Bosch ALS 2500 Electric Garden Blower/ Vacuum

This almighty beast is an industrial level tool at a household cost. It made light work of my Welsh garden and the damp leaves that are the bane of my winter months. When using the blower it's akin to letting off hurricane Etna off, it makes ease of the stickiest and heaviest of leaf. My favourite method of use to clean up the continuation of leaves was to 'Hoover' the garden and patio, to me, blowing on the grass simple seemed a little harsh on the seedlings that had just taken after late planting because the blower is that powerful. You can make your own minds up on that. THe hoovering method doesn't slow you down, and, providing you level the strap provided to the correct height you can quickly work out a swing that covers quite a bit of ground and make light work of cleaning even a large area. Assembly was very easy, the item relatively lightweight considering the punch it packs and the power has to be experienced to be believed. Specifications are all well and good, but you won't even know until you've tried something. There are no real negatives to this awesome piece of equipment and is a welcome addition to my toolshed. No more dead grass as a result of the surrounding trees after fall. I would recommend being conservative with how much you do hoover up at any one time dependant on wether the leaves you pick up are wet or dry. The weight on wet leaves can be incredibly deceiving. Emptying the catch bag is a breeze and as the system is effectively designed to mulch the leaves it's also quite tidy. I wholeheartedly recommend. Possibly one of the best products I've got in my gardening arsenal.

I live in a 3 bed detached house with a relatively large garden (id estimate the size to be 15 x 12 meters) and I have very BIG/TALL trees. I needed to clear the leaves (see pics) and my friends suggested a garden blower/vacuum. I was very keen/excited/nervous to use this - I knew these types of vacuums existed but I dont know anyone personally who owns one - so I assembled the blower myself and it was fantastic to use! But I was too nervous to use the vacuum - mainly due to reading some of the other reviews that stated it cut out constantly whilst in use or it being extremely loud. Im a young female - so I decided to get a male friend to do the vacuuming instead lol. Im SO glad I did - as you can see from the vid, it picks up big amounts of leaves and chops them with no issues. If I was using it I would be overly conscious of it picking up something that may make it cut out so I would of went at a much slower pace, taking twice as long. The cord is very long to reach the end of the garden with ease and I didnt find this device to be extremely loud. I nor my male friend had any issues with using it. I blew the leaves out back and he vacuumed the back, side and front of my house in about 45 mins and it never cut out once (unless it was full) and he only manually turned it off once when he realised a stick was sucked in and it was making an awful racket. Im really looking forward to using it again. Its been raining consistently for a few days but hopefully it will stop, then I can wait 2-3 days for the garden to dry before using it again.

I like Bosh products; I normally find that they are functional and durable. I have not used the vacuum mulching function just yet and wonder if I ever will. This is because the leaves are far too wet, however the blower is brilliant! It is extremely powerful and easy to operate. There is one small problem and that is with the air input duct sucked in my rather lose trousers so take care. This is also quite bulky so be sure you have space to store it when not in use. I looked considered quite a few options before buying this, I have previously used a petrol driven blower (given to me) but it was difficult to start. I also considered a cordless battery version. My logic was that this is a device used for a specific purpose (autumn leaf clearing) for a relatively short period each year. On that basis a mains powered unit made perfect sense it is easy to get going and powerful. I doubt that a battery device would be powerful enough. I will update when I have used it more.

I bought this machine to replace a Power Base Blower/Vacuum that was several years old, heavy and cumbersome although effective. Having now used the Bosch on dry and wet leaves in both modes, I am pleased to report that I am very happy with it. I did not have to change the tubes on the old machine, but it is quick and easy to do on the Bosch. On full power, it will blow or suck up roof moss dropped by birds, bark chippings and gravel from the drive if you are not careful. Gravel is not a good idea as the impeller is plastic and the blades could be damaged. On half power, it will easily blow or suck up dry or wet leaves. The collecting bag is sturdy and easy to fit and empty but it is rather like a large balloon making the blower difficult to manoeuvre in tight spaces. Otherwise, it is not a problem. Leaves etc do get caught on the impeller and it is a good idea to remove them when you have finished using the machine. It is easy to do as the impeller is readily accessible. The supporting strap can be worn across the chest in either mode, blowing or hoovering, but the length needs to be adjusted according to the mode. Again, this is quick and easy; no problem. The cable is long enough - at least 10m. I am 73 and medium-build but had no difficulty using the Bosch to vacuum wet leaves for an hour or more without emptying the bag. It is lighter than the old Power Base and weight was not a problem. It was great for vacuuming leaves under bushes and in other awkward places. I am very pleased with the purchase.