leaf blower

[Tractorat]

OK yard workers, what is better for leaf blowing ? More CFM or more mph ?

 

[mwilson]

This is what I have, 125-150 mph. It does a fantastic job..

 

[Tractorat]

Thanks,
The reason I ask is I see blowers at 450cfm, but only 120mph. Then others with 160mph but only maybe 200cfm

 

[Timd32]

I have a BR600 Stihl, gets the job done, very powerful unit. And the better Stihl are not screamers they are a little more throaty sounding if that makes sense.

 

[bcbender]

I also have the BR600 also ... the BR700 and 700X are the same displacement engine but 700s has higher CFM, where the 600 has higher tip velocity... interestingly Stihl also notes the effective blowing 'force" and its almost the same... My 600 can blow the leaves and water out of a 3cm deep ditch.... and the rocks also, don't need anything bigger, although the new BR800 is more umpf and has a recoil pull so you don't have to take it off to re-start it.

 

[Timd32]

recoil pull so you don't have to take it off to re-start it.

That sounds cool.

I don't really shut it off much once it's on I can do a full tank then I'm pretty shot afterwards and wonder why I do that to myself.

I could actually appreciate a smaller tank on these kind of things to force me to.take better breaks.

 

[bcbender]

I'm pretty shot afterwards and wonder why I do that to myself.

yeah.. I felt how "old" I was after I ran two tanks back to back on a rental property I recently picked up.... Knee deep leaf piles just rolling em back into the woods...... at the end of it when I took a break and cooled down my elbow and arm was soo sore!! I could barely move it the next day...

Not was flexible as I was years ago

 

[Jim W]

I am cheap and bought a ECHO Leaf Blower from Home Depot in 2009. The leaf blower still works great with the only maintenance so, far being a new spark plug and air filter each spring. The blower is capable of 145MPH/390CFM and weighs less than 10LBS. I do wear hearing protection when I use this, the Blower is rated at 65db(A) @50 feet.

I do not use this to clean up any leaves on my property since this will blow all of the ground cover off of the beds. Instead I use my mulching mower with the bag on and pick up the leaves as I cut the grass. I do fill up a couple of lawn bags, but this does leave a very clean lawn for a day or so. The blower is used to clean the driveway, sidewalks and deck each time I cut the grass.

 

[SSage]

yeah.. I felt how "old" I was after I ran two tanks back to back on a rental property I recently picked up.... Knee deep leaf piles just rolling em back into the woods...... at the end of it when I took a break and cooled down my elbow and arm was soo sore!! I could barely move it the next day...

Not was flexible as I was years ago

I prefer a back pack blower more and more the older I get! For the walkways and the shop I use a Makita 18 volt hand held though, those are nice for small jobs.

 

[bcbender]

I use a Makita 18 volt hand held though, those are nice for small jobs.

Yep, I have the 36V Makita.. use it for the shop, deck, screen porch and even take it with me camping to blow out the site before setting up... Had a guy at the Lake borrow it to blow the pine needles out of his pontoon once, and the next time I camped next to him he had one just like mine