Even household vacuum cleaners are not traditionally known for being quiet, so combine that with a powerful petrol engine and you’d probably expect a fairly noisy machine, yes? Well, usually you’d be right, but Billy Goat’s QUIETVAC^™ four-wheeled outdoor vacuums are something a little bit special. Recognised as the world’s quietest leaf and litter vacuums, the machines in the QUIETVAC^™ range offer brilliantly effective clearance of leaves, rubbish and dirt with a noise level of only 77dBA at the operator’s ear. This makes machines such as the hand-propelled QV550 perfect for use in busy urban environments, allowing you to keep city streets, parks and other pedestrian areas clear of unwanted clutter but without the troublesome noise you might expect from such a powerful piece of kit.

Part of the reason for the low-noise performance of the QV550 is the clever design of its fan housing, but the Lo-Tone^™ Muffler used in the construction of the hardworking 205cc Briggs & Stratton VANGUARD^™ four-stroke petrol engine doesn’t hurt either. It’s not just in terms of volume that the QV550 breaks new ground, however, with a unique volute housing and fan system providing the best suction power of any litter vacuum on the market today. This clever design means that the QV550 also utilises a state-of-the-art cyclonic filtration system, which when combined with the supplied ‘Dust Sock’ dramatically reduces dust in dry conditions (dust sock can be removed if working in wet conditions). Thus, there are few professional quality machines which offer quite such impressive user-friendliness as the QV550.

Convenience isn’t everything though, so you’ll undoubtedly be happy to hear that the QV550 is also spectacularly good at its job. An 83.8cm working width, for example, means that even heavier workloads can be tackled with ease, while the QV550’s powerful six-blade impeller fan reduces dry leaves and other light material by a ratio of up to 12:1, thus making the very most of the (impressively large) 136 litre collection bag. To aid with disposal of collected material the collector also features an easy to use latch system, thereby removing the hassle of unclipping fiddly clasps or using sticky zippers. Equally handy is the QV550’s height adjustment system (offering working heights from 1.25cm to 7.5cm), which enables quick conversion for use on both turf and hard surfaces.

A hand-propelled model, the QV550 is fitted with two large rear wheels with high-grip tyres, along with two front-mounted casters, which work to ensure exceptional manoeuvrability on all terrain. This added control also makes it easy to negotiate complicated borders and avoid potentially hazardous obstacles. The QV550 is therefore ideal for any situation in which complete control is a priority, with a handy collapsible on-board hose kit (available separately) providing even more precision. Thus, when faced with tough commercial clearance work in busy towns and cities, Billy Goat’s QV550 is truly hard to beat.