Backpack Leaf Blower Buyer's Guide

Whether you're a landscaping professional or a homeowner with a large property, you know how heavy even the lightest power tools can feel in your hands after hours of work.

Lighten the load with a backpack leaf blower. Backpack blowers shift the weight of the engine onto your back, distributing it more evenly for comfort. As a result, they're one of the best solutions for clearing a leaf-littered yard.

How to Choose a Backpack Leaf Blower

Keep the following in mind when shopping for a backpack leaf blower.

Engine Type: 2-Cycle vs. 4-Cycle

All backpack leaf blowers depend on a small gas engine for power. That means that the engine in your blower may be one of two kinds:

• 2-cycle engine
• 4-cycle engine

A 2-cycle backpack leaf blower engine has a high power-to-weight ratio. In fact, some models have the potential to pack about twice the power into the same space as a 4-cycle engine, which makes them an attractive option for anyone looking to do their work quickly.

2-cycle engines also have fewer moving parts than 4-cycle engines. This makes them lighter to carry - an important consideration if you plan to wear your backpack blower for long stretches of time.

Although 2-cycle backpack blowers may be comfortable because of their low weight, 4-cycle backpack blowers may be comfortable because they run cooler. 4-cycle engines are designed for fuel efficiency, which means you'll be able to burn through less fuel to do your work.

4-cycle backpack leaf blowers are also quieter than 2-cycle blowers. This also can affect how comfortable you find your leaf blower to use, even if you're wearing proper hearing protection.

Location of Throttle Controls

Every backpack leaf blower has a throttle that will allow you to control the engine's power output. This is essential for regulating the blower's fuel consumption and saving power when moving heavy, stubborn debris.

Different models of backpack leaf blowers have the throttle in different positions:

• Mounted to the air flow tube
• Attached to an arm that extends from the backpack's frame

Tube-mounted throttle controls have the advantage of being placed on a handle that a user already would be holding in order to point the nozzle. Because they allow for greater control, they are the more common option.

Ergonomic Design and Comfort Features

Ergonomic products are designed to support the movements of the human body so that people who use them can avoid repetitive stress injuries.

Manufacturers are aware of the amount of time people spend using their backpack leaf blowers. Several of them include features like these on their products, which might assist you with your buying decision:

• Padded straps and back panel
• Adjustable hip belt
• Rubberized or padded handle grip
• Adjustable handle
• Anti-vibration mounts

Additionally, the tube-mounted throttle controls on blowers that have them are often designed to keep users' hands and wrists in natural positions in order to reduce injury and fatigue.

CARB-Compliant Engines

Like regular gas handheld leaf blowers, backpack leaf blowers use small engines that have to meet standards set forth by the California Air Resource Board (CARB) if the blower is going to be sold in California.

The CARB standards for fuel emissions were designed to help combat the problem of air pollution in the state. Efficient 4-cycle engines are most likely to help you meet these regulations. However, even if you live outside of California, shopping for a CARB-compliant blower will help you reduce your fuel consumption. 

Leaf Blowing Made Fun

With the physical stress of using a leaf blower removed, the yearly chore of cleaning up your lawn becomes easy, maybe even enjoyable. Get a backpack leaf blower to dominate autumn cleanup!

 

NEXT: Top-Rated and Best-Selling Backpack Leaf Blowers