Customer Reviews
Don't Waste Your Time On This Product 
2008-10-07
I have had this unit for 2 years with very little use because of its deficiencies. The bag that shipped it with it blew out the teeth on the zipper. The replacement blew out on the second use. Finally got a new design that worked on the third try. After 8 months the pull cord would not recoil into the unit. Waited 5 months on the repair. Stored the unit for 5 more months with no use. Tried to start it yesterday and the cord will not recoil. Never starts on the first try either. Called Troy Bilt 800 to complain and they said sorry you're out of warranty. I am throwing it in the trash.
Don't buy this product 2008-09-28
I followed all the instructions. However, it would not start. I kept trying for several days but still nothing. I did get it to start but it only ran for about 5 minutes then stopped and would not start again.
Very frustrating. Would not recommend this product or anything this company makes. Total waste of money. Will not purchased anything from this company again. I'm only giving it one star because it won't let me continue without at least one star.
Great All-in-One Blower/Vac 
2008-05-14
I have been using the Ryobi Blower/Vac for 5 years or more and love the convenience of not having to switch out attachments. This Troy-bilt is the exact same as the Ryobi. The only issue is the zipper on the bag is plastic, it use to be metal, and if it gets dragged on the ground, it damages it. The replacement bags are $40 with shipping. Kinda steep for a bag, so I decided to buy the whole setup again and bought the Troy-Bilt. One thing I do like about this one over the Ryobi, is that it has a spring-loaded start. When you pull on the cord to start, the spring mechanism does most of the work. But, even without the spring assistance, it has always been easy to start. It does get kinda heavy when the bag gets full, but the convenience and the easy of emptying is worth it. This is a great machine and not as loud as my Ryobi.
Fagettabout it - buy another brand!!!! 2008-01-26
The EZ start system is worthless. It took 5 to 8 tries to get it started because it delivers such a weak spin. To top it off the EZ start system broke, rendering it useless at the beginning of the third season of use, less than 24 hours of total running time. Stay away from any EZ start type of system. Stick with the tried and true rope pull.
Sucking up everything! 
2008-01-03
I just got this yesterday and am SOOOOO excited at how wonderful it works. I have wisteria, fruit trees and other leaf dropping shrubs - always was a chore to sweep and then bag. With this I simply blow a big pile and then vacuum it all up! Done. No changing of tubes, the bag is a bit small - but it works just great.
On my second unit after 2 months 
2007-09-16
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
Good performer & customer service from Troy Bilt... 2007-09-07
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.
Don't bother 2007-07-31
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?
Perfect solution 2007-04-28
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!
I make excuses to use this thing 2007-01-04
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.
