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Not all gas-powered leaf blowers are so loud that they’ll wake up the whole neighborhood. Four-stroke engines add complication to a leaf blower, but they’re significantly quieter. The Makita Gas-Powered Leaf Blower comes with a quality muffler that reduces the noise rating to 67 decibels (dB), roughly equivalent to a noisy dishwasher. Surprisingly, it’s lighter than you might expect for such a machine, weighing in at 9.8 pounds. It delivers a respectable air volume of 358 cfm and 145 mph air speed.
Pros
- Features a large-capacity muffler
- Easy-to-use cruise control lever
- Â Includes a long nozzle, round end nozzle and tool kit
Cons
- May be too heavy to use without a shoulder strap
What to Consider When Buying a Leaf Blower
When buying the best leaf blower for your needs, keep in mind there are plenty of options and things you can do with a leaf blower. Consider how much it weighs, how easy it is to operate, how comfortable it is to use, how noisy it is and how much maintenance it requires. Cost is also important, as prices can vary widely.
You’ll also want to understand cubic feet per minute (cfm) vs. miles per hour (mph). Leaf blowers are rated by the volume of air they move and the speed that air travels. Air volume is measured in cfm and air speed in mph. The higher numbers in these categories, the better, but which matters more depends on the type of debris. A higher cfm will move large amounts of light, dry debris, like grass clippings, while wet leaves or heavier trash require more force and, thus, a higher mph.
Types of Best Leaf Blowers
- Handheld leaf blowers: As the most common choice, they’re a great option for smaller lawns and are available in gas, electric and corded models.
- Backpack leaf blowers: These come with straps to wear on your back. Backpack leaf blowers are a smart option if you have more area to over, such as an acre or more. They’re available in gas and electric.
- Walk-behind leaf blowers: These are more of a specialist machine, many of which are commercial models. They’re ideal for large, flat yards with lots of leaves.
How We Found the Best Leaf Blower
As shopping experts, our only job is to help you find a winning product. We start with the research and reporting basics—what products are made of, what they look like and how much they cost—to ensure that we’re only recommending the buys that are worth your time and money. Then, we research the features that speak to the product’s quality, taking advice from industry insiders and subject matter experts on what makes a product a smart value (or worthy of a splurge). Finally, we do the work of combing through user reviews to see how real people interact with the product, and if it stands up to the test.
FAQ
Which is better: a two-cycle or four-cycle leaf blower?
It depends on your needs. A two-cycle leaf blower is generally lighter in weight and more powerful than a four-cycle, and it uses a mix of oil and gasoline. A two-cycle leaf blower is a popular option for homeowners, since they have a lower price point than a four-cycle.
A four-cycle leaf blower is designed with fuel efficiency in mind. These models allow you to do more work with less fuel, however, they’re often more expensive than two-cycle models.
How many cfm should a good leaf blower have?
The higher the cfm, the more power a leaf blower will have. How much cfm your leaf blower should have depends on how much debris, such as grass clippings, leaves and brush you need to move. A smaller yard with fewer trees can be cleared with a leaf blower with a lower cfm while one with a lot of leaves and clippings will require a higher cfm.
What matters most in a leaf blower?
Price and power are the two things that matter most in finding the best leaf blower for your yard. Find one with enough cfm to get the job done while staying within your budget.