Best Cordless Blower – Handheld Cordless Blower Tool Fight

It’s that time of year when the leaves are changing colors and they are about to fall.  They will start to cover up your grass and clog up your gutters.  Now you may be in the market for a new blower either because yours is getting old or you have been hearing good things about battery powered blowers.   We see our neighbors with their fancy blowers, we see ads on TV or the newspaper and we see them at our local hardware store.  So which one is the best one on the market?  Which would meet our needs and which one would be the best value?  Well, it’s always so hard to tell because you see different battery platforms, different volts, different CFM and different colors.  All this can be enough to spin your head around in circles.  We understand how you feel, so we decided to put some of the most popular blowers up against each other and have some fun.  So at Tools in Action, we always love to have a little fun. While we aren’t scientists or UL lab technicians, we are consumers just like you.  We want to break through and see what is the best cordless blower on the market.  While we couldn’t test them all, we did test some of the most popular ones on the market.

We understand there can be a ton of different testing scenarios we could have done.  But for us, we wanted to test some of the most important aspects of a blower to find out the best cordless blower.  So we picked a couple of important elements in a blower and that is what we are covering today.  For any testing purpose, there are always variables we can’t control.  We tried to do our best to mitigate these variables, but bottom line, we really just wanted to have some fun and maybe educate you as a consumer so when you do buy a blower, you can find the best cordless blower for you.  Just because one blower is better for someone, doesn’t mean it’s the best one for the next person.  For me, I want something powerful and lightweight, plus I want a quality blower that has great tools in their line up.  For me, I don’t care about run time.  I have a small yard and it takes me about 30 steps at most to grab another battery.  I use my blower to clean out my gutters (Yes I know I shouldn’t), I also use it for fall clean up and blowing off the grass on the walkways.  For someone else, they might have a longer driveway and they want a longer run time because they are just using it to blow off their driveway after they mow.  They don’t want to be 10′ away from finishing the job and having to walk back to the garage, replace the battery and walk back to the end of the driveway.  Again, we are just two guys having some fun and trying to shed a little light on the blower world.  So before we get started we want to tell you which blowers we tested and what aspects we took into account for the blower flight.

Blower Models we Tested

• Kobalt – Model KHB 400B-06
• Dewalt – Model DCBL790M1
• Ego – Model LB5302
• Ryobi – Model RY40411
• Greenworks – Model 80V-Pro-500CFM
• Troy Built – Model TB4300
• Echo – Model CBL-58V2AH

Features We Reviewed For Blowers

• Power
• Weight
• Run Time
• Tools Available for Battery Platform
• Quality of Blower – Build Quality

About the Test

As I stated above, it’s very hard to test blowers considering there are so many variables.  However being who we are, we still wanted to give it a shot and have some fun.  So we reached out to Bode Tree Care to see if we could try them out on some mulch over at his place.  We brought the Ventrac over and put two level scoops of mulch for each blower to try and push.  Our goal was really to make sure these blowers could move heavier items and also to see the run time.  While we were moving the piles of mulch, we also took into account the ergonomics of the blowers.  When we ran these blowers, we ran them at the highest setting possible.  So our run time we state below is from the highest setting.  You will find higher run times on the manufacturers website, but they usually state it while running at the lowest setting.

 

Ego – Model LB5302

Ego is one of the newer manufacturers on this list.  They have only been around for about 5 years, but their history (Chervon) is much older.  However, in the 5 years they have changed the OPE environment by introducing quality products with an incredible battery.  We have had a chance to test their full line of products and we have been wowed by every single one.  This year they have a new 56V snow blower on the market along with a backpack blower.

 

Power – 56V, 2.5 Ah Battery, 110 MPH, 530 CFM
Weight – 7.312 lbs
Run Time (TIA Figures) – 9 Minutes

What we like – This is a great blower.  While it doesn’t hold the record for MPH, the weight and CFM of the tool are incredible.  This is the lightest blower that we tested.  Considering how light it is and how much CFM this pushes, this is a great blower to own.

What we don’t like – We would have liked to see a little more run time.  This had the worst run time of all the blowers we tested.  In the real world, we really doubt you would be using the turbo button the whole time.  With that said, we know the run time will increase without the turbo button, which still leaves plenty of power to get most jobs done.

Tools Available for Battery Platform – You can build an incredible OPE line with all the tools they offer.  This is the thing we love the most about Ego.  You can invest in one battery platform and get a mower, blower, string trimmer, chain saw, hedger and snow blower.

Quality of Blower – Build Quality – We are very impressed with the build quality of this blower.  It doesn’t seem like Ego cut any corners when they designed this or their other OPE products.  We love the fact that there is room so a user can use any of their batteries.  So if you want to add their 7.5 Ah battery to increase run time, you won’t have an issue.

Conclusion – While the run time was the lowest, this would be my top pick.  This is the lightest of all the blowers we tested.  It is packed with power and light on the arm.  Considering they have the nicest OPE line on the market, this blower is hard to beat.

 

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Dewalt – Model DCBL790M1

Dewalt is a name you can trust.  They have been around for a long time and make professional, quality products.  Don’t let the fact that this is only a 40V fool you.  This has plenty of power and with the highest amp hour battery (4Ah), it has great run time along with great power.  This is the only blower we tested that is designed for the professionals.

 

 

Power – 40V, 4 Ah Battery, 120 MPH, 400CFM
Weight – 10.8 lbs
Run Time (TIA Figures) – 14 Minutes

What we like –  This blower has a ton of power and run time.  We didn’t see this with the other blowers in the blower fight.  The Dewalt comes with a high amp hour battery which means this can do some serious work in the cordless blower sector.

What we don’t like – This is bulky.  Other than the Echo, this was the biggest blower we tested.  We understand this is designed for the “professional”, but for a consumer, it is one we would pass on since they don’t have a mower available in the 40V line.

Tools Available for Battery Platform – Dewalt offers a couple different tools in their 40V line of tools.  They have string trimmers, backpack blowers and chainsaws available.

Quality of Blower – Build Quality – It’s hard to find a better built OPE tool.  Dewalt knows how to make strong and tough tools.  The same toughness that goes into their tools, goes into their OPE products.

Conclusion – The Dewalt did a great job moving the mulch.  The run time was one of the best we tested.  For the professional, it can be a great option.  For the homeowner, we would suggest the Ego.

 

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Ryobi – Model RY40411

Ryobi is a company you are probably familiar with if you have visited any Home Depot store.  They have a huge line of power tools and make almost any OPE tool a homeowner could want.  Ryobi is a company that tries to deliver the highest possible quality for a reasonable price.

 

 

 

Power – 40V, 2.6 Ah Battery, 155 MPH, 300 CFM
Weight – 8.4 lbs.
Run Time (TIA Figures) – 13 Minutes

What we like – This is a great blower that is not only comfortable using, but has a great run time.

What we don’t like – While this has a high MPH, the CFM was one of the lowest we tested.  However, the run time was towards the top of the pack

Tools Available for Battery Platform – Ryobi has pretty much anything a homeowner could want to build their own OPE tools.  They offer a mower, string trimmer, hedger, blower and even a snow blower.  I love being able to own one battery platform for all my OPE needs.

Quality of Blower – Build Quality – The blower was more solid than we thought it would be.  This blower seems to have a lot in common with the Ridgid blower we tested.

Conclusion – While it was one of the lowest CFM we tested, it still moved the mulch pile.  We weren’t expecting this to be the winner as Ryobi is designed to get a job done for a low price.

 

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Troy Built – Model TB4300

Troy Built makes some solid OPE tools.  They are quality tools with tons of power.  Troy Built uses the Core system which focuses more on the power of a great motor and not to be required to rely on battery alone.  When it comes to OPE, Troy Built isn’t a slouch.  They make some incredible gas-powered tools such as the Flex system.

 

 

Power – 40V, 4 Ah Battery, 125 MPH, 545 CFM
Weight – 11.6 lbs
Run Time (TIA Figures) – 12 Minutes

What we like – This blower was great as it’s packed with power.  Besides having a ton of power, it also had great run time.

What we don’t like – This was the heaviest blower we tested.  While it screamed in power, it also made your arm scream.

Tools Available for Battery Platform – Troy Built has great products in their OPE line up including a mower, blower, hedger and string trimmer.  All are great tools to own.

Quality of Blower – Build Quality – This is a solid blower.  Nothing on this blower seems cheap.

Conclusion – The Troy Built core blower is an amazing blower.  The blower has tons of power, but with a downside of being heavy.  The blower moved the mulch without any issues and still had room to do more cleaning.

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Greenworks – Model 80V-Pro-500CFM

For me, I feel like Greenworks is in competition to Ryobi OPE products.  Greenworks has been around for a while and they have a huge product list.  They have been able to create a ton of tools over the years and push the market forward with innovation.  They offer multiple battery lines to fit the consumer needs.  They offer an 80V, 40V and 24V line of OPE tools.

 

 

Power – 80V, 2 Ah battery, 125 MPH, 500CFM
Weight – 9 lbs
Run Time (TIA Figures) – 10 Minutes

What we like – The Greenworks has plenty of power to clean off your walks, driveway or fall clean up.  Very easy to use with the push button on/off and speed setting.

What we don’t like – We would like to see the weight decrease. You are pretty much stuck with using a 2 Ah battery because of how the battery compartment is designed.

Tools Available for Battery Platform – Lawnmower, blower, string trimmer, hedger, chainsaw and snow blower.

Quality of Blower – Build Quality – While there were some things we would like to see beefed up with their mower, the blower seems like a quality blower.

Conclusion – The Greenworks is a nice option for the consumer.  A consumer can buy into the 80V line and get any OPE tool they need without having to invest in a new battery platform down the road.  The blower is nice and powerful.  It didn’t have any issues pushing the mulch pile forward.  While the run time was below it’s brother Kobalt blower, it still has some good run time.

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Kobalt – Model KHB 400B-06

The Kobalt is pretty much the same as the Greenworks.  The whole Kobalt OPE system has been around for a while, so they are fairly reliable.  Kobalt is sold exclusively at Lowes.  The great thing about being sold at Lowes is you can walk into the store and pick it up to see how you like the feel and balance.  If for some reason you buy it and turns out you don’t like it, Lowes is usually pretty good about returns as along as you obey their return policy.

 

Power – 80V, 2 Ah Battery, 125 MPH, 500 CFM
Weight – 9.1 lbs.
Run Time (TIA Figures) – 12 Minutes

What we like – The blower is powerful and comfortable to use.  Decent run time.

What we don’t like – We would like to see the weight decrease.  Also, you are pretty much stuck with using a 2 Ah battery because of how the battery compartment is designed.

Tools Available for Battery Platform – You can build your OPE line with their mower, blower, string trimmer and chain saw.

Quality of Blower – Build Quality – While some parts of their mower seemed cheap, the blowers were not.  The build quality seems to be on the high end.

Conclusion – Overall this blower did a great job moving the mulch pile.  The run time was in the middle of the road, but a lot higher than we expected.  This blower surprised me as I wasn’t expecting much from it.  Just wondering why it had a longer run time than the Greenworks 80V.

 

 

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Echo – Model CBL-58V2AH

Echo seems to be a quiet company.  They have been in the OPE game for a long time, but really dragged their feet with their cordless line.  Echo is a company that we don’t hear much about.  While some people love their gas engine chain saw, we also hear people who have had issues with them.

 

 

Power – 56V, 2 Ah Battery, 120 MPH, 450 CFM
Weight – 11.3 lbs
Run Time (TIA Figures) – 15 Minutes

What we like – The Echo had incredible run time, almost doubling the run time of the Ego, our number one pick.

What we don’t like – This unit feels like it lacks power.  While the stats say it should keep up with the other manufacturers, it seemed like it just dragged it’s feet moving the mulch pile.  Also, we are not too impressed with the weight.

Tools Available for Battery Platform – Echo has a full line of cordless tools for their 56v line of OPE tools.  Echo has a mower, string trimmer, blower, hedger and chainsaw.

Quality of Blower – Build Quality – The blower seems solid.  I am not sure if it’s the weight that makes you feel that way or just the build.

Conclusion – While I wish they were the top blower since they are a hometown company, it’s not a blower I am super impressed with.  While it has great run time, the power, weight and feel just weren’t there.  It’s a shame since they do have a decent cordless lawn mower.

 

 

Final Thought on the Blower Fight

So in the end, what is the best cordless blower on the market?  Well that is really up to you and your needs.  What will be the number one and two things you will be doing with this blower?  Will it be a simple job of only blowing off your walks after you mow or do you plan on using it for fall clean up also?  If you are using it for fall clean up, you will need to make sure it has plenty of power for that job as you tend to get piles of wet leaves, small branches and other heavy debris.

Ego

My number one pick is the Ego for the following reasons.  The Ego has plenty of power, it’s the lightest blower, the blower is high quality and I love the tools in their line.  Now considering it has one of the highest CFM and MPH, it gets the speed by sacrificing the battery life.  But one thing I like about Ego is I can expand to a 5Ah battery or even a 7.5 Ah battery if I want more run time.

Ryobi

There are a couple of things to love about this blower.  First, I love the feel and balance of this tool.  I also like that they have a large OPE line in their 40V line up.  The run time is exceptional, but I felt it lacked power.  So if you are just blowing off the walkways after mowing, this is more than sufficient to get the job done.

Dewalt

I love Dewalt tools, but can’t say I am a huge fan of this blower.  Not that it’s a bad blower, I just think there are better options available on the market.  Considering you have to jump into a new battery line that doesn’t even offer a mower, well that is kind of a waste.  Also, while all the other companies decide to go with an air intake on the back of the blower, Dewalt decided on the air intake on the side.  So for righties, you’re fine.  However, for lefties, you will tend to get the blower trying to suck in your shorts.  However, it’s a Dewalt so you know it’s built to last and having a long run time makes it a viable option if you only want a battery blower.

Troy Built

This blower has some serious CFM and MPH to it.  While the power is great, it comes at a weight.  This was the heaviest blower we tested.  Troy Built makes some of the best professional OPE tools and their cordless line is awesome.  For me, I still have a hard time getting over the weight of this unit.

Kobalt/Greenworks

I am putting these two together because if you don’t know, it looks like they are built both by Greenworks.  It’s weird, why did the Kobalt get two more minutes of run time?  While I like both of these blowers and they have great run time, they are on the bigger side and are in the middle of the road for weight.  I would put both of these higher, but I can’t say I am a huge fan of their mowers.  Don’t get me wrong, the mowers did a great job of mowing, but for me, they seemed a little cheaply made.

Echo

This was the worst of all the blowers.  When I use to think of Echo, I would think professional.  However, with the blower being extremely heavy, the power was just lacking.  I didn’t like the short nozzle and really couldn’t get past the lack of power.  However, this did have the longest run time.  So as you can see they increased the run time to be at the top of the game, but the power is definitely sacrificed.  Now I am not saying this is a bad blower because it was still able to do what they advertise it as.  I am just saying I think there are better options on the market.  However, they have a very nice mower and if you are in that line, this blower isn’t a bad addition.