Best Backpack Leaf Blower For the Money: Reviews & Buying Guide
Backpack leaf blowers are essential power tools in cleaning outdoor facilities such as gardens, home front-yards, backyards, sports facilities, and almost any place with wide expanse.
These machines produce high pressured air from their powerful fans and pushing it out of nozzles via a tube. Backpack leaf blowers can help you pile debris in less time and effort.
Explained briefly, backpack leaf blowers are the exact opposite of vacuum cleaners wherein they blow air unlike the latter that suck dust and debris.
There are lots of backpack leaf blowers available in the market today. In case you are confused on what to buy, described below are various options in choosing the right equipment for you.
All backpack leaf blowers are powered by gasoline-run engines. They belong to the family of leaf blowers that are also composed of their handheld and wheeled counterparts.
There are basically three characteristics of backpack leaf blowers.
- First, these machines are carried piggyback by operators, thus they are equipped with straps and locks.
- Second, they have powerful engines that can generate high pressured air at in excess of 130 mph, making them suitable for cleaning areas that are ½ acres or more.
- The power of backpack leaf blowers is measured by its maximum or average air volume in cubic feet per minute (CFM), engine displacement in cubic centimeters (cc for brevity), and maximum air velocity in miles per hour (mph). Take note that blowers with higher capacities are the most powerful.
Best Backpack Leaf Blowers for the Money
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Backpack Leaf Blowers Buying Guide
When it comes to completing yard work, mobility is of the primary importance. Having the ability to reach areas that aren’t easily accessible by rake or a mower is key to making certain that your property looks the best that it can.
Backpack leaf blowers are a great way to ensure that you are mobile and have ready access to the areas that you need to reach to ensure that your yard remains clean and free of debris.
Many people prefer to use backpack leaf blowers on a daily basis. They are convenient and very easy to use as they let you keep your hands free.
You’ll find that backpack leaf blowers are perfect for clearing out a yard full of leaves, sweeping away debris from driveways, and perfect for ensuring that sidewalks are easy to walk along. It won’t be long before you find many other outdoor uses for backpack leaf blowers as well.
The versatility and ability to carry the pack with you will let you easily remove debris from gutters, low roofs, and overhangs.
When choosing backpack leaf blowers its important to select one that has the amount of power that you need to complete the task at hand. You can select smaller leaf blowers for more compact areas but blowers designed for backpacks are the perfect solution for those who need to clear larger areas.
You may find that choosing a blower that also serves as a vacuum is the best way to handle your yard work. These blowers are multifunctional and ensure that you not only blow away debris and leaves but also are able to remove and dispose of them simply and efficiently.
Since the best backpack blowers are designed to offer complete versatility and freedom to move, these blowers aren’t operated with a cord, but use gasoline and oil. This allows them to maximize the amount of power they have and will ensure that they can handle even the largest yard work.
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Husqvarna 350BT – the professional backpack leaf blower
Do you need a professional solution for taking care of those leafs and debriefs? Perhaps you’re making a living from gardening services? Well, if you want to impress your customers (or yourself) with fast and high-quality results, this Husqvarna blower might just be the thing you need, since this manufacturer managed to create a product that even if bigger and heavier than an electric blower, can always compete with any other tool on the market with no problem whatsoever.
When it comes to protection and comfort, Husqvarna is probably the best company in the world, as the handle can be adjusted by each user, and contains rubber inserts that will help it not to slip from your hand. The engine is a brand new model called X –TORQ, which has no less than 50 cc, being able to work extremely well, despite being more efficient, cleaner and quieter than most other regular backpack blowers.
The harness and the controls are both made to be just where you need them, to be able to comfortably access them The throttle controls are on the tube itself.
Husqvarna offer 2 year warranty for domestic use and 1 year for commercial use for the 350BT.
Compared to other smaller blowers out there, this one is not a toy, but an adult. Even if the price of 349.99$ might seem a bit high, if you really want to do a great job and avoid unpleasant surprises, you should give ti a chance. That of course if you really need such a big and powerful tool, because like I said, this is not really meant for the average user, but more for professionals and those that would you use it make a living with it.
Troy-Bilt TB4BP backpack blower
The Troy-Bilt TB4BP backpack blower runs on a Briggs And Stratton 4-cycle engine. I’ve come to realize that many people prefer this type of engine since there is no oil and gas to mix or store. I’ve always liked 2-cycle engines since that’s what I’ve always used, but I like to try out new lawn equipment to see how it measures up against the competition.
Troy-Bilt TB4BP Features:
- 22 pounds
- 19.5″ x 21.2″ x 15.8″
- 32cc 4 cycle engine
- Compression release starting
- Quiet operation
- 20 ounce fuel tank
- Padded harness and hip belt
- Compact, ergonomic design
- 2 year limited warranty
- Read more…
My Troy-Bilt TB4BP Review
The Troy-Bilt TB4BP blower is easy to assemble and get started. Simply add the pre-measured oil that comes in the box, add gas, adjust the choke, and pull to get started. The blower was running after the third pull.
Once I had it running, my first impression of the Troy-Bilt backpack blower was that the engineers put a lot of effort into designing it to be comfortable for the user. It comes equipped with plenty of padding on the harness and hip belt. And it also sits nicely on your shoulders and the weight is distributed evenly. The vibration from the blower is minimal. The effort from the folks at Troy-Bilt should be much appreciated by anyone who has used a backpack blower for hours at a time.
Unfortunately, when I went to blow some leaves I came away rather disappointed. For a backpack 
blower, it didn’t offer nearly as much power as I was expecting. Troy-Bilt claims it blows 150 mph, but I think that’s a bit of a stretch.
The price is much cheaper than most backpack blowers (Amazon has the lowest price online), but I was still expecting more. That being said, my expectations are pretty high since I’ve been using a Stihl commercial grade backpack blower for the last ten years.
As mentioned, the blower runs on a 4-cycle engine. This eliminates the hassle of mixing gas and oil, however there is more maintenance required. For starters, you need to check the oil often to make sure it has the correct amount. In addition, you also have to adjust the valves frequently to ensure that it runs well. Fortunately, Troy-Bilt includes in the box a comprehensive owners manual that thoroughly explains how to do that and other maintenance tasks.
For the most part, people who have purchased the Troy-Bilt TB4BP backpack blower have been pleased with the performance. They appreciate the fact that it is a 4-cycle engine. They also like that it’s relatively quiet, comfortable, and lightweight. The majority of the few negative reviews focused on the lack of power.
Bottom Line
The Troy-Bilt TB4BP is a well constructed backpack leaf blower. But, for my money, I would rather spend a little extra and purchase the Husqvarna 350BT backpack blower that has much more blowing power.
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Leaf Blower Guide
1) Cordless, Electric or Gas Powered?
Cordless leaf blowers are powered by a rechargeable battery that drives the motor which in turn spins the fan to blow out air from the nozzle. If there’s only a small area that needs to be covered, the best option is to get a cordless leaf blower for efficiency since the power transmitted is more than sufficient to blow away dead leaves and debris into a small pile for removal. Since these cordless leaf blowers are portable and not restricted by any power cord, they can be used anywhere around the yard, even at the far corner which would otherwise be impossible had the electric type be used instead.
Just like the cordless type, electric leaf blowers are also light and quiet when in operation but instead of using a battery, they use electricity from any power outlet to drive the motor which would spin the fan so that strong air can be forced out from the nozzle for blowing away dead leaves and debris. Although offering slightly higher blowing speeds and larger volume of air displacement when compared to the cordless type, these electric leaf blowers are not portable in the sense that their mobility are severely restricted by the length of the electrical cord and hence for blowing away dead leaves and debris at some secluded spot far away from the power outlet is impossible.
Gas-powered leaf blowers have either 2-cycle or 4-cycle engines that drive the fan which in turn force out air fiercely to make any leaf blowing task at hand much easier. Perfect for mid to large gardens, gas leaf blowers offer 2 distinct advantages of firstly portability (since no electrical cord needed) and secondly the powerful engine blows air at such remarkable speed and larger volume of air displacement to get jobs done faster. Unfortunately though, these gas leaf blowers are also heavy to carry around, noisy and emits harmful gas when in use but the tradeoff is often faster blowing time.
2) Handheld, Backpack or Walk-Behind?
Handheld leaf blowers are perfect for use on most lawns since they are cheap and offer portability as well. Available in either battery-operated, electric or gas-powered types, these handheld leaf blowers are best used on small backyards of less than 1/2 acre since despite their portability, they are not powerful enough to get tasks done quickly.
You may have seen professional contractors on parks strapping backpack leaf blowers on their back and blowing away dead leaves around into a big pile for removal later on. These backpack leaf blowers have bigger engines and as such they can only be powered by gas but their main strength lies in unmatched higher blowing speeds and larger cubic feet per minute of air volume displaced so hence best used on large backyards of up to 3/4 acre.
When you have yards that are 3/4 are and above, instead of tiring yourself by using a handheld or backpack leaf blowers to blow away dead leaves and debris, a much fruitful alternative would be to use a walk-behind leaf blower to cut down on blowing time tremendously. As the name suggests, walk-behind leaf blowers have wheels so it’s easier to pull along as you blow away dead leaves and debris in sight and with bigger engines incorporated, they are gas-powered as well.
3) Blower or Blower / Vacuum Combo?
A standalone leaf blower can only blow air out from the nozzle so that dead leaves can be piled up together and when the time comes for removal, you need to scoop up those dead leaves and place them into a black disposal plastic bag yourself. When it comes to leaf blower / vacuum combo type, besides blowing away dead leaves into a pile, there’s a switch for conversion to a vacuum that can be used to suck those dead leaves (similar operation as that of a vacuum cleaner). If you’re thinking of getting a leaf blower / vacuum combo, it’s best to get one that offers mulching capabilities as well since the dead leaves that are vacuumed in can be mulched down to a fraction of the original volume of between 10 - 16 (on some selected models).
4) Engine
Using simple logic, a bigger capacity engine will definitely offer much higher blowing speeds as well as larger volume of air displacement so you can blow away more dead leaves and debris faster. When it comes to gas-powered leaf blower engines, they are often expressed in cc (cubic capacity) and more often than not lie in the 20 cc - 60 cc range. Anything higher than that are reserved for professionals only since you might not be able to handle the extra power generated.
5) MPH & CFM
The most common specifications that you’ll ever find associated with leaf blowers are miles per hour (MPH) of air speed and cubic feet per minute (CFM) of air volume displaced. These 2 specifications are so important to the extent that manufacturers often used them as selling point to get buyers all excited. It’s no brainer that the higher the numbers, the more powerful the leaf blowers should be but more often than not these 2 numbers are often inversely proportional to each other. For example a leaf blower quoted at high CFM (large opening nozzle) yet have a low MPH (less pressure) can barely blow leaves, perhaps light debris only while a leaf blower that is quoted with having a high MPH (high pressure) but unfortunately with less CFM (small opening nozzle) could only move leaves for just 1 meter at most. If you’re looking for some of the best leaf blowers around, do make an effort to search for one with both high MPH & CFM, possibly above 200 MPH and 300 CFM built-in so that you can expect both power and performance at the same time.
Corded vs Cordless Electric Leaf Blowers
Corded electric blowers can be much more powerful and will stay at the same power level until shut off. This is the opposite for cordless leaf blowers. When the battery gets lower and drained, the performance of the unit will diminish. This would require having several batteries depending on the job at hand.
Power types for cordless leaf blowers include 12 amp, 18 & 20 volt. Make sure to get the right kind for your unit if you get replacement batteries. Eventually, the batteries would lose charge due to the finite amount of cycles on lithium and nicad batteries at the time of this writing. So, finding the right one for your power needs is an important factor when choosing a leaf blower for sale.
Horse power is something you’ll want to consider as well. Obviously, the higher the more powerful. However, if you don’t need a high horse power leaf blower, then save money and buy the best leaf blowing devices that will meet your current needs. There are many ways that power can be measured. There’s mph and the different speeds of the engine onboard. Many have variable speeds that can be switched and altered as needed by the user. Another way to gauge the power level is how many stroke engine is there in the leaf blower that you are considering. All these factors have a great deal to do with the power of the unit.
Many have seen the handheld types that are available for sale at stores like Home Depot and OSH. Even online retailers like Northern Tool and Sears have many types of these for sale. Handheld and push leaf blowers are widely used by private citizens. Backpack leaf blowers on the other hand are the mainstay of professional gardeners from all over. This is because they have to spend many hours with the device on their backs on a daily basis. This helps to distribute the weight to decrease stress on the body. If you have a large yard, then a backpack blower is what you need. For quick and small jobs, a handheld blower will be perfect for those that have the strength to carry it. For older individuals, that means having a lightweight model. For those that need industrial models, that means having a walk-behind or push model that may be too heavy for backpack wearing all day.
1. Try to find a model that emits the smallest amount of hydrocarbons.
A backpack leaf blower is fueled by gasoline. There are many states that regulate heavily the use of small gasoline powered machines because of its carbon emissions. This is in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act, specifically the clause that covers the gas emissions standards for man made machines. In order to avoid paying fines or penalties, it is essential that you buy a backpack blower that is energy efficient and one that releases the least amount of toxic fumes in the air.
2. Try also to find a model that emits the quietest noise possible.
Aside from air pollution, many states are also concerned with the noise from small engine machines. Again, in order to prevent being fined or rousing trouble with your neighbors, you might want to buy models that have less than 65 decibels of emitted noise.
3. Match the model of the machine to the kind of work you plan to do.
Smaller models are suitable for small to medium sized yards and gardens, while there are also those that are meant for heavy duty work (e.g. parks and other open fields.)
You can gauge which kind of machine you would need by the liters of gasoline you can put into the model’s tank. The fewer the liters, the less area you can cover. This is not necessarily bad especially if you have a small space to work in; but it can be a hassle if have to stop every few minutes just to refill.
4. The weight of the backpack blower model is also a critical factor when it comes to buying this kind of machine.
As the name implies, you will be carrying this machine with you as you work. Unfortunately, the longer you work, the heavier the machine will feel on your back.
If possible, try to wear the backpack before you buy it. If it feels too heavy already on the first try, you will have a lot more problems when you put in 1 to 4 liters of gasoline later on. Try to find the model that will best suit your frame and stature.
This is especially true if you are planning on buying a blower vac model: a backpack leaf blower that vacuum-suck in the leaves and shreds these in an attached bag. As the bag fills, it will add a few more pounds to the weight you are carrying.
5. Lastly, the price is always a source of concern. Some of the best products in the market can cost you a cool $100 and more. But there are also quality products you can buy for less that amount. Some good models would cost you no more than $35.
If price is an issue, try to read up on product reviews and ask friends and family members for recommendations. Always check for warranties and money back guarantees too.