Selecting the Right Power Source

When it comes to purchasing a leaf blower you are no doubt going to decide on which type to buy and the first part of that is deciding on its power source. There are 3 main types you can get and all of which have their own advantages and disadvantages. From this guide you will gain a better understanding of why a specific one may suit you or a required task…or at least you will know the attributes of each. Therefore let’s take a look at the three and see their benefits over each other:

(Skip to the bottom of each description to see the main negatives and positives of each power source)

Electric Leaf Blowers – Mains Supply

Firstly we start off with the electric leaf blower which utilizes cables to plug into a socket. A problem that can appear in general when doing any sort of outdoor work with these machines is that of cables. If you have ever owned an electric lawn mower then am sure you have come across this problem! Unfortunately if it irritated you too much maybe this model is not for you…However although the cable may get in the way, be too short or maybe even too long it does have its advantages.

Compared to the cordless leaf blower you will not have to change over batteries nor charge them. You will have that continuous power supply to keep on for the task you have ahead of you, of course if no power cuts happen! Some people have problems with the length of the cable that are supplied but you are able to get extensions. Furthermore with some types you are able to get lengthy cables for even the largest of gardens.

So compared to gas? The benefit it has over gas models is that of weight & noise, some models of the electric can be quiet, well really gas is the noisiest of the lot!

Overall Advantages & Disadvantages of the Electric Powered Blower

Advantages:

✔ Continuous power supply – no batteries, charging or refuelling required
✔ Can be quiet especially compared to gas
✔ Light, there are some heavy ones but overall most tend to be perfect weight

Disadvantages:

✘ Cabling, the main problem is getting limited range due to cables. Not only do they limit range but they do tend to get in the way causing trips and have the risk of getting damaged possibly causing faulty and unsafe wiring.

Cordless Leaf Blower – Battery Operated

Now we move on to the cordless models. This power type makes it a very useful garden tool for portability, it allows it to be pretty much be taken anywhere and relies on batteries for power. Although it does not have the power cable attached it does have the big downfall of no continuous power…It can only last as long as the battery or batteries in which you can switch over when the other runs out. Depending on some models the duration of the battery can vary, for instance the battery used in the ALB 18 Li Bosch Cordless will only last around 10-15 minutes. This really can create problems for certain tasks.

Against electric models it certainly does not have the amount of power supply unless you have an endless supply of charged batteries. However there is no cables for you to trip over and it’s great to get around any hard to get pass obstacles. Power of these models tend to be weaker than both electrical and gas power sources.

Gas blowers are far heavier and tend to be a lot bigger reducing their portability. As well as price cordless battery powered blowers win comfortably with both noise & weight. In fact Cordless makes are probably the most quiet!

Therefore compared to all others it wins for portability but loses for continuous stream of power.

Overall Advantages & Disadvantages of the Battery Power Source

Advantages:

✔ Lightweight and can be small – Creating excellent portability
✔ Quiet – Generally the most quiet of leaf blowers

Disadvantages:

✘ Charging & Batteries – This creates limit operation time and does not make these models good for large tasks and gardens.
✘ Power – Although sometimes powerful enough they do lack power versus gas and many electric types too.

Gas Leaf Blower

Lastly gas, these power types are very noisy…this is one if not the biggest negative of any gas leaf blower. Usage with any should always make you use hearing protection, especially when using a gas. However it is not the only negative, fuelling up the machine can also prove to be a little nuisance at times as with a 2 stroke engine you require to mix fuel with oil. It can be a bit of a mess at first too! Oh yea then there is weight as a gas blower are the heaviest.

So a few negatives there and you may be thinking what the positives are? Well with any gas type they will contain more power! Great for moving any wet, damp or dry leaves, making it the more ideal leaf blower if that’s what you really require. No leads are required either nor do you have to charge any batteries, though you will have to refuel it when it runs out.

It is a good point to make here in that when choosing a type of leaf blower that you consider the job at hand precisely. One thing that many people forget to look at is damaging properties by the power generated from these machines. They can and will damage flower beds, grass and really any floral areas if too much power is thrown at the areas as well as not being used correctly. Try to keep the machine at a distance to just be able to clear what is needed and prevent damage.

Overall Advantages & Disadvantages of the Gas Powered Leaf Blowers

Advantages:

✔ Power!! One of the most important factors is power and these produce the most overall.
✔ Portable – Yes they are heavy and big/bulky but they still are portable.
✔ Durable – Although the price is higher they are generally well built and good for durability

Disadvantages:

✘ Pricey – Very costly through material and components they are built with.
✘ Heavy – Although some are not that much heavier than other types they are the heaviest.
✘ Noisy – Very loud and usually safety equipment is required to prevent any hearing loss.

Conclusion

So that’s pretty much the attributes of each type of leaf blower. Well you might be thinking which would suit you and your requirements. Therefore we have described briefly which are ideal for certain task sizes:

Remember to pick the best leaf blower not only on our recommendations but also on each power source attributes! It is important to do so as power comes into play as you won’t be wanting to be blowing leaves, soil and gravel about when you just want to clear leaves. As well as that you won’t be wanting to damage areas such as flower beds destroying flowers!

What to keep in mind is that gas powered machines will and are most likely to damage sensitive areas as they produce the most power but you can keep your distance that will limit or even prevent this. If you haven’t already done so make sure you check out our buying guide which will detail all this for you.