Comparison Makita EB5300TH vs Ryobi RBL42BP

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 blowing (see "Operating mode").

This parameter determines the amount of air that the device distills through itself in a certain time. It should be noted that it depends not only on the speed of this air, but also on other parameters — for example, the diameter of the pipe. Therefore, two models with the same performance can noticeably differ in speed, and vice versa. You also need to keep in mind that the efficiency of "purging" bottlenecks with stuck debris does not depend on performance, but on the flow rate. On the other hand, good performance makes it easier to work on large areas, as allows you to simultaneously cover a large area with a jet of air.

Most modern garden vacuum cleaners in blowing mode provide up to 15 m / min; higher rates are typical mainly for professional models.

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.

The type of gasoline internal combustion engine (see "Engine type") installed in the lawnmower.

— 2-stroke. With a similar volume (and, accordingly, dimensions and weight), two-stroke engines outperform four-stroke ones in terms of power. In addition, they are somewhat simpler in design, which has a positive effect on the price. On the other hand, such motors have a higher noise level and fuel consumption. In addition, not pure gasoline is used as fuel for them, but a mixture of gasoline and oil in a certain proportion, and failure to comply with this proportion leads either to the formation of fumes (if there is a lot of oil) or to increased wear (if there is little oil).

- 4-stroke. Four-stroke engines are more complex and more expensive than two-stroke ones, and also have slightly less power for the same working volume. At the same time, they produce less noise and are filled with petrol and oil separately rather than as a mixture.

The working volume of the internal combustion engine (see "Engine type") installed in the garden vacuum cleaner. With the same type of internal combustion engine (see above), more displacement usually means more power and higher fuel consumption. However, in general, the value of this parameter is more of a reference than practically significant — other indicators are more important for a garden vacuum cleaner, such as flow rate or performance (see above).

The engine power of a garden vacuum cleaner, expressed in horsepower. This unit of power is considered somewhat obsolete and is mainly used for internal combustion engines (see "Engine type"), while in many cases the power figures in horsepower are also duplicated in watts. However, if there is no such clarification, it is quite simple to estimate the power in watts: 1 hp. approximately corresponds to 735 watts.

For more information about the value of engine power, see the paragraph of the same name below.

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 highest speed at which the vacuum cleaner engine is able to operate in normal mode.

Theoretically, faster motors are capable of delivering more solid performance; however, in fact, these characteristics depend on so many different design features that the engine speed is practically lost against the background of these features. Therefore, this moment, in fact, is purely reference (and partly promotional — impressive rpm numbers can at first glance give the impression of high power and performance; but this impression is often deceptive).

The volume of the fuel tank installed in a garden vacuum cleaner with a petrol engine (see "Engine type"). The more capacious the tank, the longer the unit is able to work without refueling (for more details, see "Fuel Consumption"). On the other hand, a large volume affects the dimensions and weight of the vacuum cleaner.