Best Gas Leaf Blower Reviews 2024 - Pro Tool Reviews

While cordless leaf blowers may get a lot of attention these days, professional landscapers still rely on gas products across most of the country. That’s changing as battery technology improves and regulations change. However, it’s still worth knowing which models stand out from the rest in the gas sector. We’ve personally tested dozens of gas and battery leaf blowers and understand what sets each apart from its peers.

Even though it’s not the most powerful model you can get your hands on, it’s not difficult to see why the Stihl BR 800 C-E Magnum earned our pick as the best gas backpack leaf blower. The blower’s easy side start design sets it apart from any other blower we tested. The pull cord is in convenient reach of your right hand when you’re wearing the blower. That means there’s no more starting your blower on the ground or having to take it off for a restart when you have to turn it off to talk to someone. Additionally, the flywheel is geared to make starting an easier operation given the ergonomics of pulling forward instead of up.

As the performance leader for Stihl, the 79.9cc engine produces 41 Newtons of blowing force. Its combination of 900 CFM and 239 MPH makes it one of the strongest blowers available. While not every Pro needs that level of blowing force (or the price tag that comes with it), those who are constantly dealing with wet conditions or heavier build-up will appreciate the extra muscle.

Echo claims its X-Series gas blowers are the most powerful on the market. To pull this off, they started with a 79.9cc engine. Then, they tuned it to deliver a monster 1110 CFM and 220 MPH. In certification testing, that translated to 48 Newtons of blowing force.

Our testing didn’t result in the same value, though. It was higher. A full 4 Newtons higher, maxing out at 52.0 Newtons on our meter. Keep in mind that environmental conditions affect blowing force and we don’t have the controlled setup of a lab. Regardless, the Echo PB-9010T is the strongest backpack blower we’ve ever tested—by far.

Another thing worth noting is that Echo includes a large 84-ounce fuel tank. While that makes for a heavier working weight when full, you’ll stop to refuel less often, and Echo’s comfortable harness design offsets the weight penalty.

There’s a lot of competition when you’re looking for the best handheld leaf blower. In our book, performance is king, and Echo’s PB-2620 is the strongest we’ve found. As part of the X Series, this blower delivers 15.8 Newtons with 456 CFM and 172 MPH airspeed at the nozzle. It edges out Stihl’s BG 86 C-E and Husqvarna’s 525BX, which both top out at 15 Newtons.

The boost in performance doesn’t come with a big weight penalty, though. Just under 10 pounds dry, it’s right in line with Echo’s closest professional competitors at the high end of performance.

What seals the deal is that Echo’s pricing is less than Stihl and Husqvarna by $40 or more—a savings of more than 10%.

Most professional handheld blowers aren’t going to stray far from the 9.5 – 10.5-pound range. If you want to find the best lightweight gas blower, we need to turn to the homeowner class. After considering models from top brands at both dealers and major retailers, it’s the Stihl BG 50 that earns our pick.

This is Stihl’s entry-level gas blower, so it doesn’t have as high a performance level or build quality as its other handheld options. However, the weight is nearly 2 pounds less than high-end options and you still get a respectable 13 Newtons of blowing force. Toss in a reasonably affordable price tag and Stihl’s dealer network to support you after the sale, and this is a fine choice for homeowners who want a lightweight blower.

If you don’t want a dedicated lawn vac such as the DR Power Pilot XT SP, then a combination blower vacuum is the next logical choice. Pulling double duty (and often triple duty with a mulching impeller), you can get more done with fewer tools. The Stihl SH 86 C-E is one of those triple-duty models and offers higher performance than its competition. Featuring Stihl’s Easy2Start system and a 27.2 cc engine, you get a solid 15 Newtons with 170 mph speed and 444 CFM.

At 12.3 pounds, the additional weight is noticeable over a stand-alone leaf blower, but we expect that once you make room for a metal impeller and the additional collection accessories. With a second handle position for two-hand operation and a shoulder strap to take some of the weight off your arms, you’ll be in good shape.

The competition for the best gas blower for the money came down to a close finish between Echo’s PB 2520 and Ryobi’s RY25AXB models. Ryobi’s Jet Fan design offers significantly higher airflow at 520 CFM than most handheld gas blowers while maintaining a high 160 MPH top speed. If performance is the most important to you in the value class, Ryobi is likely your best pick. Plus, it’s $20 less than Echo’s model.

At 453 CFM and 170 MPH, Echo’s performance is very close, with a nod to higher air speed. What seals the deal is that it’s significantly lighter (8.6 lbs vs 11.5 lbs) and has a noticeably lower operating noise level (70 decibels vs 74 decibels). By our measure, you’ll have a better overall experience with the lower weight and noise. Just under $200, the price is attractive for value-minded Pros and within reach of homeowners who want to reach into the Pro ranks.

Gone are the days of buying a gas blower for less than $100 and expecting to get more than a season out of it. While inflation may be hurting your lawn care budget, you don’t have to push two Benjamins to get a decent entry-level model, though.

If you’re on a tight budget, the Troy-Bilt TB400 is the best gas leaf blower for use around your home. Its 180 MPH top speed gets heavier debris moving better than some of the other models we recommend. Its 400 CFM air flow does limit how far you can push that debris once it’s moving, though. Still, price is the main concern in this category, and for about $120, Troy-Bilt gets the job done.

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There are plenty of quality gas leaf blower brands we recommend, but two stand out ahead of the rest: Echo and Stihl. Both brands cover the needs of homeowners and professionals with a wide range of options.

Echo tops the charts with the most powerful leaf blower we’ve tested (PB-9010 series). They also have an impressive array of backpack blowers to tempt both property owners and Pros. They don’t have much in the way of cheap models if you’re looking for a low-cost option, though. With a 5-year consumer/2-year commercial warranty, there’s not much room for a build that’s not going to last.

Stihl is a dominant force in the blower industry, with models such as the BR 800 series raising the bar for performance and innovation. The line features a nice range of handheld blowers to help you find a balance of performance and price to meet your needs. It’s the backpack blower line that gets the most attention from Pros crews, though. Aside from the quality Stihl packs into their builds, the majority of their products are Made in the USA using global components, and they have an extensive dealer network to support you during and after the sale.

Ryobi RY25AXB Handheld (520 CFM/160 MPH)This model’s 25cc jet fan design produces higher performance than most handhelds at the cost of additional weight and noise. Some of the design features include a soft-grip anti-vibration handle, 3-position cruise control, and a variable speed trigger.

Husqvarna 525BX Handheld (459 CFM/157 MPH/15 N)The 525BX is a 25.4cc high-end professional blower. It’s equipped with performance and design features that boost function and reliability. It includes air purge capability for easy starting, as well as Husqvarna’s X-Torq engine technology, which increases fuel efficiency. Finally, Husqvarna threw in a low-vibration design.

Husqvarna 580BFS/580BTS Backpack (1000 CFM/220 MPH/47 N)This 75cc high-performance model is available with a hip or tube throttle. It features a 2-stage air intake filtration system, X-Torq engine technology, and an 87-ounce fuel tank for longer runtimes.

Billy Goat Force Blower 1150-CFM 200-MPH Walk-Behind Leaf BlowerBilly Goat built this walk-behind model for large-scale cleanup jobs. Thanks to its 16-blade fan and 205cc, 4-cycle engine, this model has the power to deliver 1,150 CFM and 200 MPH blowing forces. It also has a folding handle for compact storage.

Craftsman BP510 51-cc 2-Cycle 600-CFM 220-MPH Gas Backpack Leaf BlowerWith a 51cc, 2-cycle engine, the BP510 delivers respectable blowing forces of 600 CFM and 220 MPH. Furthermore, this model comes equipped with Craftsman’s Easy Start technology.

Like it or not, a blower comes down to two things: air volume and airspeed. The trouble is, you can vary the one while sacrificing the other. A good way we’ve found to balance that out and understand true blowing force is to measure the ANSI Newton force at the end of the nozzle. This lets us set up a standardized test that we can replicate across all manufacturers and models. It works for battery blowers, gas leaf blowers, backpack blowers, and any combination of the former.

When we started measuring Newton force using a force meter and the ANSI specification, we quickly realized the disparity between battery-powered leaf blowers and gas leaf blowers. Gas leaf blowers still hold the lead—by a fairly large margin. For that reason, professional landscapers prefer gas for blowing leaves, though more and more are starting to “tactically” use battery-powered products where they make sense.

While Newton force gives us an idea of overall blowing power, air volume—represented by CFM, or cubic feet per minute—tells you how much work the blower gets done. We think of CFM as the measure of how much material you can expect to move with this blower. Spread a thick pile of dry leaves across a nice green lawn. All things being equal, a leaf blower with higher CFM should blow leaves more quickly and efficiently than a tool with a lower CFM rating.

The other side of the equation is airspeed. Measured in miles per hour (MPH), this rating tells you how much air comes out of the end of the nozzle. Why is that important? A higher air speed should help you move sticky or wet leaves more easily than a tool with lower airspeed. Combine high air speed with a relatively high CFM and you have a very capable leaf blower indeed.

For professional landscapers, a heavier backpack blower might not bother them too much. However, if you can get more air volume, speed, and force out of a lighter package…wouldn’t you want to? We look at the overall weight and size when making our choices and pay special attention to handheld leaf blowers, which benefit from reduced weight.

Of course, blowers with less power are often lighter and smaller. As a result, this spec tends to weigh more aggressively towards homeowner and handheld tools.

As you might tell from our top pick above, the ease of starting made an impression on us. Over time, overcoming compression on a 2-cycle motor can lead to repetitive stress injuries in some people. We love spring-assist starter systems that aid in this process.

Most gas leaf blowers start up with a more complex choking process on the first start and then subsequent starts occur with much less effort. Stihl capitalized on this with their side-mounted starting handle. Once you have the backpack leaf blower started, subsequent starts can be done without removing the tool from your back. We can’t stress how convenient that is for professional operators who may need to stop to talk to coworkers or clients while operating a backpack blower.

While not a huge deal, one thing we do check when possible is the fuel efficiency of a blower. We also couple that with the size of the fuel tank so that we can calculate the run time you have before needing to fill it up. A backpack leaf blower with a small tank and poor fuel efficiency will waste time if you have to refuel more times throughout the day.

As always, value is a big part of what we consider when selecting a tool. It’s not about which one is the cheapest. It’s about getting the job done well while getting the most bang for your buck.