When you want to enjoy a tidy garden, you need to buy the best leaf blowers. They are very easy to use and they help you automatically clean the garden without manually picking up leaves and debris. But not all leaf blowers are easy to use. Some require you to add petrol and carry them on your back. They are seen by those who take care of our public parks. But others are very simple to use as they come with a handheld design that is often ergonomic. The following leaf blowers come with impressive results in terms of overall versatility.
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Best Overall
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Best Lightweight Leaf Blower
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Best Value
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3.5
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3.5
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3.5
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£224.20
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£285.99
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£59.95
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12/17/2022 12:46 am GMT
McCulloch GB 355 BP Backpack Leaf Blower
If you have a large yard, you only need the best performer. But McCulloch shows this doesn’t have to involve spending a fortune. Made with a practical design, this leaf blower is one of the fastest and most durable in its class.
You can simply put it on your back similarly to how you’d wear a backpack. You then simply start using it either as a leaf blower or as a vacuum, depending on the debris you’re handling. As expected from such a complex design, it runs on gas. This makes it one of the most durable solutions for your tidying up tasks as it has been hailed as superior when compared to many other simple leaf blowers that are made with brushless motors.
With a maximum air speed of 355kmh, this leaf blower is one of the most impressive in its class. It represents a valuable solution to all of those interested in clearing thousands of square feet. Impressively, it also weighs just 9kg which in the world of petrol engines is considered a lightweight design.
- Made with comfortable straps
- It only weighs 9.1kg
- 1500W engine
- You have to carry it on your back
Bosch Home and Garden ALB 36 LI Leaf Blower
This leaf blower kit is one of the leading options for cordless fans. The fantastic news is that it already comes with a 36V battery system which ensures it can operate without issues for more than an hour. The long battery life is also a good indicator as to what other power tools from Bosch can benefit from the 36V performer as this battery works on all cordless tools from the manufacturer.
You might also be interested to find out it comes with a total weight of just 1.8kg. This makes it one of the top solutions for all-day tasks around the garden. You can simply consider it for many tasks that are take some time to accomplish such as clearing your lawn from debris.
But even with such a low weight, the leaf blower also comes with powerful air flow. It runs at speeds of over 200kmh making it one of the most potent leaf blowers that are lightweight. You might even use it on large gardens as a result.
If you want to enjoy simple clean up, this leaf blower can be one of the most interesting performers in its class. However, for it to run more than an hour, you won’t be able to use it at full speed as it tends to drain batteries quicker when used at its top speed.
- Made with a lightweight design
- Clears debris
- Gathers leaves
- Short battery life at high speed
Handy THEV3000 Electric 3 in 1 Leaf Blower
If you want a device with both a blower and a vacuum function, the Handy THEV is one that you need to consider. Apart from these 2 functions, it also includes a shredding function. This is highly efficient when it comes to ensuring all of the dry leaves can fit the bag without filling it up too quickly.
But the blower comes with a 45L bag so that there’s enough room to collect everything in your yard. A 10m cable is added to the tool but you might even be looking to add an extension cord just to give it a bit more room for manoeuvrability.
A 3000W motor with adjustable speed is at the heart of this blower. It offers it a bit of ruggedness that would sometimes be difficult to assess. At a weight of 4.9kg, it is just the right tool for the job in the conditions of different nozzle support.
- Based on a 3000W motor
- It weighs just 4.9kg
- Different nozzle support
- The collection bag is difficult to take off
Einhell Power X-Change 18V Cordless Leaf Blower
The compact Einhell cordless leaf blower is another example of a top lightweight performer for your yard. It weighs just a little over 1.3kg which turns it to one of the easiest solutions to run around with minimum effort.
It features a blow velocity of 210kkmh which situates it just behind some of the fastest blowers on the market. While it doesn’t have a suction function, this leaf blower comes with more than 100 m³/h air volume per hour.
No loading is required on the machine for it to start working. But you can use it with any Einhell batteries starting with the very basic 1.5Ah battery and moving up to the complex 6Ah long run-time battery.
- Sold with and without a charger
- Lightweight at 1.3kg
- Integrated speed controller
- Made for small yards
Bosch ALB 36 LI Cordless Leaf Blower
Bosch’s leaf blower first impresses with its strong battery. Using a 36V battery system, it comes with a battery life of up to 35 minutes. This is about 10 minutes longer than its direct rivals and it can be a good indicator of the type of garden it’s used to and the thousands of square feet it can handle.
It uses a standard battery made by UK’s Bosch to offer one charging system for all home tools. This is why so many users don’t even look beyond these brands as they simply want a practical design which allows them to save money and swap the batteries from one garden tool to another.
With an ergonomic design, you also grip the blower further inside than others. This makes it uncomplicated to hold. If you’re worried about storage, you also need to know this cordless blower comes with a removable tube nozzle.
- Made with speed adjustments
- Compatible with 36V Bosch batteries
- 25 minutes of runtime
- No suction function
VonHaus Leaf Blower 3000W
This powerful tool comes with 3-in-1 functionality. It can be one of the best when you want an added mulching function. It collects debris and it blows dry and wet leaves away in your yard to make it look better. It uses a 3000W proven motor for these functions and it can be among the leaders in its class when it comes to collecting debris.
A 35L collecting bag has been added the blower. It weighs just 3.5kg and this allows you to carry it a bit easier. It even comes with built-in transportation wheels which help you carry it when the collecting bag is full.
- 10:1 shredding ratio
- Included 10m power cable
- 2-year warranty
- Not compatible with batteries
Hyundai HYBV3000E 3-in-1
If you need a larger collection bag for large yards, you can choose the Hyundai leaf blower. It can be one of the top choices if you need to deal with large open spaces where even a mulching function can’t stop the collection bag from getting full within minutes.
But you might also prefer this leaf blower for its adjustable height settings. It features 9 height levels with its telescopic chute. It extends from 70cm to 100cm which means this blower feels comfortable both for short and for tall users.
- Garden vacuums and blows the lawn
- 299kmh maximum air speed
- Made with a long 12m power cable
- Larger than other leaf blowers
Bosch Cordless Leaf Blower ALB 18 LI
The compact Bosch leaf blower is another top recommendation for added practicality. If you don’t feel comfortable with a large leaf blower you can always upgrade to one as this design offered by Bosch with its 18V batteries. These batteries power it to around 10 minutes of uninterrupted use.
It takes around 60 minutes for the Bosch battery system to charge. This makes these batteries fast charging when compared to alternatives which take up to 6 hours to charge. With an airflow of up to 210kmh, it’s the type of cordless blower that impresses mostly due to its high performance in a small body.
- Compatible with 18V Bosch batteries
- The batteries charge within 1 hour
- Lightweight construction
- Not the fastest airflow
How to choose the best leaf blower
A strong motor in a practical body is important in the best leaf vacuums. But you should know there are a few other features that make your life as a user that much better. For example, the battery system which supports swapping from one tool to another that we’ve seen on some of the products reviewed before seems to get most praises. If you’re interested in a product that lasts for years, you need to look for the tool that is also practical and which won’t put yours through more maintenance steps that you have to take.
Air flow capacity
Air flow capacity is measure din kilometres per hour. This is an approximation of the blowing speed of each leaf blower. The higher the number, the faster the machine blows. This is why you can start your quest for the perfect blowing vacuum looking at this feature.
It is also the most important characteristic when you think about large debris, large dry and wet leaves, and grass clippings. Some of these tools are made with parts that seem to last for years but if they’re underpowered, they won’t get too far.
This speed generally varies from 120kmh to 299kmh. But the average tool comes with a speed of around 150kmh. You will only need the fastest performers if you’re trying to clear a large yard or if you deal with all types of clearing or very difficult cleanup situations such as clearing pine needles on the lawn.
You might also want to prioritize the leaf blower compared to slower alternatives when you also want to use it in the winter. While they’re not made to be used during the cold season, you can still clear your driveway of some snow with this tool, which saves you from all the shovelling you need to do alternatively.
Corded vs cordless machines
Another important characteristic to think about before the purchase is with corded or cordless performance. There are many reasons to which you might go one way or the other but in the end, this is another matter of personal preference.
A corded leaf blower is excellent for constant power. If you’re shocked by the short 10-minute runtime of the cordless alternative, you need to look for the products that come with a long power cord and endless power.
You can use such a blower for a long period on large lawns. You don’t even have to consider the safety issues as long as you keep the power cord off hazards such as heat sources. But you will need to buy a long extension cable as most of these tools only come with a power cord that has a length between 6m and 10.
A cordless design is also very good and they already overtook corded blowing machines in popularity. A bit more practical to use every day since there are no required cables, these can be your best friends when you have a large yard you wouldn’t be able to cover with an extension cord.
But batteries also allow you to take the leaf blower away from home. Maybe you want to clear out debris around your log cabin or maybe you want to go to your parents’ house to help them out clear their garden of leaves. You can now do this without an extension cord and gas. A petrol leaf blower might also be good for professional use. Petrol powered machines also tend to be more capable and they get the job done quicker compared to a regular battery handheld blower with variable speed control. It also comes with a long blower tube which battery powered machines lack.
They might also come with blower and vacuum functions and larger collection capacity. The leaf vacuum function and the built quality is generally superior on petrol motors. Damp leaves and dry leaves are easier to clean than with cordless leaf blowers with these two stroke machines with blower vac and shoulder strap extras such as those made by Stihl or a Black Decker powered leaf blower or garden vacuum.
With shoulder straps and without a power source, these four stroke engines on vacuum and blower machines come with a variable speed trigger and larger collection bags with a cruise control default running mode unlike other garden appliances. Petrol leaf blowers are also more expensive than their battery-based alternatives.
Extra functions
Extras are rare on blowers given many of them are already cheap. But you need to know that some of these can even take weeks to master even without using their other features. At some point, however, you will be interested in getting the most out of your machine. This is when the following features are going to look the most appealing.
- Shredding
Shredding is ao function you can’t live without once you use it but which first seems like not a big deal. You can shred leaves so that more can fit in the debris bag of your wet leaves blower. This means you can finish up the job quickly before moving on to clean the machine.
If you look at gardening forums, you will find the number 1 most annoying thing about leaf machines is just how fast the clippings bag fills. This is surprising to some. You might have expected people to complain about runtime or the weight of the machine. But things are a bit different and you get to see most users prefer a design that is practical and that doesn’t kill off half of the day to blow a few wet leaves around the yard.
Shredding or mulching is among the functions only offered on the best leaf machines. This is why it can take some time to find the right design. Furthermore, you might not even have the opportunity to see it in action as it’s a feature still mostly seen on professional machines.
- Vacuuming
Vacuuming is another interesting feature which can help you out clear your yard properly. You can have this function on a leaf blower as well. Multifunctional leaf vacuums are important. They set high standards when it comes to multi-tools and you can rely on them for faster yard cleaning. While you won’t be using this function in the winter on snow, you might be interested in it in the fall when you might want to vacuum the leaves around your hose so they don’t rot on the ground.
- Weight
Most leaf machines weigh around 4kg. You might be interested to find out many of them are simply too heavy to be used around the house. We’ve seen a few 12kg designs that are just too heavy for the average user. But as seen above, there are many alternatives which are even lighter and closers to the 1kg mark. Sure, they aren’t as powerful. But you might not need the ultimate power from a tool that is lighter than a hammer.
Final words
Only the best leaf blowers can be truly useful around the house as many don’t offer sufficient airflow to even make a difference. This is why this article only recommends trusted proven machines made by some of the largest brands in the gardening space. They’re known for their reliability and as a gardener you also get a good warranty that covers your purchase for at least 2 years, which isn’t always the case with some no-name leaf machines. Furthermore, most of them are made with good adjustability so that you can customize the airflow depending on the size of your garden.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do leaf blowers do?
Leaf clearing machines blow leaves. You use these machines to gather all of the leaves around your home in a pile so that you can easily have a clean yard. Some leave blowers also come with a vacuum function so that you can easily get the leaves in the rubbish bin. But you might need to do this manually with your pile of leaves if your machine doesn’t come with a vacuum function.
How do I choose a leaf blower?
You need to look at blow speed, weight, and power supply to understand how to buy a blower. The air speed is often adjustable. But the weight of the leaf blower can be increased by extras such as batteries which are often sold separately. You might also want to look into the corded vs cordless
section of this article to understand the power these tools use a bit better.
What is a good speed for a leaf blower?
120kmh is a good speed to start clearing the leaves in your garden. This is crucial for all of those interested in machines that work.
What should you consider when buying a blower?
You should always consider the weight and the speed of the leaf blower. Accessories such as different nozzles might also be important for a bit more precision.