By now, most people have become used to using battery-powered tools. They’ve been around for a while now and over the years, battery technology has improved in leaps and bounds. So, if you’re wondering whether a battery leaf blower is your best option, keep reading.
We’ll be covering the topic of battery leaf blowers in some depth in order to help you make an informed decision.
Advantages of Battery Leaf Blowers
Where the Electric Leaf Blower is a Better Option -
Electric leaf blowers are a firm favorite among many gardeners, particularly those living in built-up areas. An electric leaf blower is much quieter than a similar powered gas model and this is a big reason why they are so popular. There are, however, a number of other advantages to going electric.
An electric motor requires little to no maintenance. So, in the long run, they save you a lot of money. There’s no mixing of gas and oil or tugging on a recoil starter to use them. With and electric leaf blower, you can start working with the touch of a button. Advancements in electric motor technology have made them more powerful and they compare well with gas equivalents. Though for a large and very powerful machine, gas remains your best option.
Electric leaf blowers are very light and easy to use, which is another reason why people like them so much. When it comes to environmental issues, many prefer electric because there are no exhaust emissions which pollute the air and don’t smell too great either.
Where the Battery Operated Models make a Difference -
Traditional electric leaf blowers that use a cord that plugs into an electric socket have one major drawback. The electric cord. This is where battery power has made a big difference. An electric cord limits where you can work - you need to be close enough to an electric outlet. Furthermore, an electric cord can be cumbersome when moving around the yard. The cord can easily become tangled in foliage and you often have to backtrack to move the cord around trees and other obstacles.
For obvious reasons, a battery leaf blower has none of these disadvantages. This makes them a perfect alternative to both gas and cord electric models. They have all the benefits of electric with the freedom of movement that comes with using a gas machine. Of course, there’s no perfect solution to any situation and battery operated equipment does have some disadvantages. Let’s take a look at these and see what, if any, are the ways of overcoming these problems.
Disadvantages of Battery Leaf Blowers
The first concern that some may have about battery-powered tools is their price. A battery leaf blower is going to cost more than a corded model. Unfortunately, there’s no getting around this, things cost what they do and you’ll be paying extra for the convenience of the battery technology and all the accessories that they need, these being the batteries and charger.
Another factor that places battery tools at a slight disadvantage is their weight. There is the extra weight of the battery to consider and this also adds some bulk to the machine. This is not too serious though, as a battery doesn’t weigh too much and they have become much lighter with new improved technology. New batteries are lighter, more powerful and smaller than they were in the past.
The final concern would be working time. A battery can only hold so much power and when it runs flat, you’ll need to recharge it. Lithium-ion batteries have a very good power to mass ratio and are incredibly resilient when it comes to running flat and being left uncharged, this makes them ideal for use in battery-powered tools. Even with advanced battery technology, a small 2AH battery may only allow for about 15 minutes of working time, when using the blower at maximum power.
There are many ways to improve working time. Most manufacturers offer the option of batteries with a higher AH rating and this can extend working time to up to an hour on a single charge (depending on how you use it). Most of us who have come to rely on batteries and don’t want to be inconvenienced by downtime, buy extra batteries. Three batteries are ideal, this means you can have one in use, one on standby and one charging, which should keep you working for as long as you want.
Batteries do come at a cost and if you’re using several different battery-powered tools, you can end up with a heap of batteries and chargers. This is not only expensive but also very inconvenient. Storing all these batteries and chargers is a real nuisance. Most manufacturers have quite a diverse range of tools that use the same battery and this provides a solution.
If you’re going to buy a battery leaf blower, look at what other tools are supplied using the same battery. You may not be buying any of them right now, but it’s good to know that in the future, you’ll be able to buy other tools that use the same battery. This makes things very convenient and the extra cost of buying several batteries makes more sense when you’ll be using them for all your power tool needs. These days, you can get basically any electrically powered tool in a battery-powered version - even high-power machinery like lawn mowers, chainsaws, and circular saws. So choose your brand wisely, it will save you a lot in the long term. Buying the right leaf blower today can make life much easier it times to come.
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