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The big CFM and the long runtime never happen at the same time
A battery leaf blower listing leads with two numbers: top airflow and longest runtime. The airflow is turbo mode. The runtime is the lowest setting. EGO says it in plain words for its 765 CFM blower: 15 minutes on turbo, 150 minutes on low, same battery. That is a 10 to 1 gap. This site shows the watt-hours in each box and the minutes you get at full power, so you can match a blower to your yard.
Leaf blower battery calculator
An estimate for planning, not a measurement. The pace numbers are our assumptions. The watt figures come from the two full-power runtimes the makers publish: Greenworks says 20 minutes on high from its 40V 4.0Ah pack, which we count as 160 Wh. EGO says 15 minutes on turbo from its 280 Wh pack.
Plan your yard See the 7 picks
Before you pull the trigger
- Eyes. A blower throws grit and small stones. Wear safety glasses every time.
- Ears. Battery blowers are quieter than gas, but NIDCD says long or repeated sound at or above 85 dBA can cause hearing loss. For long sessions, wear ear plugs or muffs.
- People, pets, cars and windows. Keep them out of the line of fire. Never point the tube at anyone.
- Battery. Use the maker's charger. Stop using a pack that is swollen, cracked, or hot to the touch.
Guides
Start here
- The 7 best cordless leaf blowers, by what the battery can really do
Seven battery leaf blowers from EGO, Greenworks, WORX, BLACK+DECKER and Makita, compared by CFM, watt-hours in the box and minutes at full power.
- Leaf blower battery calculator
Enter your yard size, leaf load and surface. Get the CFM class to shop in and the watt-hours of battery the job takes at working power, not on low.
- What size cordless leaf blower your yard needs
Match a battery leaf blower to your yard: CFM class by yard type, watt-hours by job size, and which of seven kits fits a patio, a suburban lot or a big treed yard.
Numbers on the listing
- Turbo mode and the runtime claim: two numbers from two different settings
Turbo mode gives the CFM on the box. Low speed gives the runtime on the box. Here is the gap, in the makers' own numbers, for seven cordless blowers.
- CFM vs MPH vs newtons: which leaf blower number to trust
MPH is measured at a narrow nozzle. CFM is how much air moves. Newtons of blowing force combine both. Here is how to read all three on a listing.
Rules and neighbors
- Leaf blower noise, hearing, and gas blower rules
What the dB number on a battery blower listing means, the 70 and 85 dBA lines from NIDCD and NIOSH, and how gas leaf blower bans work. Not legal advice.
Jobs around the yard
- Wet leaves, gutters and gravel: what a battery blower can do
Wet leaves need turbo, and turbo drains the pack in minutes. What class of cordless blower to use for wet leaves, gravel and gutters, and how to stay off the ladder.
- Battery care, storage and basic safety for a cordless blower
How to charge, store and retire a lithium-ion leaf blower battery, plus eye and hearing protection basics. General guidance with primary sources.