leaf blowers...

**chaka** · 10-10-2021, 09:36 AM

my ~20 year Black and Decker leaf hog went to power tool heaven yesterday in a spectacular flurry of sparks and flame. Recommendations? Prefer electric, either plug or battery. thanks.

**rideit** · 10-10-2021, 10:08 AM

I have been really happy with my EGO products. Funny name, though.

**tang** · 10-10-2021, 10:08 AM

No recommendation, but just a +1 for electric - for the love of humanity, thank you!
I still embrace the 1/2 day raking slog - albeit pretty tiny yard

**SKIP IN7RO** · 10-10-2021, 10:10 AM

It's all about the CFM

**chaka** · 10-10-2021, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by rideit

I have been really happy with my EGO products. Funny name, though.

thanks. those do look nice and well rated! what's recharge time like? 75 minutes run time (that's in the marketing literature, so likely less and degrades over time?) seems pretty short for a big yard.

**rideit** · 10-10-2021, 10:29 AM

75 minutes seems about right for my mower. I have never run it down to zero, though. Takes maybe less than an hour to charge? I have a few batteries and just rotate.

**BCMtnHound** · 10-10-2021, 11:12 AM

I'm happy with my EGO mower with the 5A battery. Picked up a blower with it and its nice to use the same battery to blow after I mow. Takes just shy of a full battery for my yard. About an hour to fully recharge. Only complaint with the products is too much plastic, but I suppose that is the norm these days.

**JayPowHound** · 10-10-2021, 11:30 AM

Gas fed husky backpack unit here. Love the thing and has consistently started on pull #3 for going on almost 10 years now.

Don't mess with success.

**XXX-er** · 10-10-2021, 12:37 PM

I wait till the leaves all fall off and then I mulch them into the lawn

**chaka** · 10-10-2021, 01:02 PM

thanks for the opinions.... since I'm already used to the inconvenience of a cord, its hard to ignore the bang for the buck of Worx corded options... 600CFM for 1/3 the price of the better battery powered ones (and that is before adding another battery which would be necessary in my case)

**SumJongGuy** · 10-10-2021, 01:41 PM

My neighbors also prefer electric. If it were just the front yard and drive a corded option would be fine here. Cheaper gas model served us well out back. Took out the big trees 8 years ago for a new master bedroom and that solved the back yard leaf dumping problem.

I'm glad none of my neighbors use gas blowers... But, they also rent and don't keep up with the yards very well at all. I mowed the little patch next door this morning just because it's an elementary school bus stop and the dad who lives there has been working really crazy hours this fall. He hooked me up with some other property line overgrown shrubbery messes and took down other trees blocking my satellite dish so it's all good.

**Bosco** · 10-10-2021, 03:08 PM

As mentioned above, I also have an EGO leaf blower along with a hedge trimmer and chainsaw. I'd buy again.

**EWG** · 10-10-2021, 03:34 PM

I have a makita that takes the batteries I already have for all my makita tools. Super cheap ($100 on sale). You get about 10-15 min per battery, so you can just keep changing batteries. Very light. Highly recommend.

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**XXX-er** · 10-10-2021, 04:57 PM

Originally Posted by EWG

I have a makita that takes the batteries I already have for all my makita tools. Super cheap ($100 on sale). You get about 10-15 min per battery, so you can just keep changing batteries. Very light. Highly recommend.

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My buddy took one of them camping, it was good for blowing up mattresses & blowing water off of tents and tarps ib the AM

**Colorado_Freeskier** · 10-10-2021, 06:11 PM

Have the Ego blower, trimmer and mower…all awesome. They also came out with a gutter attachment for the blower which works really well.

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**JayPowHound** · 10-10-2021, 06:11 PM

^^ wow. My yard is a multi-hour leaf blowing project. I couldn't imagine having to stop every 10 min and change batteries.

**chaka** · 10-10-2021, 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by JayPowHound

^^ wow. My yard is a multi-hour leaf blowing project. I couldn't imagine having to stop every 10 min and change batteries.

this... which is why im leaning towards going corded electric again. I guess if you already have the batteries for other tools its no big deal. But I'd have to buy a couple extra right up front raising the cost way up

**mr walker** · 10-10-2021, 10:57 PM

Originally Posted by JayPowHound

Gas fed husky backpack unit here. Love the thing and has consistently started on pull #3 for going on almost 10 years now.

Don't mess with success.

I'm a Stihl guy through and through and have had great experiences with their...everything. So as much as I hate to admit it, we have a Husky backpack blower at work that gets beat to shit, but still fires on the 2nd or 3rd pull every time. Recommended.

ETA - for anyone out there that has to spend a considerable amount of time with their blower and is going to stay gas powered, try a backpack model. It's infinitely better than handheld.

**UTpowder** · 10-11-2021, 01:32 AM

Stihl guy here as well. Have two handheld gas models and a backpack model. Picked up one if the handheld ones for $35 10’years ago when I saw it on Craigslist. The sellers said it didn’t run right and only used the original tank of gas then couldn’t get it to work. The dumb asses were using straight gas and not mixed. 5 minute tune up and a new plug and it was working perfectly.

Picked up a Stihl BR 600 backpack blower this spring. It puts the hand held to shame. Lifted up a big chuck of asphalt from the side of the road the first time I used it.

Also have a Milwaukee rechargeable that I like for blowing out the garage and patio. But for real work the backpack one is the the way to go.

Almost every summer I would get tendinitis in my elbow from the handheld. No problems with the backpack blower.

**jackstraw** · 10-11-2021, 09:22 AM

Originally Posted by JayPowHound

^^ wow. My yard is a multi-hour leaf blowing project. I couldn't imagine having to stop every 10 min and change batteries.

This is the one category that will take a lot more innovation to compete with gas-powered imo. Especially where we have a lot of hardwoods that drop a few billion leaves, the battery doesn't quite cut it yet. I think the power to weight ratio isn't there to make a blower work? Then again, I generally have to rake the bulk because even the gas blower gets to a point where it's useless. This year I think I'm finally going to say f it and hire someone to do it with their multiple gas blowers.

**XXX-er** · 10-11-2021, 11:38 AM

YMMV but personaly I am not a big fan of buying a battery system and then all the stuff to connect it to, IME people who own this stuff are always wondering aloud if they got enough juice to do the job

anything with a gas engine or and extension cord has way more oomph for actualy getting the job done, I use a plug-in raft inflating blower at the shop to blowing up dry suits for testing and holy fack that thing is about 3 times faster than the battery powered leaf blower I tryed

**rideit** · 10-11-2021, 12:01 PM

Sounds like you tried a really crappy one. It did blow away all of your punctuation, though!

**JayPowHound** · 10-11-2021, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by jackstraw

This is the one category that will take a lot more innovation to compete with gas-powered imo. Especially where we have a lot of hardwoods that drop a few billion leaves, the battery doesn't quite cut it yet. I think the power to weight ratio isn't there to make a blower work? Then again, I generally have to rake the bulk because even the gas blower gets to a point where it's useless. This year I think I'm finally going to say f it and hire someone to do it with their multiple gas blowers.

Yup. This 100+ yo maple at the top of the driveway is hours in and of itself, let alone the dozen around the yard behind it.

Curious what you're paying for the landscapers to do it, and how many trips they will make as fall progresses?

I have nightmares of Nov snow that doesn't melt before I'm done with the leaves. Grass does NOT like it when that happens.

**JayPowHound** · 10-11-2021, 12:04 PM

Sorry for the multi-post. Forgot the pic and app won't let me add one in via edit.

As you can see it's still fully green, leaves fall until mid-November at best. Meanwhile neighbors smaller (less healthy) tree you can see behind the barn roof is already yellow and half down, so I'm blowing those this week just trying to stay on top of things.