Best backpack leaf blowers 2022 | Buyers’ Guide 

If you want to get a powerful, efficient and eco-friendly gas leaf blower from the highly recognizable manufacturer worldwide, then the Husqvarna 350BT will hit the point. Its overall performance is attributed to the super powerful X-TORQ 2.1 HP engine. Its innovative 2-stage technology allows reducing fuel consumption by 20% and carbon emission by 60% in comparison with other advanced gas-powered models in its class. You will have no issues with the starting procedure thanks to an air purge system. This unit also features a variable speed control and a cruise control which contribute to easier handling. More than that, the 350BT comes with an anti-vibration system which creates more comfort during its operation for a user. The only issue, you should bear in mind, is the noise level which equals to 104 dB in the nozzle and 94 dB at the operator’s ear (similarly to other gas-powered units). That is why, it will be always a good idea to wear ear protection when running such leaf blowers.

A leaf blower is one of the most useful inventions created for maintaining backyards and gardens, cleaning garages, workshops or other housekeeping areas.  It is thought that the first leaf blowers were invented in Japan in the mid of XXth century. And, very soon they became highly demanded by the native customers who appreciated the simplicity and convenience of their use while cleaning the outside territories from the dead leaves, grass, sticks and other debris. Nowadays, the leaf blowers are highly appreciated also by commercial cleaning companies as these units facilitate considerably the maintenance of large public parks, gardens, and other leisure areas. The backpack blowers would become the great options for supporting such large-scale cleaning projects. These tools give more freedom for a user thanks to the shoulder straps for a long-lasting fatigueless operation and the higher power output in comparison with the conventional handheld models. The backpack models can be equipped with a gas engine or run by the electric batteries. The latter are less powerful in comparison with the gas-powered tools, but still feature a number of benefits which I’m going to mention below.

It’s becoming clear for you that backpack models are mainly designed to handle large spaces or deal with heavy-duty tasks. Thus, the garden backpack vacuums are not manufactured; otherwise it would be impossible to fit a big-volume collecting bag to this design. Small bags would be quite useless for the purposes it is developed for.

So, if you set sights on getting one of these options, we suggest learning about the most important features in more details before its purchase.

- Power output. You should obligatory consider the power which is commonly measured in kW for an electric motor and in HP for a gas engine. The power output determines the performance of a tool. For instance, 0,5 kW (0,6 HP) leaf blower is capable of generating up to 400 CFM, the professional grade equipment featuring more than kW (5,4 HP) will deliver more than 600 CFM. It is a very clear cause-effect relationship: higher power ratings will enhance the performance of a leaf blower to tackle larger volumes of job. Thus, 1kW (1,3 HP) unit will perfectly tackle light-duty jobs of a small area. Larger spaces will require a more powerful leaf blower.

- Number of stages (2- or 4-stroke engine). When selecting a gas-powered leaf blower, pay attention to its type. The running cycle of a 2-stage engine consists of two steps only: compression and expansion (strokes). The feeding of a fuel mixture and output of waste gases occur during compression and expansion. On the contrary, the same processes of a 4-stage engine comprise input, compression, expansion and output.

Also, 2-stage and 4-stage engines have different lubrication principles. The 2-stage models are lubricated with a mixture of oil and gasoline in a strict proportion. The 4-stage engines are simpler in this case, as they can be lubricated with a pure motor oil of an appropriate type which to be filled in a separate compartment.

The leaf blowers with a 2-stage engine have several advantages in comparison with 4-stage counterparts: they are more powerful featuring about 50% higher performance, stroke smoothness, lower size and weight. Besides, this type of engines is commonly cheaper.

The 4-stage models have higher resistance to heavy-duty loads. Also, thanks to 4-stage engines leaf blowers become quieter in operation and more efficient in terms of fuel consumption.

- Maximum air flow. The air volume which can be streamed by a backpack leaf blower is measured in CFM or cubic feet per minute. This value depends on the capacity of a tool and varies from 200 CFM to 1000 CFM, as these blowers are designed to withstand higher loads in comparison with the traditional hand-held models. Each blower is equipped with a fan blade which moves the air at a particular speed and in a certain volume. The correlation of these two performance indicators determines the capacity of a tool. Thus, the rated air volume shows how much debris and waste can be blown out with a particular leaf blower.

- Maximum air speed. This parameter is measured in MPH, or miles per hour and varies from 140 MPH up to 700 MPH. The stronger the streamed air is, the more complicated obstacles it can tackle (for instance, small stones and pebbles, wet leaves, etc.) High air speed allows moving debris at a greater distance. And you may clear out the bigger space in the short run, accordingly. Besides, higher speed contributes to transferring of heavier objects and debris, handling even the challenging compacted wastes.

- Fuel type. When running a gas-powered backpack leaf blower you should know exactly the type of a fuel it is designed for. For this reason, always consult the manufacturer’s manual to know exactly which type of fuel to be used. It is strictly prohibited to use unsuitable gasoline or its mixture with oil, as this may cause problems with start-up. Also, always make sure that the fuel to be used is of a good quality. Besides, as I’ve mentioned already above, owning a 4-stage leaf blower will be more advantageous compared with a 2-stage counterpart in terms of fuel consumption, and thus its efficiency.

- Fuel tank/battery capacity. No matter which power type is used by your backpack leaf blower, always check the capacity of a gas tank or battery in order to handle the desired jobs. If you’ve purchased a gas model, then try to pick up that one with a bigger fuel tank which will increase an uninterrupted running time of your tool and decrease the times the tank has to be refilled. The big-volume tank of about 50 fl.oz together with the convenient fatigue-free design make the gas-powered backpack leaf blowers some of the most demanded options.

As for the battery-powered backpack leaf blowers, prefer the models offering the li-ion technology which is the leading one among other modern battery solutions. The capacity of the li-ion battery will be enough to ensure an extended operation of your blower before its recharging.

- Noise level. The gas-powered models are very noisy, so their use in some public places can be limited during particular time of the day. In average, the noise level of the majority of these units reaches 100 dB and this value can negatively affect the hearing sensitivity, additionally to resentment of your neighbors or just anybody getting around. So, it’s better to choose a tool with the lowest decibels as possible, and never forget to use hearing protection while its operation. The battery-powered blowers are much more advantageous in this case, as they commonly emit 60-65 dB only.

- Weight. Although the weight of backpack leaf blowers seems to be tolerable for a hand-held use, you will change your mind already in about 30 minutes of running such tool. Bearing the weight of something between 20 lbs to 40 lbs arranged over the shoulders would be much easier and more convenient than holding it by hands. Thus, you should always pay to this issue a decent attention if a blower is planned for longer work or it is going to be used by an older person, or anybody of a weaker physique.

- Anti-vibration system. Since gas-powered tools tend to be noisy with an excessive vibration, some manufacturers have developed and introduce the systems of vibration absorbing. This feature would be highly useful when extended operations of a leaf blower are required.

Housqvarna – is the global industrial group which was founded back in 1689 in Sweden as a maker of muskets. Nowadays, it is the highly recognizable brand of outdoor power equipment and tools including chainsaws, lawn mowers, trimmers, leaf blowers, etc. Their products are commonly expensive, but this fact is justified by the highest quality and outstanding durability.

Poulan Pro – is the exclusive brand of the Husqvarna Group along with of other reliable manufacturers of power products like Gardena, McCulloch, Weed Eater, Flymo, Zenoah and Diamant Boart. Poulan offers a wide range of outdoor power equipment aimed at the mid-level customers including gardening amateurs and experienced users. The company has deserved a solid reputation of a trusted manufacturer due to its wide range of high-quality and powerful equipment. Poulan Pro equips their products with powerful 2- and 4-stage engines from the leading global suppliers in order to ensure unrivaled reliability and service life. Their lineup of leaf blowers has plenty of features for the maximum comfort of the users at their yards, gardens or any other outdoor spaces.

Greenworks - this company is a relative newcomer in the industry which was established in 2009 in North Carolina. The company is focused on production of the environmental-friendly electric power tools, as its name implies. They become famous due to numerous developments and innovative solutions offered in the field of li-ion technology. Thus, their cordless tools, including leaf blowers are capable of generating enough power to be competitive with the gas counterparts to maintain any indoor or outdoor area free from undesired debris.

Echo – this Japanese manufacturer has started its history since 1978. The company is considered to be one of the leaders in manufacturing of outdoor gas-powered equipment. They were pioneers in many developments of the gardening tools like the plant spraying machine in a backpack design, or their innovative ECHO chainsaw introduced in 1963 which is still highly demanded worldwide. Thus, there are no reasons to doubt in reliability of the gas-powered leaf blowers from this company which has been successfully committed to the gas sector throughout their history.

Ryobi - is a trade mark of Techtronic Industries Group, Japan, one of the international leaders in manufacturing of domestic, professional and industrial tools for keeping households, gardens, repair activities and construction. The range of leaf blowers from Ryobi are considered as some of the best on the current market due to their build quality and undisputable reliability. The prices for their tools may vary from the most budget-friendly to comparatively high. It can be explained, that some of their models can be referred to the professional grade showing high performance and capable of tackling challenging jobs.