WORX WG518 12 Amp 400 CFM 250 MPH Leaf Blower / Mulcher / Vacuum review

WG518 is the corded three-function option in WORX’s blower line

The WG518 combines a 12-amp, 120-volt corded handheld blower with a vacuum and mulcher assembly. WORX’s current U.S. model page lists two speeds, a 3-year warranty, and claims up to 250 mph and 400 CFM. Its owner’s manual identifies this exact WG518 and shows the blower and collection arrangements as two different setups. This is not a cordless kit: there is no battery or charger to buy or keep charged, but the work area must stay within a suitable outdoor extension-cord route. A WORX listing has reported temporary out-of-stock status; check the manufacturer for current availability rather than treating a listing as a stock promise.

The bagged collection function changes the job

In blower mode the WG518 uses its blower tube, with the concentrator nozzle available for a narrower stream. To vacuum, the owner switches to the vacuum tubes and attaches the collection bag. The manual lists one bag, vacuum tube, blower tube and concentrator nozzle; its technical page gives the bag a 42-liter (1.2-bushel) capacity and a 16:1 mulching ratio. Those specifications make this more relevant to someone who wants to gather leaves for disposal or composting than a blower-only tool. They do not mean the bag never needs emptying: its finite capacity is a practical limit, and changing configurations takes more handling than simply sweeping a patio with a bare blower tube.

WORX lists 400 CFM, and the manual repeats that figure, but neither inspected source separates blower-mode CFM from vacuum airflow. The product-page description associates the 400-CFM volume with the vacuum conversion. For that reason, the number should not be treated as a proven 400-CFM blower rating. A shopper who makes a minimum blower-mode CFM an essential condition should regard the WG518 as unqualified for that threshold unless WORX supplies a mode-specific clarification. The air-speed figure is separately listed as 160/250 mph; it is not a measured yard-clearing time or a substitute for the missing mode-specific airflow basis.

Continuous cord power trades battery logistics for cord management

The nameplate details are 120V at 60Hz and 12 amps. That removes runtime estimates and battery compatibility from the decision, but it does not make the tool convenient everywhere: the extension cord, outlet, route around beds and trees, and distance from the work area matter. The manual shows a cord retainer and instructs the owner to use the tool outdoors, keep it off wet surfaces, protect it from rain, and disconnect the plug before maintenance. Plan the cord path before changing from blowing to vacuuming; do not work around a wet yard or leave a live cord where it can be struck, snagged or crossed repeatedly.

WORX lists a machine weight of 7.5 pounds without defining whether that is a bare motor body, blower configuration or vacuum setup. The sources do not establish ready-to-use or vacuum-mode weight, so this review does not present 7.5 pounds as a precise operating load. The tool is handheld and has two speeds, but no documented cruise control, variable-speed trigger, digital status display or adjustable-length blower tube. Its operator must guide the cord and manage the configuration rather than expecting a backpack harness or speed-hold feature.

Who should shortlist it—and when to choose something else

The WG518 is a reasonable fit for a homeowner who has a suitable outdoor power connection, values a bagged vacuum/mulch mode, and accepts changing tubes to get that collection function. The manual describes residential use, so it should not be read as a commercial-duty promise. Wet debris limits, the finite bag, a corded work area, and the unqualified airflow and weight figures all matter more than the headline speed number for a particular yard.

If the job is a quick cordless sweep and leaf collection is not needed, compare it with the WORX WG547 family: that battery blower avoids a cord, but its exact pages state that it has no vacuum or mulching function. If battery-only operation is essential, the WG518 is the wrong power source. If a battery-powered collection system is essential, compare an exact vacuum/mulcher kit such as the EGO LV5005 and verify that model’s battery package and source-specific limitations; the two tools do not represent interchangeable operating plans.

How its facts affect the questionnaire

Choose “corded,” “handheld,” and “also vacuum and mulch” when those are essential requirements. The WG518 has no battery or charger, so a battery count, battery-package or charger requirement cannot be satisfied by its plug-in motor. It also does not include a string trimmer, does not document cruise control or Boost, and cannot meet a requirement for a specified blower-mode CFM on the present sources. Its 42-liter bag can satisfy a bag-capacity minimum up to that figure; a higher minimum remains unmet. Unknown operating weight and mode-specific airflow are intentionally left unknown rather than treated as favorable values.

Use and maintenance limits are not optional details

The manual warns that the impeller continues rotating briefly after switch-off and directs users to unplug before adjustment, service or clearing clogs. It describes removing debris from the impeller, vacuum tube or bag connection; this is a corded cutting/impeller area, not a place to reach in while powered. Wear the protective equipment required by the manual, keep bystanders back, and store the blower and extension cord indoors in a dry place. These instructions make the WG518 most appealing to someone who actually wants the collection mode and is willing to assemble, empty and maintain it—not to a buyer choosing it only because one headline air-speed number looks large.