Leaf blowers are some of the easiest gardening power tools to use and maintain. That said, it never hurts to learn more about this surprisingly versatile aid to your yard work.
From choosing the right type and specifications of your new leaf blower, to the important safety and usage tips you would like to know about before running your gardening tool, here are some of the questions that we often encounter from new and experienced leaf blower owners alike.
What does CFM stand for on a leaf blower?
The cfm rating on your leaf blower stands for cubic feet per minute. As a unit of measurement, cfm describes the volume of air that your blower can put out in one minute. A power tool with a cubic feet per minute or CFM rating of 500, to give you an example, can blow out 500 cubic feet of air in the span of one minute.
To give you an idea of the volume of air that amounts to, 500 cubic feet is approximately the size of what a typical moving company’s van can hold – and that tool can draw all that air and expel it out in just 60 seconds.
The higher the CFM, the larger the volume of air that a power tool, like your leaf blower, can draw in and expel out within a span of one minute. With that amount of air coming out of your leaf blower, it’s no wonder that it is able to quickly push aside piles of leaves, twigs, acorns, and even snow.
What does CFM mean on a leaf blower?
The CFM on a leaf blower is one of several units of measurements you may encounter when reading the various leaf blower product specifications you come across. CFM stands for cubic feet per minute, and it’s a measure of the volume of air that the leaf blower can blow out of its nozzle in one minute.
Since all that air will come out and displace everything in its path, the CFM rating on a leaf blower also gives you an idea of the volume of leaves and debris it can push along in front of it. To give you an example, a leaf blower with a CFM of 500 could be able to push 500 cubic feet of leaves, twigs, litter, and air in the span of 60 seconds.
The higher the CFM value on a leaf blower, the stronger the blower is and the more air it can push out. The more air your blower can push out, the more leaves and debris you can move around in a span of time.
The CFM rating on a leaf blower is an indication of the volume of air that the particular model can put out, but that’s not the only way you can assess the potential performance of that tool.
Aside from CFM, you will also see leaf blowers described in terms of MPH, or miles per hour. While the CFM rating measures air volume, MPH measures airspeed. Both measurements will give you an idea of the blowing strength and range that a particular leaf blower is capable of.
What is a good CFM for a leaf blower?
A good CFM for a leaf blower depends on several important factors, all of which you will need to consider if you are in the shopping stage for a new leaf blower.
First, you have to consider the type of leaf blower that will be the best fit for your yard and the neighborhood. Then, once you have settled down on a type of leaf blower of your choice, then it’s time to compare the CFM figures on leaf blowers of the same type to determine which one is the better pick.
If you are a homeowner with a smaller yard with just one or two trees, or if you just want a convenient tool for quickly sweeping up your deck, patio, driveway or porch, then you may want to look for an electric leaf blower with a good CFM rating.
A good corded or cordless leaf blower will generally have a CFM of around 400 or so, and you can expect most models to fall somewhere between 200 to 400 CFM for the most part.
Homeowners with a lot of trees on their yard, or those with a huge yard that they need to maintain, will appreciate the additional CFM that a gas-powered unit can provide them.
A good gas powered leaf blower should be able to give you at least 600 CFM that should make quick work of most of your yard cleanup jobs. Most gas-powered leaf blowers have a CFM of at least 400, to more than 700 for the larger backpack models.
Contractors and business owners, on the other hand, often deal with large open spaces and areas with lots of trees. For clearing up streets, parking lots, stadiums, and venues, you need the massive CFM that walk behind leaf blowers can give you.
A good walk behind gas powered leaf blower is easily capable of 3,000 CFM, which is plenty for moving not just leaves and twigs, but also for clearing up wet leaves, trash, and even snow and rocks.
What gauge extension cord for a leaf blower?
The gauge of the extension cord you will need for your leaf blower depends on the amperage of your corded leaf blower. If you have a leaf blower rated for 12 amps or less than that, you can use a light duty 16-gauge cord for your tool. For larger, more powerful leaf blowers at more than 12 amps and up, you will need a medium duty 14-gauge extension cord.
The length of your cord factors into the best choice of gauge, as well. You can use a 16-gauge extension cord up to 50 feet long – any longer than that, and it’s usually best to go for a thicker cord that can handle more amps. It’s a similar case if you ever have to plug in another appliance to the same extension cord, as well.
In any case, it’s best to make sure that any extension cord you use out on the yard is rated for outdoor use. Check the label and see if it’s “outdoor” rated or has a “W” to confirm.
What is a choke on a leaf blower?
The choke on a leaf blower is a part of its engine, and its main purpose is to help the gas engine start up. The choke is the part of the carburetor of your gas-powered leaf blower, where air and fuel are mixed before it goes into the piston chamber, and it’s basically composed of two parts.
One part is the plate that opens and closes to control the amount of air the goes into the engine. The other part is the handle that lets you (or another engine part) control the extent at which the choke is opened or closed.
Since gas engines need to have a limited amount of air in the carburetor to be able to start cold, the choke is used to limit the amount of air sent through the carburetor during a cold start.
Then once the engine is warmed up and running, the choke is gradually opened up to let the engine run at full speed. In some leaf blowers, you have to manually control the choke. In other models, another engine component automatically controls the choke for you.
What is a 2 cycle leaf blower?
A 2 cycle leaf blower is a gas blower that is equipped with a 2 cycle engine. These engines are also called 2 stroke motors, so you may see these tools labeled as 2 stroke leaf blowers as well.
2 cycle engines are simpler, lighter, and less expensive. On the other hand, they have lower fuel efficiency than 4 cycle engines, and they can only use gas that has been pre-mixed with 2 cycle engine oil.
What metric is better when it comes to a leaf blower, CFM or MPH?
Both metrics are equally useful for describing the power of a leaf blower, but many people are simply more familiar with MPH, or miles per hour.
The MPH on a leaf blower is a measure of the speed at which air exits the nozzle, and the higher the MPH rating on your tool, the more powerful it can be. As a unit of measure, the MPH rating is a better description of the air pressure that a leaf blower can put out.
A leaf blower with a high MPH as well as a high CFM will have more power and better range.
What is a good mph rating for a leaf blower?
A good mph rating for a leaf blower depends on the work you need to do with it, but for most tasks, you can find good electric and gas blowers capable of 200 mph or more.
There are a few high-end cordless models that are capable of 200 mph and better, but in this speed range, your choices are somewhat limited to the electric corded and gas-powered varieties. If you need the portability of a cordless leaf blower, though, there are perfectly capable ones rated at 150 MPH and up that will work well for clearing patios, driveways, decks, and smaller yards.
For a large yard with several trees, you will want a leaf blower that’s capable of 230 MPH and up. There are heavy-duty electric corded models that are capable of that, but if you need to go over a large yard, a gas-powered leaf blower is usually the way to go.
What is the gas to oil ratio for a leaf blower?
2 cycle gas leaf blowers need a mix of gas and 2 cycle engine oil to start properly. The ratio, however, is different from one manufacturer to the next, or even among models from the same tool maker. Some of the most common ratios for gas leaf blower nowadays are the 40 to oil ratio, and the 50 to 1 gas to oil ratio.
To get a 40 to 1 gas to oil ratio, you will need to add 3.2 ounces of 2 cycle engine oil to every gallon of regular unleaded gas you need. A 50 to 1 gas to oil ratio can be mixed by adding 2.6 ounces of oil to a gallon of gas.
There are leaf blowers that need richer oil to gas mixes, such as 32 to 1 or 30 to 1. To check the right gas to oil ratio for your 2 cycle leaf blower, check the user’s manual. On the other hand, a leaf blower with a 4 cycle engine can use straight gas, with no mixing needed.
What kind of gas goes in a leaf blower?
For 2 cycle leaf blowers, you will need the right mix of gas and oil to fuel your tool. This mix is made from regular unleaded gasoline with an ethanol content of 10 percent or less, which is sometimes referred to as E10 gas. The oil is 2 cycle engine oil or any oil that’s recommended by the manufacturer.
Gas leaf blowers with 4 cycle engines can use straight regular unleaded gasoline, and you do not need to add engine oil to it before putting gas in the tank.
Both types of engines can benefit from fuel that has been mixed with a fuel stabilizer. The fuel stabilizer helps keep the ethanol from separating from the gasoline. The stabilizer also helps prepare your leaf blower components to endure freezing temperatures during the winter months.
What is the average weight of a leaf blower?
Most handheld leaf blowers will weigh around 8.4 pounds, more or less. Corded electric models are some of the lightest blowers you can get since they do not come with heavy battery packs or gas engines.
The lightest leaf blowers you may find weighs just a bit over three pounds, while on the other extreme, the heftiest gas powered handheld models may weigh 12 pounds or more.
Backpack leaf blowers, despite their bulk, are surprisingly easy to carry around since they are usually built with lightweight components – the average weight is around 20 pounds.
Walk behind leaf blowers, on the other hand, are some of the heaviest tools you will have for your yard. The lightest ones weigh 30 pounds, with most models averaging around the 110-pound mark.
