There’s a lot of clean-up work to do in yards. Cut grass from mowers and trimmer gets on sidewalks, fallen leaves cover the yard each autumn, and twigs and leaves get into gravel paths. Taking care of these, and many other yard cleaning tasks, is much easier if you are using a blower.
If you’re thinking of purchasing a blower, you’re probably wondering which type of blower is right for you. There are many different brands and models to choose from, all with different features
and benefits. Some are powered by gas, some by batteries. Some are handheld, some carried on your back, and some are even walk-behind wheeled tools. Plus, you need to decide if you want a blower that can also be used as a shredder/vacuum, and there are other features to think about as well.
With all these options available, picking which blower will work best for your home or lawn care business is no simple task. That’s why we wrote this buying guide—to help you narrow down your options and find the best blower for your clean-up needs.
Gas or Electric?
Gasoline-powered blowers are more powerful than electric or battery-powered blowers. However, they are also much louder. The idea that leaf blowers are “loud, ugly, and dangerous” is behind many leaf blower complaints and community bans on noisy blowers. The reality is that modern gas-powered blowers are about 75% quieter than older models and have reduced engine emissions. However, the idea that blowers are obnoxious and bad for the environment still persists in some communities.
Battery-powered or corded electric lowers blowers offer a quiet, environmentally friendly option for homeowners and many lawn care professionals. Cords can be inconvenient, but modern battery-powered blowers are efficient and powerful as well as portable. That’s the type of blower you’ll want to go with if you live or work in noise-restricted communities.
If you have a much larger yard to take care of or need to move heavy wet leaves, though, the far more powerful gasoline blowers can be a great option. They can also be good if you work on several properties a day. Gasoline is also much easier to refuel on the go than battery-powered blowers are to recharge. Both types of blowers can be a good choice; the best power source to choose all depends on how and where you plan to use the blower.
Multi-Tool or Just the Blower?
Muti-task yard tools are a great option for people with limited space or who want reduced maintenance. These tools let you use and maintain just one powerhead (gasoline or battery-powered) and switch out different attachments. They’re a great choice for homeowners who want several different tools, but don’t want to store and maintain separate tools. They can also be great for lawn care professionals who need a variety of tool options but have limited space on their trucks or trailers.
While multi-tools are great, there are a few reasons you might consider getting a dedicated blower. A multi-tool doesn’t let multiple people work with the different tools at the same time unless you get more powerheads. They’re also not always as powerful as a stand-alone blower. A stand-alone blower may also be more economical depending on the type of blower you need and how many other multi-tool attachments you’d use.
Multi-tool blowers tend to have a blower attachment at the end of a long shaft rather than the more compact hand-held blowers or larger backpack blowers that you can get without choosing a
multi-tool. The type of blower you choose will depend on your needs and your preferences for how you want to use them. You might find it helpful to visit Richardson Saw & Lawnmower in person so you can try holding the different types of blowers and see which feels best in your hands.
Handheld, Backpack, or Wheeled?
As we touched on when talking about multi-tools, there are several different options for how you hold blowers. The lighter-weight, less powerful ones are hand-held models. This includes many standard leaf blowers as well as multi-tools. To make them easier to carry and work with, the larger and more powerful blowers are back-pack models. For these blowers, the engine is carried on the operator’s back and the blower tube wraps around for hand-held use.
The choice between handheld or backpack blower depends on how often and for how long you’ll use the blower, what you need it to do, and which is more comfortable for you. Professionals who
work with a blower for hours every day might prefer the backpack option, while homeowners with small yards or lawn workers who just need to blow cut grass off sidewalks after mowing might find that a handheld blower is more convenient as well as lower priced.
For far larger jobs, wheeled blowers can be a great choice. These large blowers make it easy for maintenance contractors and large property owners to clean up fallen leaves and move debris off lawns, pavement, and more. They function similarly to a walk-behind mower.
Vacuum Options
Some blowers also have a vacuum option. Rather than just blowing air out to push leaves and other debris around, these vacuums let you have the option to pull leaves into a bag carried with the blower/vacuum. Many also come with a shredding option to break the gathered debris down. This can make cleaning up fallen leaves much easier, especially if you want to shred the leaves to use as mulch or so they take up less room in trash bags.
If your main goal is to use the blower for leaves or you want a more versatile tool, then you’ll want to consider getting a blower that can also be used as a shredder vac. There are handheld, backpack, and walk-behind versions of shredder vac/blowers available.
Understanding Blower Specs
As you’re looking at different leaf blowers, you’ll see that the specs tell you how fast the air is moving out of the blower tube. This is typically expressed in miles per hour (MPH). You’ll also see a rating for cubic feet per minute (CFM), which describes the density of air being pushed out of the blower tube.
Basically, a higher CFM means you can clear wider areas and larger piles of leaves more quickly, while a higher MPH means you’re pushing material away from the blower with more force and speed. As a general rule, the higher each of these numbers, the more powerful the leaf blower.
It’s also a good idea to check the noise level of different blower models before you choose which to purchase. Some gasoline blowers are quiet enough to use in town, but you’ll need to check the blower’s decibel rating against noise restrictions in neighborhoods where you live and work. If noise is the most important consideration, you’ll probably want to go with a battery-powered blower.
Features To Look For
As you’re looking at blowers, keep an eye out for how much they weigh and what features they offer. It’s often good to go with a lightweight blower so they’re easier to handle and use. If you want a heavier, more powerful model look for anti-vibration features that will make the blower more comfortable to work with.
You’ll also want to look for controls and handles that are easy and comfortable to use. If possible, try going to a dealer in person and handling several different models of blowers. Make sure you’re getting one that feels well-balanced in your hands or comfortable on your back.
You’ll also want to look for a blower that places the controls in a way that’s easy for you to reach. Also, if you’re purchasing a gas blower, keep an eye out for features that make the blower easy to start.
Our Recommendations
Here at Richardson Saw, we carry handheld and backpack blowers by STIHL, Echo, RedMax, and Shindaiwa and wheeled blowers by Scag and Billy Goat. We trust these brands, and highly recommend them for homeowner and professional use.
In terms of which particular model you should get, that’s entirely up to your personal preferences and what you need in order to maintain your lawn. We hope this article has helped you figure out what type of blower you’re looking for. If you still have questions, just come visit us. We’d be happy to talk with you about your lawn care needs and help you find a blower that will be a great fit for your home or business.
