Looking for the best cordless leaf blower in your budget but not quite sure where to begin your search? Don’t panic, because we’ve got all the knowledge and inside information that you’ll need to be able to get your hands on the best cordless leaf blower that’ll keep your yard leaf free throughout the year.
Let’s break it down a little bit.
Types of Cordless Leaf Blowers
Firstly, let’s think about why you may want to consider a cordless leaf blower rather than a corded leaf blower. As we know, corded leaf blowers are the ultimate choice when it comes to power, so why would we choose anything lesser?
Whilst a corded leaf blower gives you the best bang for your buck, they’re not very handy when it comes to portability. In fact, you’ll find yourself tangled up or tripping over power cords regularly, and you might not have the ultimate reach that gets you into every corner of your garden. Not only that, but storing them away can prove difficult too. A cordless leaf blower gives you the power of possibility right from the off.
Ultimately, there are 4 distinct types of cordless leaf blowers that you could choose from: handheld or backpack, and battery operated or gas operated. Now of course, those 4 types will eventually cross over, giving you the perfect leaf blower for your needs, but here’s what you need to know about each one.
The first ever corded leaf blower was created back in the 1950’s, so they’ve been around a long time already!
Handheld vs. Backpack
Firstly, you need to decide on whether you’re happy with hauling your leaf blower around by hand, or whether you’d prefer to have it strapped to your back for more comfort.
You may be pleased to know that the more up-to-date handheld leaf blowers are lightweight, portable, and maneuverable, and that back-ache isn’t a side-effect of clearing you garden anymore. Backpack leaf blowers were created for the heavier leaf blowers though (which do still exist), or for anyone who’s upper body strength isn’t quite what it used to be and needs a little helping hand.
Battery Powered vs. Gas Powered
With a battery powered leaf blower, you’re looking at around 12 to 15 minutes of strong blowing power that’ll help clean up those small or medium sized yards.
This is the perfect machine to help you clean your garden of any loose leaves no matter what time of year, and are often the most sought and bought blower types. They’re environmentally friendly, lightweight, and whilst they can be noisy, you aren’t going to damage your ears quickly, thankfully.
Alternatively, you could invest in a gas powered leaf blower, which often pack a bit more of a punch and last that little bit longer. Because of this, they’re great for anyone with a larger yard, and can help move all your fallen debris.
The downsides to a gas powered leaf blower? For one, they’re noisy. In fact, in some areas of the USA they’re banned for being too loud, so if you do go for gas power, make sure you find out whether or not you can actually use it legally.
Another unfortunate downside: they’re less environmentally friendly than their battery powered cousin. The amount of fuel you’ll find yourself burning to keep your leaf blower going could not only cost you, but it may cost the environment after a while too.
Related Post: Best Gas-Powered Leaf Blower/Vacuums
For your safety, always use goggles and ear protection when you’re using your cordless leaf blower. Not only could stray debris cause eye damage if it flies into the air, but these machines can cause hearing damage after prolonged use, so stay well protected!
How Powerful Are Cordless Leaf Blowers?
Power is another factor to carefully consider when you’re choosing your cordless leaf blower. When it comes to leaf blowers, their power is calculated from the CFM (cubic feet per minute) rating, as well as the MPH (miles per hour) rating that they emit.
CFM Ratings
Calculating how much CFM power a leaf blower has will give you a good indication as to how powerful they are. Naturally, the lower the CFM rating, the less power the leaf blower has, so you should always calculate how much power you need to get your job done properly and include this in your final decision.
Did you know: leaf blowers can generate so much power, they can blow at speeds between 140mph and 270mph!
On the lowest end of the scale, you’ve got leaf blowers with 200CFM or less. These are the lowest powered devices you can get, and they’re best used in small yards, on patios, in garages, and on driveways, although you still won’t find them to be the most powerful machine, and may not be able to get the job done as you’d like it.
To pack a punch, we’d suggest starting with a leaf blower that has between 200 and 400CFM. These are still best used in smaller yards and gardens, on patios and driveways, but you’ll definitely feel a bit more of a kick and find that most, if not all leaves, can be blown away with a rating between 200 and 400.
Between 400 and 450CFM, you’re going to get a much more powerful punch, making them perfect for medium sized yards that need cleaning often. By the time you get to this amount of power, you should be aware that you’ll have more noise pollution to contend with too.
Cordless leaf blowers that have 500CFM or more are built for really big jobs. They’re perfect for the larger garden, or prolonged usage throughout the year. The problem? They’re hardly ever battery powered, because a battery simply couldn’t handle that much CFM without giving up halfway through the job. That means they’re usually gas powered, which can be more costly over the course of their life, and less environmentally friendly, as we’ve already mentioned.
Related Leaf Blower Articles
Buying Guides
• Best Leaf Blowers
• Best Cordless Leaf Blowers
• Best Corded Leaf Blowers
• Best Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers
Info Articles
• Cordless vs Corded vs. Gas Leaf Blowers
Cordless Leaf Blower FAQs
Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to cordless leaf blowers.
A: Strangely enough, you’ll find most cordless leaf blowers to be bottom of the pile when it comes to their MPH rating, although that doesn’t necessarily make them the least powerful overall. A cordless leaf blower can give off a speed of up to 125MPH, which is still pretty fast if you ask us.
If you’re after a little more speed, a less environmentally-friendly gas powered leaf blower can shoot off up to 194MPH of wind speed, making them pretty powerful in comparison to the cordless blower. Finally, there’s the corded blower, which can give off up to 220MPH of wind power, making them almost doubly as powerful as the cordless blower.
A: firstly, make sure you wipe down your leaf blower after each use. Sometimes, debris can become stuck in and around the leaf blower, and over time, this can accumulate, making your leaf blower less likely to work at its full potential.
On top of this, you should always make sure the filter is free of debris, clean, or changed regularly to make sure it works properly. This will keep your leaf blower in tip top condition, and able to run at full power every time you use it.
If you have any questions or comments, please add them below in the comment section. Similarly, please let us know if you spot any mistakes or omissions. Thanks!
Last Update: 2024-04-23 | Affiliate links/Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
