An electric leaf blower is probably the most popular type of leaf blower for most homeowners. First of all, they are very affordable. They are quieter than gas leaf blowers. There are no fumes from gas and oil. Therefore, this makes them more environmentally friendly. And they require little or no maintenance.
Electric leaf blowers come in two models, corded and cordless. There are advantages and disadvantages to each.
Corded Electric Leaf Blowers
A corded model means that you are going to need an extension cord for power. This means you will need an electric plug that is accessible to the outdoors. The longest extension cords come in 100 feet. You really shouldn’t connect cords together to go any longer than that. Damage could result to your leaf blower.
Advantages of a corded leaf blower:
- Cords offer more power than batteries in a cordless model
- They are designed to be light and powerful. This makes it easy for you to use the blower one handed.
- You will never have to mix gas and oil. Just plug it in and go.
- Overall, corded electric leaf blowers are quieter than gas models.
- There are a wide range of models, anywhere from a small unit commonly known as a sweeper. And all the way up to a 12 amp that has a motor that can push up to 230 miles per hour.
- They are very affordable.
Disadvantages of a corded leaf blower:
- There really are not many disadvantages to a corded electric leaf blower other than the fact you are tethered to an extension cord. This can be a detriment if you have a lot of things in your yard like bushes, trees and furniture. You have to plan your path so that you don’t get tangled up in all these things. Also, if you have a large property the extension cord will only go so far.
Cordless Leaf Blowers
Cordless leaf blowers require a battery to power them. Just like a corded leaf blower, they are lightweight and quieter than gas models.
If you already own a cordless tool of some kind you will likely want to strongly consider purchasing a cordless leaf blower in that same brand. For example, if you already own a WORX cordless product, you will probably want to buy a WORX cordless leaf blower. Most brands will make their batteries so that they will fit multiple products. Something to point out though is that you need to stay within the same voltage. So, for example, you cannot use a 20 volt battery on a leaf blower that uses a 40 volt battery.
Advantages of a cordless leaf blower:
- They are lightweight, usually weighing less than ten pounds.
- Quieter than gas leaf blowers
- There is not a need to plug the actual blower in so you can go anywhere with them.
- Very easy to use. No cords to pull, no gas to mix, just attach the battery and push the button. In the time it would have taken you to either gather an extension cord or mix the gas, you can already be moving leaves.
Disadvantages of a cordless leaf blower:
- Because of the added weight of a battery, cordless leaf blowers will weigh slightly more than a corded electric leaf blower. However, they are still going to be lighter than a gas model. When shopping for a cordless leaf blower, be sure to check the weight of the blower both with and without the battery in place.
- Cordless leaf blowers are powered by batteries. Batteries need to be recharged and it will take a while to do that. This puts limitations on the amount of time you can blow leaves. With that in mind, you will probably want to purchase at least one, if not two, extra batteries.
What to look for when buying a corded leaf blower
The power provided by the electric motor in a corded leaf blower is rated in terms of amps. They range from 7 amp to 12 amp.
The smaller leaf blowers are rated in the 7 amp range. These are great if you have a small yard and not many leaves. They also work great for things like blowing out your garage and cleaning the sidewalks or deck. I have a spot under a table that is sheltered from the rain where I keep one of these small units to blow off my deck. It makes it easy to just pick it up and blows things off in a hurry.
The larger units feature more powerful motors that are rated up to 12 amps. These models can be just as powerful as a gas leaf blower, but at the same time, much lighter.
Best Corded Leaf Blower Reviews
7 amp Blowers
These 6 and 7 amp electric leaf blowers are perfect for light jobs. They are best used on hard surfaces such as driveways, sidewalks, decks and cleaning out your garage.
Sun Joe 6-Amp Corded Electric Leaf Blower
Sun Joe 6-Amp Corded Electric Leaf Blower
- Powered with a 6-amp motor
- Creates up to 155 mph air speed (max)
- Lightweight – only 3.9 lbs
- Perfect for small light-duty jobs like sweeping driveways, patios, decks, garages and even light snow
- Comes in four colors – dark blue, green, gray and red
- An Amazon Best Seller
Black & Decker Corded Electric Leaf Blower
Black & Decker Corded Electric Leaf Blower, 7-Amp
- Powerful 7 amp motor
- Lightweight at just 4.4 lbs
- 180 mph/180 CFM
- Built in cord retention to keep cord from getting tangled
WORX WG506 Corded Blower
WORX WG506 7.5 Amp 2-Speed Leaf Blower
- Powered with a 7.5 amp motor
- Powerful two speed motor
- Lightweight – only 4.4 lbs
- Adjustable air speeds from 130 to 160
- Efficient tube design produces 160 cfm air volume
- Practical for blowing around flower gardens and such where an adjustable speed would come in handy
Greenworks 7 Amp Single Speed Electric Leaf Blower
Greenworks 7 Amp Single Speed Leaf Blower
- Powered by a 7 amp electric motor
- Lightweight – only weighs 4.5 lbs
- Can reach speeds of up to 160 mph
- Blower tube measures 20″
- 4 year warranty
- Can be ordered just as a blower or with an extension cord kit
12 Amp Blowers
If you are actually looking for something where you can move a pile of leaves, you are going to want a leaf blower with a little more power. A 12 amp motor is going to give you just what you need.
WORX Turbine 12 amp Corded Leaf Blower
WORX WG520 Turbine Leaf Blower
- 12 volts
- Weighs only 6.4 lbs
- Has a variable speed control for different tasks
- Turbine fan technology
- Performance of up to 600 CFM
- Air speeds up to 115 mph
- Power cord retainer for hassle free blowing
- 3 year warranty
Craftsman 12 amp Electric Leaf Blower
- Powered with a 12 amp motor
- Variable speed trigger with cruise control
- Up to 410 CFM and 145 mph
- The concentrator nozzle will increase the air speed to up to 180 mph
- Part of the VERSATRACK wall organization system.
- Can also be ordered as a combo kit which also includes a 6.5 amp electric string trimmer
Best Blower Vacuum Mulchers
If you have a lot of leaves then a blower vacuum mulcher may be the way to go. You can blow all the leaves up into a pile and then vacuum them up and mulch them into a container. This reduces yard waste that is going into a landfill. An even better way of disposing of the mulch is to lay it on your gardens. Gets rid of the leaves and fertilizers your garden at the same time.
Black and Decker BV6000 Leaf Blower Vac Mulcher
Black and Decker High Performance Blower Vac Mulcher
- 3 in 1 combination leaf blower, vacuum, mulcher
- Weight – 8.1 lbs
- Can grind up a ratio of 16 bags of leaves down to one bag of mulch
- High impact metal fan
- 2 speed selections, one slower speed for flower beds and a more powerful speed for matted leaves
- Air speed: 180/250 mph
- Built in cord retainer keeps the extension cord in place and plugged in
- Easily converts from a blower to vacuum to power through leaves
- 50% less noise – 68 decibels
Can be purchased as the blower/vac/mulcher only or with a leaf collection system.
WORX WG509 Electric Trivac
- Powerful 12 amp motor
- Efficient alternative to a gas powered blower
- Weight – just under 10 lbs
- Variable speed control – can be adjusted from 75 to 210 mph
- 2 stage metal impeller with a shredder blade results in a 18:1 mulch ratio
- Quickly converts from blowing to vacuum mode with a flip of the switch
- Quick release button for easy cleaning and easy emptying
Combine with the WORX Leaf Collection System for easy disposal.
Toro 51619 Ultra Blower Vac
- 3 machines in one – blower, vacuum, mulcher
- Weight – 8.5 lbs
- 2 speeds
- New larger metal impeller results in improved mulching. Reduces 88% of mulched debris to less than one half inch.
- Quick release latch converts the blower to a vacuum in seconds without any tools
- Built in cord lock and cord storage hook
- Vacuum bag has a bottom zipper for easy dumping
- All the components can be placed in the vacuum bag and hung on the wall for easy and compact storage
What to look for when buying a cordless leaf blower
Battery
Batteries for cordless leaf blowers have come a long way in the past five years. Lithium ion technology has dramatically improved the batteries so cordless leaf blowers can really compete. Li-ion batteries offer many advantages over the old Ni-cad batteries.
- they are as much as 50% lighter.
- Can be recharged more times during the life of the battery
- There is more consistent power even as the battery’s charge wears down.
Today’s lithium-ion batteries come in voltages between 18v and 120v. 20 volt and 40 volt are the most common. 20 volt batteries are used for the smaller blowers that are commonly used for sweeping driveways, sidewalks, etc.
Keep in mind that cordless leaf blowers will drain a battery more quickly than any other garden tool. That is the reason that, at least at this point in time, you will not find many cordless blower vacuums.
Because your battery is going to discharge quickly, you are going to want to have at least one spare battery so you can be charging one while you are using the other.
Things to look for when shopping for a battery-powered leaf blower are:
- the estimated time that the battery will last at full power
- the length of time needed for the battery to recharge
Brushless Motor
The motor is the part of a cordless leaf blower that takes the power from the battery and used it to make the leaf blower run. Traditional motors transmit the charge from the battery through carbon brushes. Some of that charge gets lost due to friction. That makes this type of transfer inefficient.
Instead, modern brushless motors use magnets to transmit the charge without bringing parts into contact with each other. The result of a brushless motor is that a more consistent power is created that is more similar to a gas leaf blower.
So the two things you want to look for in a cordless leaf blower is a battery with a higher voltage and one with a brushless motor.
Best Cordless Leaf Blower Reviews
Popular 20 Volt Corded Electric Leaf Blowers
BLACK & DECKER 20V MAX Cordless Sweeper with Power Boost
BLACK & DECKER 20V MAX Cordless Sweeper with Power Boost
- Powered by a 20 volt battery
- Battery lasts about 25 minutes
- Lightweight – only weighs 3.7 lbs
- 130 mph
- Part of the Black & Decker POWERCOMMAND family of tools
- Sweep is perfect for clearing areas like driveways, sidewalks, decks, garages and other hard surfaces
WORX WG545.1 AIR 20V PowerShare Cordless Blower/Sweeper
WORX WG545.1 AIR 20V Battery-Powered Leaf Blower/Sweeper with Accessories
- Powered by a 20 volt battery
- You can share the battery across multiple WORX tools within the Power Share platform
- Charging time – about 5 hours
- Super lightweight – only 3.5 lbs
- Includes attachments so you can also dust, inflate, deflate, clean and vacuum
- Perfect for small jobs, driveways, sidewalks and decks
Can also be purchased with a high capacity battery
40 Volt Cordless Leaf Blowers
Greenworks 40v Variable Speed Cordless Blower
Greenworks 40V Variable Speed Cordless Blower
- Powered by a 40 volt Lithium-ion battery
- Very lightweight – only 3.3 lbs
- Variable speed dial – 6 speed selections
- Great for yards up to 1/2 acre
- 14 minutes of run time on one battery
- Speed of up to 150 miles
Black and Decker LSW36 40v Cordless Sweeper
BLACK+DECKER 40V Lithium Ion Cordless Sweeper
- Powered with a 40v lithium-ion battery
- Fast charger recharges the battery in about an hour
- Part of the PowerCommand system so you can share batteries between tools
- Lightweight – just 4.7 lbs so you can use it for extended periods of time
The blow tube is designed with a built-in scraper so you can loosen matted leaves and debris - Air speed – 120 mph
- Variable speed settings
- Soft grip handle that is large enough so you can wears gloves
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