The Ryobi Tool That Makes Quick Work Of Shredding Fallen Leaves

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One of the most familiar signs of autumn in the past was the smell of burning leaves, but fire prevention and air quality concerns have made that a memory in most urban areas. That doesn't stop leaves from falling and people from raking them into piles in their yards. After the kids are done jumping into the piles, someone has to bag the leaves and throw them away. Ryobi has added a tool to its 40V collection that makes this job significantly less onerous. 

The 40V HP Brushless Cordless Battery Leaf Vacuum/Mulcher, available at Home Depot for $199, can turn 16 bags of dry leaves into small bits that fit into a single bag. The unit consists of a vacuum, a leaf mulcher, and a large bag into which the tool deposits the ground-up leaves. This not only saves time and effort when it's time to collect fall leaves, but it also reduces the number of plastic bags that end up in recycling areas or landfills and the number of bags you have to buy. Even better, shredded leaves nourish garden soil and protect plants from the winter chills, so you don't even have to throw them away.

Do note that this 2-in-1 vacuum and mulcher doesn't come with a battery. So, if you're not already committed to Ryobi's 40V line of tools and don't have a battery, you can purchase a separate 40V Lithium-Ion 4.0 Ah Battery and Fast Charger Kit for an additional $199. (This will also give you access to 85 more tools in the 40V collection.) Alternatively, you can opt for Ryobi's complete 40V HP Leaf Vacuum/Mulcher with 6.0 Ah Battery & Charger set, which is priced at $259, for a better deal.

This vacuum/mulcher gets a solid 4.4 rating from over 70 Home Depot customers, with a majority awarding it five stars. "It's easy to use. Lightweight. Powerful enough to suck up leaves and twigs and mulch them," one reviewer wrote. "In about 5 to 6 minutes, half of my backyard was clear," another attested.

Of course, while this tool is designed to make cleaning up leaves a breeze, it isn't a substitute for a rake. For a more efficient cleanup, consider raking the leaves into a pile and vacuuming them from there. That way, you won't wear yourself out by walking around the yard and picking up leaves in small batches. Raking leaves into piles also optimizes battery usage, since the battery has a limited runtime. The 6Ah battery lasts for about 30 minutes of continuous use before it needs recharging, and the less expensive 4Ah one offers only about 15 minutes.

Several reviewers recommended picking up only dry leaves because they're lighter than wet ones. Anyone who has ever raked a yard knows how much more difficult it is when the leaves are wet. To avoid carrying around more weight than you can handle (the tool weighs almost 10 pounds and gets heavier when the 15-gallon bag is full, after all), you'll probably have to stop frequently to empty the bag. You'll save time and effort by confining your vacuuming and mulching activity to dry days.