If you’re tired of your yard being the local paradise for squirrels, then picking up the best yard vacuum for acorns is your solution. There are several options, including the good ol’ shop vac route, leaf blower & vacuum combo, and a nut harvester tool (acorn picker-upper) that makes picking up acorns as easy as a hot knife through butter.

In this guide, I put my expertise to work to give you a range of choices. By the end of the guide, you’ll be well on your way to an acorn-free lawn.

But first, let’s discuss the size and weight of your acorns. To pick up fresh acorns, which are heavier, you’re better off sticking with a shop vac or nut harvester.

For dry acorns that have already been violated by squirrels, there are a handful of yard vacuums that get the job done. Though, a shop vac is still better if you need to pick up a large number of acorns since it’ll hold up to the beating.

The reason behind this is that leaf blower vacuums are intended for picking up leaves mostly, so anything more than a small number of acorns can potentially damage the tool. Plus, acorns have the potential to turn into projectiles when using a leaf blower vacuum. Be sure to always wear protective eyewear and a dust mask while you work.

Below, is a table of my top picks with the key specs to consider for each. After the table, continue on to read my detailed reviews of each pick.

Top 5 Yard Vacuums for Acorns

Best Yard Vacuums for Acorns Reviewed

Are you familiar with the oak trees in your yard? Choosing the right model in this guide is easy if you identify the species of oaks in your yard. Acorns range in size from 1/4″ all the way up to 3″. If you have oaks that produce the smallest acorns, you have a better chance of getting the job done with Toro’s leaf blower vacuum.

In the following sections, you’ll find helpful reviews of each model from the chart above. Be sure to consider the pros & cons of owning each before making your final decision.

#1) Craftsman CMXEVBE17595 16-Gallon Heavy-Duty Wet/Dry Vac With Attachments

The best shop vac for acorns is this one right here by Craftsman. This heavy-duty model can easily be rolled outside to use as a yard vacuum to pick up acorns and other debris. Unlike a leaf blower vacuum, you don’t have to worry about acorns damaging the impeller or turning acorns into projectiles.

The massive 16-gallon tank is more than enough room to pick up a large number of acorns on your lawn, deck, driveway, and other areas around your home. Comparatively, this model gives you the most power for the money of the shop vacs in this guide at 6.5 peak HP. Another plus is that this vac’s wet/dry capability gives you the option to pick up acorns in moist conditions.

Lastly, several convenience features are the long 20 ft. cord, transport wheels, wide 2.5″ flexible hose, and a drain at the bottom of the tank to release any liquids before dumping the dry material. Overall, you’ll get the best experience by choosing this model and the most use out of it for a wide variety of tasks.

Pros

Cons

#2) Toro 51621 UltraPlus Leaf Blower Vac

Now for the only leaf blower vac featured in our guide. Keep in mind, this tool is not made for vacuuming up large piles of acorns. It will, however, have no problem chewing through a small number of acorns while vacuuming up leaves. The reason this model is the best choice is the metal impeller.

Compared to leaf blower vacs with plastic impellers, you’re less likely to damage Toro’s UltraPlus when sucking up acorns, twigs, and other harder debris. One advantage of choosing this model instead of a shop vac is that you don’t have to worry about dragging it over bumpy terrain in your yard.

One final consideration is to combine a leaf blower vac and a shop vac to collect all the acorns around your home. The Toro UltraPlus will take care of the acorns that sneak into your leaf piles, while a shop vac picks up the bulk of the acorns.

Pros

Cons

#3) Bag-A-Nut 18″ Push Large Acorn Picker

Meet the best acorn picker-upper tool by Bag-A-Nut. This handy device sports an ingenious design that quickly picks up piles of acorns without electricity or gas. All it takes is a push along your yard to capture acorns and collect them in the onboard basket. Even dense acorn coverage requires just one or two passes to save you a bunch of time.

Next, there’s no need to bend over while pushing it to save your back some strain you may experience when using a lawn vacuum or shop vac. Plus, the pivoting handle allows you to adjust the height to find your sweet spot.

Currently, there are multiple versions of the Bag-A-Nut Push Acorn Picker. There are Small and Large versions that are made for picking up different size acorns. Use this helpful chart to decide which model is better for picking up your acorns. Additionally, both models are available in 18″ and 36″ working widths to accommodate all yard sizes.

Pros

Cons

#4) Dewalt DXV16PA 16-Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum With Extra Accessories

Are you not a fan of the transport wheels on Craftsman’s shop vac? If you answered yes, then Dewalt’s 16-gallon shop vac is your answer. The large rear wheels and handle make pushing it around your lawn and over bumpy terrain easy.

As far as performance, Dewalt’s DXV16PA matches Craftsman’s vac with a 6.5 peak HP rating. Additionally, it features the same hose diameter and power cord length as the Craftsman model. Comparatively, the biggest reasons to choose this model over Craftsman’s are the transport handle and large wheels.

If you don’t need the wheels or handle, it’s important to consider the price of each model. At the time of this writing, Craftsman’s 16-gallon shop vac is more affordable. Finally, Dewalt’s vac does include more attachments and bags if you plan to use it to clean your car.

Pros

Cons

#5) Stanley SL18199P 12 Gallon Pro Wet/Dry Vacuum

My final pick is a good affordable shop vac for acorns. At the time of this writing, it costs less than the Craftsman and Dewalt models, though, it is smaller and less powerful. As long as your yard is small to medium, the 12-gallon tank gives you plenty of room to work with. Plus, at 6 peak HP, its suction power isn’t far behind what Craftsman and Dewalt offer.

Two lengths to be aware of are the 16′ power cord and 6′ hose. Again, depending on the size of your yard, you may want to opt for a model with a 20′ cord and a 7′ hose. Regarding functionality, Stanley’s SL18199P is a 3-in-1 wet/dry vac and blower with four casters for easy moving while you work.

If you’re sensitive to noise, it’s important to note that this model does not feature a muffler like the Dewalt version above. Additionally, it comes with fewer attachments and no accessory bag. All in all, this model is a good choice if you want a designated yard vacuum for acorns that requires less storage space than the Dewalt and Craftsman models.

Pros

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Bottom Line

Before choosing the best lawn vacuum for acorns to maintain your yard, be sure to match your needs to the functions of the equipment in this guide. Once you know the size of your acorns, density, and consider the overall size of your project, you’ll be all set.

All in all, shop vacs are your best bet since they’re built to handle acorns. Leaf blower vacuums can work, but they’re more likely to break if you try to pick up too many acorns since they’re not specifically made for vacuuming acorns. Lastly, if you want a non-electric tool, Bag-A-Nut’s Acorn Picker is a nifty device that gets the job done.

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