What Are The Ryobi Expand-It Tools And How They Can Help With Fall Yard Clean-Up

Autumn: temperatures cool, the sun sets earlier across the country, and leaves begin to change into breathtaking colors. Soon these vibrant landscapes will lead to leaves covering yards across the United States, adding to any overgrowth of bushes and grasses that has accumulated over the summer. This season is often synonymous with dusting off a fairly massive arsenal of yard equipment. But with Roybi's Expand-It attachment line, you may be able to leave a lot of those tools in the shed.

This line of products takes Roybi's various attachment-capable string trimmers, using them as the base for a veritable lawn care Swiss army knife. The power banks are compatible with a variety of attachments (each purchased separately) which can turn your string trimmer into a leaf blower, hedge trimmer, or brush cutter. Each of these attachments slide onto the adjustable shaft at the end of the string trimmer, which is available in multiple power and length configurations, including 18-volt and 40-volt options. String trimmers and several Expand-it attachment sets are available both on Roybi's website and in-store at Home Depot. The Expand-it attachments are also compatible with various non-Ryobi gas and electric power heads, including Craftsman, Weed Eater, and Toro, amongst others. As leaves stack up and winter preparations begin, several of the ten Expand-it options stand out as go-to additions to your repertoire.

Shrubs like the north privet and forsythia are incredibly abundant, growing up to a foot during the summer months. Additionally, hardy bushes like Caper bushes, while easy to grow, can quickly take over pavers and sidewalks, once established. These relatively common shrubs can fill smaller yards and lawns growing as much as 10 feet across, a problem better addressed in the fall before snow covers new growth.

For those overgrown hedges, Roybi's Expand-It hedge trimmer helps tame bushes with a dual-blade, 3/4 inch cut capacity. While the attachment retails for about $100, you can often find it on sale before fall hits. When attached to a power bank, it is capable of clearing large and thick underbrush according to some users.

Mary, a Home Depot shopper, praised the extra length and deeper cutting capacity of the 18-inch attachment: "there are times when I need a greater cutting capacity, also an expanded reach, each of which becomes necessary as your shrubs grow. The reviewer continues: "This will be perfect for my rhododendrums [sic], which have become HUGS [sic], also woody, now nearly 40 years old."

For lower-lying shrubs, such as knee-high caper bushes and tall decorative grasses, the Royobi Brush-Cutter is the Expand-it attachment you want. It utilizes a 10-inch Tri-Arc steel blade on a steel shaft to whack through thick weeds and brush. And in a clever move to extend the life of each blade, it's reversible: When it gets too dull, flip the whole thing, reattach it, and use it as if it were brand new. At $100 ($80 on sale), it's nice to get this extended utility.

Even though properly applied leaf mulch can benefit garden soil, leaving a lot of dead leaves can actually hurt your lawn's health, trapping heat and preventing proper soil drainage and aeration. Not to mention the fact that lawn debris can quickly become snow drifts with winter's first blanketing. With clearing your lawn in mind, the Expand-It line features multiple powerful attachments that save you time, effort, and extra tools.

The Expand-It 475 CFM universal axial blower is an attachment that offers comparable power to a gas-powered leaf blower, but at a lower price point and a slimmer size. The blower produces airflow up to 475 CMF and 140 mph of blowing force to clear lawns and pavers. Ultimately, this tool is best used in concert with other garden tools: Accumulate piles with the blower, then use a rake shovel to easily collect leaves into bags.

For leaves on your roof that ultimately collect in (and block) gutters, Roybi's expandable gutter blower is an attachment you may wonder how you've managed without. Another item that shows up at deep discounts just before fall ($80 down from $130), the gutter blower extends up to 9.5' using two extension poles. The gutter blower packs less of a punch than the axial leaf blower attachment, putting out 185 CFM of force. This drop in force does have some users saying it struggles to clear wet leaves from gutters (it has a 3.9 rating with about 150 reviews at Home Depot as a result). Reviewers do praise the convenience and the fact you can reach a lot of your roofline without a ladder.