Leaf Blowers
Frustration is just an understatement when you see piles of dead leaves covering your backyard each morning upon waking up and since you have to manually clear them away using a rake, it’s a tiring job nonetheless. The thought of using a power blower has crossed you mind many times before and it does make a lot of sense considering the time that will be saved, not to mention strength as well. Before shopping for one, it makes perfect sense to know how to get the best leaf blower for your particular backyard so that after each use, your garden will always look neat and tidy.
Leaf Blower Reviews
Best Cordless Leaf Blower
Leaf Blower Reviews #1: Beating high expectations with generous reviews from expert reviewers and consumers is the best rated Black & Decker NS118 18-Volt Cordless Broom Blower. This Black & Decker leaf blower consist of powerful motor that blows up to 120 mph, strong enough for blowing off unwanted dead leaves and debris from anywhere around the house and lawn / garden. At just 5 lbs, this best leaf blower from Black & Decker is the perfect companion to have in the house for general clean up. Includes sweeper, charger and 2 x 18V batteries.
Best Handheld Electric Leaf Blower
Leaf Blower Reviews #2: Two thumbs up with superb reviews from users and expert testers is the best rated Toro Ultra 51599 12 Amp Electric Blower/Vacuum. Power & versatility combine to produce this powerful Toro leaf blower that makes light work in your blowing jobs. This best leaf blower from Toro features 2 speed (low & high) motor capable of delivering up to 235 mph of air velocity for all the power you need and some more. It’s also a 3-in-1 machine - blower, vacuum as well as leaf shredder. With Quick Release Latch, conversion to a vacuum can be done in seconds to suck in dead leaves and debris for shredding by the serrated metal impeller blades to mulch.
Best Handheld Gas Leaf Blower
Leaf Blower Reviews #3: Simply powerful with rave reviews from expert testers is the best rated Stihl BG55 Leaf Blower. Make light work of your cleanup effort with this powerful Stihl leaf blower. Powered by 27.2 cc engine delivering 0.9 horsepower, this best leaf blower from Stihl starts easily with minimal pull force with primer bulb and throttle lock mechanisms. Features adjustable blower tube with round nozzle to get maximum blowing air of up to 140 mph and 417 cubic feet per minute (CFM) to clear up dead leaves and debris with ease. 3-in-1 blower, vacuum and leaf shredder interchangeable with no tools required.
Best Backpack Gas Leaf Blowers
Leaf Blower Reviews #4: Blowing its way to greater heights with top-notch reviews from professional testers is the best rated Echo PB-265L Leaf Blower. If you’ve always scared stiff seeing your large lawn fully covered with dead leaves every week, then let this Echo leaf blower comes to the rescue. This best leaf blower from Echo is powered by highly efficient 25.4 cc Power Boost Vortex 4-stroke engine that promises more blowing force that any 2-stroke engine ever will. With i30 starter, you can be sure that you’ll use 30% less pulling power to start the engine that any leading competitor while Pro-Fire electronic ignition overcomes cold starting easily. For ease of use, it features padded backrest and shoulder straps for comfort, shock springs designed to reduce engine vibration, Posi-loc pipes to minimize air power, variable speed throttle with cruise control for smoother operation and large 22.3 fl. oz tank for longer blowing operation.
Leaf Blower Reviews #5: Another leaf blower receiving glowing reviews from expert testers is the top rated Husqvarna 356 BFx Backpack Blower. Designed with absolute power in mind, this Husqvarna leaf blower offers unmatched power and quietness in its class. Powered by 3.2 horsepower heavy-duty motor delivering 473 cubic feet per minute (cfm) air volume at just 64db (50ft), you can be assured of faster cleanup when blowing dead leaves, twigs and debris into a pile. Unfortunately though it’s heavy at 24lbs and may tire you out after prolong use. Expensive at $450. Best used by pros or it you’ve got a really large backyard.
Leaf Blower Guide
1) Cordless, Electric or Gas Powered?
Cordless leaf blowers are powered by a rechargeable battery that drives the motor which in turn spins the fan to blow out air from the nozzle. If there’s only a small area that needs to be covered, the best option is to get a cordless leaf blower for efficiency since the power transmitted is more than sufficient to blow away dead leaves and debris into a small pile for removal. Since these cordless leaf blowers are portable and not restricted by any power cord, they can be used anywhere around the yard, even at the far corner which would otherwise be impossible had the electric type be used instead.
Just like the cordless type, electric leaf blowers are also light and quiet when in operation but instead of using a battery, they use electricity from any power outlet to drive the motor which would spin the fan so that strong air can be forced out from the nozzle for blowing away dead leaves and debris. Although offering slightly higher blowing speeds and larger volume of air displacement when compared to the cordless type, these electric leaf blowers are not portable in the sense that their mobility are severely restricted by the length of the electrical cord and hence for blowing away dead leaves and debris at some secluded spot far away from the power outlet is impossible.
Gas-powered leaf blowers have either 2-cycle or 4-cycle engines that drive the fan which in turn force out air fiercely to make any leaf blowing task at hand much easier. Perfect for mid to large gardens, gas leaf blowers offer 2 distinct advantages of firstly portability (since no electrical cord needed) and secondly the powerful engine blows air at such remarkable speed and larger volume of air displacement to get jobs done faster. Unfortunately though, these gas leaf blowers are also heavy to carry around, noisy and emits harmful gas when in use but the tradeoff is often faster blowing time.
2) Handheld, Backpack or Walk-Behind?
Handheld leaf blowers are perfect for use on most lawns since they are cheap and offer portability as well. Available in either battery-operated, electric or gas-powered types, these handheld leaf blowers are best used on small backyards of less than 1/2 acre since despite their portability, they are not powerful enough to get tasks done quickly.
You may have seen professional contractors on parks strapping backpack leaf blowers on their back and blowing away dead leaves around into a big pile for removal later on. These backpack leaf blowers have bigger engines and as such they can only be powered by gas but their main strength lies in unmatched higher blowing speeds and larger cubic feet per minute of air volume displaced so hence best used on large backyards of up to 3/4 acre.
When you have yards that are 3/4 are and above, instead of tiring yourself by using a handheld or backpack leaf blowers to blow away dead leaves and debris, a much fruitful alternative would be to use a walk-behind leaf blower to cut down on blowing time tremendously. As the name suggests, walk-behind leaf blowers have wheels so it’s easier to pull along as you blow away dead leaves and debris in sight and with bigger engines incorporated, they are gas-powered as well.
3) Blower or Blower / Vacuum Combo?
A standalone leaf blower can only blow air out from the nozzle so that dead leaves can be piled up together and when the time comes for removal, you need to scoop up those dead leaves and place them into a black disposal plastic bag yourself. When it comes to leaf blower / vacuum combo type, besides blowing away dead leaves into a pile, there’s a switch for conversion to a vacuum that can be used to suck those dead leaves (similar operation as that of a vacuum cleaner). If you’re thinking of getting a leaf blower / vacuum combo, it’s best to get one that offers mulching capabilities as well since the dead leaves that are vacuumed in can be mulched down to a fraction of the original volume of between 10 - 16 (on some selected models).
4) Engine
Using simple logic, a bigger capacity engine will definitely offer much higher blowing speeds as well as larger volume of air displacement so you can blow away more dead leaves and debris faster. When it comes to gas-powered leaf blower engines, they are often expressed in cc (cubic capacity) and more often than not lie in the 20 cc - 60 cc range. Anything higher than that are reserved for professionals only since you might not be able to handle the extra power generated.
5) MPH & CFM
The most common specifications that you’ll ever find associated with leaf blowers are miles per hour (MPH) of air speed and cubic feet per minute (CFM) of air volume displaced. These 2 specifications are so important to the extent that manufacturers often used them as selling point to get buyers all excited. It’s no brainer that the higher the numbers, the more powerful the leaf blowers should be but more often than not these 2 numbers are often inversely proportional to each other. For example a leaf blower quoted at high CFM (large opening nozzle) yet have a low MPH (less pressure) can barely blow leaves, perhaps light debris only while a leaf blower that is quoted with having a high MPH (high pressure) but unfortunately with less CFM (small opening nozzle) could only move leaves for just 1 meter at most. If you’re looking for some of the best leaf blowers around, do make an effort to search for one with both high MPH & CFM, possibly above 200 MPH and 300 CFM built-in so that you can expect both power and performance at the same time.
Best / Top Rated Leaf Blower Brands
Black & Decker Leaf Blower - Black & Decker Is The Brand You can Rely On
It’s no surprise that Black & Decker leaf blowers continue to outperform the competition in quality and performance. Such is their esteemed brand power.
Echo Leaf Blower - Echo Blows Hard
You can depend on Echo leaf blowers to get the job done when needed. Backed by 30 years of dedication and commitment to produce quality products that’s trusted by consumers and pros alike, these leaf blowers are no different.
Homelite Leaf Blower - Homelite Is The Home Specialist
With unrelentless focus on innovation & performance, Homelite leaf blowers continue to be well-received by consumers opting for quality tools for their lawn care.
Husqvarna Leaf Blower - Husqvarna Blows Up, Up & Away
When clearing needs to be done, Husqvarna leaf blowers do a fine job at it. This Swedish master makes it all too easy.
Little Wonder Leaf Blower - Makes You Wonder In Awe
With bold claims of having the best-designed leaf blowers ever, Little Wonder certainly backs up that claim with comprehensive analysis and testing to create power blowers that’s unmatched in intensity and performance.
Poulan Leaf Blower - Poulan Offers Value For Money
Snapper Leaf Blower - Snapper Blows It Far Away
When you want to clear dead leaves and debris, Snapper leaf blowers give you the extra power needed to get tasks done quickly. What you get will simply blow your breath away.
Stihl Leaf Blower - Stihl Blows Hot
Consumers all over the world have relied on Stihl leaf blowers to get their tasks done easier and with utmost efficiency. With tireless innovation dated way back in 1926, expect nothing but the best.