Fall, a beautiful time of year, but everywhere you look, you see leaves. This means one thing -- it's Fall and time for you to bring out the leaf blower. If you’ve discovered your leaf blower isn't in the best shape, here are the different types available plus some of their pros and cons.



​Electric Leaf Blowers
 
An electric leaf blower is the model for you if you live in the typical suburban neighborhood. Because most suburban yards are on the smaller side, you don't have to worry about running out of cord. At seven pounds or less, electric leaf blowers are light-weight and without the bulk of heavier gas leaf blowers. They're convenient and easy to start with push buttons and an added bonus is that they have zero emissions making them environmentally friendly.

You'll find that electric blowers are just as powerful as gas-powered blowers but if your yard is on the large side, the usability may be restricted by the length of the electric cord. Most electric powered blowers come with a 100-foot cord so be sure and take this into consideration before making your decision.



Gas-powered Hand-held Leaf Blowers

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Consider a gas-powered blower if you don't have an electrical outlets within 100 feet or if you have large lawn areas. Gas leaf blowers are slightly heavier than electric blowers averaging seven to 12 pounds but they give you unlimited mobility.

One feature of gas blowers is their pull-cords.

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Many people find these hard to start and prefer the convenience of a push button start. Another downside of these blowers is the noise they make as they are considerably noisier than electric leaf blowers. Gas blowers will also need occasional tune-ups and you'll have to mix oil and fuel for their two-stroke engines. 



Gas-powered Backpack Leaf Blowers

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If you're looking for power, you need to consider a gas-powered backpack leaf blower. You'll get better performance and mobility than you get with an electric model, but backpack models weigh in at 15 to 25 pounds. Because you carry this leaf blower on your back and don't carry it with your arms, the weight may not be a problem. The drawbacks? Backpack leaf blowers are noisy, heavier, and more expensive than handheld models.