CRAFTSMAN 3-in-1 Leaf Blower, Vacuum and Mulcher, Backpack Blower Up to 260 MPH, 12 Amp, Corded Electric Leaf Collector (CMEBL7000)

This thing sucks more than my first retail job and mulches nicely too. (in a good way)I was able to clean up my yard in just a few hours, in the wind, without fighting it at all.Blowing leaves was just not an option and spending $900 on a leaf vacuum was also not an option.This thing is like a Shop-Vac on steroids. It has amazing sucking power and can suck up leaves from 5-6 inches no problem, but if you get it down low (3-4 inches), it's practically a street sweeper at that point and you can pick up even ground up leaf bits, clean out cracks, etc. The only downside is the backpack is not the most comfortable and it ends up pulling on your left side armpit a fair bit. If you let the blower dangle from your right hand, using the front grip, it will help you reduce this strain, but your right arm gets tired quicker. The disassembly was a breeze and attaching the sucking attachment was simple. Putting it back together to be a blower.. not so much. The attachment has to go back in almost backwards to clip in first, then can be closed down. The instructions attached to the blower were made on windows 3.1 paint, and the images are all of 256 x 256 pixels; all while the craftsman logo is printed in 600dpi.. Luckily the user manual has much better instructions and eventually helped me figure this out. This sucks really well, so be careful around mulch as it will pull it up and cause a ruckus (possibly damaging the blades and engine) so be careful and if you do turn it off immediately so as not to break it.Overall, well designed, has lots of good hand holds for ergonomics and does a great job of blowing and mulching. All attachments were long enough for a taller man to use and everything including the bag and zipper, feel like it's quality built.My only suggestions to the mfg would be to improve the backpack by making it more comfortable (better straps / adjustments) and having the option to switch from left to right side to reduce singe side strain (zipper and everything else was incredible) and charge maybe $5-10 more. If not allowing for adjusting of sides, perhaps make the hose 5-10 inches longer to allow for a more comfortable center body position and I think this may even reduce the stress on the left side from pulling.

Among the worst products I’ve ever purchased.Directions are worthless as well, IKEA or instructions in Chinese are amazing comparatively. There are parts with a number in the instructions, yet no label in the instructions! Many videos describing how difficult it is to put together and take apart. It also shocks you regularly when using it 🙄I thought I could put up with it until it started shocking my a couple of days after the return window closed 🤣😂 all of Harbor Freight’s stuff is leaps and bounds better, and basically anything at any box store much better…

Purchased for a gift, husband uses it often and says it works really well!

I used this unit only for the vacuum function, and can't comment on the blower. It has very good suction and the bag was quite easy to empty. For the price, I was thrilled. Unfortunately, after less than an hour of use, it died unexpectedly. I had shut it off to empty maybe the fifth bag I had collected, and the motor would not turn back on. There was no evidence that anything had was caught in the impeller (it spun easily when I checked it), and there had been no indication of strain on the motor or overheating. That said, the unit is light and easily maneuvered. It is fairly loud, and hearing protection is advisable. My only other comment is that the chute is fairly short. This unit may be a backache waiting to happen for susceptible individuals over perhaps 5' 8" tall. The main reason to purchase one of these blower/vacs, to my way of thinking, is for removing leaves from shrub beds (eg. foundation plantings). This is not the kind of tool that makes sense for removing leaves from a large lawn (it would be tedious), though it would work well for a tiny yard, especially in a more urban or dense suburban situation where there is no room for mulching and the shredding feature of the blower/vac will reduce the volume of discarded leaves. I purchased this blower/vac to replace a Black and Decker blower/vac that suffered a similar fate. I had only purchased it a year or so ago and this year it would not switch on. The Black and Decker unit was a bit more expensive and probably slightly better overall, but this Craftsman, given the price differential, may be a better value proposition (especially if you are not tall). FWIW, I subsequently purchased a Toro for $99 at a big box store (I needed it right away). The Toro is much heavier, seemed more solid, emptied easily, but it clogged repeatedly and will be going back to the store. Given my bad luck with the B&D and Craftsman units, I think my next move will be to buy another B&D blower/vac and purchase the 3-year warranty (which I would normally never do).

In the last month, I have filled six 95-gallon cans with mulched leaves. I'm nearly done, but I still need about 1 to 1.5 more cans to fill to finish mulching the rest of my back yard. The frontyard is complete and backyard will be done this week and I just LOVE this little machine. Even though this bag gets a bit heavy on you back, this Craftsman 3-in-1 product is a real workhorse and a great addition to my lawn maintenance arsenal. It vacuumed up dry and wet leaves, flower stems and small tree branches/rose bush branches without any issues. It's loud for sure. I just put my earbuds in, turned on an audio book and went to work. No issues there.

Just received item today 4-6-25. Box arrived damage and whomever returned it before, taped the heck out of the box. I did not even open the original box it came in. I did not see that the add says it was used and at a special discount. I don't like used items, especially electronic items, so this will be going back, and I will buy a different NEW product.