Tag: Blower

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Ultimate Guide to Battery Powered and Electric Lawn Tools

electric and battery powered tools

In the same way electric cars are becoming powerful and popular, so are electric lawn tools. Long gone are the days of corded leaf blowers and mowers that can barely move a leaf off the ground.

The new mowers are in town.

The new generation of battery-powered lawn tools by brands like EGO, Greenworks, Ryobi, and Makita are powerful machines. The top brands can often rival gas-powered tools in just about every way, but without the maintenance, noise, or smell. You can also save a ton of money by purchasing the tool-only version of lawn tools.

As a former lawn tool collector with a garage full of gas-powered tools, I can tell you that I have made some bad purchases in the electric lawn tool space. That is why we created this resource guide. You can also check out everything you would want over on our Amazon Storefront, where we’ve consolidated all of the best tools into one place.

Let’s get started.

Battery-powered Lawn Mowers

Let’s start with the big kahuna. You don’t have yard work or lawn care without a lawn mower. The absolute number one essential lawn tool is the mower. Let’s review exactly what you should look for in a mower, then I’ll make a couple of recommendations that can help you make the perfect purchase.

When looking to purchase an electric lawn mower, you need to make sure you understand what things matter. You will get hit with a lot of technical specifications and marketing tactics. Totally forget them and focus on the things that impact you. Below are my recommendations:

  1. Go with a high quality brand with a trusted reputation
    • Quality is going to be super important here. If you are new to the electric lawn mower space, there are definitely some names you will recognize making electric lawn tools, but there are a few others that are top-of-the-line and electric-only.
    • Avoid anything from a weird brand on Amazon that takes 9 years to ship. It is probably being 3D printed in a Laotian bathroom. Go for brands that have consistent quality and focus on the details, not just flashy colors.
    • Some brands with a stellar reputation include Greenworks, EGO, and Makita.
  2. Metal where it matters. 
    • Most electric mowers are plastic-y. Probably to reduce the weight of the mower so that the battery can get you further, but it feels cheap. Make sure to get metal where it matters – namely the deck. The deck is the part that covers the blades. Don’t get plastic here – a rock can rip through it.
    • Metal decks are only found on a couple of the brands. 
  3. Battery interoperability.
    • A ten dollar word used here, but really just make sure to buy a mower with a battery that is compatible with trimmers, blowers, etc.. Ryobi has this, so does Dewalt, and so do some of the Greenworks products. This will save you garage clutter and plug space.
    • The last thing anyone wants is seven or eight different plugs on the wall trying to charge batteries. A single line of batteries goes a long way here.
  4. Self-propelled or not. 
    • While I personally don’t use the self-propelled function, a lot of people love it. If you are older, have steep banks or hills, or otherwise just want to move more quickly, self-propelled mowers can be a huge help.
    • They can also significantly drain the battery of your mower, so be prepared to stop to charge the mower at some point.
  5. Motor Type 
    • While electric motors have historically relied on wound coils of wire to create a magnetic field to utilize the energy in a battery to rotate the “rotor” which has positively and negatively charged ends that spin – creating torque. The coils act like a brush against the internal components of the motor  that will wear out over time  – the new kid on the block, brushless motors, are different. 
    • Brushless motors have removed the friction and replaced with magnetic force fields – thus removing the wear and tear on the coils.
    • This adjustment significantly improves motor performance and durability. Less friction makes for easier spinning of motor components. Faster spinning means higher performance – usually. Higher performance makes us happy.

Top Battery-Powered Lawn Mower Recommendations

We have tried, reviewed, and ranked close to 100 battery-powered mowers. A few really stick out to us. 

Greenworks 80V Pro Brushless Cordless Lawn Mower 21”

This mower from Greenworks is a masterpiece. Everything we recommend in a mower can be found in this one. A steel deck. A brushless motor. A battery line you can stick with for all of your Greenworks tools. A great brand. This one is top-of-the-line. It can be found on Amazon for a pretty good sale or at your local Costco.

EGO  Power+ 56V 21-inch Cordless Electric Select Cut XP Lawn Mower

A close runner-up, this thing has a killer self-propelled function, a long-lasting battery, a pretty sweet design, and a brushless motor. The only downside here is the plastic deck. Otherwise, this is a great mower and part of a great battery series. It can also be found on Amazon and on sale right now or at Lowe’s.

Pictured here is the EGO Select Cut, which I go into further detail here.

Battery powered weed eaters (string trimmers)

Again, let’s break down what you need to know when picking out a battery-powered weed eater. Then I’ll give some recommendations based on our research and trials.

What to look for in a cordless string trimmer

Cordless weed eaters come in all shapes and sizes. They aren’t highly complicated pieces of equipment, but they do have a few nuances. Here is how I see it:

  1. Feel and usability
    • Obviously this is subjective, but feel is everything to me. I have had weed eaters in the past where the handle is off to the side, making me torque my shoulders and back. Bad. You are going to be using this often and for a long time, so make sure it is comfortable.
    • I recommend using trimmers with a molded grip that comes in the shape of a D. This way you can grab the handle at multiple angles for whenever you want to do some edging with it.
  2. Motor type
    • Brushless motors are king here. They are longer lasting and more durable. Brushless motors also produce more torque and less heat.
    • This is the same benefit found across all battery-powered lawn tools.
  3. Batteries
    • Not only do you want a lighter weight battery, but you also want to try to get a battery with your trimmer that also works with a blower. 
    • They sell trimmer and blower combo kits, which we have reviewed and written about here.
  4. Curved vs Straight shaft
    • I always, always, always prefer straight shafts. They are so much easier to use and control. Curved shafts are better for smaller areas that require “mowing”  with a string trimmer, whereas straight shafts are better for precision and clean lines.
    • Longer straight shaft trimmers are also easier to balance and handle as they distribute weight better.

Top Battery-Powered Weed Eater Recommendations

I’ve used dozens of battery-powered weed eaters and review and rank them extensively. Here are some of my favorites.

Makita XRU15PT1 36V Brushless String Trimmer

Okay, this one is an absolute beast and can blow the socks off any commercial  gas trimmer. It has a massive cutting swath of 15 inches, a brushless motor, and comes with 4 batteries. Makita does a great job with their products, whether they be hand power tools or their full suite of different weed eaters.

The downside is that it is pricey. Check out the most recent price for the full kit, but much cheaper if you have a bunch of the batteries already.

Worx WG163 GT 3.0 PowerShare 12” Cordless String Trimmer and Edger

This one is much more affordable. It weighs about six pounds, is super easy to use, has a telescoping arm, and can be plopped on its side for proper edging. Worx makes some really cool products, just like this flexible and simple weed eater called the GT revolution.

It is also one of the highest rated lawn tools on Amazon, with over 22,000 reviews. 

Battery-powered Leaf Blowers

Leaf blowers have some of the largest variety in power, with most folks still thinking gas is the most powerful. You would be surprised to see how far some of these blowers have come. Let’s check it out. 

What to look for in an electric blower

Cordless blowers come in a bunch of shapes and sizes. There are smaller, lightweight handheld blowers, massive backpack blowers, and everything in between. Regardless of the type of blower, there are three basic things you need to understand before making a purchase.

  • CFM 
    • Cubic feet per minute. This is a measure of air output on the blower. Higher CFM means more air output, but not necessarily more miles per hour. You may see a lot of blowers that have really high CFMs, but don’t always blow air at the highest miles per hour. This is due to the fact that some blowers have wide nozzles. They can push air out with great force, but since the area of the nozzle is large, the miles per hour isn’t as proportionally high. 
    • High CFM blowers with low MPH are great for moving big piles of leaves across the yard.
    • Blowers with high MPH might not have as high of CFMs, but have narrower nozzles. These are great for precision blowing or for things like wet grass or wet leaves. 
    • I prefer to have a high MPH blower so that I can get those wet leaves off of my back deck. Most commercial landscapers use backpack blowers with high CFMs so that they can remove leaves from parking lots and other surfaces. 
  • Usability and “Feel”
    • Leaf blowers come in all shapes, sizes and weights. If you have a large yard, you will want to really pay attention to the weight distribution and handling of a blower, otherwise you may end up at a chiropractor.
    • For large yards, I generally recommend a backpack blower. It is the most comfortable blower for heavy use because it is wearable and powerful. 
    • For medium and small yards, there are some great lightweight handheld blowers that have just as much power as a backpack blower – see our recommendations.
    • Another feature you will want to watch out for is cruise control settings and variable speed control. You can quickly tire out your hands if you are holding onto the blower and also trying to keep the trigger on a very specific setting. 
  • Motor Type
    • Brushless motors reign supreme. Cooler running motors with more torque, a longer run-time, and last many more years. Brushless is a no brainer when picking a blower, especially since these tend to start and stop so much during use. Keep this thing ticking for many years with a brushless motor.

Top Battery-Powered Blower Recommendations

We’ve reviewed and ranked a ton of battery powered blowers after hundreds of hours of testing and posting them all to our YouTube channel. Here are the best.

EGO Power+ LB7650 56V Blower

This blower is more powerful than most, if not all, handheld gas blowers. It has 765 CFMs and can blow air at up to 200 MPH. Holy cow.

It also has a variable speed trigger, cruise control, a few different nozzle tips you can attach, and a brushless motor. Basically, it has it all. It even comes with a five year warranty. If you already own EGO batteries, at the time of this writing  you can get the tool-only version for just over $200. Not bad. It is also available at Lowe’s.

Me with my EGO blower.

Ryobi 40V Brushless Whisper Blower

A close competitor to the EGO blower, I recommend the Ryobi for anyone with an existing Ryobi battery. This thing is just slightly less powerful than the EGO blower but is MUCH quieter. The 40V series by Ryobi is pretty sweet as well, with a ton of different tools that can use the same exact battery. That’s a big money, space, and time saver.

At the time of this writing you can grab this blower from Home Depot with batteries and charger for a really good price.

Corded electric lawn dethatchers

Lawn dethatchers and aerators are harder to find in folks’ garages, but mostly because folks neglect this process in their lawn. Dethatchers and aerators are great for the overall health of the grass – those two tools are probably the best kept secret in lawncare – and they happen to be the most satisfying tools on the planet.

The Value of a Dethatcher

Dethatchers are a lesser-known lawn tool but that’s because most folks don’t care enough about their yard to use one. If you are reading this post, you are in the elite subgroup of yard enthusiasts who give a darn and are about to be the envy of all of your neighbors.

Dethatchers work by pulling up dead grass that is stuck to your lawn’s soil. 

“Wait a second, that stuff is bad?”

Well, maybe not BAD, but it limits the amount of nutrients your soil can take in. We go out and pull weeds in the garden bed because they can overtake our flowers and bushes. The same goes for our grass. The thatch is not going to take over your yard and is dead, but it is still taking up valuable real estate that could help grow more grass.

Weeds and grass when they see your lawn.

When to dethatch your lawn

Dethatching your lawn should take place just prior to aerating and overseeding – so generally in the fall. For those of us that live in the South, this is sometime around mid to early October. If it’s too hot, the seed will dry up and not thrive. If it’s too cold, well, it is too late.

You can also dethatch at the end of a brutal winter to allow your soil to open up and breathe again before it warms up. So many lawns continue to limp into the spring because they are mushy and have a ton of moist thatch just clogging up the yard. Get rid of that.

 Electric Dethatchers 101

Okay, let us make our way into the meat of this post. Old-school dethatchers are fine-toothed rakes that require you to physically make your way across the yard and pull up all the dead grass like a caveman. I do not recommend this to anybody that enjoys having a back. 

On the flip side, there is a reason that motorized dethatchers are not gas-powered. Dethatchers, even motorized ones, require a slower movement across the yard. And honestly, that is a good thing. There’s no way to go through the process quickly. If you had a gas-powered dethatcher, you would basically till your entire yard and you might as well plant something else if you do that. 

Electric dethatchers are perfect because they are super light, easy to use, and simply hover across your yard, pulling up all the dead thatch. We did a full comparison post of the two best dethatchers on the market.

Top Corded Electric Dethatcher Recommendations

The most satisfying tools on the planet, here are our recommendations for electric dethatchers based on personal use and testing.

Greenworks 10A Electric Dethatcher

The Greenworks Dethatcher is a super affordable, easy-to-operate, and powerful lawn tool that can help your yard breath again. We’ve mentioned Greenworks a few times now, but they are a trusted brand that provides amazing products. At the time of this writing, you can grab their dethatcher for about $125 on Amazon.

I got this a few months ago to give a whirl after my lawn looked dead as dead can be. Needless to say, my jaw was on the floor.

Sun Joe AJ798E 12A Electric dethatcher

The Sun Joe is also a great option if you have any brand preference for them. The machines themselves are about neck and neck in all features, with the Sun Joe being slightly smaller and more expensive. I used this one in my YouTube video I made about dethatching my lawn. It was great – not super sturdy, but did the job over my half acre of land.

Right now, you can grab the Sun Joe on Amazon for around $130, where I got mine.

Battery-powered Snow Blowers

When it comes to clearing snow from your property, there are two main types of machines to choose from: the snow thrower and the snow blower. Both have their pros and cons, so how do you decide which is the right machine for you?

Snow blowers vs snow throwers

Many people ask what the difference is between a snow blower and a snow thrower. Let me tell you right now, both are far superior to a snow shovel. While snow blowers and snow throwers build significantly less character for young men, they are much easier to use and more effective for clearing out large amounts of snow. 

In short, snow throwers launch snow 10-15 feet away and are generally more narrow. Snow blowers launch snow 25-30 feet away and are wider. Snow blowers are heavier duty and can also handle many, many inches of snow. At the end of the day, it will be much more fun to launch the snow into the neighbor’s yard instead of just the edge of your own yard. 

1-stage vs 2-stage snow blowers

Snow throwers tend to be the name for one-stage blowers. One-stage means that the action of launching the snow happens in one step: it gets scooped up and shot through a tube in one motion. Two-stage blowers are more powerful. Blowers with two stages have one action that scoops up the snow and another that launches it. This allows for a much stronger “launching” capacity, sending snow to the moon.

Top Battery-Powered Snow Blower Recommendations

While I don’t use snow blowers often, when I do they are a TON of fun.

Greenworks Pro 80V 20-inch Brushless Snow Blower

This Greenworks snow blower thing is a dang beast. It’s 20 inches wide which means you get inside and out of the snow way quicker than with narrower snow blowers. If you’ve read anything from this article, you know that I’m obsessed with brushless motors, which this one has. Greenworks has a great reputation and the 80V battery here can be used with a ton of other great Greenworks tools.

EGO Power+ SNT2110 21-inch Blower

For a little bit more, you can get a little bit more. A nearly identical snow blower, but with an additional inch, this is a great option if you already have other EGO products and have the battery. 

This one is also available on Amazon, Lowe’s, and a couple other places.

Battery-Powered Chainsaws

A solid chainsaw is one of the most important tools a homeowner can have. Buying the right one is absolutely essential to your kids or neighbors thinking you’re a cool man or woman. Chainsaws come in a variety of different shapes, sizes, types and models. Most are either gas or electric powered. Depending on your application of course, most people can get away with a 14” bar and chain. Unless you’re cutting up massive trees you probably don’t need anything bigger than that. 

In addition to that, most people nowadays can probably get away with an electric model vs a more powerful, smoother cutting gas powered model. But it’s all personal preference. However, honestly I tend to always go with the bigger more powerful engines because I think they’ll last longer. So far that’s proven to be true, but I could just be wasting money. 

Must-have chainsaw features

Just make sure your chainsaw at least has a kickback reduction feature. This prevents you from losing one of your precious fingers! You only have 10 of them ya know! This also prevents you from cutting your head in half. Kickback reductions can be in the form of the chain or bar itself. Basically these just prevent you from cutting too aggressively which prevents your saw from bouncing back on you. Or a chain brake which causes the chain to stop when it hits something hard or moves too abruptly 

Other features that are nice to have are more comfort-centric. These include tool-less tensioners, mufflers, anti-vibration, automatic chain oilers, etc.

Top Battery-Powered Chainsaw Recommendations

Battery powered chainsaws are one of those tools we just didn’t expect to match up to our gas powered chainsaws. When we tested these – we were proven wrong.

Greenworks G-MAX 40V 16-inch chainsaw

The Greenworks G-MAX chainsaw can cut through 15 inches of wood, with the equivalent power of a 35cc gas chainsaw. Also featuring a brushless motor, anti-vibration, and no gas or fumes, this thing is pretty dang sweet and looks really cool as well.

It has a ton of positive reviews on Amazon, where it is listed for a great price with several options.

Dewalt 60V Flexvolt Chainsaw

A great option for the average homeowner that needs to break up fallen branches. It’s 16 inches, has a brushless motor, and is a great deal. Not the most powerful in the world, but pretty sweet especially if you already have the battery – which most people do.

There are a ton of buying options on Amazon, but you can also grab it at Home Depot.

What to look for in electric pressure washers

Here’s what I look for when picking out a new electric pressure washer.

Nozzles Matter

When choosing a pressure washer, you should pay attention to the nozzles included in the package. Two types of spray nozzles are available usually, adjustable spray nozzles that can be controlled and quick-connect nozzles with predefined spray patterns.  

The predefined spray patterns typically come in different angles, allowing for you to quickly switch between a broad, lower pressure spray or a narrow, higher pressure stream.

Soap tank

Additionally, you may want to consider a soap tank – equipped pressure washer. Some of these pressure washers have “foam cannons” where you can simply add some soap and it will mix it in with the water. Pretty cool.

I recommend a soap tank for cars and windows.

Wheels on pressure washers

Despite these seemingly minor features, they can have a big impact, especially with larger units. No sense in lugging around one of these in your yard and tripping all over the place.

The trusty Sun Joe SPX3000.

Hose types

There’s a big difference between how easy or difficult it is to use a pressure washer based on the kind of hose that comes with it. Stiff, rigid hoses make it extremely difficult to have any maneuverability without messing up the job or knocking over the base.

Portability

Even if this has the drawback of making the unit less powerful, a portable, smaller pressure washer will be a better choice if you have to move around or carry the unit with you. Most of us do this, especially if you are doing the exterior of your house.

Totally depends on the job you are trying to do.

Pressure washers: Gas vs. Electric

Gas pressure washers have been around forever and probably aren’t going anywhere – but electric pressure washers are on the up and up like all the other lawn tools.

Electricity and water! What can go wrong?

The maintenance and cost of gas pressure washers are greater, including things like air filter changes, spark plugs, and more. Gas pressures are also insanely loud. However, electric washers simply have a power source and a button and are far quieter.

I like buttons.

Top Electric Pressure Washer Recommendations

Just like some of the others, we’ve tested a TON of electric pressure washers. Here are some of our favorites.

Sun Joe SPX3500 Pressure Washer

The SPX3500 is a souped-up version of the most popular pressure washer on the planet, the Sun Joe SPX3000. It basically fixed all the negative feedback on the SPX3000 and even looks cooler. It’s got a brushless motor, brass fittings, and is easy to store and  transport. It even has a tad more power. It is the best Sun Joe pressure washer on the market.

It is perpetually on sale on Amazon, where it does crazy numbers.

Greenworks PRO 3000 PSI TruBrushless Electric Pressure Washer

This thing is legit. All of its stats have been verified by the Pressure Washer Manufacturers of America, meaning the nerds who designed this really put some love behind it. Believe it or not, that’s rare.

I love how this Greenworks pressure washer boasts the PWMA certification and also distinguishes the Brushless motor as TruBrushless, throwing shade on competitors who exaggerate numbers or don’t actually use brushless motors through and through. This one is higher quality, but also slightly more expensive, right now this one is for sale on Amazon.

Final Wrap-up

Folks, thanks for reading our guide. The tools here are not exhaustive – this is not a static list, in fact the pros over at Greenworks, EGO, and all the other manufacturers are constantly coming out with new products that exceed expectations and advance the electric armory.

Check out our YouTube channel to see us using and testing all these tools – sometimes head-to-head!

Why we review lawn tools

The reason we started this website in the first place was because we had so much trouble trying to find reasonable, understandable, honest reviews for lawn equipment. And it’s not cheap! After hours and hours of research, trying products and returning them, and messing up our yards – we started this site. 

Here’s how I spend my time now.

As people who had to learn the hard way, we want you to know exactly what you are signing up for before you purchase a piece of equipment. That’s why we are committed to providing honest, easy-to-understand reviews that mean something. 

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5 Battery-Powered Blowers That Rival Gas

The best battery powered leaf blower is the EGO 765 CFM blower. Cordless and battery powered leaf blowers are all the rage right now. They are quieter, just as powerful, and easier to maintain than gas-powered blowers – there I said it!

Yeah…pretty sweet.

But there are a LOT out there. I see some awesome trusted brands but I also see some that look like they were 3-D printed in a Laotian bathroom. And that isn’t good.

So I’ve put a ton of these blowers to the test (which I will explain more later). Either way, the ones on this list are absolute winners that I have personally used and tested. You can see a lot of the reviews of each of these on my Youtube channel.

Here is my list of top battery powered leaf blowers:

  1. EGO 765 CFM Battery Powered Blower
  2. Ryobi 40V Whisper Series Blower
  3. Enhulk 58V 930 CFM Battery Powered Blower
  4. Greenworks 80V Blower
  5. EGO 650 CFM Battery Powered Blower
  6. Dewalt 20V Max Leaf Blower
  7. Kobalt 80V Battery Powered Leaf Blower

Powerful Battery Powered Leaf Blowers (Ranked in 2024)

Ranking these battery powered leaf blowers was pretty easy, although it took about 18 months  of getting access to all of them. But after I did, it was a fun process. There’s a clear runaway winner, but after that the playing field is pretty even. Let’s get started.

EGO 765 CFM LB7654 Leaf Blower

The EGO 765 CFM battery powered blower is hands down the best. It is the most powerful handheld battery powered blower on the market and much more powerful than many gas-powered blowers. That statement is what gets me hate mail.

But it is true. I got a lot of comments about that on our Youtube review of this blower, but we compared it side by side to my first blower – a Stihl BG86C. It is an absolute unit. At 765 CFMs, it has serious blowing power. It also has a decent sized nozzle that allows it to still push air at super high speeds – up to 200 MPH. 

I compared them!

That’s an extreme combination of speed and power. When I first used this, it was a powerful blower, then I pushed the turbo button and I had to literally (yes, literally) fight against it because of how powerful it is. It has a brushless motor, is a part of EGO’s extensive 56V battery series, and is durable as heck.

You can grab it from Lowe’s or get it online at Amazon for a great price.

Ryobi 40V Brushless Whisper Blower

I put the Ryobi Brushless Whisper series blower as number two on the list because it is almost as good as the EGO blower, but not quite as nice. One thing it has going for it is that it is quieter, which is why it is called the Whisper series. But it isn’t super quiet, it just makes a different noise – you can see a video where we compare it to the EGO blower here.

But all things considered, this is still a great blower. The best part is that Ryobi has a TON of 40V products. If you already own the batteries, you can buy it tool-only and save a ton of money. If you have a Ryobi 40V battery already then I recommend this one over the EGO.

This one is pretty sweet, too.

The power output on this one is still great for a battery powered blower. 730 CFM and 190 MPH put it just under EGO’s blower and it has all the same bells and whistles: a turbo button, cruise control, and a brushless motor.

Ryobi did a great job with this one and they sell it almost exclusively at Home Depot. Using that link, you can use it with or without batteries to see the cost difference.

ENHULK 58V 930 CFM Electric Leaf Blower

I know this brand is one you haven’t heard of but the Enhulk 930 CFM blower should immediately catch your eye. For starters, this battery powered blower boasts 930 CFMs (its right there in the name). That is an insane amount of air volume.

When I first stared using this blower I was absolutely shocked at how powerful it was. I immediately called up Tyler (the guy in all the pictures) to have him buy it and try it out himself. We were both stunned. Not only does this blower have extreme power but also it has a really cool digital interface for things like cruise control and turbo, a bunch of different nozzles, and a big ole’ battery.

While this is definitely the most powerful blower on the list, I had to move it to number three because the battery can’t really be used with a ton of other tools. Either way, the Enhulk 58V is still worth the money – you can grab it on Amazon for a really low price compared to the others.

Greenworks 80V 730 CFM Leaf Blower

We love Greenworks products and enjoyed this blower as well. It is just as strong as the Ryobi blower, but comes with a much less popular 80V line. Don’t get me wrong, Greenworks has some great 80V products, like their 80V mower, but isn’t quite as built out or popular as Ryobi.

Not bad!

That being said, we got our hands on this one as well and were impressed. It is a great option, especially if you already have a Greenworks 80V battery. But at 730 CFMs, this one is still strong. It of course has a brushless motor as do almost all of Greenworks’ products.

After a few uses we noticed that it started making a higher-pitched noise. It still works totally fine, but is kind of annoying. Otherwise, this blower has been darn near perfect and has some awesome bells and whistles. As a plus, I think it is one of the coolest looking battery powered blowers on the market – all black and really sleek looking.

This one is available on Amazon for a great price.

EGO 650 CFM LB6504 Battery Powered Blower

I’m sad that the EGO 650 CFM blower is so far down this list because it is still a wonderful option for most people. While it doesn’t have the absurd power that the 765 CFM version has, most people don’t need that much power. 

Honestly, this one is almost identical to our number one rated blower but just comes short in the power department. It has the same brushless motor, battery series, cruise control, turbo button, and looks almost identical. 

The main power difference in my experience is that this will be much closer to a standard electric blower. A very high quality blower, but nothing differentiating the power. When I used it, it was just fine, but didn’t lift the stuck wet leaves and grass that the 765 version can lift.

But really – it is a carbon copy of the number one blower but without the insanity. If you are looking for a really high quality blower that doesn’t knock you backwards, then this is a great option.

This one is also available on Amazon for a good bit cheaper than its more powerful counterpart.

(BONUS) Dewalt 20V Max Leaf Blower

Dewalt! What can I say? They are one of the OGs in the battery-powered tool game but somehow got boxed out of the battery-powered lawn tool game.

Don’t underestimate them. They don’t have the market share that Ryobi and EGO do, but they put out some products that absolutely slap – like their nice Dewalt mower and some great weed eaters.. All that to say, they’ve translated their ability to make insane power tools into insane blowers.

The tip is a nice add-on

The Dewalt 20V Max leaf blower is a part of their MAX series of 20V lawn tools, which lets you use this battery across dozens of other tools and even into the garage with some power tools. While Dewalt’s battery powered leaf blower only puts out 450 CFMs and 125 MPH, it comes with a really cool nozzle tip that allows you to supercharge your speed. 

One other thing I really loved about this blower is the handle. Dewalt is consistent with having handles for all of their lawn tools that are super ergonomic and similar to their hand tools. They have a molded rubber grip, are very light, and extremely comfortable to use. 

You can grab one at Home Depot for a really good price.

BONUS: Kobalt 80V Battery Powered Leaf Blower

Last, but not least, is the Kobalt 80V battery powered leaf blower. This one was an enigma to us. For starters, the battery would absolutely not die. We put this one to the test and it had the LONGEST battery run time – it was hilarious. We zip-tied the trigger down and the battery lasted for 3 hours. Yes – 3 hours. 

This one was pretty great, too!

Anyways, this battery powered blower from Kobalt has 630 CFMs and 140 MPH of speed coming through the end of the nozzle. That is some serious power. One thing I don’t love about Kobalt is that they are dang hard to find. They used to be exclusively at Lowe’s and seem to be disappearing from their shelves.

All-in-all, we were impressed with this blower’s run time but it had slightly above average power and average usability. It is a great option, particularly if you already own some other Kobalt 80V products. I don’t think this is the one I would start with if I had other options.

This one can be picked up at Lowe’s or on Amazon here.

What to look for in a battery powered blower

Cordless blowers come in a bunch of shapes and sizes but there are three basic things you need to understand:

CFM 

Cubic feet per minute. This is a measure of air output on the blower. Higher CFM = more power, but not necessarily more miles per hour. High CFM with a wide nozzle = lower MPH. High CFM with a narrow nozzle = high miles per hour. Ideally, you want both a high CFM with a narrow to medium nozzle for most residential jobs.

Usability 

What is the point of having a blower if it is hard to use? Have to get one that is lightweight, easy to start, and has some functions that make your life easier.

Motor type

Brushless motors reign supreme. Cooler running motors with more torque, a longer run-time, and last many more years. Brushless is a no brainer when picking a blower.

These are three things you need to pay attention to when looking through the specifications. 

Why we review lawn tools

The reason we started this website in the first place was because we had so much trouble trying to find reasonable, understandable, honest reviews for lawn equipment. And it’s not cheap! After hours and hours of research, trying products and returning them, and messing up our yards – we started this site. 

We love this stuff.

As people who had to learn the hard way, we want you to know exactly what you are signing up for before you purchase a piece of equipment. That’s why we are committed to providing honest, easy-to-understand reviews that mean something. 

How I tested these blowers

I’ve tested these blowers using personal experience with all of them. I’ve written extensive reviews of each of them and put them through the ringer. 

Testing gas vs battery powered blowers.

For starters, I tested out their run times compared to the advertised run time. I did this by zip-tying down the trigger and seeing how long it goes for before dying. I also did some side-by-side comparisons to a handheld gas blower and even a corded electric blower. I also compare the noise levels then the other bells and whistles, like turbo buttons.

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3 Leaf Blower and Vacuum Combos to Dominate Leaves

Leaf blower vacuum combos are low-key lawn tools that absolutely rule. In fact, I didn’t even know what they were until I saw my elderly neighbor walking around with what sounded like a blender.

I test a lot of these out.

It was a leaf blower with a big bag attached to the back of it. Before I jumped to conclusions, I asked him what the heck it was. 

A leaf blower that doubled as a leaf vacuum. How did I not think of this sooner and become the world’s first trillionaire?

Anyways, I decided to get my hands on a couple and find out the best one. Here’s the list I came up with for the best leaf blower vacuum combos:

  1. Makita XBU04PTV Brushless Leaf Blower Vacuum Combo
  2. Worx WG512 Tri-Vac Corded Leaf Blower Vacuum Combo
  3. Craftsman CMEBL7000 3-in-1 Leaf Blower Vacuum Combo

How I tested these tools

Ever since I saw, then subsequently borrowed, my neighbor’s blower vacuum combo I’ve been hooked. I grabbed one and then convinced my father-in-law and brother to buy one. They went different routes and got ones that I hadn’t yet used. 

One of my favorite blowers.

I’ve used dozens of blowers and reviewed and compared a bunch on my Youtube channel. There you can see me strap two to a spinny chair and see which one wins…

Ranking leaf vacuum and blower combos

I’ve given you my definitive ranking at the beginning of this article, but let me break down exactly why I chose each one. I pick certain characteristics that I like and ones that you need to absolutely keep an eye out for. Let’s get started with number one.

Makita XBU04PTV Brushless Leaf Blower Vacuum Combo

Makita makes some amazing leaf blowers – we reviewed a ton of Makita’s blowers. I like Makita’s brushless leaf blower vacuum combo for a few reasons. For starters, it is the only cordless leaf blower vacuum combo on this list. 

Having a cordless leaf blower vacuum combo is a huge reason why I put this one at the top of our list. Makita knocks it out of the park with every single one of their lawn tools, which is why we have spent so much time with their lawn mowers and weed eaters.

Here are my favorite things about the Makita leaf blower vacuum combo:

  • Brushless motor – these are longer lasting, more durable, and provide more torque
  • Makita’s 18V batteries that can be used with probably 1000’s of other tools, lawn or power tools
  • 473 CFMs, which means this thing moves serious air and has a wide nozzle to push big piles of leaves
  • A mulching function that not only sucks up the leaves, but finely mulches them into shreds. This has a 10-1 ratio which means it can fit mulch clippings in one bag that would normally take 10 bags unmulched. Wow.

This is the priciest combo on the list, but it provides a ton of value that the others don’t. In my opinion, it is well worth the cost because of how much time it will save you. Plus, you can buy the tool-only version if you already own Makita 18V batteries.

This thing goes on sale on Amazon for a great deal.

Worx WG512 Tri-Vac Corded Leaf Blower Vacuum Combo

If you’ve never used a Worx product, you’d be surprised at how nifty they are. They have a ton of cool lawn products, like this stand-up leaf mulcher and this 8-in-1 wheelbarrow. Worx is notorious for innovative products that are inexpensive.

Needless to say, they absolutely crushed innovation + inexpensive in their Tri-Vac leaf blower vacuum combo. This one is corded unlike the Makita one above, which means you have to keep it plugged into the wall with a long extension cord. This has pros and cons – it never runs out of power but limits where you can go and can tangle you with the leaf collection bag.

I love how easy it is to flip this one from blower to vacuum.

This Worx leaf blower vacuum combo is actually pretty dang sick now that I look at the specifications. My brother loves it, but I had never seen exactly why. It has a few things that set it apart from the Makita.

  • 600 CFMs of power – which means this blower absolutely PUSHES leaves. This is great for moving big piles of dry leaves across a large area.
  • A super handy dial that changes it from blower to vacuum. No removing the tube and putting it on a different part, just twist the knob.
  • A 16:1 leaf mulching ratio which means it turns your leaves into dang dust.
  • The bag on this pops on and off really easily.

Whoever at Worx designed this has seriously tried out a ton of these before and was like “I’m going to go make the best”. It is almost perfect. If it was cordless, I’d be in love. Either way, this is a great option and an absolutely ridiculous price.

Right now it is on sale from Amazon for less than $90. Holy crap.

Craftsman CMEBL7000 3-in-1 Leaf Blower Vacuum Combo

Craftsman also has a pretty sweet contender in the leaf blower vacuum combo space. If you’ve never bought a Craftsman product before, I would be surprised. Craftsman makes EVERYTHING. You can walk around your garage and I guarantee you will find something from Craftsman. They aren’t a premium brand or anything, but they’ve got every type of tool and gadget under the sun PLUS accessories.

The Craftsman 3-in-1 leaf blower, vacuum, and mulcher is another corded option that actually puts out some decent power. It is a bit lower than the Worx product above, but it does still get you to 450 CFMs, which is decent.

At 260 MPH on the blower, you’re looking at extreme speeds. Surprisingly high speeds. Actually unbelievable speeds. I don’t know for sure, but that number doesn’t look right. That is a higher MPH than most, if not all, gas blowers and backpack blowers.

I am sure it is still powerful, but not quite THAT powerful.

One thing I love about this blower, vacuum, and mulcher combo is the backpack leaf collector. For many of the others, the bag hangs below the blower and sags, causes it to be heavy, or gets in the way. The Craftsman has a nice backpack strap that lets you simply carry it around without tripping.

The backpack collection feature is clutch.

This one is just under $100 on Amazon – for the price and usability it is a DARN good option.

What to look for in an electric blower

Cordless blowers come in a bunch of shapes and sizes but there are three basic things you need to understand:

CFM vs MPH on a blower

Cubic feet per minute. This is a measure of air output on the blower. Higher CFM = more power, but not necessarily more miles per hour. High CFM with a wide nozzle = lower MPH. High CFM with a narrow nozzle = high miles per hour. Ideally, you want both a high CFM with a narrow to medium nozzle for most residential jobs.

Usability

What is the point of having a blower if it is hard to use? Have to get one that is lightweight, easy to start, and has some functions that make your life easier.

Motor type

Brushless motors reign supreme. Cooler running motors with more torque, a longer run-time, and last many more years. Brushless is a no brainer when picking a blower.

These are three things you need to pay attention to when looking through the specifications. 

Why we review lawn tools

The reason we started this website in the first place was because we had so much trouble trying to find reasonable, understandable, honest reviews for lawn equipment. And it’s not cheap! After hours and hours of research, trying products and returning them, and messing up our yards – we started this site. 

We love this stuff!

As people who had to learn the hard way, we want you to know exactly what you are signing up for before you purchase a piece of equipment. That’s why we are committed to providing honest, easy-to-understand reviews that mean something. 

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Toro Power Sweep Blower Reviews: 6 Years Later

The Toro Power Sweep comes from a household brand known for creating top notch tools for landscaping, lawn care, and other home equipment. Oh yeah, and the sales to back it up – including one from me who bought this a few years ago for my first house.

But does this budget conscious product live up to the powerhouse name?

The Toro Power Sweep boasts nearly 1,300 reviews on Home Depot with an average 4.7 out of 5 star rating. Not too shabby for a $60 blower. This is the main reason I bought it back when I was a lawn tool noob.

At first glance, this puppy seems like a great buy. Lots of reviews, high rating, low cost. What’s not to love? 

This was the first blower I ever owned. When I was a new homeowner, not making a ton of money, and needed to purchase several tools on a budget, this was an easy decision. But that was nearly 6 years ago. So does it hold up? 

Let’s get started:

Toro Power Sweep 160 MPH 155 CFM Review

You’re standing at Home Depot (or maybe shopping online) and want to figure out whether or not this thing is garbage. Well – its been sitting in my garage since 2017 and I still use it every week – so here are my thoughts.

Mine is obviously the older model but still works great.

CFMs and Power

CFM is basically the performance of the blower when combined with MPH. How efficiently does it move leaves and debris around?

I gotta be honest, while the Toro Power Sweep served its purpose for me when I was on a budget, it comes clocking in at only 155 CFM. For comparison sake, EGO has two blowers that boasts 765 CFM & 650 CFM. Nearly 5 times as powerful! And I’ve been using this thing for six years! 

At 160 MPH, you’re still getting good speed but it’s in a concentrated, flat nozzle instead of a large, round nozzle. If you put a large, round nozzle on this blower it would basically be a hair dryer.

It’s a classic case of you get what you pay for.

Yes, it’s cheap and serves its purpose. But if you live in the Southeast like me, you spend a lot of time blowing leaves in the yard. You blow the yard, then turn around and it seems like there’s a fresh layer of leaves laid everywhere.

Looking back, I think I would have bit the bullet and spent more money to save time in the yard.

However, if you live in Texas, Arizona, or other areas where you don’t have a lot of trees and just need to blow grass clippings or debris out of your garage, this blower is still a great value.

Usability & Reliability

A big positive for the Toro Power Sweep Blower is that it’s very lightweight. It’s only 4.6lbs and since it’s not that powerful, it won’t have a lot of pressure pushing against your shoulder to keep it steady. 

This can come unplugged if you don’t use the anchor back there at the top.

On the reliability side of things, like any other corded blower, as long as you have access to an outlet, you have power. However, if you have a large yard with a lot of acreage, you’ll need a very long extension cord to be able to cover your entire yard. 

Not to mention, most people’s preference now is to cut the cord and go battery powered when it comes to electric tools. At this point in my life, there are few things more annoying than accidentally pulling the extension cord out of the wall and untangling the cord.

But then again – I’ve used it for six years and haven’t had any issues with reliability. It just won’t die. There’s also a great Toro Ultra 3-in-1 blower like this that is awesome.

Cost and where I bought this blower

This blower comes in at a whopping $59 from Home Depot which is hilarious. Much like the Costco hot dog, the price on this thing is somehow immune to inflation because that’s how much I paid for it back in 2017.

Simple to use – just a single button.

My Experience: Toro Power Sweep Review

Drum roll please….. It’s a strong maybe. 

If you don’t have a lot of trees that drop leaves and don’t have a large yard, then this is a great buy and it’s super cheap.

BUT…

If you have a large yard or (not and) you live in an area where it’s raining leaves everyday in the fall, pass on this one and get something stronger, like the EGO 765 CFM Blower.

They’re more expensive, but you’re buying your time back. 

And what’s the point of spending time working on your immaculate lawn if you don’t have enough time to sit back and enjoy it at the end of the day?

Why we created The Lawn Review

The reason we started the Lawn Review in the first place was because we had so much trouble trying to find reasonable, understandable, honest reviews for lawn equipment. And they aren’t cheap! After hours and hours of research, trying products and returning them, and messing up our yards – we started this site. 

Yeah, we’ve review a lot of blowers with our face.

As people who had to learn the hard way, we want you to know exactly what you are signing up for before you purchase a piece of equipment. That’s why we are committed to providing honest, easy-to-understand reviews that mean something. 

Toro and Innovation

Something that many of you may be scratching your head around is….what is Toro? They’ve been around since 1914 and started out by building the top engine for US farm tractors during the industrial revolution. ‘MERICA!!! 

Shortly after, in 1922, they started specializing in golf course fairway care equipment, and fast forward 100 years, they naturally branched into home lawn care equipment.

One of the greatest GOATS of all time.

Needless to say, Toro has been around quite a while, has established itself as a top seller in the marketplace, and has found a niche in electric lawn tools. 

Check out our review of a popular battery powered Toro Mower here.

They offer low price, medium-to-high quality products that….work. Toro is super popular in some of the big box stores like Home Depot. 

What to look for in an electric blower

Cordless blowers come in a bunch of shapes and sizes but there are two basic things you need to understand:

CFMs on blowers

Cubic feet per minute. This is a measure of air output on the blower. Higher CFM = more power, but not necessarily more miles per hour. High CFM with a wide nozzle = lower MPH. High CFM with a narrow nozzle = high miles per hour. Ideally, you want both a high CFM with a narrow to medium nozzle for most residential jobs.

Usability

What is the point of having a blower if it is hard to use? Have to get one that is lightweight, easy to start, and has some functions that make your life easier. One thing I look for here is how the weight is distributed. I also look for things like variable speed control, sound, and how easy it is to reach or change controls like cruise control.

Reliability

It’s important to have reliable equipment – hands down. For homeowners, having a blower that can easily start and requires minimal maintenance is key. The engine doesn’t get as much use as a professional landscaper, so hopefully doesn’t require the same maintenance schedule. For professional landscapers, you need to have a blower that starts quickly and isn’t a headache requiring frequent tinkering and minor replacements.

These are three things you need to pay attention to when looking through the specifications. 

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ECHO vs Stihl Backpack Blower: Comparing the Giants

Echo vs Stihl Backpack Blowers is like comparing Ferraris vs Lamborghinis. They’re both crazy good options that are elite blowers in the landscaping world.

I have a personal vendetta against backpack blowers because my nextdoor neighbor insists on using them as alarm clocks on the weekends, but I can’t deny how great of a tool they are.

When we first used the Stihl BR600 backpack blower, it felt like a bazooka was strapped to our back. But then we tried the ECHO. Then tried the Stihl again. And honestly, I felt like we had to go write this post to detail our experience.

These are two of the top backpack leaf blowers in the game – so let’s see how they stack up in every category. We chose the Stihl BR 600 to compare to the ECHO PB-770H as they are two of the most popular backpack blowers and the top of the line option from both brands.

Jump ahead:

Want to see a comparison to battery powered backpack blowers?

Why we review lawn tools

The reason we started this website in the first place was because we had so much trouble trying to find reasonable, understandable, honest reviews for lawn equipment. And it’s not cheap! After hours and hours of research, trying products and returning them, and messing up our yards – we started this site. 

How we spend our time.

As people who had to learn the hard way, we want you to know exactly what you are signing up for before you purchase a piece of equipment. That’s why we are committed to providing honest, easy-to-understand reviews that mean something. 

What to look for in a backpack blower

Backpack blowers come in a bunch of shapes and sizes but there are three basic things you need to understand:

CFMs on blowers

Cubic feet per minute. This is a measure of air output on the blower. Higher CFM = more power, but not necessarily more miles per hour. High CFM with a wide nozzle = lower MPH. High CFM with a narrow nozzle = high miles per hour. Ideally, you want both a high CFM with a narrow to medium nozzle for most residential jobs.

Usability

What is the point of having a blower if it is hard to use? Have to get one that is lightweight, easy to start, and has some functions that make your life easier. One thing I look for here is how the weight is distributed. I also look for things like variable speed control, sound, and how easy it is to reach or change controls like cruise control.

Reliability

It’s important to have reliable equipment – hands down. For homeowners, having a backpack blower that can easily start and requires minimal maintenance is key. The engine doesn’t get as much use as a professional landscaper, so hopefully doesn’t require the same maintenance schedule. For professional landscapers, you need to have a blower that starts quickly and isn’t a headache requiring frequent tinkering and minor replacements. 

Rugged. Trusted.

ECHO PB-770H vs Stihl BR 600 Backpack Blower

Now that we know what we are looking for in a backpack blower, we can see how both the ECHO and Stihl blowers stack up. Both brands are known for making super strong products that landscapers and homeowners love, but only one can truly come out on top. 

Let’s get started!

Power comparison

When it comes to backpack blowers, power is everything. Power is extremely important to be able to move large quantities of leaves under a quick timeline. Leaf blower power is measured in both CFMs and MPH. With backpack blowers, you really want high CFMs AND high MPH.

With high CFMs, you can ensure that there is a significant volume of air coming out of the tip of the blower. This usually is the “punch” that the blower provides and helps you cover large quantities at a time. MPH gives you the speed to make sure the large burst of air is coming out quickly. Without both, you either get a wimpy but large burst of air OR a small jet stream that doesn’t help move big piles. 

The ECHO PB-770H boasts a huge 756 CFMs and 234 MPH air speed. The Stihl BR 600 clocks in at 677 CFM and 238 MPH. These are really close figures, despite having some differences at CFM. Since they are nearly the same air speed, the ECHO must have a slightly larger opening and burst of air. Although most folks won’t recognize a difference in power, the ECHO PB-770H has a slight advantage in overall power output. 

An absolute beast.

Despite the minor power output differences, these have nearly the same engine displacement at both around 64 ccs. 

This one is so close because the engines are just about identical. Stihl has slightly more speed, but ECHO has slightly more air output. As much as I’d like to call it a tie, I actually believe ECHO’s CFM advantage puts this one as the definitive winner of the head-to-head power assessment.

Winner: ECHO PB-770H Backpack Blower

Usability features

When I’m looking at usability, the real test begins at about 15 minutes into using the blower. At that point, I’m wondering if I feel like I have complete control over the tool or if I am having to wrestle with it to get the job done.

Extra padded.

In particular, I’m gauging how my shoulder feels and whether or not my hand has started cramping due to the trigger placement and other control features.

Whereas the Stihl and ECHO blowers were super similar in power, they are much different in usability. Most backpack blowers operate by having a little handle at the midway point of the blower nozzle that allows you to control the direction of airflow. 

Stihl and ECHO have major differences in the functionality of that handle. With the Stihl BR 600, the handle that controls the direction of airflow (the steering handle) also has the throttle trigger and setting lever embedded on it. This is super helpful and convenient as it gives you total control of the blower without having to mess with other portions of the blower.

This is super convenient.

On the other hand, the ECHO PB-770H has a separate lever that controls the throttle and speed. While it is something you can get used to after a couple tries, it will never be as comfortable as the Stihl BR 600. ECHO does allow you to purchase the PB-770T, a surprisingly less popular version that has a cord that wraps around and allows you to mount the throttle on the blower nozzle.

Just not as much control.

The winner of the usability competition: Stihl BR 600.

Reliability

When I evaluate a backpack blower for reliability, there are a few things I look for. The first is how difficult the blower is to start. Nothing is more frustrating than cranking the pull cord over and over without the dang blower starting. 

The Stihl BR 600 has a purge pump primer, which allows you to prime the carburetor without flooding the engine. Basically, it limits the amount of times the carburetor can be primed, therefore limiting the number of times you pull the cord before it starts. This is a huge advantage because I just know I have flooded my engine a dozen times. 

The ECHO PB-770H does not have any specific function that protects the operator from making honest mistakes. Anecdotally, this is the blower my neighbor has and I swear I watched her crank it close to 50 times in a row the other day before it started.

The maintenance schedules on both the Stihl BR 600 and ECHO PB-770H blowers is straightforward. The classic spark plug and air filter replacement as needed and the occasional service.

Reputationally, the BR 600 from Stihl is one I’ve seen completely beaten down, scraped up, and continues to run and start super easily. I own this one and while it takes a dozen pulls, it has a nice foot plate that makes it really effortless to get started around the 10th crank or so.

Looks cooler, too.

Winner: Stihl BR 600.

Price comparison

Oddly enough, the Stihl BR 600 and the ECHO PB-770H come in at exactly the same price: $529.99. Wish I could pick a winner here, but they are exactly the same.

Our winner: Stihl BR 600 vs ECHO PB-770H Backpack Blower

After it is all said and done, this is a really tough battle. These things are super easily matched and even cost the exact same. 

But for this battle, there has to be one winner: the Stihl BR 600. 

We chose the Stihl BR 600 because it is simply easier to use and more trustworthy than the ECHO PB-700H. The features that come with the BR 600 make it easier to start and easier to control. Plus, not only do we see this every time we walk into our garage, but just about every landscaper in the country has one of these. They are the Ford F150 of the landscaping game because you just can’t go wrong with one.

Continues to last.

They sell these at Ace Hardware or you can buy them pre-owned for a few hundred dollars cheaper.

Interested in other ECHO and Stihl products? Check out our comparison of ECHO and Stihl Weed Eaters.

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Ryobi Brushless vs. Brushed Motors: Difference Explained (2024)

Ryobi brushless and brushed tools are big names in the lawn tool space. Brushless motors are superior technology that allows for cooler running motors, better durability, and more efficient torque.

Although it may be hard to figure out from the box or product description, there’s actually a huge difference. Today, I’ll walk through what the difference is and make some product recommendations from Ryobi for their brushless motor line of tools. 

My goal is to make this not overly technical, but just give you the quick and dirty explanation that can help you decide whether or not to spend more money.

In short, YES – it is worth it to spend the extra money for brushless lawn tools. If you want to know why, keep reading or skip ahead using the below links:

Brushless vs brushed Ryobi tools

I’m trying to avoid getting too technical here, so let me break down what brushed vs brushless motors do and how this impacts Ryobi tools.

Brushed motors (Regular) from Ryobi

Brushed Ryobi motors have an internal, stationary magnet surrounded by a mobile rotor. The brushes make physical contact with the rotor to transfer the electricity from the battery to the rotor. It essentially causes the rotor to move by changing which side of the motor is magnetic.

It sounds complicated, but here’s what you need to know:

  • The brushes making physical contact with the rotor means that there is increased friction
  • With increased friction, you get heat
  • Heat is going to generally wear down things like plastic and other parts inside of lawn tools
  • This leads to a reduction in lifespan and durability of the product
  • It’s also less efficient than brushless because you are losing energy to heat instead of to power

On a positive note, up until a few years ago (and still to this day), most products are brushed. It’s been the standard for a long time. I have a hedge trimmer from the 90s that’s brushed and still works fine because I barely use it.

But in general, these aren’t as reliable and will get bent out of shape over time and ultimately stop working. 

Ryobi’s Brushless motors

Brushless motors flip the engineering of brushed motors on their head. Basically instead of having the mechanical action of the brushes, a different type of current is used to cause a magnetic field that rotates and moves the magnet. 

It’s almost like an invisible motor, totally driven by an electric current and magnets instead of manual transferral of voltage. 

For those that aren’t nerds, here are some of the impacts:

  • More torque due to no heat loss 
  • Cooler running motor
  • Longer life

Which is better – brushed or brushless Ryobi tools?

It’s pretty clear that Ryobi’s brushless tools are better than their old brushed motors. If you aren’t convinced by the increased power of their new brushless lineup, you should be convinced by the durability. 

Brushless motors are akin to the lithium-ion battery instead of the old nickel hydride batteries. They last a lot longer and perform way better. 

Our favorite Ryobi Brushless Lawn Tools

We’ve written a ton of reviews about some of Ryobi’s best brushless tools. Let me save you some time and give you the best from each category.

Best Ryobi Brushless Blower

Ryobi came out with a new 40V Brushless Whisper series blower and it is sweet. We put it in a head-to-head challenge we called the Ryobi vs EGO blower battle. 

Ain’t it a beaut?

Here’s what we love about the Ryobi 730 CFM 40V Brushless Whisper blower:

  • It’s quiet – well, kind of. It makes a different noise which definitely isn’t loud but also isn’t the best sound in the world.
  • This Ryobi brushless blower has a really cool handle that allows you to control the speed and set a cruise control with your thumb
  • It also has a turbo button that takes it all the way up to 730 CFMs or 190 MPH. That’s pretty dang fast.
  • The Ryobi 40V comes with two 4.5 Ah batteries and a charger.
  • Total time to charge the leaf blower from completely dead to fully charged was 53 minutes. Not bad!

It’s easily the most powerful handheld cordless blower that Ryobi offers. You can grab it from your local Home Depot or grab it on Amazon for a great price.

Best Ryobi Brushless Mower

We did a full ranking of the best Ryobi lawn mowers and found the Ryobi 20 inch 40V Brushless Smart Trek Self-Propelled mower was the best. They have a few mowers that look just like this one and even have a newer model, but I really like this one from 2022 because of its simplicity and price.

Coolest looking one.

Here are a few things I liked about this one:

  • Brushless motor (duh)
  • I like that it is black and not neon yellow
  • The self propelled function works really well
  • It is extremely lightweight and easy to maneuver
  • This Ryobi mower has some really easy-to-use tools
  • You can use the 40V battery with everything

This one is also available on Amazon for a really good price, but can also be bought at Home Depot if you want the newer model.

You can also see how this Ryobi 40V mower compares to the Greenworks 48V mower.

Best Ryobi Brushless Weed Eater

When it comes to Ryobi Weed Eaters, we loved the Ryobi ONE+ HP 18V brushless 13 inch weed eater. This brushless weed eater from Ryobi comes as a part of their 18V ONE+ series of tools, which is a great collection for the homeowner with a small to medium sized yard. 

This is the one.

Here’s why we picked it over a bunch of Ryobi weed eaters:

  • It has a decent sized cutting width at 13 inches. Many of the smaller ones are at 10-11 inches  which is frankly too small to do any kind of edging work. 
  • It’s one of the only Ryobi weed eaters with a brushless motor
  • It’s super easy to handle with it’s large D-shaped handle
  • This one is well-balanced which means you won’t torque your shoulder when carrying it around

This one is a no-brainer if you’re looking for a brushless Ryobi weed eater. I got mine at Home Depot when I first moved into my house, but you can also get it on Amazon for a great price.

Best Ryobi Brushless Pressure Washer

I probably go a little over the top with my recommendation here, but I am blown away by this Brushless Ryobi Pressure Washer. 

Pure power.

The Ryobi 3000 PSI 1.1 GPM electric pressure washer won both our best Ryobi pressure washer AND best electric pressure washer rankings. It’s a beast. Here’s why I am obsessed with it:

  • Best-in-class pressure for an electric pressure washer at 3000 PSI
  • Large soap tank
  • Nozzles built into the tip that allows you to just rotate the tip to change the angle
  • Big never flat wheels

It’s truly top-of-the-line when it comes to electric pressure washers. The fact that it has a brushless motor and will last longer than the others is a huge bonus.

This one is a legend and can be bought online at any local Home Depot for a great price. 

Final words: Ryobi’s brushless vs brushed motors

Like I said at the beginning, brushless motors make a difference and I highly recommend going with them if you are a DIYer. 

If this is your first time buying a lawn tool and know you won’t use it often, you can get away with it being brushed and probably be fine. I would buy cheap and have low expectations, however.

Why we review lawn tools

The reason we started this website in the first place was because we had so much trouble trying to find reasonable, understandable, honest reviews for lawn equipment. And it’s not cheap! After hours and hours of research, trying products and returning them, and messing up our yards – we started this site. 

This is our job.

As people who had to learn the hard way, we want you to know exactly what you are signing up for before you purchase a piece of equipment. That’s why we are committed to providing honest, easy-to-understand reviews that mean something. 

About Ryobi

I’m sure you already know a ton about Ryobi or at least own a few of their tools. They are HUGE in Home Depot. We love Ryobi products and have written extensively about dozens of their tools. Here are a few of our favorite Ryobi products:

Ryobi tools are fan favorites mostly because they are good-enough quality, are relatively low cost, and make just about every tool under the sun, which allows you to reuse their batteries and save a ton of money. 

Some of their awesome tools – the backpack sprayer.
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EGO 56V Blower vs Ryobi 40V Blower: Comparison Guide

EGO vs Ryobi leaf blowers is a new beef. These are the two top battery-powered leaf blower brands on the market and they’re facing off. I like the EGO blower better because it feels sturdier and is more powerful.

Rocky vs. Ivan Drago. They’re both beasts. They’ve both been working their whole life for this. 

And we are officiating. It got messy and involved an unmanned office chair spinning out of control.

Luckily, we got our hands on the EGO 765 CFM leaf blower and the Ryobi 40V 730 CFM Brushless Whisper Series blower. Here is what we tested on both:

And there was only one winner. Let’s dive right in. 

***SPOILER***: We give the advantage to the EGO 765 CFM blower because it’s more powerful with a longer run-time. You can grab it on Amazon for a great price.

EGO 56V vs Ryobi 40V Whisper Blower: A Breakdown

Let me tell you – this wasn’t an easy comparison. These are the two premier battery powered leaf blowers on the market and you honestly can’t go wrong with either.

But c’mon – one of them has to be better, right? 

Let’s find out.

User Experience: EGO compared to Ryobi blowers

Using both the EGO and Ryobi blowers, the first question we got was about sound. One of the main benefits of using battery powered blowers is that they don’t have nearly the same noise levels as gas powered blowers.

Sound and noise from EGO and Ryobi blowers

EGO had a lower-pitched whirring sound whereas Ryobi had a much higher frequency screaming noise. The Ryobi 40V blower is a part of the Whisper series of equipment from Ryobi. While it was definitely a lower decibel level than the EGO, it had an unpleasant high-pitched noise that wasn’t much better honestly.

Weight

From a weight perspective, the EGO comes in at 9.4lbs whereas the Ryobi is a little lighter right at 9lbs. Weight is important when using a blower because without a strap, you’re on the hook for holding these during the entire duration of your blowing experience. If you’re going to be out there for a decent amount of time, then you need to make sure you have a lightweight blower to get the job done. Fortunately, these are both relatively lightweight when compared to a gas blower but slightly heavier than many other electric blowers.

Exactly 9.4 lbs.

Controlling these two blowers is easy

From a control perspective, I’m looking for something that gives me total control over the speed of the blower that is easy to adjust and access on the fly.

Both the EGO and Ryobi blowers have a variable speed control trigger, meaning you can control how much power you’ve got at any moment in time. 

Cruise control thumb adjustment and turbo button.

Both have a cruise control function that can be adjusted with the thumb with the same hand that controls the variable speed trigger (for right-handers only).

Both the Ryobi and EGO blowers have a turbo button, which takes it from their base level of CFMs up to their maximum (more on that later).

Overall, both offer similar controls and come in at almost the exact same weight. If you’re looking to pick one based on user experience, the differentiating factor between the EGO and Ryobi blowers is the sound. One is louder, one has a funnier noise – it comes down to preference. Listen to both on our video to see which one you prefer.

Battery Life – EGO vs Ryobi blowers

Both the EGO and Ryobi both have lithium ion batteries, meaning they put out the same amount of power regardless of whether they have 5% battery life or 95%. 

Ryobi’s 40V battery that comes on the whisper series brushless blower is a 4 Ah 40V battery. You can use other 40V batteries from them with higher or lower Ah, but the 4.0 comes standard. The higher the Ah, the longer the battery will run. 

The EGO 765 CFM blower comes with a 5 Ah battery but can handle more as well. 

Run time comparison of EGO and Ryobi batteries

Here at The Lawn Review we like to get a little wild. So our first run-time test is going to compare the two blowers with their triggers and turbo buttons zip-tied down. 

This part took a while.

The results looked like this: 

  • EGO turbo button run time: 15 minutes
  • Ryobi turbo button run time: 12 minutes

Pretty close but 3 minutes matter when you’re standing out in the sun!

Next was the highest speed without the turbo button. Again, we used zip ties and got these results:

  • EGO full speed blower run time: 25 minutes
  • Ryobi full speed blower run time: 16 minutes

The last speed test for us was the low speed test. We zip tied these ones on the lowest setting and well….it took a while.  Here were the results:

  • EGO low speed blower run time: 157 minutes
  • Ryobi low speed blower run time: 90 minutes 

While the majority of the run time differences come down to the difference in Ah between the  two, I didn’t expect them to be that stark. The EGO definitely wins this category.

The last battery test was how long it takes to get to a full recharge using the EGO and Ryobi battery chargers. 

Here’s how long it took:

  • Ryobi 40V battery charge time: 70 minutes
  • EGO 56V battery charge time: 53 minutes

Ryobi pulls this one out with a faster battery run time at under an hour. 

The EGO blower is more powerful than Ryobi

What may be the most important category yet, things start to get really wild when we compare power. I’m talking out-of-control-spinning-office-chair-wild. 

But first, a quick intro into how power is measured in blowers. Both the EGO and Ryobi blower use brushless motors, which means they use magnets to help transfer electrons instead of brushes. Brushes were prone to become fried due to the constant friction inside of the motor, leading to early deaths and overheating.

CFM vs MPH explained

CFM and MPH are the two most important things in assessing power for the blower. CFMs dictate the amount of volume that comes out of the blower whereas MPH refers to the speed at which the air leaves. If you recall from the beginning of this post, high CFMs typically mean a big burst of air. High MPH means the air is moving really quickly. They often have an inverse relationship where one is high and the other is low. 

In both of these blowers, the CFMs and MPH are super high. The EGO has 765 CFMs when on full turbo at 200 MPH. That’s crazy. The Ryobi has 730 CFMs at 190 MPH. These are both insane when on turbo mode. 

To test this, we blew a pile of dirt off of a plywood to compare their relative power.

Scientific? No. Visually appealing? Yes.

The EGO blew away (pun intended) the Ryobi in this test. 

To take it up a notch, we decided to use the scientific and professional face test. Yes, we put Tyler’s face in front of the blowers and had him tell us which was the most powerful. The results were clear:

Okay definitely NOT scientific but fun.

The EGO was more powerful – much like sticking your head out of a plane, whereas the Ryobi was like sticking it out of a fast moving car. Neither felt good. 

Next up was the spinning chair fiasco. Nobody sustained serious injuries during this test. But we attached both blowers to the arms of a spinning office chair and turned them on to see which one would win with both blowing at the same time. 

Things got out of hand.

It was a hard cycle to stop. But the EGO won.

The EGO is definitely the more powerful of the two.

Price and Warranty: EGO vs Ryobi blower

The warranties on both the EGO and Ryobi are identical – a 5 year tool warranty and a 3 year battery warranty. They are great and this gives me a lot of comfort as an owner of both. 

The Ryobi comes in at around $300 including the blower and two 4 Ah batteries. You can grab it from your local Home Depot, where I’ve seen it for the best price.

The EGO 56V blower will cost about $320 and come with the single 5 Ah battery. It can be purchased at Lowe’s or on Amazon with the battery for a great price. 

So which is better, EGO or Ryobi blower?

Let me start by saying that I own both of these so I am trying to be as unbiased as humanly possible. The Ryobi is probably the better deal, but  the performance of the EGO is worth $20 to me. 

The EGO is slightly heavier but much more powerful and has longer lasting batteries. With the turbo button engaged, it is unrivaled in the handheld electric blower space. 

Both are great – but if you’d like to check out the EGO 765 blower, check it out on Amazon. If you’re looking for something a little lighter, we wrote a great post comparing the 765 CFM blower to the 650 blower.

Why we review lawn tools

The reason we started this website in the first place was because we had so much trouble trying to find reasonable, understandable, honest reviews for lawn equipment. And it’s not cheap! After hours and hours of research, trying products and returning them, and messing up our yards – we started this site. 

How we spend our time now.

As people who had to learn the hard way, we want you to know exactly what you are signing up for before you purchase a piece of equipment. That’s why we are committed to providing honest, easy-to-understand reviews that mean something. 

What to look for in an electric blower

 Cordless blowers come in a bunch of shapes and sizes but there are three basic things you need to understand:

CFMs on blowers

Cubic feet per minute. This is a measure of air output on the blower. Higher CFM = more power, but not necessarily more miles per hour. High CFM with a wide nozzle = lower MPH. High CFM with a narrow nozzle = high miles per hour. Ideally, you want both a high CFM with a narrow to medium nozzle for most residential jobs.

Usability

What is the point of having a blower if it is hard to use? Have to get one that is lightweight, easy to start, and has some functions that make your life easier. One thing I look for here is how the weight is distributed. I also look for things like variable speed control, sound, and how easy it is to reach or change controls like cruise control.

Motor type

Brushless motors reign supreme. Brushless motors are cooler running motors with more torque, a longer run-time, and last many more years. These are a no brainer when picking a blower.

These are three technical things you need to pay attention to when looking through the specifications. 

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EGO 650 vs 765 CFM Leaf Blower Difference Explained

The EGO 650 CFM and 765 CFM are two of the most popular battery powered leaf blowers. The two blowers are virtually identical, with the 765 CFM having noticeably more power and a higher price tag.

Not convinced? Go read some of the comments on our YouTube review of the EGO 765 blower.

They are some of the sleekest and most powerful lawn tools on the planet. And there’s a good reason why.

We’ve written extensively and made a TON of video content about these blowers purely out of requests. We are even giving one away this month to one of our lucky newsletter subscribers. 

These bad boys can be found on Amazon or at Lowe’s, where EGO has some exclusivity, but not at Home Depot.

Let’s check out why these two blowers are quickly becoming famous, then compare them to see which one makes the most sense for you.

Jump ahead:

The EGO 765 CFM blower: Overview

The EGO LB7654 blower is an absolute unit. One of the most powerful handheld electric blowers (I think it actually may be THE most  powerful) on the planet, it was designed for absolute lawn enthusiasts.

This was the zip tie test.

Here are a few things we love about this blower:

  • It’s really versatile. It has a nice variable speed control trigger on the side with a cruise control function. This is awesome for taking the stress off of your fingers when trying to keep the blower at a consistent speed. 
  • The EGO 765 comes with a few different nozzle heads. As I’ve come to learn (shoutout to our YouTube subscribers), a lot of folks use these blowers to dry off their cars. There’s some versatility with this as though EGO kept that in mind when making it. 
  • It has a really nice molded rubber grip that makes it easier to hold onto. It is a bit heavier than other electric blowers, so it’s a thoughtful touch.
  • The 5.0 Ah battery has a run time of 25 minutes while on full-speed. With the turbo button, you can get 17 minutes of run time. Yes, we actually tested this with zip ties. We are weird but are dedicated to you. 
The speed control thumb thingy.

EGO 765 Specifications Breakdown

Pop quiz – if this thing has 765 CFMs coming out of the end, do you think it is a wide-mouthed blower with a lower speed? 

Well, it’s not. It actually has BOTH super high CFMs AND high MPHs. It’s sort of a freak of nature like that. This means that the blower can do big piles of leaves AND use an extreme jet stream to destroy wet, stuck leaves. 

That’s what makes this blower really stick out. The turbo button takes this blower to a level no other electric handheld blower has been before. 

Comparing the 765 CFM to a Stihl gas blower.

We compared the EGO 765 CFM blower to our Stihl BG86C handheld gas blower and it was pretty wild. On turbo, the EGO was actually more powerful. 

At just over 12 lbs, it is noticeably heavier than a lot of other electric blowers. You can separately purchase a sling that helps offload some of the weight. Some of our YouTube commenters that purchased the tool talked about the strain on their wrists turning it side to side. But it was also noted that the exchange in power made it worth it. Up to you!

The EGO 650 CFM Blower: Overview

The EGO LB6504 blower is also a freak of nature. If it weren’t for it’s bigger brother, the 765 CFM blower, this would still be one of the most powerful handheld blowers on the planet. 

The EGO 650 CFM blower has many of the same features as the EGO 765 CFM blower, including:

  • A cruise control button. It isn’t as easy to use as the 765 blower because it doesn’t have the thumb-controlled portion, but it does have a little knob that you can twist to set the speed. 
  • The turbo button cranks this up to 650 CFMs, which is still extremely high!
  • Multiple nozzles, including a flat nozzle that is really great for blowing leaves around your patio or near the end of your driveway. Talk about a jet stream. 
  • A brushless motor that can also be found on the 765. Brushless motors use magnets to power the motor instead of brushes. This allows for a cooler running motor, more torque, and significant durability. It’s a must have for an electric lawn tool. 

EGO 650 CFM Blower Specifications

Just like its 765 CFM big brother, the 650 CFM blower marries both high CFMs and high MPH to produce an absolute wind cannon. 

Photo courtesy of EGO.

In contrast to the 765 CFM blower, the 650 CFM EGO blower weighs about 2.5 lbs lighter, putting it back into the normal range of handheld blowers. This is a lifesaver for anyone with wrist or shoulder issues, giving you more mobility when moving the blower side to side.

EGO 765 CFM vs 650 CFM Blower: Similarities and Differences

Since these blowers look almost identical, I wanted to summarize the notable differences between the two blowers. Let’s start with similarities:

Comparing it to the gas was a joke!

Similarities between EGO 765 and 650

  • Aesthetics – unless you’re up close you can’t tell them apart
  • Both have cruise control
  • Both have a turbo button that amps up the CFMs
  • Both take the 56V battery
  • Both are extremely well-made

Differences between EGO 765 and 650

  • CFM and speed differences, obviously
  • 765 weighs 2.5 lbs more than the 650
  • 765 costs about $50 more than the 650
  • 765 comes with a nice thumb adjuster on the cruise control
Both take this great 56V battery.

So which is better? EGO 765 CFM vs 650 CFM blower?

Tough to give a concrete answer here. So I’ll do my best: the 650 CFM blower is a better value for the normal homeowner. It packs more than enough power, is $50 cheaper, and still comes with all the perks of the 765 CFM blower, just a little bit weaker. Either way, these are for sale for a cheaper price on Amazon than they are at Lowe’s.

The EGO 765 CFM blower is on Amazon for a little a great price with the charger. Without the charger it comes in at just about $50 less (but changes all the time).

The EGO 650 CFM blower is on Amazon for a great deal with the charger. Without the charger, it is on sale for UNBELIEVABLY Low (this is a steal).

The 765 CFM blower, however, has unrivaled power and speed. There are definitely times where the additional speed boost would come in handy, so it is also a great option. Also, if you just LOVE EGO products and want the newest and best tools, you have got to go with this one.

The Bottom Line: 765 vs 650 CFM EGO blowers

At the end of the day, they both have incredible specifications, amazing warranties, and extreme power. You can’t go wrong. Do you want to shell out a bit more money for some crazy power? That’s what you need to ask yourself. 

Oh and by the way, we own the 765 CFM blower 🙂.

Check this out if you want to see us compare the EGO 765 CFM blower to the Ryobi 730 CFM blower

Why we review lawn tools

The reason we started this website in the first place was because we had so much trouble trying to find reasonable, understandable, honest reviews for lawn equipment. And it’s not cheap! After hours and hours of research, trying products and returning them, and messing up our yards – we started this site. 

As people who had to learn the hard way, we want you to know exactly what you are signing up for before you purchase a piece of equipment. That’s why we are committed to providing honest, easy-to-understand reviews that mean something. 

What to look for in an electric blower

Cordless blowers come in a bunch of shapes and sizes but there are three basic things you need to understand:

  • CFM – Cubic feet per minute. This is a measure of air output on the blower. Higher CFM = more power, but not necessarily more miles per hour. High CFM with a wide nozzle = lower MPH. High CFM with a narrow nozzle = high miles per hour. Ideally, you want both a high CFM with a narrow to medium nozzle for most residential jobs.
  • Usability – what is the point of having a blower if it is hard to use? Have to get one that is lightweight, easy to start, and has some functions that make your life easier.
  • Motor type – brushless motors reign supreme. Cooler running motors with more torque, a longer run-time, and last many more years. Brushless is a no brainer when picking a blower.

These are three things you need to pay attention to when looking through the specifications. 

About EGO

EGO is still relatively new to the lawn tool space. They started back in 2014 and have absolutely exploded in recent years. They are owned by the parent company Chervon, which also make SKIL and FLEX brand tools. 

EGO has quickly become synonymous with power. All of their tools (including the blowers we are reviewing today) are top-of-the-line when it comes to power. When we’ve gotten our hands on the products, the first thing we always think is “solid”. Their products are generally heavier than other brands and feel really tight and well-constructed. 

Becoming fast favorites by homeowners.

Their mowers are heavier, stronger, and faster. Their EGO string trimmers are freaks of nature. Everything is built for performance.

So let’s look at the 650 and 765 CFM blowers.

What are CFMs in leaf blowers?

I know I briefly touched on this a few paragraphs above, but the distinction is important – especially for comparing these two.

CFM stands for cubic feet per minute. Basically it is a measurement of airflow out of the end of the blower. The typical relationship you see is the higher the CFMs, the wider the mouth of the blower. It can also result in lower miles per hour of air speed, because so much more air is moving out of a wider opening. 

It’s like taking a deep breath, relaxing your mouth and blowing out compared to taking the same breath and whistling. Same amount of air is coming out, but just much faster when you whistle. 

High CFM blowers, wide mouthed blowers are great for moving large piles of leaves. Lower CFM blowers that are narrow are good for providing a jet-stream of air that is great for wet grass clippings and small amounts of leaves. 

Keep that in mind as we move forward.

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Greenworks 80V Leaf Blower Review: 2024 Update

The Greenworks 80V Leaf Blower is an absolute unit. A solid, extremely powerful battery-powered leaf blower that can easily rival gas-powered backpack blowers.

It is VERY nice.

We were lucky enough to get our hands on this blower and boy, were we impressed. 

Today we will break down the best parts about this blower, a few of the things we didn’t love, and give it an overall ranking.

But before we get started, make sure to check out our long-form video review of this blower where you can see and hear exactly what it’s like. And don’t forget to subscribe to our channel to enter into the free giveaway!

Let’s get started.

Greenworks 80V Blower: Features and benefits

Before we hop into the breakdown of this blower’s performance and feel, let’s give a quick overview of what’s included in the purchase.

In the box you will receive: three user manuals (blower, charging station, battery), a tapered nozzle tip, the funnel, the blower motor housing, the 80V charging station and the 80V battery itself.

Now we can get going!

Feel and usability on the Greenworks 80V electric blower

The first thing we noticed about this Greenworks 80V blower was how DENSE it felt. It feels super solid and like it just came in one piece, carved out of stone instead of a million little pieces assembled together.

Not sure how else to describe it besides dense and tight. I think once you pick it up for the first time you will understand. The Greenworks 60V blower has an almost identical feel, but slightly less power and a different battery unit.

If you really want to try something fun and have the 80V battery already, check out the Greenworks 80V electric backpack blower.

Versatility of the 80V Greenworks cordless blower

A few features we loved about the versatility of this blower were:

  • Variable speed trigger
  • Cruise control setting for variable speeds
  • Turbo button

With these three features, which aren’t all that common among other, cheaper blowers, you can have total control over how hard you want the air to blow.

Cruise control below and Turbo button above.

Before owning some of these nicer Greenworks blowers, EGO blowers, and Ryobi blowers – I always just held the trigger down as hard as it would go. But with these mega powerful blowers, the air comes out so much faster that you actually need to calm it down some of the time.

Having control over the airflow really helps and having cruise control allows for you to relax your hand and prevent it from cramping (first world problems!).

Nozzle types on Greenworks leaf blowers

The tapered nozzle tip that comes with this blower will give you a little bit more power at the end.

This is the tapered nozzle and it can pop on or off.

If you remember our discussion of CFMs and MPHs earlier, a tapered nozzle tip vs. a regular nozzle tip at the exact same number of CFMs will produce a higher MPH.

That’s why you see some blowers out there with lower CFMs, but really high MPHs – they have very narrow nozzle tips. For me, I will probably keep the tapered nozzle tip on all the time so that I can destroy wet leaves and other things on my deck and driveway that drive me crazy.

Other bells and whistles

The Greenworks 80V blower has that sweet 80V battery that slides right into the back of the blower. This thing has a nice LED light indicator with three levels that can tell you when you need to head back inside – although I doubt you will get super low on battery any time soon (more to come on that).

Comfort and usability of a handheld Greenworks electric blower

Not all blowers are created equally. In fact, I used to own a Stihl BG 86 C gas-powered blower that was about as powerful as this one, maybe a little less, but was built in such a way that I had to crank my shoulder in a weird position to keep it down. Not this one! 

 At 8.9 lbs with the battery and tool combined, it isn’t tough to waltz around with – meaning you likely won’t need a strap unless you have back issues. 

But my favorite part about this blower is that the handle naturally forces the blower to point downward. This allows you to effortlessly hold onto the blower and have it at the optimal angle for blowing leaves. 

Well-balanced!

This is a huge wrist, shoulder, and back saver and something that only a true user of the tool would design. Major props to Greenworks for the design!

How loud is it?

Obviously one of the key things that’s important when using an electric tool is the sound. In fact, many commercial landscapers use electric blowers when they get close to buildings to make sure that they’re not too disruptive. Places like schools, nursing homes, hospitals, offices – all of them don’t want to hear the insane screech of a backpack blower.

We again invite you to watch our YouTube review of the blower so that you can hear it for yourself, but this is probably on the louder side for an electric blower. During normal operations, the blower is on par with other electric blowers, but when you hit the turbo button this bad boy has a little bit of a squeal.

Hard to hold this against the blower as it is one of the most powerful handheld battery-powered blowers on the face of the Earth. 

All about the Greenworks 80V Battery

As we always do, we put the manufacturer’s claims to the test when it comes to tool run-time and battery charge-time. This usually involves us zip-tying the trigger down with the turbo button on, without the turbo button and at full speed, and then at a low-speed setting.

Nice lil power indicator.

Here were our results:

  • Turbo button held down: 12 minutes of run-time
  • Full-speed, no turbo: 17 minutes of run-time
  • Lowest speed: 496 minutes

Whew! We stayed up late for that one, finishing at about 10:30pm waiting for the dang blower to die. 

Me to this blower at 10pm

The must-haves in any battery blower

If you read our introduction, you know that the most important thing to look for in a battery-powered blower is obviously the brushless motor.

Does the Greenworks 80V blower have a brushless motor? Yep.

Brushless motors just mean that it uses magnets to spin the motor instead of copper wiring. This results in less friction, less heat, a much longer-lasting motor, and even more torque. Wow.

Another must-have is battery interoperability. Does the Greenworks 80V battery work with other tools? You betcha. 

In fact, the Greenworks 80V battery works in probably our favorite battery-powered mower of all time as well – the Greenworks PRO 80V mower. If you are in the market for a mower – this thing is what you’re looking for. 

Lastly, we talked about CFMs and MPH – this blower has both. Super high CFM at 730 and can blow up to 170 MPH. More than enough speed and power for any residential use.

Comparing the Greenworks blower to Ryobi and EGO blowers

We are working on a separate video and full write-up for this, but at a really high level here is our summary.

Greenworks also has a nice 60V blower that is the little brother to this one.

Ego, Greenworks, and Ryobi blowers.

Official Review: Greenworks 80V Battery-Powered Blower

The Greenworks 80V battery-powered blower is a thoughtfully-made, well-designed battery blower that stands out in how easy and comfortable it is to use.

Does it get our stamp of approval? Heck yes. It is much quieter than a gas blower and can go toe-to-toe on power without a doubt. 

You can grab this blower on Amazon for a great price and can get the tool-only version for significantly cheaper if you already own the battery. 

Why we review lawn tools

The reason we started this website in the first place was because we had so much trouble trying to find reasonable, understandable, honest reviews for lawn equipment. And it’s not cheap! After hours and hours of research, trying products and returning them, and messing up our yards – we started this site. 

We take blower testing seriously.

As people who had to learn the hard way, we want you to know exactly what you are signing up for before you purchase a piece of equipment. That’s why we are committed to providing honest, easy-to-understand reviews that mean something. 

Greenworks makes some other cool products we’ve reviewed, like their Cordless Shop Vac.

What to look for in an electric blower

Cordless blowers come in a bunch of shapes and sizes but there are three basic things you need to understand:

  • CFM – Cubic feet per minute. This is a measure of air output on the blower. Higher CFM = more power, but not necessarily more miles per hour. High CFM with a wide nozzle = lower MPH. High CFM with a narrow nozzle = high miles per hour. Ideally, you want both a high CFM with a narrow to medium nozzle for most residential jobs.
  • Usability – what is the point of having a blower if it is hard to use? Have to get one that is lightweight, easy to start, and has some functions that make your life easier.
  • Motor type – brushless motors reign supreme. Cooler running motors with more torque, a longer run-time, and last many more years. Brushless is a no brainer when picking a blower.

These are three things you need to pay attention to when looking through the specifications. 

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3 Strong Milwaukee 18V Leaf Blowers

My favorite Milwaukee leaf blower is the Milwaukee M18 FUEL leaf blower because it is great for every day use including around the shop, backyard, and even for drying your car.

But they’ve got three real options here and you can’t really go wrong with either. And we were lucky enough to get our hands on them for a nice side-by-side trial.

We were blown away (ha,ha).

So let’s check them out together.

SPOILER: Our favorite was the M18 Milwaukee 2724-20 Leaf Blower

You can grab it online from Home Depot or on Amazon by following those links.

The 3 Strongest Milwaukee Leaf Blowers

Milwaukee is known for their amazing quality but they are also known for having a limited selection. One shot, one kill, right? A good example of this is their M18 lawn mower. It is the only lawn mower they make but it is super high quality. Same with their M18 hedge trimmer. That’s why I was surprised to see 3 whole leaf blowers by them.

So we investigated and ranked them.

3. Milwaukee M12 12V Compact Spot Blower

At first glance, this tool seems like a nice-to-have accessory. Lo-and-behold I was super surprised to feel how strong it could blow.

Extends well.

Normally, compact blowers are good to use without a nozzle to dry your car after a detailed wash. While this Milwaukee blower is good for that, it also comes with three nozzles. The wide sweeping nozzle is great for truck beds and job sites. But it also comes with a rubber nozzle and extension nozzle. These take it to the next level and can downright replace your leaf blower at home altogether.

Compact but also legit.

To put this into perspective, it measures at about 110 mph in a nice, direct stream. This is similar to most electric blowers on the market.  

You can see the trigger up close with the lock.

Lastly, this bad boy has a ton of settings near the handle that gave me complete control over the job. Speed settings, a speed lock, and even a variable speed trigger were things that stuck out to us as putting this over the “compact blower” category and potentially into full blown  “regular blower” territory.

This thing is dirt cheap, especially if you already own the M12 battery. It looks like Home Depot has it on sale for under $100 right now.

2. Milwaukee M18 Compact Multipurpose Utility Blower (0884-20)

You might need a concealed carry license for this Milwaukee blower. While it is pocket size, at just over two feet long, it actually is surprisingly powerful. I’d liken it to the Kimo handheld blower we reviewed, which we wrote about and did a nice lil’ video for.

In fact, they look like they’re made by the same parent company or something. 

Either way, we loved that blower and we loved this one, too. In fact, we keep it in our coat closet right by our front door and use it to clean out the front walkway and patio before guests come over. It moves air at 160 MPH in an absolute laser.

Not bad!

While it definitely isn’t the blower for your backyard leaf clearing jobs, it is great for wet leaves, sawdust, tight spaces, and other quick uses.

It also comes with a little extension nozzle that takes it a bit further. 

The Kimo has an uncanny similarity.

I ranked this number two because it doesn’t have a brushless motor and therefore won’t have quite the efficiency or durability when compared to brushless motors.

Either way, this thing is really slick and an awesome gift for dad. 

You can get it on Amazon for a great price, with the battery included or at Home Depot – you should price compare.

1. Milwaukee M18 FUEL 120 MPH (2724-20) Leaf Blower

There is a reason this leaf blower is number one. The Milwaukee M18 FUEL series is sweet and features the top-of-the-line Milwaukee products. 

Nice little trigger action on this bad boy.

Firstly, it has a nice brushless motor from their POWERSTATE brushless motor line. This gives this Milwaukee blower some extreme torque, allowing it to get to full blast in one second. Cool but doesn’t change that much. The real benefits to the brushless motor come in its long life and durability. Brushless motors provide a much cooler running motor than typical brushed motor. 

Speed control on the blower.

Another thing I love about this blower is the higher CFMs. Whereas the other two blowers are high speed, but narrow streams – this blower will have high speed AND a wide stream. This is the ideal portfolio of a blower you can use to move all the leaves off your driveway or backyard. 

This blower has all the bells and whistles as well – variable speed trigger, speed lock, and all comes in under 4 lbs. 

This is a top of the line blower and if you go reference my “what to look for in a blower” paragraph at the beginning – the M18 blower checks all the boxes.

You can get this one from trusty old Home Depot for a great price.

Why we review lawn tools

The reason we started this website in the first place was because we had so much trouble trying to find reasonable, understandable, honest reviews for lawn equipment. And it’s not cheap! After hours and hours of research, trying products and returning them, and messing up our yards – we started this site. 

How we do our testing.

As people who had to learn the hard way, we want you to know exactly what you are signing up for before you purchase a piece of equipment. That’s why we are committed to providing honest, easy-to-understand reviews that mean something. 

About Milwaukee tools

Milwaukee tools have a long history of being tough and durable. Milwaukee is a brand that has been around for over 100 years, and it has a well-deserved reputation for making high-quality tools. Milwaukee tools are used by professionals all over the world, and they are known for being able to withstand heavy use. 

Milwaukee makes a wide variety of tools, from hand tools to power tools, and they are used in a variety of industries, from construction to automotive. Milwaukee tools are known for being very versatile, and they can be used for a variety of applications. Milwaukee is a brand that is trusted by professionals, and Milwaukee tools are built to last.

We noticed that Milwaukee was starting to make a splash in the lawn tool industry, so we have been trying to get our hands on any Milwaukee products that we can, including Milwaukee’s M18 super powerful weed eater.

What to look for in an electric blower

Cordless blowers come in a bunch of shapes and sizes but there are three basic things you need to understand:

  • CFM – Cubic feet per minute. This is a measure of air output on the blower. Higher CFM = more power, but not necessarily more miles per hour. High CFM with a wide nozzle = lower MPH. High CFM with a narrow nozzle = high miles per hour. Ideally, you want both a high CFM with a narrow to medium nozzle for most residential jobs.
  • Usability – what is the point of having a blower if it is hard to use? Have to get one that is lightweight, easy to start, and has some functions that make your life easier.
  • Motor type – brushless motors reign supreme. Cooler running motors with more torque, a longer run-time, and last many more years. Brushless is a no brainer when picking a blower.

These are three things you need to pay attention to when looking through the specifications. 

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