What wet dry vacuum can pick up leaves without blocking?

[rob-4x4]

I have a issue where I often get lots of leaves blowing into my garage/shed and winding up in areas that are nearly impossible to sweep out.
I have tried cleaning them up with a karcher wet/dry vacuum cleaner I have but the inside diameter of the hose is just too small and leave continually block it , either in the hose of in the fitting were the hose enters the vacuum cleaner.

Does anyone know of reasonably priced wet/dry vacuum cleaners with a hose that has a decent inside diameter for picking up things like leaves etc without blocking up all the time ? 

Something like 50mm or more inside diameter I guess.  I have seen them on youtube videos from the US but I have not seen any in Australia.

Any other suggestions how to deal with the problem ?
In the back of my mind is something like a 20l Paint bucket with a fitting in the lid to attach the smaller hose from my Karcher and maybe a second fitting for another normal vacuum I have for extra sucking power and a fitting for larger diameter hose for picking up the leaves etc. Theory is the leaves and large just would remain in the paint bucket and the smaller stuff would go through to the vacuum cleaner(s) as normal ... 

Thanks in Advance !

[MitchellMc]

Hi @rob-4x4,

I don’t have access to specific hose and inlet measurements for our entire range of wet and dry vacuums, so it might be best to visit your local store to check out the units firsthand. Typically, most wet/dry vacuums have hoses around 40mm in diameter, but trade-level units often feature high-flow suction, which might help prevent blockages.

Your idea of using a secondary bucket as a pre-filter has some merit, but larger leaves could still clog the secondary hose as they try to enter. If you decide to experiment with this setup, using a cyclone dust separator on the bucket might help reduce clogging by keeping the larger debris contained before it reaches the vacuum.

Another option worth considering is a blower vac, which can be used in reverse to suck up leaves without worrying about hose blockages. Some models also have a mulching function, which could help break down the leaves before they enter the collection bag. This could be a more efficient solution for dealing with large amounts of leaves in hard-to-reach areas. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[rob-4x4]

Thanks for the suggestions . 

I do have a garden blower vac .. a nice Stihi 2 stroke one.  But the problem is that they are really only good for leaves.. if anything hard gets sucked up it can eat the internals of the unit. Also using a petrol unit indoors in a garage is not the healthiest of things.

As a matter of interest do bunnings hire the larger heavy duty wet dry units ?  I probably only need to clear out the leaves a couple of times a year.

[EricL]

Hello @rob-4x4 

Having had a look at the wet and dry vacuum for hire set, I could only find the For Hire: Coates 40L Wet/Dry Vac - 5+ Days. However, in the process I came across the Ozito 1600W Corded Garden Vacuum which I believe is perfect for your needs. It has a 480mm wide suction head made specifically to suck up leaves and has a mulching function integrated to it. I suggest having a look at it in the store so you can judge if it will work for you.

One other option I would like to suggest is to build a lightweight leaf fence that you can put in front of your garage opening and thereby prevent any of the leaves from entering your garage. You can then do an end of the day sweep to gather all the leaves that the fence has stopped. The fence is basically made of 42x19 timber pine and shade cloth stapled to the frame. You can have it lower, but I recommend having it at least as tall as 1.6meters to prevent any leaf from blowing through. It also serves as a nice privacy screen that lets you see out, but no one gets to see in.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[rob-4x4]

Thanks for the suggestions!.  I will have a look at he ozito option you suggested