Comparison GARDENA PowerJet Li-40/60 9338-20 vs Black&Decker GW3030

Operating modes provided in the design of the garden vacuum cleaner. Many models support more than one mode. Also note that, despite the common name "garden vacuum cleaners", not all units are capable of suction.

— Blowing out. This mode can be called “vacuum cleaner in reverse”: the device generates a powerful air stream, which can be used, for example, to remove debris from hard-to-reach places, or “sweep” garden paths.

— Suction. The classic mode of operation of the vacuum cleaner: drawing in air along with various debris that is sent to the bin. Suction is well suited for "uncomplicated" debris — leaves and small chips.

— Shredding. This mode of operation is similar to the suction described above, however, the garbage drawn in by the vacuum cleaner is not immediately sent to the bin (or “to the exit”, into an external container), but is preliminarily crushed. The meaning of this function is twofold: firstly, due to crushing, the volume occupied by garbage is significantly reduced (see “Chopping factor”), and secondly, recycled leaves and branches can serve as fertilizer.

The highest speed of the air stream given out by the vacuum cleaner. The higher this parameter, the stronger the thrust provided by the device, and the more efficiently it is able to pull or blow out debris particles from cracks and other hard-to-reach places (of course, if there is an appropriate operating mode — see above). At the same time, in most modern models, this figure exceeds 150 km/h — this is more than enough for work of small and medium complexity. Therefore, paying attention to a high flow rate makes sense only when choosing a powerful model for working in difficult conditions; we note that in the most “high-speed” vacuum cleaners, the indicators can exceed 400 km/h.

Performance of the garden vacuum cleaner when working on suction (see "Operating mode").

As with blowing described above, this parameter primarily characterizes how large the area covers the vacuum cleaner when working: high performance means that the device captures more air and draws debris from a larger surface. But this indicator is weakly related to suction efficiency: the ability of a vacuum cleaner to “pull out” debris particles from cracks, thick grass, etc. depends primarily on speed characteristics, not performance.

The ratio of shredding debris provided by a vacuum cleaner with the appropriate mode of operation (see above).

This parameter shows how much the volume occupied by garbage decreases after passing through the grinder. For example, the value "8:1" corresponds to a reduction of 8 times. These figures, of course, are quite approximate, because. in fact, much depends on the type of waste, and in different cases, the indicators will also be different. For example, bulky large branches are “packed” very tightly, and soft leaves initially take up relatively little space, and for them the difference in volume before and after the chopper may be small. Nevertheless, the claimed values quite reliably describe the capabilities of the vacuum cleaner for processing the collected garbage.

Garden vacuum cleaners with a grinding ratio of 1:10 can be classified as average; lower rates are typical for relatively modest models, larger ones for advanced ones.

The volume of the garbage collector — a container for garbage — regularly supplied with a garden vacuum cleaner. The larger the bin, the more debris can fit inside and the less often you have to empty it during work. On the other hand, a capacious container has the appropriate dimensions, and when filled, it also weighs a lot, which can affect the ease of use of the vacuum cleaner (this is especially true for manual and backpack models, see "Type"). Therefore, manufacturers tend to choose bins for their products based on the overall level of the vacuum cleaner and the scale of work for which it is designed. And some units may not be equipped with complete containers at all — in the expectation that the user picks up such a container separately.

The volume of the garbage can can be approximately estimated, knowing that an ordinary household bucket holds about 10 – 12 liters. Thus, for example, a 35 liter container corresponds approximately to three standard buckets.

The type of motor provided in the design of the garden vacuum cleaner.

— Electric (mains). An electric motor powered by a stationary network is most often an ordinary household one, at 230 V. The electric motors themselves are distinguished by a relatively low noise level, the absence of exhaust gases, as well as the simplicity and low cost of both the design itself and its operation. In particular, mains power does not have the battery life limitations that are typical for batteries (see below). However, the price of unlimited battery life is limited mobility: the network cable does not allow you to go far from sockets. The situation can be partially corrected by using extension cords, however, there are certain limits for them. Another feature is that powerful electric motors would create high loads on the power grid. Therefore, in the vast majority of electric vacuum cleaners, the motor power does not exceed 3 kW (and three-phase 400 V power supply, which would allow working with high powers, is not used in them at all for a number of reasons). As a result of all this, such models are mostly intended for work in relatively small areas. At the same time, we note that low power does not mean low efficiency: due to various engineering tricks, some units of this type are able to provide a high flow rate (see above).

— Electric (battery). Electric motor powered by a built-in battery. Suc...h motors do not have fundamental design differences from mains-powered motors (see above), due to which they have the same advantages — low noise, cleanliness, simplicity and low cost. And battery power allows you to make the vacuum cleaner independent of outlets and practically unlimited in movement. But there is a downside here too: batteries significantly affect the weight and dimensions of the unit, they need to be charged from time to time (which will still require a socket), and the power restrictions for such power are even more stringent than for mains. As a result, battery power is found exclusively in low-power hand-held models (see "Type"), and many of them do not even have a suction mode and are intended exclusively for the role of a blower.

— Petrol. An internal combustion engine (ICE) that runs on gasoline. Such engines are heavier, more complex and more expensive than electric ones, they require regular purchases of fuel and oil, and the exhaust gases that occur during operation can create inconvenience during prolonged operation. However, all these shortcomings are covered by two key advantages: internal combustion engines can be used completely autonomously, because. they are completely independent of external power, while their power can be much higher than even that of "mains" electric motors, not to mention battery ones (see above). Due to this, almost all powerful garden vacuum cleaners of the middle and top classes are equipped with gasoline engines.

Power of the garden vacuum cleaner motor, expressed in watts. This unit is by far the main one, it is used for both electric and gasoline engines (see "Engine type").

The more powerful the motor — the more air the vacuum cleaner is able to pass through itself, the greater the speed it is able to give the air flow and the more efficient the chopper (if there is one at all — see "Operating mode"). At the same time, all these moments depend not only on power, but also on many other design features; and manufacturers select each motor in such a way as to provide the vacuum cleaner with certain performance characteristics. Therefore, when choosing, it is worth looking primarily at practical characteristics (flow rate, blowing and suction performance), and engine power is of secondary importance.

The battery voltage for which the powered garden vacuum cleaner is designed (see "Motor type"). For a powerful unit, usually, a fairly high voltage is required.

For the user, this parameter is important if the purchased vacuum cleaner is not equipped with a battery (see "Battery included"): in order to successfully select the battery, you need to know the required voltage. If the battery is included in the kit, then this indicator has a purely reference value, and can only come in handy when looking for a spare or additional battery.

The capacity of the battery that the garden vacuum cleaner is equipped with the appropriate power supply (see "Motor type").

Capacity is essentially the amount of energy a battery can store. The more powerful the device, the more energy it needs to work and the higher the battery capacity should be so that it does not have to be charged too often. At the same time, capacious batteries have a large weight and dimensions, which significantly affects the convenience of work. Therefore, the power of battery units is relatively low — otherwise, too bulky batteries would have to be used.

To some extent, this parameter also determines the time that the vacuum cleaner is able to work without recharging. However, taking into account the fact that different models can differ markedly in power consumption, it makes sense to compare battery properties with each other only tools with very similar characteristics — and even then very approximately.

Note that the same tool can work with batteries of different capacities — it is enough that they are compatible in terms of connectors and operating voltage. Therefore, for units that are not equipped with batteries, this parameter is not indicated at all — the capacity is not critical for compatibility.