I hated leaf blowers, now I love them: A convert's guide
Ryobi One+ leaf blower kit (RY18BLA-140). Compatible with system of over 150 cordless tools for the home, garden and automotive. Includes battery and charger. In store at B&Q, €185, or order online at diy.ie.
I was once dividing people into set tranches. Those who preached about their iPhone and those who were self-realised enough to choose an Android (now me).
Those who had their card/money braced in hand at the supermarket till, and those who dig for it like demented archaeologists — flame-faced, flustered (now me).
Finally, there was the important distinction surrounding horticultural power tools. There were those who used leaf blowers (clots) and those who performed the traditional rake, stoop, and barrow. When my clot first unleashed the 40W battery-powered monster, I let him know this was not some regressive suburb, and frankly, I didn’t fancy him anymore (the wording was a little different to overcome the low roar of the machine).
Years passed, and in 2024, I was faced with a rotting carpet of leaves from 30 massive mature trees. I plucked up the EGO leaf-blower, sneering, grumbling, ready to be rightly displeased. It turns out, there’s nothing more fun with your knickers on than chasing vegetation around the garden, yard, lawn, or driveway with a leaf-blower tickled by a boost trigger.
Leaves dance prettily, spiralling in the air, landing in neat hillocks. It took moments to scoop them up with the plastic leaf-mittens. Sodden mats of even decomposing foliage peeled away from the gravel and grass, shuffling obediently into piles.
I’ve been transmogrified into a horticultural toreador, up on the toes, teasing the fallen into a racing, airborne whirlwind. Even the noise of a mid-range machine? Its thrilling acceleration sets my old pulse racing.
Choosing a blower, power is everything. Too much power for a smaller garden with detailed features and delicate planting is potentially destructive. Whereas not having enough oomph in a rangier open garden with lots of tree overhang will blow (in all the wrong ways).
You don’t need to have grass to make effective use of a blower. They are fantastic for patios, yards, drives and pathways — helping to manage the ballast of slippery leaves and typical autumn/winter debris, including 10mm Irish snow, and loose soil that will trespass throughout every season.
Leaving too much leaf mould on the lawn can lead to burn marks that will depress growth in spring.
Every machine battery or petrol will have a given air speed (MPH)and an air volume (CFM). This determines how much weight the blower will lift and can be accelerated by a boost switch to a thrilling 250km/h-300 km/h velocity.
Generally, with electric models, just look up the wattage. 2500W to 3000W and clearance of m3 per minute — standard for the challenges of a typical garden. 10m3/min-15m3/min would be excellent.
There are two styles. One blower just blows, and the other also works on a vacuum setting, pulling leaves into an on-board bag, mulching them with a little shredder. I found with a blower/vacuum the increasing weight and the nuisance of emptying the small bag were an interruption.
Blowers come with a primary round open nozzle, which can be detailed with a flat nozzle for focusing the power on detailed areas like the edges of flower beds. Some high-end models will offer another smaller detachable flat nozzle with a tough little rake on one side to slash at atrophied slimy leaves that won’t lift easily.
If you and your partner are dramatically different in height, a telescopic master tube can be a versatile choice to match your body type. To store the machine, you can remove the entire nozzle, and some machines have a built-in wall hook to get them up off the floor of your shed or garage. Highly recommended.
Now we come to the power type. I would always specify battery power or mains power over a two-stroke petrol model for a typical domestic garden. These machines are simple to start, lighter to carry, and far more earth-friendly, with no dirty petro-chemical emissions at the point of use, reading of the charge as you work.
Electric blowers will not get hot when you use them — something to think about when buying a small to middling strimmer, too. The blast sequence of a battery blower is relatively easy on a charged unit (so you will get through the work in one to two charges).
They are a lot quieter than a two-stroke engine — less disruptive for the neighbours and safer for your hearing. Even better, if you stick to one brand platform, you can share the charger and batteries over compatible strimmers, hedge-trimmers, mowers and more. If the battery is built-in (integral), it will be a stand-alone 18V tool.
Ensure you know if the charger and the battery is or is not included in your deal, as this can be quite a load. “Bare-tool” means no battery and no charger included. With a battery blower, also investigate the charging time (two-three hours for a battery would not be unusual) and continuous run-times (20 minutes would be generous, but even this is reduced by regular use of high speeds).
Voltage and amperage will influence energy efficiency. Talk to your supplier for a good compromise to work within your needs and budget. It’s also possible to run your blower through a fixed mains lead and RCD (a safety plug), giving it unlimited run-times.
Your blower should be ergonomic and manoeuvrable. The weight should be given with the intended battery attached (2kg to 5kg generally). Because of their long, nosey profile with most of the weight concentrated in the head end, blowers can be cumbersome, wagging back and forth.
Loaded with a larger battery, they could cause a joint problem through the hands, shoulders and back. Look for the inclusion of a harness to spread the load of the machine more evenly over your frame and change hands while working to prevent repetitive strain.
A cushion grip can help to avoid fatigue. Examine the machine’s overall balance with the battery attached. With cruise control, you can set the machine without having to hold the trigger continually. Let the machine hang naturally from your shoulder and arm — adjusting any telescopic nozzle.
There are some other things to be careful about when enthusiastically using your blower. These cautions follow those of a power washer. Stay away from painted or composite doors, low windows, and French/patio doors. The blower can ping up stones and other small hard objects that can hit brittle glass at speed.
Move your car out of the way while working on the driveway or nearby lawns/beds and don’t use the boost setting anywhere near this or other vulnerable objects like fragile plant pots, sculpture, pets, and ponds, as unexpected objects can fly.
Use a reasonable distance and a low setting to work over beds with soft-stemmed, fragile plants. I would always advise users to wear protective gloves and especially goggles when using a blower, as a ricocheted stone or even a sharp twig can easily connect with your face.
Finally, be mindful of the wildlife in your garden when using any noisy, powerful device. If you know there’s an insect-rich area of a hedgehog run, try to avoid jetting through there like an Airbus.
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