Leaf blowers Gas vs electric

[isu22andy]

Thinking about getting a leaf blower to clean the gutters garage driveway landscaping of leafs and debris.

Two brands I'm kind of set on is either a dewalt 20v model (have dewalt 20v cordless tools ) or a Stihl powered gas one .

All Stihl chainsaws and string trimmers I have used have been flawless but that's just another gas engine sitting around that the carburetor could get gummed if not used enough . Dewalt seems like the wimpier of the options . The man in me says Stihl gas powered but Dewalt seems like a lot less headache in the long run .

Thoughts experiences suggestions ?

 

[ChrisMWilliams]

I have a gas powered one and I love it. Tend to always lean that way for the sake of versatility. Be a man. Go with the gas.

 

[jbindm]

I have an electric leaf blower and it works just fine. Less likely to break down and easier to maintain. Don't listen to CW. He gets drunk and climbs up on roofs for fun.

 

[jdolson]

I have a Stihl gas powered blower to do the same thing your talking about. Fairness in conversation: I work for a ag equipment dealer and we carry the Stihl line. I typically don't go through a lot of gas, that includes using a string trimmer also.

I use a product we sell called Moto Mix. It seems expensive for 1qt @ $7.99, but i haven't had any issues with fuel since using it. It is a pre-mixed 50:1 product, so you just fill and go.

If you have a lot of 2 cycle outdoor products around, most of our customers have really good results with mixing smaller amounts of fuel and using it up sooner. The issue with fuel issues tend to be fuel that sits around for more than 4-5 months and then has the tendency to go bad... we sell a lot of the synthetic 2 cycle oil and customers don't report much, if any problems with mixed fuel.

On a side note, If you choose to go with Stihl, make sure to buy a 6 pack of mixing oil. Stihl will double the warranty if you purchase the oil at the time of sale. The standard warranty is 2 years, for about 7-8 bucks you can get 4 years total.

Good Luck!

 

[BoxsterCy]

**** everyone in my neighborhood with their ******* noisy ass gas powered blowers. I think they just run them with their own ear protection on to annoy everyone else.

 

[IceCyIce]

Real men have gas.

 

[jdoggivjc]

I actually have a leaf blower that's an attachment to my gas trimmer. Works surprisingly well.

http://www.troybilt.com/equipment/troybilt/cb720-trimmerplus-add-on-axial-blower-cb720

 

[Beyerball]

Go with Gas..it won't run out of power and the power is consistent with gas..

 

[JSmoove]

I just purchased this leaf blower last month. Definitely worth the price tag. Super easy to start, no mixing gas, and is very quiet!

Makita Leaf Blower

 

[cytor]

I have a gas back pack leaf blower. It's awesome. No extension cords, no loss of power. It runs great every year. Just run the gas out of the blower at the end of the season and you won't have to worry about stale gas.

It's great for cleaning the kitchen floors as well!

 

[BCClone]

I have a John Deere blower. Makes it tax deductible.

 

[Stormin]

I have a John Deere blower. Makes it tax deductible.

Brand name should have nothing to do with it being tax deductible.

I have a Stihl gas blower. Powerful blower. Blew away my friend's John Deere gas blower. Have DeWalt 20V tools as well and have the DeWalt Trimmer. But have the Stihl because of the power and also the fact that using a lot of power would drain the batteries fairly quick.

Stihl Gas Blower is not cheap. I have a Stihl SH 86 C which blows 444 cfm. Great blower. Runs great and starts easy. Mine has a primer and a choke. No issues after several years.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I have a Stihl gas blower and just bought the DeWalt 20V one this fall. Both great tools, but for different jobs.

The battery one is good for blowing off the deck, or sawdust out of your garage. But won't push a 100 cubic feet of leaves across your yard. Or, you'd need 6 extra batteries, which are $100 a pop. You may already have some Dewalt batteries, but you should use the 5AH ones for the blower. Will last a little longer.

The gas one has more power, and a higher velocity. But it's really loud, and kinda stinky. But really moves some leaves!!!

 

[dmclone]

I think a lot depends on how you use it.

I just lower my mower for the last mow and that gets rid of 90% of my leaves. My leaf blower is electric and runs all day as long as the electricity doesn't go out. The thing is that I don't really use it for leaves. I use it to blow grass clipping, dry my car, etc.

 

[Cyclonesrule91]

The way I see it, this is your option that should make the decision for you.....

If you know what a carburator and a spark plug are, and realize how easy they are to replace (in the case of the spark plug) or take apart and clean (in the case of the carburator), then go with gas. I have gas trimmers and gas blowers that I got for free because someone couldn't keep it running so they threw it away. I picked them up, changed out the spark plug and took aprt the carb and cleaned it up and replaced the gas. Brand new again and runs like a champ.

If you don't know what a carburator or a spark plug are, or how easy they are to replace (in the case of the spark plug) or take apart and clean (in the case of the carburator), then go with the electric.

Good luck

 

[stateofmind]

I have no more 2 cycle motors in my garage. I hated worrying about fuel mixtures. 4 cycle trimmer is a little tough to start, but when it goes it makes me very popular in the sac. That being said, I went with the Ryobi 40v Lithium battery blower. It's every bit as good as any of my gas blowers. I get a good 15 to 20 minutes out of it and have never thought I've needed more power.

 

[JY07]

That being said, I went with the Ryobi 40v Lithium battery blower. It's every bit as good as any of my gas blowers. I get a good 15 to 20 minutes out of it and have never thought I've needed more power.

I also use the ryobi 40v line for pretty much all of my outdoor power tools (including our lawn mower) and have no complaints. Most of them you can get pretty cheap on home depot's website refurbished.

For the blower I just went with an expand-it attachment:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-Ex...Universal-Blower-Attachment-RYBLW22/100066588

It might be a good idea to go that route since you could probably just tip it upside down and clean out your gutters from the ground

 

[capitalcityguy]

Agree with DMClone. Really depends on how you use it. I've had the same electric Toro for a dozen years or so...no issues at all. That said, I've always had smaller yards.

 

[Clonehomer]

If you're using it to clean out gutters the gas is the only way to go. Batteries arent powerful enough and extension cords are a pain or dangerous on ladders.

 

[jbhtexas]

Real men have gas.

Try explaining this to your wife...in the car...