Whether your yard is filled with trees or you simply need to clean up the clippings after you mow the lawn, a backpack blower can save you time and hassle. This powerful yard tool blasts leaves and other debris off to the side, and out of your way, in significantly less time than it would take to use a rake or broom.
While there is no doubt about the convenience of a backpack blower, this convenience can be maximized by choosing the right backpack blower for your yard. There are many different styles of blowers, from dozens of brands, producing hundreds of models. This guide will help you navigate the myriad of backpack blowers, and ultimately purchase one that will serve your needs or rather, your yard’s needs best.
Gas Powered Blowers – It should be noted that, for all three of these categories, the prices of the backpack blowers are assumed to be equal. With that in mind, a gas powered backpack blower is going to provide you with the most power out of the three options.
Pro’s:
- Cordless = Complete mobility. Being completely cordless, it also provides excellent mobility.
- High powered. More powerful than either the electrical or battery operated models.
Con’s:
- Gas Supply. You will have to ensure an adequate supply of gas is available to power the blower, to avoid the inconvenience of a mid-yard-clean-up gas run.
- Gas Prices. Additionally, the price of gas adds to the highest cost per use.
- Exhaust fumes. In most cases this is almost a non-factor, but, if you are someone who is sensitive to smells or has breathing troubles, this might not be the best option.
Electric Powered Backpack Blowers are those that are powered by cords (not to be confused with battery powered blowers).
Pros:
- Electric models have one significant advantage over the other two classes of models; they never need to be refilled or recharged.
- Power is comparable to battery operated blowers.
Cons:
- Limited Range – because of the cord, your range is limited. However, this can be diminished by purchasing an extension cord.
Battery powered backpack blowers are just that – powered by a rechargeable battery.
Pro’s:
- Batteries are rechargeable, no dependence on gas or electrical supply.
- Mobility. The battery pack used allows you the same freedom of movement you would find in a gas powered blower, but without the dependence on fuel.
Cons:
- Battery powered backpack blowers come in on the lower end of power, tending to rank below electric and gas blowers.
- Batteries. Battery packs tend to last for about 30 minutes, with each charge. If it will take longer than that to finish your job, consider buying back up battery packs, or just allocating extra time to recharge the battery.
Choosing the Right Backpack Blower – Regardless of which blower you choose, they will all get the job done; the question is really which will do the job best. Gas powered backpack blowers will always give you the most power for your dollar, but that power isn’t always going to be needed. If your yard isn’t very large, or you have a smaller load of leaves to clean up, then spending money on a gas blower might be unneeded. An electric blower can provide all the power you need without incurring the additional expenses that come from using a gas powered blower.
To sum it up, if you have a large yard use a gas powered blower. Electric blowers are going to be most useful for smaller yards, with few obstacles, like trees, in them. A battery powered blower is best for small yards that require a lot of mobility.
Where to Buy – For additional information about where to purchase Backpack Blowers, parts or safety equipment, see http://www.ShanksLawn.com/. They have a wide range of Backpack Blowers that will fit your needs.
For additional support contact Shanks Lawn at Shanks Lawn Customer Support or email us at info@shankslawn.com.