our leaf vacuums are available with two different types of drive: Cordless via Power X-Change battery or electric via power cable. The advantages of battery power are clear: Without cables tying you down, you can work in an infinitely large action radius. The battery life differs depending on the battery capacity. If one battery charge is not enough, you can use any other Power X-Change battery and continue working without interruptions due to charging times, as all devices, batteries and chargers in the Power X-Change family can be flexibly combined.

With the electric leaf vacuum you are bound to the range of the cable, but you work independently of battery runtimes. Have a large area that you want to clear of leaves? Then it's worth getting hold of a cordless leaf vacuum, because you'll save yourself the extension cord and won't trip over the tangle of cables. In addition, the Einhell leaf vacuums have a low weight compared to other leaf vacuums. With the help of the carrying strap and the wheels at the end of the suction tube, you can distribute the weight of the device better and work ergonomically and with less fatigue.

With the cordless leaf vacuum you can move around the garden free of annoying cables.

Garden, driveway and patio: Right where you need it

Lawn areas: Your lawn wants to be able to breathe in the autumn. If it doesn't get enough light and oxygen through the leaf layer, the grass turns brown and dries up. With the leaf vacuum you can remove the leaves gently and without having to reach for the rake.
Patio and driveway: A patio piled high with dried leaves looks untidy. The driveway or yard in front of the house should also be swept regularly. You can save yourself a broom, with leaves constantly getting caught up in it, if you reach for the leaf vacuum! Because it not only sucks up the leaves, but also the dirt.
Paths: Wet leaves on paths and cycle paths create a slipping risk! It is not uncommon for serious injuries to occur. This can be easily prevented by removing the dry, at most slightly damp leaves with a leaf vacuum before the rain starts.
Note for beds and gravel areas: Stones and excessive amounts of dirt or soil can damage your cordless leaf vacuum. Therefore, you should only use the device on paved surfaces or on grass. However, you can use the blowing function to gently blow the leaves out of rock gardens, gravel areas or flower beds and then vacuum the leaves from the lawn or firm ground.

You should always protect your leaf vacuum from moisture, i.e. store it in a protected place and only use it on dry days. The leaves should also be no more than slightly damp, but preferably dry, as wet leaves are more difficult to suck up and may clog the shredder and collection sack.

3-in-1 combi device: Shredder, leaf vacuum and leaf blower in one

The cordless leaf vacuums from Einhell are real all‐rounders, as they proved in our leaf vacuum test. In addition to their function as cordless leaf vacuums, the combi devices also work as cordless leaf blowers and shredders. With an Einhell cordless leaf vacuum you get three devices in one – this not only saves storage space, but also money thanks to the great price‐performance ratio!

Leaf vacuums: Used as a conventional leaf vacuum, you can easily suck up leaves, dirt, lawn cuttings and small branches, and collect them in the collection sack. With the help of the speed electronics you can adjust the suction power and regulate battery consumption and noise level at the same time.
Leaf blowers: Depending on the model, you can simply switch to the blowing function with a switch, or change from the suction tube to the supplied blowing tube without tools. The blowing function allows you to blow leaves out of hard‐to‐reach corners and then vacuum them up.
Shredders: Thanks to the integrated shredder function, the gathered leaves are shredded before they arrive in the collection sack. The cordless leaf vacuum from Einhell achieves a high shredding rate, so the leaves are ultimately shredded to a tenth of their volume. This way you not only save space in the collection sack, but also during disposal.
Watch out for branches! The shredder integrated in the leaf vacuum can shred smaller branches, but is not suitable for thicker or larger branches, as these could damage the device and the collection sack! So, if you want to shred tree or hedge trimmings and chop branches, you should opt for a garden shredder!

Environmentally friendly, quiet and emission-free thanks to the battery

Cordless leaf blowers are much more environmentally friendly compared to petrol‐powered models. The powerful motor works efficiently without producing exhaust fumes that pollute the environment. Unlike petrol, Power X‐Change batteries are reusable. If the battery is empty, simply plug it into any PXC charger, charge it and use it again.

Another big advantage of cordless leaf blowers compared to the petrol device is the low weight. You can also operate the different models ergonomically and without effort with the help of the supplied carrying strap and the guide wheels at the end of the suction tube.

Another important point is the volume. While petrol models are among the noisiest devices, the cordless version works many times quieter. This means that you can vacuum leaves without disturbing your neighbours with unnecessary noise.

What to do with the leaves? - Use as humus by composting

Leaves can be composted down to humus. Thanks to the shredding function of the leaf vacuum, the leaves are shredded and then rot faster and easier. If you combine the leaves with the last lawn cuttings, you will get perfect humus for your garden after about two years.

By the way, the time it takes for the leaves to rot differs depending on the species of tree. The leaves of maple, birch, beech, alder, ash, hazelnut, lime, elm and willow rot quite quickly, while the leaves of oak, poplar, sycamore and walnut, for example, take much longer. Oak leaves, for example, take three to five years to decompose into humus.

In general, however, it makes sense to find out beforehand whether the leaves of your tree are suitable for use as humus, as the leaves of the widespread chestnut tree, for example, should not be composted because a certain species of moth hibernates in them and reproduces in the leaves. So not all leaves can be composted, some you should consistently dispose of. Then it helps that when shredded they take up very little space in the bin!

The leaves can be used perfectly as humus if you compost them first.

Summary: Say goodbye to autumn leaves – with the Einhell cordless leaf vacuum!

In the leaf vacuum test, the Einhell cordless leaf vacuums score highly with the greatest possible flexibility and powerful performance. The corded models are an alternative if you have enough extension cords available. Regardless of whether the area you want to clear of autumn leaves is large or small, you can work without annoying power cables with the cordless leaf vacuum! A leaf vacuum, leaf blower and shredder in one; it is the ultimate cordless garden tool to effectively remove leaves and re‐use them again on the compost heap as humus. With the reliable and combinable lithium‐ion batteries of the Power X‐Change family, you can also use not only your cordless leaf vacuum, but all other tools and gardening equipment in the PXC family. This makes DIY and gardening really fun!

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Written by Marina Liefke

Published on 20.10.2021

Marina Liefke is an Online Editor at Einhell, where she deals with virtually all texts related to tools, garden equipment, and accessories. She acquires the necessary know-how through practical product training and close collaboration with the Einhell product managers. Her favorite tool is the PRESSITO cordless compressor because when the air is running out, it pumps it right back in.