Best Cordless Leaf Blower 2024: Simple tasks like collecting leaves used to take up entire weekends just using a rake to collect leave then pile them and bagging them. Machines help ease these tasks. The advent of one such machine, i.e. the leaf blower around the 1970s eased up the task of leaf blowing.
Types of Cordless Leaf Blowers
Leaf blowers are equipment needed in households, and they do come in different sizes and types. It all depends on your personal needs.
Some consumers may need noiseless machines, and other might be focusing on the area that they need to clean and the time that they need to achieve their task in while others may want something heavy-duty.
Some people might even want to save the leaves for compost or mulch. Each consumer will need to identify his need and according to it, choose from the three types of leaf blowers offered in the market.
Hand-Held Leaf Blower
Perfect for consumers who value maneuverability, versatility, and lightweight machines. A handheld leaf blower is the best choice. It is perfect for your patios, gazebos, and small to medium lawns.
This blower may not be as powerful as the other two types, but it can handle most debris, light snow, and leaves. It is cordless and usually easy on the hand if you want to work long stretches. It can easily be carried by the elderly and children as well, without any assistance.
Back Pack Leaf Blower
For consumers who are looking for more power and air pressures and longer run times, the backpack leaf blowers are the perfect fit. These are ideal for people who own large areas such as garages, large shops, lawns, or fields that cover a lot of ground.
While they may come with advantages such as long battery life and the ability to blow away even wet leaves, pebbles and metal shaving but the price point on this type is quite expensive. It is comparatively more expensive than the other two types.
Walk-Behind Leaf Blower
For consumers concerned with covering big working areas in optimal time, walk behind leaf blowers are the best options. These are typically used by crews in large areas so they can blow off leaves, rubble and other substances like cardboard, etc.
Among the three these are the most expensive of all as these are heavyweight, low maintenance large machines that clean up large areas in comparatively lesser times.
Things You Need to Know Before You Buy a Leaf Blower
These are some basic know-how we have compiled for you that will give you the basic knowledge about what you need to know before you buy a leaf blower.
It is important that if you don’t have much experience buying them, read this because it will help you understand what should and shouldn’t be done. Leaf blower more often than not are an investment and stick with you for a long time; thus, buying a wrong item might lead to nuisance in the future.
Leaf Blower Noise Level
This is an important factor that you need to consider. As soon as leaf blowers were launched around the early 70’s they were banned because of the noise pollution they caused. Neighbors reported it being a constant nuisance as most leaf blowers emitted sounds that were very discomforting.
So, when you’re shopping for a leaf blower, the noise it emits should be a concern for you. Keep in mind the idea of who might have to hear you while you use it in your space.
You don’t want your neighbor complaining every time you turn on the leaf blower and want to clean your lawn or your garage. You, on the other hand, also don’t want anyone sleeping in the house with a loud noise. In residential areas, the quieter the leaf blower, the better.
Here’s a basic rule that you need to keep in mind. Electric leaf blowers are quite, and Gas blowers are loud. So basically, the bigger the motor of the leaf blower, the louder it will be. For your basic understanding of the numbers of the sound level, we have provided for you a table so that you aren’t confused when comparing numbers.
Noise Level | Criteria |
45 dBA or less | Sleep |
60 dB | Normally accepted |
70-75 dBA | Typical leaf blower |
85-90 dBA | Level at the operators ear |
Generally, in residential areas, some hours are marked as the quiet hours. It doesn’t matter if you use the blower on all hours except those. Every state has its different laws and restrictions defined for the use of leaf blowers. Look them up accordingly.
Benefit of Cordless Leaf Blower
The next thing you need to consider is how much power your machine has. The two factors that constitute power are
- CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute)
- MPH (Miles per Hour)
Both of these together make up a big factor in terms of power, and you’ll need to consider them when buying your leaf blower.
A common misunderstanding among new buyers is that the more MPH a blower has the more power it will have to push off what you need to clean. Although more air might be coming out of the nozzle, the more leaves there is the more work the blower will need to do.
Higher speed doesn’t mean more power to push off leaves. It just means faster air will be coming out. MPH alone won’t do much, but in combination with CFM, a good blower can be identified.
So, what is CFM? It is the volume of air that flows out of the nozzle of the leaf blower in one minute. This basically is the measure of how far the fan pushes the leaves with the air that flows through it. However, like before CFM won’t do much without MPH as how far the leaves are pushed doesn’t matter if the time taken to do the job is really long.
Both factors need to be considered because without the other means you’ll be standing outside working for a long time trying to keep your area clean. These factors differentiate a good and a bad leaf blower, keep an eye out for both these factors.
When Operating
This one is pretty simple but an important one too. Don’t use leaf blowers when you’re overly tired or under substance influence like alcohol or drugs.
Remove lose clothing and jewelry as it might get caught up in the fan or the nozzle. Tie up loose hair. If you’re allergic, you might want to consider wearing dust masks.
It will potentially decrease the number of pollutants you inhale in the process of cleaning your yard. To prevent cuts and blisters use gloves with special grip surfaces embedded in them to enhance to grip you have over the machine.
Look out for object that would act as dangerous projectiles before you start in your yard. Take a walk around and look for objects like sharp rocks etc. Remove them from the yard when you find them. They have the potential to cause serious injuries, or they might get sucked into your blower and damage it internally.
When Cleaning
Turn the leaf blower off and ensure that the device has been switched off or else you risk shocking hazard.
The blower comes equipped with a filter that needs to be changed at regular intervals. Be sure to change it as doing so will prolong the life of your leaf blower and won’t decrease the quality of work. Keep in mind the manufacturer recommendations when buying new filters, so no complications occur, and optimal performance is achieved.
You’ll also need to clean the blower and its fan in order to prolong its life and for it to work properly.
Each leaf blower will come equipped with a manufacturer’s manual for the proper use and cleaning of it. Refer to it for all questions you have regarding the product. If you still have questions, don’t hesitate to contact the manufacturing company. They’ll always be available for help.
What is the Best Choice for You
Each type of leaf blower works the same way, but the area and space differentiate between each type of leaf blowers. Here we’ll classify on the basis of your needs what will suit you.
Smaller Tasks
If you own a small deck or patio, a handheld device will be best for you. Most of them have removable nozzles, so you aren’t robbed off storage space.
They mostly are battery operated and are thus lightweight. It might not pack a punch when it comes to power and the amount of work it can do, but because of the area, you need to cover, it’ll be the best choice.
Medium to Large Tasks
If you have a field with a larger area and you know that you’ll have longer working times, a backpack blower is best for you, so you don’t get tired easily and perform your job easily.
This blower offers just what’s needed the optimal power level and air volume along with a comfortable size and straps for mobility. It makes it easier for you to hold a 6 to 10-pound machine for longer jobs.
Professional Tasks
Commercially for tasks that are professional, the walk-behind blower is recommended. It is the best for bigger areas like parks, farmlands or a larger backyard.
This is a very powerful machine and can push away even debris, so make sure when you use it you don’t have people or animals around. It doesn’t have the advantage of being moved freely as the others do.
But nonetheless, it can be moved around in areas where there’s sound terrain. The wheels help in wheeling it around an open area, and most commonly these are seen in parks.
The walk-behind blower packs a punch and thus comes in at a hefty price tag.
Depending on your needs, you will have figured out what you want, take a look at reviews below and choose what best suits you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the safety concerns linked with leaf blowers?
Several physical problems occur if not used properly. Back and arms problems can come into play if the machine is too heavy or is used improperly for longer stretches of time.
Fuel-powered blowers pose a fire risk. If fuel leaks, the pollution problem is faced. Double-check the spark plug boot, so you don’t spark a fire.
What is the penalty for violating leaf blower laws?
If a rule has been violated, most likely a fine will need to be paid. A fine may range from 20$ up to about a 100$. Then again, these laws vary by state some are stricter in enforcing them than others.
How will I know what laws have been enforced in my city or state?
Each state and city defines its own laws underlying the basic ones. To find out about laws like quiet hours etc. go to your city’s website, they most probably will have all laws declared.
Why do leaf blower restrictions exist?
Quite a few cities across numerous states in the U.S. have decided to implement laws regarding leaf blowers due to how noisy they can be.
Many places that implemented these laws are quiet residential areas that keep pollution to a minimum. Many petitions have been filed by citizens, thus forcing the governments to enforce laws.
These laws make sure that the use of leaf blowers doesn’t spread noise pollution and are not a nuisance to the public.
What is a good mph rating for a leaf blower?
While it may depend on what you want to achieve and it is a relative question but, in general, 200mph or more is considered a good mph. Most battery operated and cordless leaf blowers offer that.
How often should the air filter be cleaned?
The air filter should be cleaned every 5 hours of use. It may not be in one go, but as a gross measure, 5 hours is the mark. A foam air filter can be cleaned by washing it or soaking it in warm soapy water. Rinse and let it dry.
Conclusion
Buying a best cordless leaf blower is an important decision as you’ll need to stick by it when you’ve grown a lawn, you need to take a look around before buying.
Our breakdown of what you need to know and reviews of various products is a good way to start. Identify what your needs are and decide what category you need to buy. Then decide the price range you can afford and make a decision based on this.