

Be sure to check the decibel level on the blower before you buy.

Backpack blowers can be extremely loud, and in a crowded community, that might greatly limit the time you can use it without making enemies. But if you want to keep your neighbors on your good side, consider the efficiency.

The gas and oil are loaded into separate tanks. On the other hand, 4-cycle engines are more like your car. Most engines of this type also require a precise mixture of oil and gas that goes into the same intake chamber, but you can usually buy this fuel pre-mixed. On the downside, 2-stroke engines tend to be louder and less efficient, resulting in more pollution. It translates into an engine that’s not only light but powerful and cheaper to boot. Without getting into the mechanical weeds, suffice to say that 2-stroke engines get that process done quicker and dirtier. Those numbers are the number of strokes (or cycles) needed to complete the process of combustion and exhaust that turns gasoline into energy. You might see them also referred to as 2-stroke or 4-stroke, but it means the same thing. They operate on the same general type of internal combustion engine you have in your car (or more likely, your lawnmower), and those engines can be divided into a couple of types: 2-cycle and 4-cycle. Gas-powered blowers can be a little intimidating for those who haven’t handled them before, but the Big Bad Wolf has nothing on their strength. Cordless electric blowers won’t necessarily sacrifice any of that power for the convenience of free-roaming operation, but they may have less runtime depending on the battery. It’s easy to see why, as these units not only leave you tethered to a power cord but generally supply less power. When it comes to electric blowers, you’ll find corded models at the lower end of the spectrum on price. And while electric blowers are an increasingly popular choice, gas-powered models still have plenty of upsides. There can be a wide range of efficiency in backpack blowers, but the power source is one of the first things you’ll want to look at. The heftiest ones can even handle more than one season of yardwork by blowing snow off your driveway or getting rid of branches and other light debris. When you want a yard cleaned up quickly, there’s nothing like the power of a backpack blower. If that yard is big enough and those leaves are plentiful enough, you’ll probably want to trade up from that lightweight handheld leaf blower. It’s also a sign that you’ve got a hefty dose of yard work coming up. The sight of auburn leaves on your lawn in the morning is a refreshing calling card of nature, reminding you that fall is here in all its multicolored splendor.
