When you’re thinking about buying a new piece of power equipment, you have to consider that precious shed/garage space. For me, that means only purchasing equipment that is used throughout the year and can perform multiple functions. A leaf blower makes the cut, and you’d be surprised how many jobs this tool can help with. Clean gutters, clear snow off your sidewalks, dry your car – I’m going to go over all the jobs you can get done with your leaf blower and how to choose your new favorite piece of power equipment.
My First Leaf Blower
It’s hard to know what to look for when you look for your first leaf blower. Where do you start? What’s best? Should I have gas or battery-powered?
Below are the specs you should look into before making up your mind on a new leaf blower:
CFMs
The CFM (cubic feet per minute) rating measures the amount of air pushed through the leaf blower in a single minute. This is different from MPH (miles per hour), which measures the speed of the air. Both numbers are important, but CFMs are more significantly different.
Also, just because a leaf blower has a high MPH doesn’t mean high CFMs.
For a small blower for simple tasks, look for a CFM rating of around 300. For large yards and extensive projects, you’ll want at least 500 CFMs.
Power Supply: Gas or Electric
We love both. However, there are positives and negatives to each style. Your decision should be based on the area you will need to work with and maybe even laws in your area.
Gasoline: These are generally more powerful, with higher CFM and MPH ratings. They are also louder than electric styles and require more maintenance with their gas engine. But, you never have to worry about losing the charge of a battery or using an extension cord. Some areas don’t allow you to use a gas-powered leaf blower due to the noise, so be sure to check local laws and ordinances.
Electric: Electric leaf blowers require less maintenance and offer the convenience of being easy to start. With battery-powered, you are able to travel away from an outlet, but you’ll need to bring multiple batteries for big jobs. These have also been known to be lighter than their gas counterparts.
Style: Handheld or Backpack
Choose your style of leaf blower based on the size of your yard and the amount of time you’ll be using it.
Handheld: The smallest and least powerful of the three styles. Tends to be less expensive and works great for small yards and simple jobs.
Backpack: These are made more powerful, due to the weight being settled on your back and not your arms. They will be most useful in the medium to large range.
Rural King’s 2018 Leaf Blower Pick: Milwaukee M18 FUEL Blower Kit
At Rural King, we pride ourselves on having a great selection when it comes to power equipment. Out of that selection, we have one leaf blower that really shines in 2018, and that is the M18 FUEL Blower Kit from Milwaukee.
The M18 Kit comes with the blower, an M18 & M12 Rapid Charger, AND an M18 Redlithium High-Demand 9.0 Battery.
It pushes 450 CFMs at 100 MPH, so it’s very powerful for its size. And, it comes with variable speed control and a cruise control to keep a constant power output, reducing fatigue on your operating hand.
Uses for a Leaf Blower Throughout the Year
Everyone knows leaf blowers blow leaves….it’s kinda part of the name. But, there’s much more to a leaf blower than Fall cleanup.
Below are all the uses for a leaf blower…besides just blowing leaves.
Cleaning the Gutters:
Quit cleaning out those gutters by hand. Simply blast leaves out with your leaf blower.
You can extend the nozzle of your leaf blower by attaching extra tubing at the end. The air will push from the leaf blower, through the tubing you’ve attached, and clean up those gutters standing firmly on the ground.
We have several options for PVC in stock, so you can select the tubing that will best fit your leaf blower. Check out our selection HERE.
NEVER try to use a leaf blower while standing on a ladder. ALWAYS keep both feet flat on the ground while you work and NEVER over-reach.
Drying Your Car:
You just spent all that time giving your car or truck a wash, don’t risk spots and streaks messing it all up! You can dry your vehicle off in no time with a leaf blower.
*Clean Out the Dryer Vent:
If lint, dust, and hair build up in your dryer vent, you’re at risk of a house fire. You can make quick work of a dirty dryer vent with your leaf blower. Move your dryer and stick the leaf blower hose next to the dryer vent. Make sure no one near the vent outside, then blast the lint and dust out.
Clean Snow off your Car or Walkway:
If a fresh coat of powder appeared overnight and you need to get it off your sidewalk or vehicle, use a leaf blower to blast it away.
Gas-powered blowers produce a bit of heat, which will help with heavy snow. Electric and cordless blowers are still great for clearing snow, but most aren’t as great at getting rid of snow that’s been packed down, so try to get to work earlier if you don’t use a gas blower.
*Laying Wire:
Pushing a wire through a long conduit can be such a pain. You can push it much easier using air from a leaf blower. Just turn it on and watch the line fly through and out the other end.
If you’re using a heavier wire, simply add a cork or piece of sponge to the end.
* DO NOT USE GAS-POWERED EQUIPMENT IN INCLOSED SPACES
Do you have any creative uses for leaf blowers or other power equipment? Let me know if the comment section below!
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