Considerations When Purchasing a Leaf Blower

Take a look at your individual circumstance first ;

How big is your garden, and how many leaves do you have to clear up each year during the autumn?

What is your noise awareness?

Additionally, what level is your budget?

To pick the best leaf blower for your property, carefully consider the answers to these questions.

Leaf blowers are classified by two factors: how they are carried (i.e. form factor) and the type of power source used for operation. Let’s start with the form factor.

Leaf Blowers Come in a Variety of Shapes and Sizes

Leaf Blowers (Handheld)

The most common leaf blower for use at home is a hand-held model. For modest projects, these self-contained compact blowers are ideal.

Leaf Blowers on a Backpack

Backpack leaf blowers allow you to keep the blower tube in your hand while carrying the motor on your back. These leaf blowers are typically more powerful than handheld leaf blowers and the harness makes them more comfortable to use. They’re a terrific choice for long periods of continuous use.

Wheeled & Stand-On Leaf Blowers/Garden Vacs

Leaf blowers that have a wheeled design and stand-on design, are both the most powerful and the least strenuous on the body to use, they’re an excellent option for large gardens. However, for some households the time required to properly store and maintain these types of machinery may be impractical.

After deciding on a style, it’s time to consider the power source, Petrol, Electric, or Cordless?

Petrol Leaf Blower

The most powerful equipment for dealing with leaves is a petrol-powered blower. They are, however, the loudest and demand the most maintenance.

Electric Leaf Blower with Cable

Electric blowers that are corded may be plugged into any regular outlet. They also require less maintenance than petrol-powered leaf blowers, but their cable length limits their use, so they’re ideal for smaller areas.

Corded electric blowers are incredibly light since they don’t have a petrol engine or a battery pack. They’re ideal for homeowners looking for a blower that’s simple to manage.

Cordless Leaf Blower with Rechargeable Battery

Electric cordless blowers eliminate the need for a cable, and newer versions deliver enough power to compete with low, to mid-range petrol models. The bigger batteries however, will contribute to the overall weight.

Because battery life varies by manufacturer, clearing a big area may need multiple battery swap-outs, so before you buy find out how long the battery typically lasts.

Features of a Leaf Blower

Manufacturers use two metrics to characterise the blower’s air output:

cubic feet per minute (CFM) and miles per hour (mph), although each focuses on a different component, the amount of air produced by the blower is measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM), while the speed of the air is measured in miles per hour (MPH).

Blowing numerous leaves at once requires a high CFM, whereas moving heavy material or moist leaves requires a high mph. If you’re unsure, go for a model with a greater CFM.

You should look for a leaf blower that feels balanced while in your hands, moves comfortably, and can be adjusted quickly. Speed controls and the shutdown functions should be easily accessible, preferably allowing for one-handed use.

Also, pay attention to the nozzle’s design. Leaf blower nozzles with wider nozzles are better at moving leaves, whereas circular nozzles are better at handling heavy dirt and debris.

To modify the form of the air flow, many leaf blowers allow you to replace the nozzle or use an adapter.

Some handheld blowers have a vacuum mode for minor mulching, allowing you to reuse your garden waste. While these combination units may struggle to get through a huge pile of leaves, they are ideal for flower beds, where blowing is ineffective and raking might harm fragile plants.

Finally, evaluate the noise level of the blower. Leaf blowers are infamous for being quite noisy (measured in decibels). Regardless the decibel level, some people find a specific model’s “whine” significantly more irritating than a rival manufacturer.

(When operating a leaf blower, it’s always a good idea to wear hearing protection.)

Leaf Blower Upkeep

Electric blowers are easy to maintain. Wipe them down and keep an eye out for dirt on the air inlet. Clean tiny leaf particles from the bag and blower if you use a mulcher.

You’ll need to tune up petrol-powered blowers every year or so, and you’ll need to have fuel on hand. Two-stroke motors require a fuel/oil mix, which you may make yourself or purchase pre-blended.

With more moving components, stand-on / walk-behind blowers need greater maintenance. Nonetheless, unlike a lawnmower or other lawn equipment, a walk-behind leaf blower requires less upkeep.

Leaf Blowers: How Much Do They Cost?

The cost of a leaf blower for household usage varies substantially. Handheld blowers are the least expensive, followed by backpack blowers and stand-on/walk-behind variants. Handheld blowers start from £45, backpack blowers from £100 and stand-on types start from around £1600.

Professional leaf blowers might be substantially more expensive, but the increased dependability and power far outweighs what most DIYers would ever require.