I'm torn from buying another gas leaf blower (Echo or Hitachi) or an EGO 56v leaf blower. Normal house in the city, so only use a leaf blower 10 mins at a time. I also have a gas echo pole saw and gas echo hedge trimmer. This is replacing a 11 year old Hitachi. I like the weight and sound of electric but I worry about how long the battery really lasts (has a 3 yr warranty) as it costs as much as the entire blower and I already have mixed 2 stroke for the hedge trimmer and pole saw that I only use every 4-6 weeks. But the electric could be used to dry vehicles (boat+SUV) which is nice, which I wouldn't do with the 2 stroke.

Question:
Should I stick with a new gas leaf blower, or buy the EGO 56 volt

Choices:
Buy a new Echo gas leaf blower
Buy a new Hitachi gas leaf blower
Buy a new Ego 56V leaf blower

 

I voted for the Ego. I don't own one, I have a 40v Kobalt that works great and gets most of the jobs done. I have never killed the battery, yet

For leaf blowing I bought the biggest Husqvarna 2 stroke they make

We've gone Ego for a bunch of stuff over the years (pole saw, small chainsaw, power washer, leaf blowers) and they've all been reliable and good quality.

We have a couple of EGO products, and they work well. A weed whacker and a small snow thrower.

The batteries charge reasonably quickly and hold a meaningful amount of energy. Note that the batteries apparently have some kind of self-discharge timer (according to the internet), whereby if unused for some weeks it will then slow drain the battery to improve longevity. I always put the batteries on charge the day before I plan on using them.

But, speaking as a healthy nearly-old guy in my mid 60's, they are heavy. The weed whacker is acceptable weight and worth the tradeoff of not dragging a looong extension cord around the property. It does have momentum when swinging it back and forth, which is tiring. But the snow thrower is just too damn heavy in all ways.

I have a corded electric leaf blower and love it. Super light, and relatively quiet. That would be my vote for you if the use of a cord is acceptable. Definitely check out the weight and swing-momentum of the EGO before you buy it.

I always used the top of my shop vac as a leaf blower.

I just replaced my trimmer, blower, and hedge clippers with 80V greenworks. They work as well as or better thanthe gas versions, without the mess. I'm sure the EGO products are comparable.

Just make sure you get enough CFM for the blower (mine is 800)

I voted battery.

Mine is a Makita which uses the same batteries as my drills, recip saw, string trimmer, etc.

All work super for me.

Cheers~

Battery hands down.
I have a 40v kobalt and it handles the driveway which is large, like 12 cars large and the pool area, using less than 50% of the battery

My Makita Vacuum/Blower is used daily in a small yard. I have found I use the vacuum more than the blower as it saves time picking up the debris. Buy the 4.0 batteries as extra.

https://www.amazon.com/Makita-...47-a68f-cd087fee0848

All Amazon Vacuum/Blowers:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=blo...-dpltr-2-ranker_1_21

I am still a bit skeptical of battery mowers but am a big fan of battery weed whackers and blowers. The tech has come a long way in just the past few years.

I have a Kobalt battery leaf blower that is surprisingly powerful, I have 3 batteries and swap them out as they last a cumulative 15 min each on full blast. I've never owned a gas blower and never will.

I vote battery.

I am in the Dewalt and Ryobi systems. Most of the tools I am buying are one of the two.

quote:

Originally posted by slyguy:
I voted battery.

Mine is a Makita which uses the same batteries as my drills, recip saw, string trimmer, etc.

All work super for me.

Cheers~

Same here. I have Makita tools and batteries, so I got the Makita blower.
It's not as powerful as a backpack gas blower, but it's plenty powerful for my needs.
I like that it's a lot quieter than the gas blowers.
I have no trouble doing leaves in the fall on my half acre yard.

Buy extra batteries-the largest capacity you can afford-because these really burn through the batteries. All told, you're looking at about $700.00 for the blower and 3-4 batteries.

quote:

Originally posted by bcereuss:
Buy extra batteries-the largest capacity you can afford-because these really burn through the batteries. All told, you're looking at about $700.00 for the blower and 3-4 batteries.

Really?

I paid around $100 for my 24V Kobalt that came with 1 battery and a charger and the two additional batteries were around 50 bucks each.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:

quote:

Originally posted by bcereuss:
Buy extra batteries-the largest capacity you can afford-because these really burn through the batteries. All told, you're looking at about $700.00 for the blower and 3-4 batteries.

Really?

I paid around $100 for my 24V Kobalt that came with 1 battery and a charger and the two additional batteries were around 50 bucks each.

It depends on brand and model. I've gotten pretty deep in the Milwaukee brand, and their RedLithium batteries are between $180.00 and $300.00 each depending on capacity.

Ryobi electric here, mower & blower.
No complaints, great runtime with the larger mower battery.

I have the Ryobi 40V system as I bought into their "single power head, multiple attachments" system early on. I have been happy with the unit for around the yard work, mostly over hard surfaces. I learned in the landscaping trade that non-wheeled blowers are insufficient for blowing leaves over grass (unless accompanied by a hombre with a rake).

So, as usual, it comes down to how hard you want to use it, and what do you want to pay? I voted battery because I have become reluctant to endure the hassles of occasionally-used small gas engine yard equipment. For heavy daily multi-hour use, I'd still go for a gas commercial unit (in a backpack style or on wheels).

BTW, when comparing units, the specification you want to use is CFM (cubic feet of air moved per minute), and not the MPH or voltage of the battery. Strangely, manufacturers and retailers seem overly shy about advertising, or even disclosing CFM figures.

Electric is the way to go. Even using a 24V Makita it makes quick work of leaves. The higher power ones are even better.

I've had the Echo gas leaf blowers for many years and really like them, but a bit too heavy for my wife to use. I recently bought a Milwaukee electric (as I already had batteries) for her to use blowing off the porches, driveway and garage. She loves it. It does go through the batteries quickly, but she does not use it too long at a time.

Definitely battery. I switched over all of my 2 stroke lawn equipment to battery. Just as capable as gas for homeowner purposes, but less maintenance and a lot less noise. And no need to keep 2 stroke premix around any more.

You'll want to pony up for the higher tier brushless motor versions of your battery tools, which will cost 25-50% more but will work better and last longer. Most electric tool companies offer a few different quality tiers, with the lower ones using cheaper brushed motors that wear out more readily.


In another few years, I'm sure I'll do the same with my mower as well, once they've gone through another few iterations/improvements in mower and battery tech. (Mowers are not quite there yet for me, but close.)