Troy-Bilt TB310QS Mulchinator 31cc 2-Cycle Gas Powered 165 MPH Blower/Vacuum
by Troy-Bilt
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Troy-Bilt TB310QS Mulchinator 31cc 2-Cycle Gas Powered 165 MPH Blower/Vacuum
Customer Review: On my second unit after 2 months
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought the Troy Built this summer as a replacement for a Weed Eater model. I was most interested in the vaccum function for leaves. Well the blower and vaccum are both adequate. It has a spring assisted pull start which makes it easier to pull. The unit is big and bulky and somewhat heavy compared to the 21cc unit it replaced. The "cruise control" seemed like a good selling point, but the unit vibrates so badly that the cruise control doesn't hold under full throttle. I purchased this unit from Lowes and I'm glad I did. The unit wouldn't start after 2 months of around the house use. I always see to it the oil:gas is correct and treat these 2 cycle engines with fuel stabilizer so I'm not sure why it failed. Thank goodness Lowes exchanged it for a new one with no questions asked. Hopefully I'll have better luck with the second one. In summary: heavy, bulky, adequate blower and vac for around the house, worthless throttle control, and questionable build quality and reliability.Customer Review: Good performer & customer service from Troy Bilt...
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a good item for around the yard. By no means a "pro" model but easy starter & the vaccum is integrated into the design, not just an add on.
After a few months the zipper on the mulching collection bag blew out. (It should use a heavier zipper)I called Troy-Bilt and they quickly shipped me a new bag, no questions asked and it showed up at my door a couple days later. Nice to know that they at least stand behind their product.
Customer Review: Don't bother
Summary: 1 Stars
I purchased this from Amazon brand new but as soon as I saw the box I could tell this was anything but.
It had been re-taped so many times (open and closed) and torn all over.
First the vacuum attachment was missing. I decided to try it any way.
Well, the blower sucks. You're better off getting a blower attachment for your weed trimmer. And the vacuum is useless. You have to hold it over a single leaf and hope that it will eventually gets vacuumed up. So don't worry about the bag being small. It will never get filled.
It is heavier than most other dual blowers/vacuums. And most definitely the loudest one out there.
The motor shacks violently. I was actually worried it might explode or something.
I give up. Why can't someone make a good gas vac/blower?
Customer Review: Perfect solution
Summary: 4 Stars
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.
Customer Review: I make excuses to use this thing
Summary: 5 Stars
I've never had a tool like this, and boy was I missing out. Sure, sucking up leaves and having them mulched is great, but there are other uses too. Like blowing out the garage, or my favorite cleaning up the trimmings from bushes, plants, etc. It used to be such a pain in the butt to clean up leaves and branches out of river rock but this TB just sucks 'em right out.
Pros: Works very well, changing from vacuum (oh yah... it comes with a "floor vacuum" attachment for the garage) to blower could not be easier, pretty easy start (usually 2-3rd pull, never more than 3 pulls).
Cons: It is heavy. But, there are a number of different ways to position your hands so by no means are you limited to a certain position. And it's pretty loud. Not deafening, but louder than I expected.
I have never used a vacuum/mulcher/blower before, so I can't compare this tool to others. It's fun... I love it.