It soon will be that time of the year again when leaves begin to change color and fall. As beautiful as these colorful leaves look, they always end up leaving our surroundings looking messy. Thankfully, we have the perfect solution for such a mess. In this buying guide, we have listed down the top-rated leaf blowers in 2023. These blowers are available in different sizes and can be powered through various means. Most of them run on battery power to offer exceptional portability. The major function performed by a leaf blower is to displace fallen leaves, although you can use them for cleaning up small rocks, branches, and snow as well. Also, some leaf blowers have a built-in vacuum function as well, offering you dual functionality at the price of one device.
Searching for the best leaf blower largely depends on the size of the space you want to work. You also need to gather knowledge on a few important things. This buying guide will provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision when searching for a leaf blower. With this information, you will be able to select a leaf blower that is best suited to your needs and would be the easiest for you to use.
Leaf blowers are usually categorized based on how they are held. The following are the types of leaf blowers that you can expect to find in the market.
These units are popular among homeowners, they are perfect for small-scale jobs, and they pack all essential features in one small unit. Leaf blowers that fall into this category are lightweight and can be handled without using both hands.
Weighing twice as much as handheld leaf blowers are the backpack leaf blowers suitable for use in garages and large fields. These leaf blowers can be used for extended periods, and the motor can be carried around either by placing it under your armpits or in a backpack.
These leaf blowers, sometimes called walk behind leaf blowers, offer maximum power. They are used by professionals and are suitable for large-scale jobs. They also pack functions that make them the perfect leaf blowers for large parking lots. One of the few drawbacks with them, however, is that they require constant maintenance.
When it comes to powering your leaf blower, the power options are decided by the manufacturer. Here are the different ways leaf blowers can be powered.
One of the most popular ways of powering a leaf blower is by using gasoline and oil. The oil serves to lubricate the engine when the blower is being used.
With gas leaf blower, you don’t have to worry about the length of the blower cord being too short or the battery running out of juice. These leaf blowers also pack a lot of power in them. These leaf blowers are, however, very loud, and many times they come with many maintenance requirements.
Because of their loud noise, gas backpack leaf blower might not be ideal for at-home leaf blowing jobs, but you can find out some awesome tips on how to efficiently use a gas leaf blower in your neighborhood from this video below.
Leaf blowers powered with the aid of a cord are light. They also pack enough power that rivals gas-powered leaf blowers. However, movement with leaf blowers in this category is usually restricted by the length of the cord and the tendency for the cord to get tangled up during use.
For this reason, they are best suited for small to medium-sized yards.
Battery-powered leaf blowers are perfect if you want to escape the hassles of corded electric leaf blowers and gas-powered leaf blowers. Cordless leaf blowers gives more mobility while being lightweight.
These blowers are, however, limited by the battery capacity. Most battery-powered leaf blowers offer a use time of only two hours, after which the battery will need to be recharged. Also, the presence of a battery adds to the weight of the blower.
Here are a few factors that you should consider when searching for the best leaf blower.
Most often, the size of the job will determine the type of leaf blower that is needed to complete the task with the least amount of time and effort.
Small jobs, like blowing leaves and cleaning the patio, are best handled with the help of portable handheld cordless leaf blowers. Cleaning small-sized yards also belongs in this category. However, leaf blowers that are used for small jobs don’t pack as much power as the next two that will be discussed.
Jobs in this category are larger and usually take more time to complete, oftentimes more than two hours. For this kind of leaf blowing task, we recommend the backpack leaf blower. Backpack leaf blowers offer a bit of comfort, are slightly portable, and make accomplishing the job easy.
Jobs in this category can only be accomplished easily with wheeled gas leaf blowers. This category includes areas like parks, farmlands, and large lawns. When using this blower, you must practice safety by wearing goggles to protect your eyes from dust and other particles. Also, make sure the area is free of people and animals.
The weight and portability of a leaf blower define how comfortable using it will be for the user. If a lightweight machine is important to you, then corded electric leaf blowers are the best for you, especially if the task is small.
Also, the portability of the blower relates to how easy it will be to move from its storage space to the place of use. Corded and cordless electric leaf blowers are the most portable leaf blowers available today.
You need to define what power source you want your leaf blower to use. Your selection should be based on the largeness of the task at hand and how far you are from a power outlet. If the job is small, the cordless battery-powered leaf blower is the best. It is lightweight and noiseless.
On the other hand, if the task is a large one that requires a lot of power to blow the leaves, dirt, and debris, then gas-powered leaf blowers are what you need.
Whatever type of leaf blower you pick, ensure you check the power rating before making your selection.
The power rating of a gas leaf blower is usually measured in cubic centimeters, while corded electric leaf blowers are measured in amps. Cordless battery-powered leave blowers are measured in volts. The higher the rating, the better the performance of the leaf blower.
Another important factor that you must confirm in a leaf blower is the airflow rating and airspeed rating. These two factors will determine how efficient your leaf blower will be. The airflow rating usually measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM) refers to the amount of air that the leaf blower can produce since, as you know, a leaf blower blows leaves away by using a powerful airflow.
The airspeed rating is equally important. It is measured in MPH, and it refers to the speed of air that comes out of the leaf blower. This speed can also be varied, and you must choose a leaf blower that can deliver air at a fast speed of at least 60mph for small tasks and 120mph for medium to large tasks.
You should also consider the noise level of whichever leaf blower you intend to buy. While battery-powered and corded electric leaf blowers are almost noiseless, gas-powered leaf blowers are noisy machines. These leaf blowers go as high as 100 decibels, while many electric-powered ones are between 60 and 70 decibels.
Before buying a powerful leaf blower, ensure you check your local authority on the allowed noise limit for leaf blowers.
From the staples of BLACK+DECKER comes down to battery-power in leaf blowers, none comes close to the low noise BLACK+DECKER leaf blower. This leaf blower is not restricted only to clearing debris from surfaces, patios, walkways, driveways, and garages; it can also be used as a vacuum cleaner.
This leaf blower weighs only around 6.9lbs, making it very convenient to carry and use. It has an on-device battery indicator that lets you know when the battery level is too low, timely prompting you to recharge the device to ensure reliable operation.
The Sun Joe Leaf blower is the best corded electric blower. It is noted for its high speed, which is useful in cleaning patios, driveways, decks, and garages. It also saves up storage space with its compact design, and weighs only around 3.9lbs, making it easy to carry and use.
The powerful motor installed in this leaf blower can churn out air at a speed of up to 155mph, strong enough to blow even the heaviest of leaves with ease. It features a concentrator nozzle that helps increase the speed of airflow, enabling faster leaf-clearing operation.
The lightweight king is the SnapFresh leaf blower, this makes it the most portable and easiest to handle. It is also made using the highest quality components and packs many features that make it one of the choicest leaf blowers around.
The innovative turbocharged technology incorporated in this leaf blower releases air at a high speed of 130mph, making it very efficient to use. This blower has dual-speed functionality, allowing you to run it at 60mph as well, depending on the task at hand. The tubes are also adjustable, allowing people of almost all heights to use it with ease.
When it comes to noiseless use, no other leaf blower comes close to the Dewalt leaf blower. The design and efficiency of this battery-powered leaf blower make it stand out from other leaf blowers.
The concentrator nozzle amplifies the air velocity and releases air at a speed of up to 125mph, so you can clear both indoor and outdoor spaces very quickly. This blower has a very quiet operation, barely making any noise above 66dB, thanks to its brushless motor that also helps increase the battery backup time. You can get a runtime of up to 87 minutes on a single charge, hence this device requires very infrequent recharging.
The KIMO Leaf blower makes leaf blowing chores a breeze. This leaf blower is not only restricted to blowing leaves, it can also be used to clear snow. The brilliantly powerful motor installed in this blower releases air at a speed of up to 170mph, which is among the highest that you will find in a leaf blower.
The impressively ergonomic shape of this leafblower, combined with its lightweight build, makes it very easy to handle. It weighs only 2.7lbs, so you are unlikely to feel any fatigue while using it. Also, it comes with a fast charger that fully charges the device in around one hour.
When looking for a variable speed corded electric leaf blower, trust none other than the WORX leaf blower. Like the name says, this leaf blower works, and it packs many high-grade technological innovations into one compact machine to make your life much easier.
This leaf blower features variable speed control, allowing you to switch between two speeds up to 110mph to get the job done. The air volume is high enough that it can clear out an area measuring 600 cubic feet in a minute, making it very efficient to use. It also comes with an attachable nozzle that you can use to concentrate the airflow even further, which can be especially useful while tackling tougher jobs.
A: Are you looking to purchase a leaf blower? Then the price will depend on the type of blower you intend to get. Backpack leaf blowers can cost as high as $500, but on average, they cost $250. Handheld leaf blowers can be divided into corded and cordless electric; the corded leaf blowers cost between $30-$110, while their cordless counterparts cost between $150-$300. Lastly, the walk-behind leaf blowers, which are gas-powered, cost an average of $800, leaf blowers in this category can cost as much as $2500.
A: When choosing between a combination of high MPH and low CFM or high CFM and low MPH, we recommend that you go for the higher CFM option. While these two criteria are very important, a blower with a higher CFM will blow more leaves than a blower with a high MPH. This is because CFM directly relates to the blower's power. While MPH only refers to the speed at which air comes out of the leaf blower.
A: Compared to gas-powered and battery-powered leaf blowers, corded electric leaf blowers are the better option for many. Not only do they have enough power to compete with a gas leaf blower, they also offer silent operations like cordless battery-powered leaf blowers. In addition to this, they are eco-friendly as they do not give off toxic emissions.
A: Gas leaf blowers pose some health risks as they produce formaldehyde, Benzine, and smog-causing particles, which play a big part in causing dizziness, asthma attacks, heart diseases, and even cancer.
A: A gas leaf blower should last an average of 1000hours with proper maintenance and care. This means regular homeowners will be able to use their gas-powered leaf blowers for up to 10yrs.
