As I was paging through Popular Mechanics, a picture of the Worx TriVac popped out at me; before reading any of the ad copy, I wondered what that funny bypass tube on the bottom of the nozzle was. I learned later that it’s what allows you to switch the TriVac from a vacuum to a blower with a flip of the lever. That’s a cool concept if I ever saw one! Imagine not having to store extra parts or accidentally break tabs off changing from blower to vacuum and back again.

Not only can you change from vacuum to blower without changing a bunch of tubes like other blower/vacs, Worx claims you can adjust the blower airflow through a built-in regulator — they’re a little sketchy on the details, though. The 12A motor produces an air stream with a speed of over 210MPH, or enough suction to pick up 14 gallons of dry leaves in a minute, all while staying under 70 dB (about the volume of people having a normal conversation).

Continue reading »