Its powered by two 20-volt batteries and comes with a dual-port charger. In that time, weve consulted with two landscapersKevin Walker of K.G.W. Weve also had a long conversation with Dan Pherson, a product manager at Stihl USA, and weve gotten the input of other manufacturers such as Toro and Ego. The Ego LB5804 Power+ 580 CFM Blower was our previous cordless pick, but it doesnt match the power of the latest Ego blower, the LB6504. The long curved handle lets you adjust the angle of the blower, lessening wrist strain. Like some others, the blower is controlled on a three setting thumb dial, so its not a true variable speed, making it a little more difficult to quickly transition between speeds during delicate work, like around flower beds. You can find more powerful blowers than the Stihl BR 350, but as far as Walker is concerned, this midsize model offers all the blowing power anyone would ever need. The Stihl BGE 61 costs more than the Toro F700 and doesnt appear to have their air-moving power. We did the majority of our testing, specifically of the corded and cordless blowers, on a rural property in New Hampshire. The controls arent as polished (theres no lock-on switch), and its run time isnt as long as the Ego (but at almost 20 minutes on high, its still better than most). *At the time of publishing, the price was $299. For general etiquette advice, Stihl has a guide to safe and courteous leaf blowing thats worth a look. DeWalts DWBL700 12-amp handheld blower was a previous runner-up pick that offered premium features at a premium price (typically over $100). But we also saw reviews from a handful of people who simply found the Ego too heavy for them or their spouse to manage, so if you have limited arm strength, its something to consider. It has similar leaf moving power as our top pick Ego and roughly the same run time. After seven years of testing, our pick is the Toro PowerJet F700, which combines gale-force air movement with a smartly designed handle, an essential feature with such a strong and unruly blower. A turbo button is available for adding a blast of power, though at the cost of battery life. Because of this back-end positioning, the blower can easily pull clothing against the intake cover. Its loaded with smart features, and as landscaper Kevin Walker said, This one out-blows everything..
For downsides, other than not having the overwhelming power or run time of the Ego, the Ryobi has the rear intake, which can pull in clothing as the blower is passed in front of you. The Ego LB5604 doesnt have the raw leaf-blasting power of the corded models, but in our tests its more focused airstream was better at getting under a dense mat of wet leaves, and its turbo button can produce an extra burst of power (but drains the battery faster). The Ryobi blower runs on a 40-volt battery thats compatible with other 40-volt Ryobi tools, including the companys string trimmer, which weve had good experiences with. But it took longer to move leaves than the Stihl BR 350. Given the immense power of this tool, those added features, which are found on the Toro, go a long way to adding comfort and control to the leaf blowing experience. To test these gas blowers, each landscaper fueled up, started, and used each blower for an extended period of time, and all three inspected each unit from tip to tail.
Once we got the hang of it, though, and directed it toward the leaves, they didnt stand a chance.
Ryobis system of lawn tools is solid but not as polished as Egosand this tools battery doesnt work on Ryobis drills or other power tools. The Toro F700 typically sells for less than $75, which is a great price, especially in comparison with those of other high-end electric blowers, most of which come with a leaf-mulching function and usually run closer to $100. Even using the blower just to sweep dust out of the garage, using less air will prevent a giant dust cloud. Another cordless option we like is the Worx WG584 40-Volt Power Share Turbine Cordless Leaf Blower. Overall, the control setup is intuitive, and it offers the ability to reduce the airflow quickly if cleaning out a flower bed or around a recently mulched tree. Ive also written guides to lawn mowers, string trimmers, and snow blowers, so I have a good understanding of what makes a solid piece of outdoor power equipment. Its a nice blower and we enjoyed using it, but theres nothing that sets it above our picks in terms of performance.
A leaf blower starts with its ability to move air, and thats where the Toro is so successful. Also, because the 20-volt batteries are so small, the Worx blower is very, very light. Its a powerful blower, but not as strong as the Ego, so even if the two models had the same run time, you wouldnt be able to do as much with the Ryobi, but we had no problem moving leaves across a lawn with it. This gets to be a big task for a mower, and only the best ones, such as the gas-powered Honda HRX217VKA, can do it really well. The extra piece allows for a comfortable two-handed grip, which we ended up using a lot ourselves. Services in Carlisle, Massachusetts, who conducted some of our testing, and Chad Crosby of West Michigan Lawn Servicesin interviews. We found the simple one-handed interface easy to use, and the curved handle gave us flexibility in positioning the angle of the airstream. Along with the other cordless blowers we tested, the Ego LB6504 proved to be quieter than the electric models we looked at. Corded blowers meet most peoples needs because theyre powerful, lightweight, relatively quiet, free of emissions, and low maintenance. Gas blowers, which were once the standard, are falling out of favor as corded and cordless models have begun to equal their power, but with less noise and none of the emissions. Services, interviews, September 2014, Chad Crosby, West Michigan Lawn Services, interviews, September 2014. I can say from experience that a 100-foot, 14-gauge cord is extremely unwieldy and difficult to wrap upand sadly, capable of taking out an entire flower bed. We tested a number of additional blowers and dismissed others before the testing phase. *At the time of publishing, the price was $210. We have nozzle and reel recommendations, too. We prefer backpack gas blowers to handheld gas blowers: Engines are heavy, so by relocating the weight to your back, backpack blowers can offer a bigger, stronger engine and a larger gas tank for longer run time without putting any strain on your arm. What sets it apart from the rest is that its very quiet, even for a cordless blower, and the handle is adjustable, which really helps with the ergonomics.
We dont recommend gas handheld blowers. The Stihl is gas powered, so youll have to properly use, store, and maintain a two-stroke gas engine (and diagnose and fix any issues that arise). Given the noise, Kevin Walkers crew found that added cost hard to justify. The BR 200 let out a high-pitched, ear-withering squeal that was impossible to ignore even with our hearing protection on.
This model is typically priced $50-$60 more than our pick and we dont think its worth the added investment. Heres everything you need to keep your yard tidy, no matter what winds up on the ground out there. At less than $60, its a dealas long as being tied to an outlet works for your property. We also tested the Milwaukee 2724-21 M18 Fuel Cordless Handheld Blower and it doesnt have the run time or power of the Ego, emptying out a battery in just under 15 minutes. Although the Toro 51619 Ultra Blower/Vac is a popular model, it has a tedious system for switching out the reducing nozzles that requires the removal of the entire blowing tube and the guard that protects the underside of the blower. There are some interesting items like a robot mower, but for an overall complete package, Ryobi has more to offer. The CFM scale of the regular power dial is the same between the two blowers, maxing out at 500 CFM. But when it comes to yard tools, the selection is not as complete as Ryobis.
According to Worx, this blower blasts a whopping 800 CFM of air. We like that the Toro is powerful but also stripped down, which not only lightens it but also reduces the overall cost. For the money, however, youre getting the absolute best combination of power, portability, and ease of use, and its an especially smart investment if you plan to expand your collection of Egos great system of lawn tools, including lawn mowers, string trimmers, and snow blowers.
In run time, the best models weve found top out at around 30 minutes, but most are in the 20- to 25-minute range. For properties larger than an acre in size with lots of wooded areas, the Stihl BR 350 offers useful design touches and moves leaves better than the competition. That meant we sought models with versatile handle and grip options, a light and manageable weight, and good enough balance to make the blowers easy to control without a struggle during extended use. None of the other blowers we looked at combined such power with such smart features. It works best with wide, swinging arcs, and for blasting leaves across the yard. So in regular use, without using the turbo button, theyre basically the same blower.
Concerns over emissions (and noise) have led many cities, neighborhoods, and now even states, to place restrictions on gas-powered small engines. We also had problems securing the blower tubes on the 350BT. We also looked at the decibel readings of each blower using a Triplett SoniChek sound meter. The Ego had little difficulty lifting and pushing piles of damp, matted leaves. Theres no question that the backpack offers convenience in handling Egos large and heavy 5.0 Ah battery, but were not convinced that the weight shift of the backpack is necessary for less than a half hour of blower run time. Compared to the corded blower, theyre heavier, but on the good side, cordless models are generally the quietest blowers. Another way to deal with leaves is to use a lawn mower with a mulching function. This model replaces our previous pick, the Ego LB5804 Power+ 580 CFM Blower, an earlier version of Egos leaf blower. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing to save people time, energy and money when making buying decisions. The noise of an electric motor is very different from the irritating high-pitched whine of a two-stroke engine. They can even clear light dustings of snow. It has a very long run time and, at almost 29 minutes, it exceeds the run time of our Ego pick. The Worx WG521 is more powerful than the Toro, but the handle design makes it harder to control and more tiring on the arms. The Worx has a smaller handle and lacks the front pommel grip. In our tests, the Ego LB6504 provided about 27 minutes while set on high.
The electric Toro F700 is light, with an easy one-handed speed control, and it moves leaves with a fury. You just have to get used to keeping the blower farther away as you move it around your body. Much of this weight comes from the large battery, which leads us to the second downside: the cost. Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. The Toro also provides a second pommel grip at the front of the handle, which is a good thing because the airstream was so powerful in our tests that we sometimes relied on a second hand for better control. He lives in a very demanding 250-year-old farmhouse and spent four years gutting and rebuilding his previous home. The handle of the Ryobi is another high point. The nozzle end of the Ego measures just less than 3 inches, which splits the difference nicely between open-lawn leaf blowing and having the ability to clean out a stone wall or a gutter. The Ryobi RY40440 40V Brushless Backpack Blower, with its 5 Ah battery, also lasted 22 minutes but didnt seem to have a whole lot more power than the Ego model we recommend.
The Ego offers easy one-handed controls and a turbo button that can add a boost of power if needed. If thats too much, you can step down in size and power to the Husqvarna 130BT. The BR 200 also typically sells for $50 more than the similar-size Husqvarna 130BT. We also got our hands on the Greenworks Pro 60V Brushless Leaf Blower. In 2021, we tested the Ryobi 404100 40V Jet Fan Cordless Leaf Blower and although its more powerful than our current Ryobi pick, and even rivals the Ego, it does have some downsides. We also took the blowers into the woods to test them on the dense, damp mat of pine needles and leaves that make up the forest floor. The Oregon BL300 had a short run time of just over 13 minutes on high. These mowers can slice and dice leaves into small pieces, leaving the bits behind to compost and provide nutrients to your lawn. If the Toro PowerJet F700 isnt available, we also like the Worx WG521 Turbine 800 Leaf Blower. The controls are nice and slightly changed from the previous Ego models. Most folks should start their search by considering a corded leaf blower like the Toro PowerJet F700, the best blower weve found in our years of researching and testing leaf blowers in the woods of New Hampshire since 2014.
Leaf blowers not only work faster than rakes and take less effort but can also perform many tasks that rakes and mowers cant. Although our decibel readings were similar across the two types of blowers, the sound of the Ego was much easier to take than the electric models. Through this testing, we kept an eye on the ease of the controls, the weight of the machines, and the overall ergonomics, looking subjectively at how far we could move leaves and how easily the air helped us steer the leaf pile around. Be warned, though: At around 10 pounds, its nearly double the weight of the Toro. The Greenworks GBL80300 Cordless Brushless Blower is the exact same tool. But when calculating the overall price, keep in mind that if youre starting from scratch and in need of the full 100 feet of maneuverability, youll need to drop an additional $50 to $75 on an extension cord. It has easy-to-use controls, a lot of power, and a precise airstreambut its a little heavier than our corded picks and a lot more expensive.
The Ryobi creates the sound of moving air and thats about it. The Worx isnt as powerful as the Ryobi or the Ego, but under normal leafy conditions it has no problems moving leaves. If the Toro F700 isnt available, we recommend the Worx WG521 Turbine 800 Leaf Blower, which is the most powerful leaf blower weve ever tested. Its on an adjustable pivot, so it can be locked in whatever angle you want. Toro has put the dial to the right side of the handle (looking at it from the top), which actually makes it a little awkward for a right-handed person but offers benefits when you use a two-handed grip. Not only does the Ego leaf blower offer extended run time and excellent power, but the included 5.0 Ah battery is also a good starting point if you decide to buy into the Ego system, which weve had success with. Toro recommends at least a 16-gauge cord for 25 feet, a 16-gauge cord for 50 feet, and the heavier 14-gauge cord for 100 feet. Leaf blowers can be loud, so learn your local regulations regarding their operation. To get the rest of the package, you need to drop another $200, making it a $500 purchase. The Black+Decker BV6600 High Performance Blower/Vacuum/Mulcher is a nice blower, and we like that it has a mulching function. Of all the gas blowers our landscapers looked at, this was the one model they universally loved. For example, Arlington, Massachusetts, allows just one gas-powered blower per 6,000 square feet, to be operated only 30 minutes at a time, with 15-minute breaks in between. After finding several options delivering adequate power, we turned to other ease of use factors to distinguish one model over another. In 2022, we tested the Ego Power+ LB7654. There is no trigger that you need to hold continually; its either off or on.
The Worx has a unique sliding nozzle that is supposed to toggle the blower from a high speed setting to a high volume one, but its a little difficult to use and we couldnt tell much of a difference between the two settings in our testing. But it has to be the right fit for your property: Its tethered to an outlet, which limits range to about 100 feet or less, and if you also need to buy an outdoor extension cord to go with it, thatll cut the cost savings down a bit. You can certainly find more powerful blowers, but after we conducted a test of the Stihl against four gas-powered competitors and put it through four years of long-term field testing by pro landscapers, our experts agreed that the midrange BR 350 has all the power anyone would really need.
With the LB6504, the speed dial turns the blower on and off, instead of just setting the power. We never considered the other cordless blower to be loud, but after having used the Ryobi for a bit, they sounded squealy. The fact that the BR 350 moved leaves better than the other backpack blowers set it ahead of the pack, but all of the small touches in the overall design were what especially appealed to Walker and his crew. *At the time of publishing, the price was $200. All of these tools operate on the same battery, making this leaf blower an easier choice if you already have (or plan to buy) those other tools, which you can purchase at a lower cost without a battery or charger. They immediately identified the knob that tightens the joystick control in place as a weak point. Our measurement put it at a little over 7 pounds, about 3 pounds lighter than the Ryobi and Ego. The price difference is minimal, so we prefer the LB6504. This model is heavier than most other cordless blowers, and it tops the corded Toro by around 4 pounds. Lots of people see leaf blowers as loud, fume-spewing wastes of fuelbut newer corded and cordless models offer plenty of power without those drawbacks, which apply to gas-powered blowers that are rarely necessary at home. Charging these would be an inconvenience, but the dual port charger is capable of filling both batteries at the same time.
Typically costing under $75, the Toro F700 is reasonably priced for a blower of this caliber. The big downside is the run time and charge time, and its a dealbreaker if you have a large property or a ton of trees. Some cities and towns have full-on leaf-blower bans, and others allow leaf blowing only during selected times. Subscribe now for unlimited access.
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The BR 350 weighs 22 pounds, which is a good amount of weight to carry around. This replaces our previous pick, the Ego LB5804 Power+ 580 CFM Blower, which has a little longer run time but is less powerful. Its powerful and totally portable, but you truly need to have a lot of ground to cover to justify purchasing this blower.
Among the cordless tools in our tests, it was the most powerful. We independently review everything we recommend.
Only our runner-up recommendation, the Worx WG521 Turbine 800 Leaf Blower, is stronger, but the handle isnt as good as the Toros. This blower is actually more powerful than the Toro, but the handle design makes it difficult to wrangle. The Worx WG585 Nitro 40V PowerShare is extremely light, and very easy to grip, hold, and swing back and forth. Ive been using leaf blowers seasonally for at least 16 yearslong before I began working on this guide in 2014. So with this model, there is no need to constantly hold the trigger if youve set the dial.
It quickly and easily gets under dense, damp, or matted leaves to lift them and move them forward. The design also includes a front pommel grip, which we found useful in our tests particularly at the highest speeds, where the power of the blower could get a little intense. The cordless Ego has a couple of drawbacks, namely weight and cost. Buying the battery by itself sets you back about $250. That long run time wont mean much without adequate powerfortunately, the Ego has quite a bit of that too. Larger blowers, such as the Stihl BR 600, are available, but Walker told us that the added power of such models is unnecessary if youre properly moving leaves with a tarp. We value an uncluttered life and the streamlined nature of a single battery system, may outweigh the cost as well as the performance differences found in these dismissed models. Learn more. The most important factor for a cordless blower is its run time. After further testing, weve added the Milwaukee 2724-21 M18 Fuel Cordless Handheld Blower, Greenworks Pro 60V Brushl;ess Leaf Blower, and Ego Power+ LB7654 to the competition section. This blower lacks the power of the Ego and the quiet nature of the Ryobi, but it makes up for it with a nearly 30-minute run time, roughly the same as the Ego. The Ego Power+ Select Cut Mower LM2135SP is the best lawn mower weve found. The Ego battery fully charges up in about 110 minutes. Its a very light blower, but we much prefer the articulating handle on the current Ryobi pick, which makes the heavier load easier to handle. If you live on less than a quarter acre, clean up after only one or two trees, and dont mind a workout, we recommend a rake. Its roughly 27 minutes of run time (on high) is second only to the 30 minutes youll get out of the less powerful Ego LB5804. So if you have to go gas, a backpack model is better; you get at least the same power (and usually more), keep the limitless portability of a gas engine, and gain much better ergonomics. We used the blowers around flower beds, cobblestone steps, and stone walls, as well as in dense ground cover like pachysandra and vinca. Whether it's finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we'll help you get it right (the first time). With the blower tubes in the same position, the Toro pushed leaves at least 2 feet farther than most other blowers we tested. Blowing leaves can take a while, and swinging and pivoting a gas engine at arms length for 30 or 40 minutes is difficult to do, plus youve got all the engine maintenance and long term storage to think about. As Stihls Dan Pherson told us, When it comes to low noise, its tough to beat lithium-ion cordless.. Run-time tests were done on all of the cordless blowers. If raking is more labor than youre willing to deal with, a leaf blower is a better choice. But theyre still an option for a very large lawn with a lot of trees. I have no idea why theyre not in a sleeve like the other wires.. If you have to blow beyond the reach of a 50- or 100-foot extension cord, get the cordless battery-powered Ego LB6504 Power+ 650 CFM Blower. At around $200 (in the single-battery configuration) at the time of our testing, the Ryobi is among the least expensive cordless blowers we looked at, and we think its a great value compared with the competition. It also has a convenient spot for placing your hand while youre pull-starting. Beyond the fact that the 350BT wasnt as strong as the BR 350, it also had a few design issues that the landscapers pointed out.