I need a new leaf blower, which to get?

[911 Rod]

^^^ Turbo Powa!

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

That will leave me with just my string trimmer as a 2 stroke gas powered unit. I believe it is older than the blower.

My Stihl trimmer, with the plastic blades after market add on, is 26 years old.

Runs like I stole it.

Perfect example: I now have an electric chain saw. We are at the cycle in the horse fencing where repairs are common. I am saving for the make-over.

So, electric chain saw, drills and off I go...there is zero issues cutting and attaching the new fence boards, quiet no dicking around, I can cut with one hand, etc.

You'll like the EGO, Glen, excellent range of power settings. Five years in I am still on battery uno.

[rusnak]

I have a new Stihl 2-cycle and a 4-cycle Makita leaf blowers. The battery powered ones just run out of juice and don't really move much air.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

My Stihl needs to have the spark arrester burned out every few hours. When it begins starting hard and losing power I know it’s time to clean the spark arrester.

We have a 5 year old dinosaur Ryobi 18 volt too. Not very powerful and the battery doesn’t last long.

Me too. I've been hearing good reports about eGO.

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by rusnak

I have a new Stihl 2-cycle and a 4-cycle Makita leaf blowers. The battery powered ones just run out of juice and don't really move much air.

I thought that too! Until I got the one I mentioned earlier. I have an older green works battery powered blower and it's just "meh" I find myself reaching for the new electric one now to blow stones and grass off the concrete approach and grass out of the stone driveway and off the flowerbeds. These new electric leaf blowers are really impressive.

[dad911]

I have not used others, we found the 18v Ryobi was decent, still used the gas one occasionally. The 40v Ryobi is awesome in comparison. Almost as powerful as the gas.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

My old blower is a Husqvarna 125BV blower and sucker-grinder. After the ice storms most of the large trees we had are now replaced with little replacement trees. No more Bradford pear trees! My master Gardner wife has found the trees she wanted.

I bought the blower on April 28th 2012 so 9 years of service. It has no spark arrester than I can find, even looking in the manual. It has 425 CFM delivery. I only used the sucker grinder once, and hated that dust storm. Now I just mow and mulch and the leaves.

I think I am going to order the: https://www.amazon.com/EGO-Power-Lithium-ion-Cordless-Electric/dp/B06Y52TZB2

I will drain the fuel and bundle up the leaf bag and the sucking nozzle and put it my curb for next large trash day. The scavengers will grab it long before the trash folks so it will get recycled to a new home.

I suspect the ignition system which is a Phelon/CD system is dead. I might be able to get one for about 40 bucks and maybe get it to work. I am not interested in trying.

That will leave me with just my string trimmer as a 2 stroke gas powered unit. I believe it is older than the blower.

Looks like a solid purchasing decision, Glen.

For only $179...to get the tool, battery, charger, and 530 CFM, it looks like a winner.

Good luck and please come back with your thoughts after you take her for a spin!

[ramonesfreak]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

My Stihl needs to have the spark arrester burned out every few hours. When it begins starting hard and losing power I know it’s time to clean the spark arrester.

We have a 5 year old dinosaur Ryobi 18 volt too. Not very powerful and the battery doesn’t last long.

my new Stihl backpack blower started doing the same thing within a week. i removed the spark arrester and tossed it. problem gone. there is zero reason to have a spark arrester in this part of the world

[masraum]

Tangentially related. My new Ryobi brushless 18V 12" chainsaw came in today. I bought some chain oil, popped a battery in and cut some stuff. I'm impressed.

[fintstone]

I bought a STIHL 800 X MAGNUM backpack 2 cycle last year. They are amazing but pricey. If you have to move massive amounts of wet leaves, this will do it quickly. Knocked my week of backbreaking work twice a year down to one day. It is built in the U.S.A. My chainsaws, weed eaters, etc. are all STIHL.

[upsscott]

Get the 80v Greenworks. Unbelievable.

[Pazuzu]

Um...there is a third option, the one that is cheap like a gas system, but lasts forever, and doesn't have crappy batteries...

We have a corded lawnmower, weedeater and blower, and I would never waste my time again with either gas or batteries. WHY carry heavy, short term power supplies with you, when there is a lightweight unlimited power supply just a few feet away?

Well, unless you have more than a 1/4 acre, then ignore everything I said

[KevinTodd]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

The different perspectives here are always valued: Different horses for different courses so to speak.

I have kept all my gas powered stuff. Everything but the gas powered Sthil chain saw and trimmer are in long term storage. I will sell my Sthil powered blower at the Fall Amish Farm Auction. Yours if you want it, Glen.

I have gone electric and ihave not looked back. Zero batteries issues so far but I keep with the same manufactures (in my case DeWalt) so there is a lot of compatibility.

The exception is the electric leaf blower. I have this:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/EGO-LEAF-BLWR-650-CFM-180-MPH-BARE-TOOL/5000151941?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-sol-_-bing-_-pla-_--_-5000151941-_-0&kpid&placeholder=null&ds_rl=1286981&msclkid=dea4b56a98b91bf2657fd4684266ec5a&gclid=dea4b56a98b91bf2657fd4684266ec5a&gclsrc=3p.ds



I use the f out of the thing, blowing down mowers and tractors, my shop space, etc. I would never go back to a gas powered blower.

Again, YMMV. Apparently JavaBrewers doesn't! We were typing at the same time.

I have been using this unit for well over a year, and it has been stellar. It far outperforms my old (but also reliable) Echo unit, which I gave to one of my neighbors.

[1990C4S]

Originally Posted by masraum

Tangentially related. My new Ryobi brushless 18V 12" chainsaw came in today. I bought some chain oil, popped a battery in and cut some stuff. I'm impressed.

Sidebar to the tangent: The corded SunJoe pole saw from Amazon if freakin' beast. Ten minutes of 'pruning' crates an hour of clean-up. I love that thing.

https://www.amazon.com/Snow-Joe-SWJ803E-Multi-Angle-Telescopic/dp/B01DTIFAPO/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2UWH8XCE7LEG3&dchild=1&keywords=sun+joe+pole+saw&qid=1627654369&sprefix=sunjoe+pole+%2Caps%2C239&sr=8-4

[hbueno]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

The different perspectives here are always valued: Different horses for different courses so to speak.

I have kept all my gas powered stuff. Everything but the gas powered Sthil chain saw and trimmer are in long term storage. I will sell my Sthil powered blower at the Fall Amish Farm Auction. Yours if you want it, Glen.

I have gone electric and ihave not looked back. Zero batteries issues so far but I keep with the same manufactures (in my case DeWalt) so there is a lot of compatibility.

The exception is the electric leaf blower. I have this:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/EGO-LEAF-BLWR-650-CFM-180-MPH-BARE-TOOL/5000151941?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-sol-_-bing-_-pla-_--_-5000151941-_-0&kpid&placeholder=null&ds_rl=1286981&msclkid=dea4b56a98b91bf2657fd4684266ec5a&gclid=dea4b56a98b91bf2657fd4684266ec5a&gclsrc=3p.ds



I use the f out of the thing, blowing down mowers and tractors, my shop space, etc. I would never go back to a gas powered blower.

Again, YMMV. Apparently JavaBrewers doesn't! We were typing at the same time.

How much run time do yoiu get before having to charge tbe battery? The Wirecutter review said it lasts about 20 minutes.

[GH85Carrera]

My new blower came in Saturday. I charged the battery, and blew the leaves out of the garage in short order. The turbo button makes some real thrust. Most of the garage blowing was on the normal high range with no turbo power needed. I used Turbo a few time just to see the difference.

The battery charger is HUGE, easily twice the size of the one for my 18 volt DeWalt charger. It even has a cooling fan in it. I looked for a good place to put it, and ended up getting out my chop saw and trimmed down a scrap 2x4 and made a mount for the side of the work bench in an area that had plenty of space, yet the charger is out of the way. The battery is easy to get on and off the blower, and on to the charger.

In the 8 to 10 minutes of blowing out the garage it did no use enough juice to need more charging. I will mow and edge the yard either tomorrow or Wednesday and report back on overall performance.

It is a lot quieter than the old 2 cycle blower, and with no stinky exhaust, I can use it in the garage and not stink up the house.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Baz

Looks like a solid purchasing decision, Glen.

For only $179...to get the tool, battery, charger, and 530 CFM, it looks like a winner.

Good luck and please come back with your thoughts after you take her for a spin!

As requested, a follow-up.

I mowed and edged and so forth today. The blower is the last step of course.

My wife said it sounded like a giant mosquito from inside the house. I always have my noise canceling headphones on playing my music and I could not hear it at all in normal mode, and just a little wind noise on turbo mode. It is pretty quiet compared to the old 2 stroke unit. It is lighter as well.

I blew off all my sidewalks and then wanted to see if it would handle extra chores of blowing off my parking area next to the garage. No grass clippings there, just the few leaves and debris on concrete next to a large tree. I ran it for about 10 minutes and it never blinked at the demand.

Overall I am very happy with it so far, after just one use. I will try to remember to update this again after a few months of use.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

As requested, a follow-up. -snip-

Thanks, Glen!

I think this was a good purchase for you. As much as I am used to using a 2 cycle blower, I admit, the time may come for me to switch over. I do have an older Ryobi that runs off battery - so I can relate to the "sounds" your wife mentioned. It's a totally different sound than a gas run unit.

Thanks again and any followups are of course welcomed and appreciated!

[KFC911]

Battery powered tools appeal to many .... I am not one of those . I have an Echo 58V and use it a lot... for blowing dust off my deck, sidewalk, and my real 2-cycle beasts. I have used it to blow leaves... but not many and not far, but it would be more than enough for most.

For REAL work .... I like to use the best .. battery powered tools do not even come close... and no competition for a good 2-cycle.

On the down side ...
if I couldn't get gas with NO ethanol... I'd probably reconsider.

I luv my Stihls and Echos ... and gas

[KFC911]

Missed the "spark arrestor" posts earlier. I have around ten 2-cycles .... nary a screen to be found on mine as that is the first thing I usually do.... remove them suckerz.