Electric leaf blowers - great for tasks around the house

In this post I’m going to tell you a couple of things about the electric blowers, with accent on their pros and cons, and also I’ll show you what are the most popular such house tools in the US at the moment, based on marks and reviews regular buyers gave them on various online websites.

So, here’s what’s to like about an electric leaf blower:

• these devices are generally pretty quiet and clean, as they work on electricity
• also, they won’t generate as many vibrations as a gas blowers
• they provide decent power, but can’t face heavy stuff like moving vast amounts of leafs or big wet debriefs (wet leafs are a problem too)
• most versions offer mulcher/vacuum functions as well
• they come with pretty affordable prices, but remember, you do get what you pay for in the end.

And of course, there are some bad parts:

• while some electric blowers can offer a decent amount of power, they are not match for the petrol ones.
• they require to be always connected to a power cord, and you’ll have to drag a cable around you. This limits mobility a lot and brings extra costs (as you might need a longer cable to be able to perform all the needed tasks, and this might be pricey)
• most such devices only come with 1 year warranty (there are some with 2 years though)

You do get stuck with a pesky power cord in your way though

So, electric blowers are great for basic tasks around the house. If you plan to use them for driveways, decks, garage floor or in the yard, but don’t have too many trees or a big lot, if you live in California (where most gas blowers are banned) or if you leave somewhere in the south (where you’ll seldom have to face wet leaves), these machinery are great for you. Plus you do get a clean and quiet device and you won’t have to spend a fortune on it. However, if mobility and power are the things you need, you’d better turn towards one of these gas leaf blowers.

Now, that you know what to expect from these electric tools, here are the devices most popular right now in the US, based on price/performance ratio and reviews from those already owning them. Click each name for more details or the option to buy each model. And one more thing, prices are with discount and most fo the time Shipping included.

• Toro 51599 Ultra – price around $60 – handheld, 12 amp engine, variable speed, 235 mph air blow, most popular in the US right now in this class, 3-in-1 blower/vacuum/mulcher, metallic impeller

• Troy-Bilt TB125QS Mulchinator – price around $90 – handheld, 12 amp 2-speed engine, 257 mph air speed, 425 CFM, 3-in-1 blower/vacuum/mulcher with leaf bag included, 2 years warranty

• WORX TriVac WG500 – price around $95 – handheld, 12 amp engine, 210 mph air speed, 3-in-1 blower/vacuum/mulcher, ergonomic and light body

• Black & Decker LH4500 – price around $65 – handheld, 12 amp 2 speed engine, 240 mph air speed, 385 CFM, 3-in-1 blower/vacuum/mulcher, comes with leaf bag

• Weed Eater WEB160 – price around $39 – handheld, 7.5 amp single speed engine, 160 mph air speed, light, very cheap and reliable

• Toro 51585 – price around $39 – handheld, 7 amp 2-speed engine, 160 mph air speed, very light, good reviews from owners

As you can see, you have a couple of different options for good electric blowers, all with discounted prices. You can see some more in here , plus accessories for them in the dedicated category on this site. Remember that if you want to get them in the grass, you should pick something with an air speed above 200 mph. In fact, the more powerful the better, although power on such machines comes with increased size and noise levels (to around 70 db).

Of course, there are surely other good electric leaf blowers on the market I might have missed. If you happen to know some, please leave a comment and I’ll have a look. For now, that’s about it and I do hope I’ve helped you pick a proper leaf blower tool, according to your needs and budget.

Cordless leaf blowers - light and easy to use by anyone

They do come with some unbeatable advantages other types of leaf blowers cannot offer. We’re going to talk about those, but also about the problems you should expect when using such battery powered devices, in the next rows. And after that, we’ll show you what are at the moment the best options for cordless leaf blowers and where you can get them for the best discounted prices.

First, let’s see why we like these house tools:

• they are very light and easy to use with only one held
• they are pretty quiet and vibrations produced by the electric power are not an inconvenience
• they are battery powered, thus cordless, so you don’t get stuck with a pesky cord bothering you
• they are clean to use, as they runs with electricity, unlike gas powered machines
• they are pretty affordable (although more expensive than electric ones, at least for some versions)

And of course, there are some problems too. First, these machines really lack power. Although there are some exceptions, you can consider these more like leaf sweepers, devices you can use to clear leafs and dust from decks, garage floor and stairs; just don’t take them in the grass, they’ll be powerless there. Gas powered blowers would be the ones to pick for that job.

Also, since they are powered by batteries, they depend on autonomy, which in most cases is between 10 to 30 minutes. So, if you have jobs that should take longer, you’re going to wait for them to recharge. Which, depending on the type of batteries used (NiCad or LiPo), can take hours or tens of minutes.

Now, let’s see what you should pick if you’re looking for such a device. The models listed in here were chosen based on my experience with them (or what I’ve head from friends) or based on reviews and marks published by users on various online sources. So be sure they are some of the best and the most popular in their class.

• Earthwise CB20018 – a compact and cheap electric sweeper, offers enough power for your lawns and decks, but not that much for cleaning leafs and debriefs from the grass; batter only lasts for 30 minutes tops

• Black & Decker NS118 – another cheap cordless sweeper, a bit more compact and with a bit more battery life; scrored great marks and reviews with those who already own it

• Makita BUB182Z – powerful for an electric cordless blower, but also a bit more expensive; comes with 3 years warranty

• LEHR BV025H – an ecological blower/vacuum/mulcher powered by propane, it’s pretty light and can work for about 2 hours with one fuel tank

• WORX Air WG540.5 - powerful for an electric sweeper and proper priced, it’s also very light and charges in only 30 minutes in order to offer around 45 minutes of use on high speed

And you can also check out the cordless leaf blowers in our dedicated category or look for suitable accessories for them in here.

So that’s about it. As you can see, there are quite a couple of battery powered leaf blowers you can choose from, some cheaper, some more expensive, some better, some with poorer performances. According to your budget and requirements though, you should find a suitable one.

First, here’s why a gas leaf blower is great:

• are the most powerful types of blowers money can buy, thus productivity when working with them is high
• provide top mobility, as you have no power cords to carry around
• due to their power, are suited for all kind of jobs and can face all types of debriefs, from leafs to rocks and more

Handheld leaf blowers

As for the bad parts:

• because of the gas engine, most say they are filthier and noisier than electric blowers. Still, they do have to meet all kind of regulations in order to be accepted on the market, so if you go for a modern petrol leaf blower, you’ll be nicely impressed by them
• they are usually quite heavy, somewhere from 6 to 25 pounds for the big industrial one, but if you pick one of those backpack models, you won’t have any problems with carrying them around the yard
• requires a special mixture of gas and oil to work, a fuel you can get from specialized stores and could be quite pricey in time

Backpack gas leaf blowers

All in all, it’s obvious a gas leaf blower is a machine built for power. If you have a big yard and need to clean it fast and easy, this tool can be of great help, with the expense of some noise and minor pollution. However, if these inconveniences bother you, there are other options too, like electric or battery powered blowers, but each with their own down-parts.

Now that we’ve seen what you should expect from a gas powered leaf blower, here are some of the best petrol leaf blowers available on the market right now. Clicking the links for each of these tools will take you on pages with more details about each of them (prices include discounts and most of the time Free Shipment).

• Homelite Gas MightyLite Blower – price around 60 bucks – handheld, decent power, pretty light, reliable, factory reconditioned

• Ryobi ZR08510 – price around 80 bucks – portable, very powerful for a handled device, light and solid built, reliable, factory reconditioned

• Poulan Pro PPBP300 – price around 180 bucks – backpack, powerful, compact

• Makita BHX2500 – price around 200 bucks – handheld, top power for a portable gas blower, 5 out of 5 marks from previous buyers

• LEHR BV025HH – price around 200 bucks – backpack, blower/vacuum/mulcher, ecological – propane powered, clean

• Troy-Bilt TB4BP – price around 250 bucks – backpack, very powerful and very reliable, light for its class, benefits from excellent reviews

• Tanaka TBL-7800R – price around 530 bucks – backpack, ultra powerful, meant for industrial use, 5 out of 5 marks from buyers

And you can also check out the gas/petrol leaf blowers in our dedicated category or look for suitable accessories for them in here.

Also, you might notice that there are no Mcculloch, Echo or Stihl devices included in this list. And I’ll tell you why: they are greatly overrated and if you’ll do your research online you’ll see that quite a lot of people have problems with them. Stihl does offer however 5 years warranty for their products, so their machines can be a nice pick, but unfortunately buying their products online can be a little bit complicated.

Gas powered blowers are built for power

So that’s about it for now. As I’ve told you, this list is made based on my or my friends experience with these products and also on what previous owners posted about them in online reviews on various sources. So, these products are popular because they are good. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t any high quality gas powered leaf blowers on the market, so if you’ve spotted a model I’ve missed, please leave a comment and I’ll look into it.

And that’s actually a good thing, as these machines are way more comfortable to use than the hand-held ones. The best backpack leaf blowers available now come with gas engines and even so, are not that noisy or dirty. Modern petrol powered leaf blowers really have to respect a pile of regulations on noise and pollution levels, so don’t worry about this aspect. Also, since they are gas powered, you can expect them to provide quite some muscles, being able to handle nearly everything: big piles of leafs both dry or wet, racks, small rocks and all kind of other debriefs.

There are some electric backpack blowers available on the market too, and although they run cleaner and are more eco-friendly, i wouldn’t recommend them, because you’ll get stuck with the pesky power cord limiting your maneuverability and you’ll also get way lees power than on a petrol machine.

Once again, i have to tell you that backpack leaf blowers are in fact very comfortable, although weighing around 18-20 pounds. They come with special harnesses and also a special designed system to reduce the amount of vibration transmitted from the engine to the saddle. Plus, for most of them, you get throttle control mounted conveniently on the pipe, only to make your work more pleasant.

Below you’re going to find some of the most popular black-pack leaf blowers available on the market right now. There are a couple of different models with different price tags, so you can easily find something within your budget. Also, all the tools present here were chosen based on marks and reviews posted by people owning them, on various websites and forums. So be sure these devices are top picks for sure.

• Troy-Bilt TB2BP – a cheap and yet fast backpack blower, with a small 2-stroke gas engine and a good price (not-Carb Compliant – not for sale in California)

• Troy-Bilt TB4BP – a more powerful blower than the one before, with a quiet and economic 4-stroke gas engine and a proper price tag

• Husqvarna 130BT – a cheap 2-stroke engine powered gas blower, with an excellent body design and comfortable harness; not carb-compliant, but runs pretty quiet and offers tube-mounted controls

• Husqvarna 350BT - the most popular in its class in the last years, this blower is powerful and uses a CARB-Compliant engine (thus low-polluting and quiet), plus a smart chassis meant to reduce vibrations. So definitely a best buy if you’ve got the budget (around $300)
  

• Tanaka TBL-7800R - an industrial backpack leaf blower with a 4-stroke 65 cc gas-powered engine, is the most powerful in this list, but also the heaviest and the most expensive (goes for $500+). It’s designed for wide areas and it’s definitely a great tool if you really require its abilities.

Of course, you can also see the designated backpack leaf blower category here on this site for more deals and reviews, or look for suitable accessories for them in here.

And I’m aware that there might be some other good devices out there right now I might have missed, so if you know any worth joining this lit, don’t hesitate to post a comment.

But for now, that’s about it. I do hope i could give you a hand understanding the things you should know about backpack leaf blowers and hopefully you were able to find a device that can fit you needs and budget withing the ones listed in this article.

On the market there are a couple of different types of leaf vacuums and we’re going to talk about the most important ones in this post.

Leaf sweepers - these machines are pretty big and use a gas engine in order to suck leafs and debriefs in a special hamper. In this post you can read more about leaf sweepers. The fact is that these devices are practical for large flat areas, but won’t be any good in tight corners or between trees and bushes.

For those, i would recommend using the leaf blowers with vacuum functions. You could go for a gas blower, but most of the times the electric ones will come with this feature. By pressing a button, you’ll switch between blower and vacuum. After that, you’ll just have to attach the special leaf vacuum hose and you’re good to go.

The good part with these devices is that they also come with a muncher that shreds all the vacuumed stuff, which is then deposited in the special bags attached. You should be careful to pick a machine with a metallic muncher, because those cheaper models with plastic ones tend to fail quite often (the muncher breaks when facing tougher debriefs).

So, in order to use a vacuum blower you will need the special hose (which comes with a wider nose than the one used for blowing leafs) and the bag attachments. Both are most of the time included when buying the blower. The bags can be reused, as they come with a zipper so you can empty them in the dumpster. However, they have limited life cycle, as you’ll have to get new bags after a couple of tens of uses (luckily, they are not too expensive).

These leaf vacuum machines can be handheld or back-packed. And also electric or gas powered like I’ve said above. You can see some of the best existing versions in here. Frankly, i would go for the gas powered machines if you can afford them, as they are way better in terms of power and mobility. Electricity powered ones will do fine too if you can get used with the cord, but you get less mobility and in most cases, less power as well, while being lighter, quieter and less polluting.

In the end, it’s pretty obvious that leaf blower vacuums are way more practical for gathering leafs and debriefs in your back-yard. And although more expensive than regular blowers, they will be more comfortable to use for cleaning than the standard machines.

So, industrial leaf blowers are the ones you should pick when having to deal with even the toughest of debriefs. They are the picks for landscaping companies or factories, but If you have a big yard with plenty of trees and bushes, it would be wise to get one of these too.

Since industrial blowers are powerful, it’s pretty obvious most such devices will be gas powered. And we’re talking about those versions with big engines, above 55 cc, capable o delivering 400+ CFM at pipe and air speeds of above 150 mph.

But, even the powerful electric or handheld blowers will be sometimes categorized as industrial, especially since their performances are way above what most other machines in their categories can deliver.

Below you can find some examples of such machines that should suit your needs:

• Makita BUB182Z cordless blower – going for under $100, this electric blower is powerful and require no cords, as it runs on batteries. Still, don’t expect wonders, but if you need something portable and faster than those electric sweepers, this is the one

• Poulan Pro PPBP300 backpack blower – this backpack leaf blower goes for around 170 bucks and is powered by a 30 cc gas engine. It scores good reviews with current owners ans is also quite reliable, being sold with 2 years warranty be default

• Husqvarna 125BX handheld blower – Also powered by a gas engine and almost as powerful as the Poulan above, this Husqvarna is a compact beast. It’s not very heavy, as it’s a handheld gas blower, but you’ll still need some muscles to handle this beast. Goes for around $180 bucks.

• Tanaka Commercial grade blower – in the world of blowers, Tanaka means power. In fact, you’ll hardly find any backpack leaf blower more powerful, thanks to the 65 cc 2-stroke engine you get on this one. Yes, it’s pretty heavy and expensive, but it will get the job done like no other device in here.

Also see this link for a couple of the best options on industrial leaf blowers.

Industrial leaf blowers - power overwhelming

Still, as a conclusion, if you need such powerful blower, go for a petrol powered one. They won’t disappoint you, however they will be indeed pricey, with price tags above 300 bucks (and some of the top models reaching $500-$700 marks). But if you afford them and need them, by all means, get them.

These are some big mean machines. Gas powered and with big engines, they will blow leafs like no other tool and cut the time needed for big jobs by quite a lot. However, they also come with disadvantages.

Wheeled leaf blowers are mean and powerful

Why pick a wheeled leaf blower?

Because they are powerful, it’s just that simple. While even the best back-packed blowers come with engines with around 5-7 hp, wheeled machines can be equipped with engines more powerful: some even reach 16-20 hp. That translates in 2000+ CFM and air-flow of way above 200 mph. All these help blowing more leafs at a time and faster. Plus, branches, rocks and other types of debriefs will be blown into oblivion too.

Of course, all the power comes from a petrol powered engine, thus you will get mobility and won’t have to deal with pesky power cords like on electric blowers.

Below are some examples of such yard cleaners:

• Yardwise Manual push-over sweeper – cheap and with plenty of space in the hamper, this wheeled sweeper will also get you in shape just before the Winter seasons knocks at your door

• Troy Bilt 24 – this is a 3 in 1 wheeled beast, that acts like a massive and powerful vacuum and is mostly suited for big areas, where he’ll be able to justify the hefty price tag. Careful though, this one is not a blower, but a leaf vacuum/mulcher

• Swisher Poly lawn cleaner – this is probably one of the most powerful leaf blowers/vacuums you can get on the market these days, but it’s also massive and will set you back nerly 1500 bucks.

And here’s a clip that shows you what these machines are capable of.

What are the disadvantages of wheeled blowers?

There are in fact a couple. First, these machines are big and heavy. Weighing around 100-150 pounds, they are mounted on 2 or 3 wheel frames and maneuvering them around is not that simple.

Then, because they are so powerful, they are noisy and eat gas fast. And although the modern ones have to meet tons of regulations before reaching stores, they might bother some people.

Also, they tend to work on large open spaces and will have problems dealing with corners and tight spaces. And, unlike leaf sweepers, they will only blow the leafs. You will still have to gather them somehow afterward.

Last but not least, wheeled leaf blowers are expensive: they cost between $300 and $1000 and the top versions might be even more.

Conclusions

In the end, it’s pretty obvious most of us won’t need a wheeled leaf blower. They are suited for landscaping companies with big contracts and will be very useful on large plain lots. Their characteristics make these wheeled machines great for their money, but only if you need the performances they provide.

However, for around the house use, i would recommend checking these posts about gas leaf blowers and electric ones. You will also get good performance in way more compact machines and for far less money.

And, unlike leaf blowers that only move leafs around, they also collect them in a special container so it’s easier to dispose them after-awards. So, you can think of these lawn leaf sweepers as ecological vacuum cleaners for your garden.

There are basically two types of lawn sweepers available on the market: pushed or towed. Both work on the same principle: they have an axis with two wheels and a hamper for gathering debriefs. The axis between the wheels has a cylinder with some special brushes which spin when moving the machine and push the leafs and other things into the storage hopper.

Two main types of leaf sweepers: towed or pushed

A push lawn sweeper is most of the time operated manually (there are some versions with petrol engines though), by a human, and it’s decently cheap (around 100 bucks or less). It is also smaller and easier to store when not used, but that’s mainly because it uses a smaller capacity hopper.

Tow behind lawn sweepers on the other hand can be towed by a lawn tractor or an ATV and make gathering leafs more comfortable this way. Plus, most models can dump the debriefs with the press of a single button. Also, they offer a bigger storage area in the hamper, but cost more (around a couple of hundreds of bucks) and are quite bulkier, so will take a lot of room in your garage when stored.

No matter which one you choose, such a device is great to have around the house, especially if you have a big lawn (helps if it’s properly maintained and freshly cut) and you care about the environment. Not to mention those hand operated ones are good for your physical condition too. But, bare in mind, the main criteria to have in mind when picking one of these would be hopper capacity, warranty and of course, budget.

One thing's for sure: it's easier to use one of these sweepers than the classic rake

Lawn sweepers can’t totally replace blowers, as they only work on vast flat areas and are pretty much useless on corners and tight spaces. But, they do make gathering debriefs easier, that’s why people really appreciate them.

Now that we all know what a leaf lawn sweeper is, let’s see what are some of the best available such devices on the market right now, in the following list. Machines you’ll find bellow were all picked based on popularity and ratings received from owners in the entire US and posted on various online webstores and forums. So, be sure they are some of the best options you can get.

There aren’t many such sweepers available on the market right now, but from them, we can recommend the Yardwise manual push sweeper, that comes with a great price, is reliable and has plenty of space in its hamper for a medium sized garden or lawn. If you want something more powerful, there’s also the gas powered Troy Bilt mulcher/vacuum cleaner, but that one, while being a beast, it comes with a hefty price tag so it’s better suited for huge lawns. As for towed sweepers, I Feel like they are a bit overpriced so I can’t really recommend any of them for the time being.

And of course, you can always check for more good options in the dedicated leaf lawn sweeper category on our site.

Now that’s about it. Hopefully we’ve helped you learn more about leaf sweepers and also pick one that could meet your budget and suit the requirements. So, happy gardening guys and don’t forget to leave a reply if you have any questions or just want to say hi.

If the answer is big and many, then you’ll have to go for a petrol powered leaf blower. I’ll explain later why. If the answers is not big but no that small either, you would still have to go for the petrol powered blower. Only if your garden is pretty small and you have just a lawn with a couple of trees, you could settle for an electric blower, if you want to save some bucks and get a cleaner machine.

As you might know (if you didn’t, you do now), petrol powered leaf blowers are the most powerful of all. They have a gas engine and are pretty big and heavy, so most of the times they are backpack devices. However, even though they are little bit dirty (because of the petrol) and noisy, are the best in cleaning large areas and provide great mobility.

Electric blowers on the other side are less powerful and require a permanent connection to a power line. But they are less polluting and also less noisy.

In terms of prices, the gas powered blowers are a little bit more expensive, around $100-$250 , while electric blowers run between $40 to $100. There are of course exceptions in both cases, but you would find a good pick in those price margins.

If you’d ask me, i would definitely go for a gas powered blower, no matter what. You should be careful though, in some US states only some certain petrol blowers are allowed; you’ll have to ask details in the shops and read the legislation. Still, they are the best at their job and i simply cannot stand having a cable around me all the time.

So, if you’re looking for a garden leaf blower, you have two choices: petrol or electric devices. Just pick the one you think would suit your needs best.

There however different types of leaf blowers available on the market, some more powerful than others, some bigger, heavier and with more features. In here we’re going to talk about electric leaf blowers though and see why are they a good pick and why would anybody buy them.

First, i have to say electric blowers are medium powered. They can face standard debriefs, but i wouldn’t force them too much.

Then, they have an electric engine and need to be connected to a power line all the time. This damamges mobility a lot, but if your lawn is not that big and you have a long power cable, you should be just fine.

Since they are electric, these devices are non polluting and as quite as such a device can be (you’ll still hear them, but they won’t be as loud as the petrol powered tools). Also, they come with lots of nice features, including adjustable air cones, adjustable air speed and vacuum/mulcher functions. All these for a price that start from $30 for the low end versions and can get up to $80 for the better ones. Here you can find some of the best such electric leaf blowers on the market right now, according to reviews and features.

There would be many more to say about these devices, but i don’t want to bore you. As a conclusion, if you’re looking for a good priced leaf blower, pretty quiet and non polluting and you don’t need too much mobility or too much power, an electric blower is a good choice for you. In fact, most medium household owners pick such devices. They are mostly hand-held and light/compact enough to easily use them and then store them in you closet.