If you have deciduous trees in your yard then you know exactly what time it is: time to use a leaf blower! The nearly daily drone that you hear in your neighborhood is a good indicator of Fall. As a homeowner with many, many maple trees in our yard we’ve gone through a few different types of leaf blowers and this year we wanted to learn more about our options.
There are four standard types of leaf blowers: corded electric, battery powered electric, gas powered and backpack. Before heading to the store to purchase, have a good idea of the size of your yard, how many leaves you need to blow and how wet your season is. Wet leaves are heavy and will be very difficult to move with a low-power blower. Leaf blowers are most effective when used to blow leaves into a easy to manage pile. So don’t think that a good leaf blower will get you out of raking leaves!
A good leaf blower will do more than blow leaves. It can blow away cobwebs and fine needles and create a cleaner landscape in your yard. A thorough search around the web led us to an excellent review site, Consumer Search. Their report on leaf blowers turned up this top list:
Toro Power Sweep 51585: With prices starting at a low $35.00 this lightweight and durable machine does a great job for the price. However the review mentions that it does not have enough power for wet leaves, doesn’t vacuum up leaves or mulch.
Stihl BGA 85: This cordless electric model, more expensive with prices starting around $500, is lightweight and quiet. But for the money it doesn’t hold a charge very long, doesn’t vacuum or mulch, and you’ll need to purchase a battery charger.
Husqvarna 125BVx: Prices start at around $199 for this gas-powered leaf blower. Reviewers thought it was an excellent heavy-duty performer and also mulched leaves very fine. The downside is the loud noise, which may not be appreciated by your neighbors.
Husqvarna 350BT: This backpack, gas-powered leaf blower, starting at around $300, performed extremely well and had excellent power. Like the model above, it is fairly noisy and the power might be too much for an average-sized yard.
Be sure to see the full list of additional models that were reviewed and more details about each leaf blower. If you’d like some tips about what to do with your large pile of fallen leaves then be sure to read 4 Ways To Use Fallen Leaves In Your Yard.
Top Image Credit: Micah Weber
