Black & Decker 12 Amp High Performance Blower/Vacuum/Mulcher

A weekend with the BV6600

I spent a couple of weekends putting the BV6600 through the kind of work most homeowners face in fall: matted leaves on turf, piles tucked into flower beds, and a driveway lined with pine needles. It’s a corded, 12‑amp, 3‑in‑1 that promises up to 250 MPH air speed and on‑the‑fly switching between blowing, vacuuming, and mulching. The short version: it moves a lot of air, mulches effectively with fewer clogs than many plastic‑impeller units I’ve used, and it’s reasonably quiet for its class. It also asks you to live with cord management and a collection bag that could be tougher.

Setup and build

Out of the box, the blower tube, vacuum tube, concentrator nozzle, and reusable bag all click together without tools. The tube latches feel positive, and the built-in cord retainer is a small but welcome touch that keeps the extension cord from yanking loose while you’re mid‑pass. The main housing is plastic, but the impeller is a high‑impact metal fan—important for minimizing clogs and surviving the occasional small twig.

On the scale, the unit is no featherweight. Black & Decker lists 15.7 lb, and with the vacuum tube and bag attached, it feels substantial. Balance is decent, with the handle positioned to keep your wrist relatively neutral in blower mode. In vacuum mode, most of the load shifts to the shoulder strap, which is adequate but not plush.

Blowing performance

Specs quote “up to 250 MPH,” which doesn’t tell the whole story of airflow, but in real use the BV6600 pushes leaves confidently. On turf, I used the wide tube for bulk movement and switched to the concentrator nozzle to chase leaves out of stone borders and around patio furniture. The variable speed control is simple—a thumb‑reachable dial—that helps when you need finesse around mulch or delicate plantings. Full tilt rolls dry leaves easily into windrows; half speed is enough for tidy work in beds without kicking up soil.

Where it shines is with stubborn, matted patches after rain. While no handheld is magic on wet debris, this unit still broke up mats with a couple of passes. It won’t bulldoze soggy clumps like a backpack blower, but for a corded handheld it has credible push. Pine needles, which often laugh at low‑power blowers, moved cleanly off my concrete driveway using the concentrator.

Vacuuming and mulching

Switching from blower to vacuum requires swapping tubes and attaching the bag—about a minute once you’ve done it a couple of times. The metal impeller helps here. I intentionally fed it a mix of oak leaves, small twigs (pencil‑thin), and the odd maple seed. It chewed through yard‑cleaning “realities” better than plastic‑fan units I’ve used, with fewer stalls and no catastrophic jams. You still need to avoid stones, big sticks, and anything stringy like landscape fabric; the intake diameter isn’t massive, and a long stem can bridge and cause a clog.

Mulch quality is good. The manufacturer quotes up to a 16:1 reduction; my real‑world pile of mixed leaves came out closer to 8:1 to 10:1 depending on moisture content. The resulting mulch is fine enough for compost or as a base layer around shrubs, and it greatly reduces bag changes compared to a non‑mulching vac.

Emptying the reusable bag is genuinely convenient. The zipper opening runs wide, so you can dump into a yard bin without fighting compacted mulch at the corners. The latch that secures the bag to the tool clicks in place easily and doesn’t dribble debris back out while you work.

Noise, vibration, and comfort

Noise is comparatively tame for a corded unit. The brand claims it’s about 50% quieter versus their reference model, and subjectively it’s less shrill than many blowers I’ve used. You’ll still want hearing protection, but I could work longer without feeling battered by high‑pitched whine. Vibration through the handle is modest; it’s there at full speed but not numbing.

The weight is the bigger factor for fatigue. In blower mode, short sessions are fine. In vacuum mode with a fuller bag, the load on the shoulder turns into the limiting factor. Plan on frequent emptying if you want to keep it comfortable. The handle’s grip texture is good even with gloves, and the trigger and speed dial are reachable without shifting your hand.

The bag: function versus durability

Functionally, the bag design is smart: it zips open wide, attaches securely, and the fabric breathes enough that the vac doesn’t choke. The trade‑off is dust and durability. Fine leaf dust can seep through the fabric under heavy vacuuming; a dust mask is wise if you’re chewing through dry, brittle leaves. After a few sessions, I noticed wear points starting at the corners and along the zipper seam where the bag flexes while full. It didn’t fail on me, but it’s an area I’d baby—avoid dragging it across concrete, and don’t overstuff. If you plan to vacuum a lot, I’d budget for a replacement bag eventually.

Corded realities

A 12‑amp motor needs a proper extension cord. If you’re running 50 feet or more, use at least a 14‑gauge cord; at 100 feet, go 12‑gauge to avoid voltage drop and heat. The cord retainer on the handle works well, but you still have to manage the line as you move around shrubs and stairs. In small to medium yards, the trade‑off for steady power is worth it. On large lots with distant fence lines, the cord becomes the bottleneck.

The upside of corded is consistency: no battery fade, no gas mixing, and full power as long as the breaker holds. The 2‑year limited warranty is standard for the category and offers some peace of mind on the motor and switches.

Maintenance and clogs

Maintenance is minimal. Knock the dust out of the bag after each use, brush off the intake screen, and check the impeller for string or stubborn bits. I had one jam when a long, woody stem bridged across the intake. Clearing it meant opening the tube latch and reversing it out—simple, but a reminder to scan the yard for sticks before vacuuming. The metal impeller resisted visible nicks from small twigs, though you’ll hear the occasional ping if something stiffer gets through.

Where it fits

• Best for: Small to medium suburban yards, deciduous trees, mixed leaf debris, and homeowners who value mulching to reduce waste volume.
• Acceptable for: Occasional wet‑leaf cleanup, pine needles on hard surfaces, and tidying beds with variable speed.
• Not ideal for: Very large properties without easy outlet access, heavy wet leaf loads, or users who prioritize the lightest possible handheld tool.

What I’d change

• A tougher, canvas‑style bag option would better match the unit’s solid performance.
• A more padded shoulder strap would help in vacuum mode during long sessions.
• Clear CFM specs would make comparing airflow to other models easier; the MPH number alone doesn’t tell the full story.

Bottom line and recommendation

The BV6600 hits a sweet spot for homeowners who want one corded tool to blow, vacuum, and mulch without constant clogging. It moves leaves with conviction, the variable speed control adds finesse, and the metal impeller delivers practical advantages—especially when vacuuming mixed debris. Noise is reasonable, and the EZ‑Empty bag really does make dumping mulch less annoying.

It’s not without compromises. The weight becomes noticeable in longer sessions, cord management takes some planning, and the collection bag could be more durable and less dusty. If you’re expecting a featherweight or cordless freedom, this isn’t it.

I recommend the BV6600 for small to medium yards where cord access is easy and mulching is a priority. You’ll get dependable power, effective vacuuming with fewer clogs, and a tidy end result. Just treat the bag gently, choose a proper extension cord, and it will reward you with faster, cleaner fall cleanups.