Yahoo News 11 best leaf blowers to make light work of autumnal gardening
Leaf blowers are one of our favourite industrial garden tools. They’re fantastic for getting rid of leaves, waking the neighbours up, getting half-lit barbecues going, and, in the case of one or two of the higher-spec models, cheating at sailing. They’re basically a massive hairdryer that makes clearing leaves a breeze.
Blowers come in all shapes and sizes, from petrol-powered to corded and battery-powered, so we tried as broad a variety of the latest and best models on the market that we could get our hands on. With batteries, you get to roam freely, but you’re limited to roughly 10 to 30 minutes before you’ll need to spend an hour or so recharging.
Corded machines are instantly ready and will blow consistently until doomsday, but you’re limited by the range of the cord. Petrol is high-powered and flexible, but you’ll need some ear defenders and there are the fumes, in addition to the time it takes to prep the fuel.
A decent blower will set you back anything from around £50 to £350, but specs vary depending on the job and your budget. Batteries are often sold separately for example, which tends to bump up the price by around £100 for the full package, though most models can be picked up as “tool only” and may fit brand-standard lithium batteries.
We also included several blower-vacs on the list that have shredder functions and bags to save you breaking out a shovel and wheelbarrow to get rid of debris. A handy tip that we found with the blow-vac models is to open the zip bag and give it a quick whizz to blow the debris out.
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How we tested
We conducted our test in late August, when deciduous leaves aren’t exactly at their most forthcoming, so we mowed a meadow and lined up three rows of damp twigs and hay. We then blasted the rows at 1, 4 and 6 metres and gave the blowers a whiz around the drive to see how they cleared up tricky spots, like the base of fences and walls.
We also looked at ergonomics and how easy they were to assemble and disassemble. No models on this list really needed any tools to assemble them. Disassembly was reasonably easy for most, but the plastic hooks that they generally use to lock the nozzles together are quite sturdy, so you may want to use a flathead screwdriver in some cases.
The best leaf blowers for 2021 are:
Best overall – Makita DUB362PT2: £354, Howetools.co.uk
Best aesthetics – Stihl BGA 57: £239, Stihl.co.uk
Best for big gardens – Greenworks 48v axial blower-vac: £259.99, Robertdyas.co.uk
Best price – VonHaus 3-in-1 3000W: £42.99, Vonhaus.com
Best for those with limited storage – Ryobi 18V one+ cordless leaf blower kit (1 x 4.0Ah): £89.99, Ryobitools.eu
Best for shredding – Bosch universal gardentidy 3000: £99.95, Alanwadkinstoolstore.co.uk
Best for turbo blasting – Greenworks 48v axial blower: £169.99, Robertdyas.co.uk
Best for driveways and patios – The Handy THEV2600 electric leaf blower/vacuum: £59.95, Thehandy.co.uk
Best power to size ratio – Makita DUB184RT 18V, inc battery and charger: £170.83, Frjonesandson.co.uk
Best for blasting from the hip – Ryobi One+ HP whisper series, tool only: £99.99, Ryobitools.eu
Best for groundsmen – Stihl BG 56 C-E: £289, Stihl.co.uk
Makita DUB362PT2
Best: Overall
Rating: 10/10
Power source: 36V double battery
Max windspeed: 195km/h
Noise: 93.5 dB
Weight: 4.2kg (with batteries loaded)
Straight off the bat, this 36V double-battery bad boy feels like the most powerful model on the list. It completely destroyed our hay line (and our cat’s nerves) at 6m, sending debris everywhere.
The Makita uses the same locking system as power drills, which is really intuitive, especially if you’ve used Makita products before. You pull the trigger and lock it, then if you want to unlock it you just pull the trigger again. You can use the trigger or the thumb dial atop the handle to vary the power for finer jobs. The kickback doesn’t really affect handling either.
The downside is that it is a bit heavy which could be a bit wearing after a while, though it does have a strap. It also doesn’t have a forward handle for your other hand to steady it, though on the whole, it’s easy to blast whatever’s in range. Other than that the nozzle looks a bit narrow compared to the body, and it is a bit loud, but it doesn’t rattle any windows.
However, you’re making an investment – at around £350 for the full kit it is expensive for the limited uses.
Putting it together and back in its box is pretty easy – there are a variety of nozzles that lock in place with a quick twist. It’s not hard to pull them apart either.
Buy now £354.00, Howetools.co.uk
Stihl BGA 57
Best: Aesthetics
Rating: 7/10
Power source: 1x AK20 Battery
Max windspeed: 198km/h
Noise: 90 dB
Weight: 2.2kg
The BGA 57 is the best looking of the bunch – it looks like a laser cannon from Star Trek, or as if it was secretly designed by KTM motorcycles.
It’s easy to set up: just pop the nozzle on, which has three settings to adjust for your height, and you’re good to go.
It’s quite long but it’s still very lightweight, making it reasonably ergonomic even when fully extended. Unlike other models, the BGA 57 has three triggers and it’s not clear why you’d need a safety lock, but press them all together (which can be done with one hand) and the magic happens. The complex trigger system means that the unit is always at full blast (198km/h, though it doesn’t feel like it compared to the Makita) instead of the variable options that you get with other models.
That being said, it’s has a good-quality build, it’s manoeuvrable and really does the job. The BGA 57 cleared the drive of hay about 6m in front of us quite happily. We tested it for 20 minutes and didn’t see any loss in power, but it does run dry at 22 minutes, according to Stihl.
The really cool bit, aside from the general aesthetics, is the way the battery fits in at the back – we felt like the Terminator while lock and loading it in. The rear-mounted battery balances out the nozzle weight while it’s running too, so the recoil is minimal, which is a good design feature.
Buy now £239.00, Stihl.co.uk
Greenworks 48V axial blower-vac with 2x4Ah battery and charger
Best: For big gardens
Rating: 6/10
Power source: 2x 4Ah Batteries (also fits 2Ah batteries)
Max windspeed: 183km/h
Noise: Unknown
Weight: 3.5kg
The Greenworks 48V axial blower is the only battery-powered blower-vac on our list, and it does hold its own against the corded competition.
It’s quiet compared to competing models like the Bosch, and on a low speed, it sounds like it’s trying to tell you a secret. It feels like a proper industrial tool that does the job at a good 2-3m range.
The six setting variable speed is a plus, with an easily adjusted thumb dial next to the power button that provides cruise control. The low-power settings are great for gravel drives and the high power range could blow a pigeon off a first floor windowsill quite satisfactorily. It gives a little bit of kickback, which we quite liked.
The run time is a bit disappointing, however, as it only gives you around 12 minutes with a 4Ah battery, though it lasted fine during our test whern we were having a crack at it for a good 10 minutes or so on the 2Ah batteries.
As for vacuuming/shredding, the vac nozzle is a two-parter that’s a bit fiddly to attach – the safety grill sort of rests on it like a trap door that gets in the way when you’re fitting the nozzle.
While the unit is manoeuvrable, the bag is what lets it down as it’s used as a shoulder belt support and doesn’t have any clips down the nozzle. The shredder works, with a 10:1 mulching ratio, but the hay we hoovered with it had a fair bit of dust coming out of the bag, which is meant to be translucent so you can see what’s in there but in practice looks like a pillow and will not be fun for hay fever sufferers. The bag is really close to your body and rests on your hip too, which feels a bit weird.
Disassembly was one of the easiest on the list and it fit snugly back in the box with no problem.
Buy now £259.99, Robertdyas.co.uk
VonHaus 3 in 1 leaf blower
Best: Price
Rating: 7/10
Power Source: 10m cord
Max windspeed: Unknown
Noise: 102dB
Weight: 3.5kg
The VonHaus 3 in 1 is a corded blower-vac that is really lightweight. It looks cool, the balance is good and the little wheels that you can attach at the end of the nozzle make sucking up the detritus on the drive feel like hoovering your house. The curved nozzle gives it a little futuristic je-ne-sais-quoi.
The switch at the side lets you change from suck to blow easily and you don’t have to reassemble the unit as you do with some other blow-vacs. Both functions work fine and the mulcher made light work of our hay. The model comes with three screws that secure the components together properly, which we liked, though the plastic clips aren’t exactly flimsy, so don’t despair if you don’t have a screwdriver handy.
On the downside, the shoulder strap is a bit low and it doesn’t feel as powerful as the corded competition, though it still holds its own. The power isn’t variable, it’s quite loud and the bag is a bit small. It’s got a zip on it that makes clearing it easy with a whizz of the motor once opened. It’s also a little loud.
The VonHaus is a really good option for front lawns or driveways. It’s the easiest to disassemble of the corded models and the two nozzle components slip into each other neatly, like a Russian doll. As with all corded models on our list, it’s limited by the length of said cord, but it should be able to sort out most driveways and gardens.
The major selling point on this is the price and value for money. At £43, you’re not going to be left feeling ripped off.
Buy now £42.99, Vonhaus.com
Ryobi 18V one+ cordless leaf blower kit with 1 x 4.0Ah battery
Best: For those with limited storage
Rating: 6/10
Power source: 4Ah Battery
Max windspeed: 245km/h
Noise: 92.5dB
Weight: 2.3kg (with battery)
The baby of the group, the Ryobi one+ is borderline adorable. Assembly was literally two clicks: one for the battery and the other for the nozzle, which has a thumb pad that saves your fingernails.
However, in terms of performance, the size of the unit is relative to the blast. It didn’t really do much against the hay at 4m, but at close range (1-2m) it does ok. Ryobi has used the nozzle to its advantage by squishing it a bit to provide improved airspeeds.
One nifty thing we noticed was that the battery shows how much power is left as you go. Disassembly was easy as pie, so we’d recommend this one for smaller patio gardens or if you’re low on shed space.
Ryobi currently has the whole ensemble on sale, with a 4.0Ah battery and charger, which is a decent bargain for what you’re getting.
Buy now £89.99, Ryobitools.eu
Bosch universal gardentidy 3000
Best: For shredding
Rating: 9/10
Power source: 10m cord
Max windspeed: 285km/h
Noise: 99dB
Weight: 3.4kg with the leaf blower and 4.7kg with the vac attachment
The universal gardentidy 3,000W is a three-in-one corded blow-vac-shredder model with variable speeds. It’s got a metal fan for leaves and twigs, and it’s relatively quiet given its top airspeed.
Set up was quite easy, especially for the blow function where you just stick the nozzle on and screw it in with the finger dial screw. It runs relatively silently considering the power behind it – it’s about three times the volume of a house hoover at full power, but about the same as one for lower speeds, so keep the dog indoors.
The Bosch doesn’t have a trigger like most of the other models here, but instead uses a finger dial that gives variable cruise control speeds in both modes.
However, when you want to switch between the blow and vac functions, you have to switch the nozzles, which feels like you’re dismantling it.
As for the vaccum function, there’s a handle at the top of the nozzle that makes precision hoovering easy. The nozzle itself is big enough to fit a rabbit in (we didn’t) and the shredder is the most efficient on our list, with a 12:1 mulching ratio which makes sure that you get the most leaves in the 50l bag (the biggest we tested). We were expecting a little more power, but it does swallow everything.
When blowing, the small nozzle makes it light and manoeuvrable and it angles easily without too much stress on the wrists. The blower made light work of the damp hay at short range and hit the long target nicely.
Storage wise, it doesn’t take up your whole shed. That said, the three-part vac spout is almost impossible to pull apart once detached – we resorted to a tug of war trying to get it to separate and it wouldn’t budge, so while it is well made and certainly airtight, you may want to go at it with a tool of some sort.
Buy now £99.95, Alanwadkinstoolstore.co.uk
Greenworks 48V axial blower with 2x24V 2Ah batteries and charger
Best: For turbo blasting
Rating: 9/10
Power source: 2x 24v 2Ah Batteries
Max windspeed: 193km/h
Noise: 104dB
Weight: 4.1kg
The cheaper option of the Greenworks axial battery-powered blowers is a blower only, but good lord does it deliver. It’s substantially smaller than its sibling, but we really liked the stylings down the nozzle.
The big selling point on this model is the button that says “turbo mode” on it, which shows they know their audience but also lets you really get at a tough spot. It also has variable power modes that can be changed with a squeeze of the trigger or when using dial-controlled autopilot. It also sounds like Eve from Pixar’s Wall-E when you play with the trigger, which is fun.
At top power, it blasted our 6m hay line. We then used the lower power settings to re-align our hay line, which was a breeze (not sorry). Our tester called it “so much fun!” and was laughing somewhat manically throughout. It’s ergonomically pleasing too, with the offset grip that makes it easy to sweep the ground before your feet.
Disassembly took less than 30 seconds and it fit straight in the relatively little box.
Buy now £169.99, Robertdyas.co.uk
The Handy THEV2600 electric leaf blower/vacuum
Best: For driveways and patios
Rating: 6/10
Power source: 6m cord
Max windspeed: 270km/h
Noise: 102dB
Weight: 3.7kg
Assembly was really easy and you don’t have to take it apart to change functions – as with the VonHaus, there’s a little lever at the side that lets you switch on the go, saving time. The Handy also has a back strap and the 45l bag fits snugly at the hip. It comes with a handy (you’re welcome) wall hanger to stick it up in the shed, which is a nice touch. The 10:1 ratio shredder works fine, but it’s one size fits all on the power front and the cable is only 6m long, which limits your range.
Hoovering with it is easy and it sucks up things like small twigs without much fuss, but the nozzle is a bit small for bigger piles of leaves and debris, or, in our case, half a haystack.
For blowing power it holds its own, but it felt a little less powerful than other corded models at 2,600W. It’s best used for the driveway but for tasks any more industrial than that, it may be out of its depth. It honestly just does exactly what it says on the tin.
Buy now £49.99, Amazon.co.uk
Makita DUB184RT 18V
Best: Power to size ratio
Rating: 8/10
Power source: Makita BL1850B 5Ah battery (includes charger)
Max windspeed: 185km/h
Noise: 93.5 dB
Weight: 2.5kg (3kg with battery)
Makita is winning at the nozzle game with a series of lengths and options to get to hard to reach places. The DUB184RT will definitely clear your garden path. It’s perfect for driveways and precision blowing, providing a lot of power for its size. Without the extra pipes that extend the nozzle length and airflow, it still isn’t messing about. It’s got a very impressive range and delivers a respectable maximum air velocity.
You can lock the switch at any power setting, which makes things easy. The cruise control thumb dial acts as a trigger lock at the head of the handle, or you can just squeeze the trigger as normal.
There’s also a strap to keep you balanced, which is good because it is a bit heavy compared to similar-sized models and the nozzles lock in quite easily and are easy to pull apart. It’s not as industrial as its bigger brother, but that’s not to say that we wouldn’t keep one handy for autumn and it’s a fair bit cheaper.
At under £200 all included, it’s very good quality for your money.
Buy now £170.83, Frjonesandson.co.uk
Ryobi one+ HP whisper series
Best: For blasting from the hip
Rating: 7/10
Power source: 1x 18V lithium battery
Max windspeed: 150km/h
Noise: 89.6 dB
Weight: 2.5kg
The most quirky-looking item on our list, the remarkable handle on the whisper sits above the motor unit, so you’re firing from the hip for the most part, which is good for tilting but gives it a bit of a funny balance when at full power. If your triceps get tired we found you can shoulder mount it, and while it looks like you’re about to take out a helicopter, the accuracy against floor debris isn’t great. It also is a bit compact, bordering on stubby, but that’s not a bad thing for turning in tight spaces like alleyways.
Ergonomically, it doesn’t have a second handle above the spout, which would improve stability and aim. We would foresee that after extended use, you would start resting the back of the blower against your leg, which may impede its function as the fan grill is at the back. For a single battery, however, you do get a lot of power, and the trigger varies how much you’re delivering. It holds its own against the other battery-powered units, delivering consistently decent range with little resistance.
As for the “whisper quiet” claim, we found that it was pretty much on par with the rest of the electric models, but we didn’t exactly get tinnitus from it.
It also has a three-year warranty (which is the same for all Ryobi models on the list) and the battery goes with any tool in the Ryobi one+ series and charges in about an hour.
Assembly and disassembly was great – it took us 20 seconds.
Buy now £99.99, Ryobitools.eu
Stihl BG 56 C-E
Best: For groundsmen
Rating: 9/10
Power source: Petrol
Max windspeed: 230km/h
Noise: 104dB
Weight: 4.1kg dry, 4.6kg fuelled
This is the only petrol blower on the list, so it was notably more complicated to get going than the competition, as the others tend to just start with the flick of a switch. With the BG 56 C-E, we had to get some petrol and oil and make sure we got our ratios right.
It’s definitely the most powerful model on our list, delivering 230km/h blast, but the variable trigger system means that you can still do more delicate work.
It’s quite hefty too, and it’s also easily the loudest we tried (we’d compare it to a small motorbike), so you may want to consider ear defenders. There is a tinkering sound as it idles when your finger is off the trigger, but it didn’t stall on us at any point due to the stop switch and semi-automatic choke lever that prevents accidental flooding. The Stihl engine also provides reduced emissions, low weight and up to 20% lower fuel consumption than regular two strokes, according to the brand.
That being said, we liked it a lot – it’s got a quirky look with the fan vent mounted on the side and there’s something quite delightful about the fact that it smells and feels like a proper machine. Being petrol-powered it will (probably) go for days and you don’t have to worry about charging it or straying too far from a socket, making it perfect for large open spaces and real remote groundwork.
It’s also very small compared to other powerful models, so it’ll fit snugly in your shed and we found the assembly and disassembly a doddle.
There’s notably a vacuum adaptor accessory kit available to convert it into a vacuum shredder, but we didn’t get to test that so we can’t comment.
Competitively priced for the higher-end models, we would recommend this for anyone who is willing to compromise with their neighbours and local pets for the sake of getting the job done properly.
Buy now £289.00, Stihl.co.uk
The verdict: Leaf blowers
The Makita DUB362PT2 won out overall because it delivers power, has a decent battery, handles well, has a well-designed nozzle and boasts intuitive ergonomics. That being said, the Stihl petrol blower is the one we would keep in our van to deal with proper groundwork, like field or stable maintenance. In spite of the noise and fumes, there’s just no messing about once it’s got some petrol and oil in it and it just feels really reliable.
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