Review: Leaf Blowers

Jetpacks they are not. But when else do you get to wear an engine on your back? And if you're facing down a big leafy suburban plot, a blower can salvage your weekend.

The Basics

Are they allowed where you live?
Leaf blowers are polarizing. As with pit bulls and Jersey Shore cast members, standing outside with one can run you afoul of both neighbors and the law. Due to concerns about noise and emissions, these machines are banned by hundreds of cities and towns nationwide, along with several neighborhood associations. So check with the relevant authorities before buying.

What about the noise and emissions?
The EPA has been raising standards since 1995, when as much as 25 percent of leaf-blower exhaust was raw, unburned gasoline. Starting with the 2012 model year, new blowers will run 80 percent cleaner than their 1995 counterparts. New designs, better mufflers, and electric options have also squelched some of the neighbor-alienating roar. Still, wait until after 10am. Please.

Why does the engine matter so much?
Gas-powered models come in either two-stroke or four-stroke designs. Two-stroke motors, common in older blowers, use a single crankshaft revolution per piston cycle (one upstroke and one down). This puts intake and exhaust in the same cycle — part of the reason that two-strokes are such polluters. Four-strokes, which have one cycle for intake and one for exhaust, tend to be heavier but also cleaner.

Buying advice

Sure, an ergonomic rake is fine for a single-tree urban plot (try the Flexrake CF224W for $15), but if you've got a bunch of children waiting for you to clear a field so they can start soccer practice, you need more horsepower. The easiest way to think about this is to look at the type of lawn mower you own. If you have enough acreage to justify a riding mower, you'll need a blower with serious airflow, more than 90 mph. If all you need to maintain your suburban oasis is a push mower and a kid with a broom, a less powerful electric model will do, though those generally struggle with wet, heavy debris.

How We Tested

We took these machines to a neighborhood baseball diamond to repeatedly corral and relocate a whole ballpark's worth of leaves and debris over several days, testing not just for blowing power but also for noise, durability, and comfort.

1. Husqvarna 356BT X-Series

It turns out that Swedish design elegance extends to power tools. The two-stroke, 22-pound Husqvarna is relatively quiet (64 dB — think of an idling scooter) and was the most comfortable unit in our test. All blowers push against your right shoulder when you hit the throttle, but the 356BT has a snug waist belt that shifts much of this force away from your spine and onto your hips. And the adjustable control handle lets you dial in the fit until the nozzle feels like an extension of your arm.

WIRED Sleek design. So ergonomic you'll feel like Sigourney Weaver strapped into the loader and ready to battle aliens.

TIRED Engine is a two-stroke stinker.

$480, Husqvarna

Rating: 7 out of 10____2. Makita BBX7600CA

In case any neighbors didn't hear you announce at the Labor Day barbecue that you just bought a clean-burning blower, the Makita has four stroke emblazoned on both shoulder straps. Unfortunately, those straps hook to the unit at just a single point behind your neck, possibly the worst place to concentrate the load. It's an ergo no-no that even the most hardened Sherpa would find objectionable, especially considering that this beast weighs nearly 25 pounds. But given the brute air speed—up to 195 mph (claimed)—you won't have to wear it for long to get the job done.

WIRED Power! Nice price.

TIRED Marquis de Sade ergonomics. Tied for loudest in our test, rated at 74 dB.

$430, Makita

Rating: 6 out of 10____3. Echo PB-770H

With its air speed clocking in at more than 200 mph (claimed), the PB-770H will make quick work of large areas and unhinge even the most stubborn muddy leaves. The 24.3-pound unit's cushy shoulder straps are a plus, though the comfort benefits are undermined by an inexplicable lack of a waist strap. You have to fight to counter the pressure against your right side every time you hit the gas. The left-handed throttle control won't be for everyone, but we liked having aim and throttle in separate hands.

WIRED Huge blast force. Plush shoulder straps.

TIRED Heavy. 74 neighbor-waking decibels. No waist belt means a thorough core workout every time you use it.

$500, Echo

Rating: 6 out of 10____4. Stihl BGA 85

Stihl's featherweight (9.6-pound) lithium-ion-powered handheld has a top air speed of just 103 mph. That's at the high end of what other battery-powered blowers are capable of, however, and it was plenty for our leaf wrangling. The Stihl is also more maneuverable and precise than backpack models. It can reach over and around hedges and yard furniture for strategic blasts instead of unleashing a 200-mph hurricane from 15 feet away. Still, even 9 pounds starts to feel heavy without a shoulder strap.

WIRED No gas emissions. Precise control.

TIRED Not everyone has Albert Pujols forearms. Same 64-dB rumble as some gas-powered models. Battery ($150) and charger ($50) sold separately.

$300, Stihl

Rating: 8 out of 10