Best equipment to collect leaves from roof and backyard?

upgrades

Hi dear helpful DIY team,

What's the best equipment to collect the leaves from the roof, clean gutters, leaves from the front yard and backyard. Previously I used a blower to clean the gutter and it created the mess on the floor. Objective is to collect the leaves + small tree twigs from the roof and floor and clean gutters (this may have some dirt). What's the effective all-in-one tool you can recommend that doesn't cost in 100s of $$?

I was thinking below. If they work, pls suggest the product and if there is anything else I can use, please suggest.

1. Wet and Dry Vacuum (happy to carry this on the roof),
2. 3 in 1 Blower, Vacuum and Mulcher.

TIA

MitchellMc

Hi @upgrades,

Unfortunately, this is a bit of an age-old problem and there isn’t really a single all-in-one tool that works perfectly for roofs, gutters and large yard areas while also collecting everything neatly.

A blower/vac can work well for leaves on the ground, but most of them have quite large nozzles, which makes it difficult to fit them down into gutters to properly suck debris out.

For gutters specifically, the only attachment I’m aware of designed to help with vacuuming them from the ground is the Toro Gutter Cleaning Kit for Blower / Vacs. This attaches to compatible blower/vacs and allows you to reach into gutters without climbing up. It can work well for dry leaves, but like most systems, it’s still limited if there’s compacted dirt or wet debris.

Another option is the Ryobi 18V ONE+ EZ Reach Roof and Gutter Blower. This lets you clean gutters while standing on the ground, but it blows the debris out onto the ground, so you’d still need to collect it afterwards, similar to the issue you’ve already experienced.

A wet and dry vacuum could technically work for gutters if you’re happy to carry it onto the roof, but they can be a bit cumbersome and awkward to move around safely on a roof.

Most people end up using a combination of tools:

• Blower or blower/vac – for leaves on lawns, driveways and patios
• Gutter attachment or hand clean – for gutters
• Rake or leaf grabbers – to collect debris after blowing it out

While it would be great if one tool handled everything perfectly, gutters and large yard areas, unfortunately, require different approaches due to the size of debris and accessibility.

Here are a few helpful guides: How to use ladders safely, How to clean gutters and How to maintain gutters and roofs.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell