Best leaf blowers to make leaves leave

Leaf blowers can make quick work of backyard clean ups, but as the experts at This Old House magazine note, it's important to pick one that's capable of handling the work you have for it. Choices range from small, handheld leaf blowers that are most suitable for clearing leaves from a patio, to walk-behind wheeled behemoths that can clear the leaves from the back 40, and everything in between. The just updated ConsumerSearch report on leaf blowers provides the lowdown on the very best choices for every job and every budget.

Picking the right leaf blower

 When picking a leaf blower, it is important to size your choice to the work you do, or are ever likely to. For example, a small electric leaf blower-broom like the Toro Power Sweep 51585 is a great pick if all you will ever need to do is sweep the leaves off of your hard-surfaced patio or driveway. It is economical, light weight and quiet (or about as quiet as a leaf blower gets). Ask it to do more, however, and you are likely to be disappointed.

Instead, if you have a typical yard, our research uncovered the Toro Ultra Blower Vac 51599 as a top leaf blower for most. It's a corded electric model, so the range is limited to just 150 feet from the nearest outlet, but within that range, the Toro 51599 is very powerful -- besting most hand-held gas blowers in that regard. For bigger properties, consider the Echo PB-250 gas leaf blower instead, and for very big properties, the Echo PB-265L backpack gas leaf blower packs a punch, but is surprisingly quiet, again, relatively speaking. Other top choices can also be found in the report.

When not to use a leaf blower

Of course, there are some situations -- and some jobs -- for which there are better tools than a leaf blower. Some communities have very strict noise ordinances, and you need to pay heed to those if that's where you live. Some are concerned about the environmental effects of leaf blowers, suggesting, among other things, to go back to the old-fashioned and non-polluting rake for the job instead. And, just in case you just weren't sure, using a leaf blower for something it's not intended for -- such as drying out the seats in your Porsche -- is generally a very bad idea.