Leaf Blower Buying Guide

Electric versus gas

Don’t cut the cord—if you have a small to medium yard, plug in that 150-foot extension cord and go with an electric leaf blower. They’re lighter and easier to deal with—no engine maintenance, no messy fuel to mix, no stopping to refill. Your neighbors will appreciate the fact that electric leaf blowers are quieter than gas-powered models, and you can rest easier knowing that you’re not polluting the air with toxic gas exhaust.  

Choices range from powerful, full-size leaf blowers that can clear lawns to budget-priced, ultra-light power “sweepers” designed to blow leaves off hard surfaces like patios and driveways. Cords can be a challenge if you have to maneuver around a lot of trees, but you’ll need the extra power to dislodge leaves from grassy areas.

Rechargeable cordless electric leaf blowers are a good pick only for small jobs and hard surfaces. Rechargeables have much less power than standard electric leaf blower, and you should check the operating time to ensure that battery life suits your needs. 

If your yard is too big to work with an electric leaf blower, choose a gas leaf blower. Gas leaf blowers are noisier, heavier and significantly less eco-friendly than electric leaf blowers, but they enable you move freely across wide areas. You’ll have to learn how to mix gas and oil and you’ll need a safe place to store flammable fuel.

Handheld or backpack?

All electric leaf blowers are handheld. If you’ve decided your yard demands a gas leaf blower, you have the option of handheld or backpack models that let you wear the blower in a harness on your back and position the handle, tube and throttle in front. 

The choice comes down to how much ground you have to cover and how much power you need. If you’ve got half an acre or less, a handheld gas leaf blower should do the trick, but for bigger jobs, they can be too heavy to hold. While backpack blowers are even heavier, the weight is transferred to your shoulders, making them easier to lug for long leaf-chasing sessions on big properties. Backpack leaf blowers also have more power and can make short work of your yard work, if you’re willing to pay a premium price. If you choose a backpack leaf blower, look for models with back-saving features like thick padding and reduced-vibration fans and motors.

Blowers and blower vacs

The simplest leaf blowers do just that: blow leaves. Once you’ve blown your leaves into piles, you bag them just as you would if you’d raked them. Many electric leaf blowers include a vacuum that pulls leaves into an attached bag; gas leaf blowers generally don’t offer this feature.

If leaves collect in difficult-to-reach areas like window wells or under shrubs, choose a leaf blower with a blower vac to save time. Another benefit of leaf blowers with blower vacs is they eliminate the final step of bagging leaf piles, although you’ll still need to transfer leaves from the leaf blower bag to a trash can or leaf disposal bag.

Most leaf blower vacs allow you to mulch the leaves by using an impeller to shred and compress them, which lets you empty the bag less frequently. Metal impellers are more durable than plastic, and you’ll want the leaf blower to have a high “reduction ratio” (or “mulch ratio”). The ideal mulch ratio is 16:1, meaning that the leaf blower can theoretically chop 16 bags worth of leaves down to a single bag of mulch. User reviews say these ratios are often unrealistic and results vary with different leaf types, so it’s best to aim for a higher ratio than you think you need. 

Power and speed

If you’ve got a lot of leaves to move, power matters—more power finishes the job faster.  Leaf blower power is described in two ways. Miles per hour (MPH) rates the wind speed of the leaf blower, or how fast it moves air. Typical MPH ranges are 125 to 210 MPH, but don’t get hung up on this number. The speed of the moving air doesn’t affect performance as much as the volume of air a leaf blower moves, which is measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM). CFM ratings range from 200 to 600; to move the most leaves in the least time, shell out extra dollars for the highest CFM your wallet will allow. 

When it comes to speed, variable speed is best. Choosing a leaf blower with variable speeds lets you save the loudest top speeds only for when they’re necessary, say if you need to dislodge tough debris in a tight space. A leaf blower’s lower speeds can handle plenty of tasks while minimizing noise and vibration. If you’ll be using your leaf blower in or around plants or mulch, the gentler low speeds protect your plants and stop mulch from scattering.

Noise and emissions

Leaf blowers are friend and foe alike. Some communities have banned them outright to reduce air and noise pollution in their neighborhoods. Be sure to check local ordinances for any restrictions on usage, noise or emissions levels before you purchase your leaf blower. Noise is measured in decibels (dB), and noise-level caps are often set at 65 or 69 dB, but even if there’s no cap where you live, look for leaf blower with a low decibel level to protect your own ears during use. Some leaf blowers run loud enough to damage hearing, so always wear ear protection when using one.

You’ll keep your neighbors and the planet happiest by sticking with a quieter, cleaner electric leaf blower. If you must have a gas leaf blower, look for models with 4-cycle or hybrid engines versus standard 2-cycle engines to reduce both emissions and noise. You may also consider ignoring the noise ratings and checking the actual sound of different models in case it’s not volume, but a high keening that will grate on next-door’s nerves.

Need to know more?

• Top Leaf Blowers for Under $100
  http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/51383/top_leaf_blowers_for_under_100.html
• Leaf Blower Etiquette
  http://www.homeadditionplus.com/yard-garden-info/Gas-Leaf-Blower_Etiquette.htm
• How to Choose and Use a Leaf Blower
  http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,490154,00.html