As a professional landscaper, using a leaf blower is often vital to the job. Clearing off sidewalks, blowing leaves in the fall, and blowing out debris in gutters are just a few of the jobs that these air monsters are good for. Choosing the right blower for your business is crucial to ensure your work is profitable and your body doesn’t take too much wear and tear.

Let’s look at the 3 main types of leaf blowers and check out the positives and potential negatives of each.

1. Electric Leaf Blowers- Electric blowers are the most commonly used by homeowners for smaller jobs. No need for gas, they start right up every time, and they are usually quite inexpensive to buy. As a professional landscaper, however, these will probably not offer the best solution. Being attached to a cord will limit your freedom of movement not to mention that the fact that many of these blowers provide little more than a puff of air equal to the power of one of your sneezes…not recommended for bigger jobs.

2. Handheld Gas Leaf Blowers- Now we are talking a little more power. Handheld gas blowers offer a great solution for many homeowners and landscape professionals as they allow more flexibility and power than their electric counterparts. They are usually a bit more expensive, but their additional power more than makes up for the additional cost. One of the downsides is, their gas powered motors are heavy and carrying one around all day will certainly takes its toll on your body. In addition, you have to use both hands at all times with these babies and don’t even THINK of trying to climb a ladder to blow out some gutters…no serious professional would dare try it…I though there are more than a few stories of folks doing it, many turned out badly…

3. Backpack Leaf Blowers- The big boy on the block is the backpack leaf blowers. Never mind the fact that you look like Bill Murray from Ghostbusters, the fact is, if you want serious equipment for your landscape business, then a backpack blower is the way to go. Backpack blowers are on average much stronger than the handheld variety. In addition, because they are backpack mounted, your hands are free which will come in handy as you move about your business. Moving stuff out of the way, picking up larger debris etc. are possible using these models. Also, risky jobs such as using a blower to clean out a gutter or remove debris from a roof become much safer when using a backpack leaf blower. Because of their additional power, these models are usually much louder, so make sure to wear ear protection when using a backpack blower. IN addition, these models are a little (if not a LOT ) more expensive, so make sure your business can absorb the cost of the higher priced machines.

Leaf blowers…while not rocket science, they can play an important role in the operation of your landscaping business. Make sure to choose a model that can handle the jobs you need it for and fits within your budget. Don’t go overboard right away…you can always start with a lesser expensive model and buy better ones as your revenue increases.

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