Every year at this time I think about upgrading to a backpack blower for leaf collection. As I look into the various models my head starts to spin when looking at the specs.

I am only looking at models under $400.

There is a Ryobi which claims 760 CFM with 175 MPH all with a 38cc engine.

An Echo claims 517 CFM with 216 MPH with a 58cc engine.

The Ryobi does not state if the CFM is at the housing or the tube but I assume its the housing to fluff the numbers.

CFM seems to be the main number to focus on as it is the volume of air. CFM seems to be explained as how big a pile of leaves you can blow.

MPH seems to be explained as how far you can blow the pile of leaves.

I dont even know where to start with newtons!!

quote:

Originally posted by gpbst3:
There is a Ryobi which claims 760 CFM with 175 MPH all with a 38cc engine.

An Echo claims 517 CFM with 216 MPH with a 58cc engine.

So Ryobi is claiming nearly 50% more CFM, with only 20% less MPH, and a 34% smaller engine. Hmmm...

quote:

Originally posted by gpbst3:
CFM seems to be the main number to focus on as it is the volume of air. CFM seems to be explained as how big a pile of leaves you can blow.

That's pretty much correct. Just watch how nature can blow vast amounts of leaves around with relatively little wind velocity.

Except... Get those leaves in a pile, rather than spread around, and Mother Nature doesn't fare quite as well anymore.

Since we have a large yard I decided go big or go home:



80cc, 211 MPH, 1071 CFM (Well over your budget, though.)

I'd go with Echo, any day and twice on Sunday, before Ryobi.

In my research, year-before-last, IIRC: Echo and Red Max consistently rated the best.

In my opinion, MPH is pretty much a useless spec and not a good indicator of performance in this case as it's largely influenced by the diameter of the nozzle. All other things being equal, move the same volume/CFM through a smaller nozzle and it will move at a higher speed/MPH. It's the volume of air that does the work if you're blowing leaves.

Plenty of reviews on YouTube comparing performance of Backpack Blowers that might help nail down your purchasing decision.


ETA - I'd definitely include Husqvarna and Stihl in the 'consistantly rated the best' list...

Just get a Stihl BR600 and be done with it.
You could have the yard done by now.

In 2011 I acquired a Husqvarna 150BT for my 1.25 acres with several large trees. SO far no issues and glad I upgraded.

CFM is the real measure.
You can choke down the tube and make the MPH number read whatever you want.

No noise ordinance where you live?

Echo all the way.
The Ryobi will never make its claims.

MPH lifts the leaves.
CFM Moves them.

ie CFM will not move wet leaves, MPH will lift them where they can get moved.

cc's, at least 65. No replacement for displacement if you're serious about blowing.

I just got the echo 9010 moving up from a handheld 250 cfm model.

I know it's 650$ and I've only done some early clean up at my sister's house for her but I can honestly say that it's worth the money if your time is important to you.

Might want to ask about round and flat nozzles, as well

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
Might want to ask about round and flat nozzles, as well

My previous backpack leaf blower had a flat nozzle attachment. After trying it a couple times I never used it again.

quote:

Originally posted by hvactech:
In 2011 I acquired a Husqvarna 150BT for my 1.25 acres with several large trees. SO far no issues and glad I upgraded.

I also have one of these, great blower!

If you want a blower that you can use for 10-15 years without much fuss or issues, buy the Echo. If you want to throw it away within three years, buy the Ryobi.

CFM isn’t the whole story.

A box fan puts out twice the CFM of a backpack blower but it isn’t going to push the leaves around your yard.

Newtons seems to be the best single number if you don’t want to look at CFM and MPH together.

You’ve got to look past the advertising numbers, too, they’ll pull BS like give you max CFM with no nozzle and max MPH with a restricted nozzle and write the advertising copy like you can get both numbers at once.

A timely thread for me.

My neighbor recently acquired a used Echo 770 (I think that’s the model) from a friend of ours who just downsized from a house on close to an acre to a condo.

My property is just under a half acre with a handful of trees that drop a decent amount of leaves, and raking and/or mower bagging the leaves is how I have removed them in the 17 years that I have been living here and that’s worked out o.k.

Curious about a backpack leaf blower I borrowed my neighbor’s and had at it, and it is a game changer for me.

What would have taken at least two hours and a lot of physical effort was cut to at least less than half of that time.

I was able to blow the front yard leaves right out to the curb, and I made two large piles of leaves in the back yard which I then raked onto a large tarp and brought them out to the front in a few trips.

I am sure that my neighbor would let me borrow his any time that I would need to use it, and I would fuel it up of course, but borrowing can be inconvenient, and, if it broke while I was using it I would feel somewhat of an obligation to replace it so I might as well make the investment.

I am in decent shape for a 62 yo and do not mind doing physical work, but I just purchased a snow thrower last year (1,600 sf driveway) and I think for the same reason(s) that I got it I will be getting a backpack leaf blower.

Would Gator blades on a riding mower work for you? I've done several acres of heavily wooded lawns for years and you'll be amazed at how a set of G5 Gators on a good ztr mower will make leaves just about disappear - mulch them up, get a good rain and they're gone.

I've got a Kawasaki backpack 65cc I think and it's 15 years old and will still blow a brick. Also have a Stihl handheld. Often on sale for $150 and they are great year after year.

I have 6 blowers around. Also have worked on outdoor power equipment here and there for many years.

I don't know much about the newer Ryobi gas powered equipment but their older stuff was not very impressive from a reliability standpoint. Parts were also a problem with them in the past. Of the 2 I would get the Echo.

Echo 580 i assume That thing will last many many hours with good gas and oil.

I would not get too caught up in the whole CFM vs MPH stuff on a gas blower. Some manufacturers exaggerate a little, some a bunch. Generally speaking on gas blowers. Bigger engine = more power for moving leaves faster and further to where you want them to end up. Simply put bigger engine cut down on the time it takes to complete the task.

Echo stuff has treated me well. I have a handheld echo blower and one of their chainsaws that won’t quit. My backpack blower is a redmax and that thing has been great!

I use a backpack blower in my lawn business. I jumped ship from Echo a year ago to go with a Stihl. My step daughter was working at a Stihl dealer so I gave her the commission. This thing is just over a year old and is falling apart. It blows the leaves well enough but previously I've had 15 year old Echos that were still working before i retired them. Retired, not replaced out of necessity. I'm looking at an Echo 9010 this time. No more Stihl.