The Best Alternatives to a Gas-Powered Leaf Blower

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Maybe you live in an area where gas-powered mowers and blowers are being banned from sale and/or use, or maybe like me, you just hate the noise. Whatever the reason you’re considering making the switch from gas-powered lawn equipment, there are some good alternatives to consider. Here’s what to look for.

Why switch to electric?

The advantages of making the switch to electric tools are that they are quieter, they are compliant with local regulations about gas-powered equipment where they exist, and they obviously don’t need gas, which makes them cheaper to run and better for the environment. Since a lot more stores are offering electric leaf blowers and other lawn equipment, the tools themselves are getting better and more powerful as well, so you don’t necessarily have to give up the power of a gas blower when you decide to switch to electric.

Corded electric lawn tools

Corded electric lawn equipment is one way to go instead of gas-powered equipment if you don’t have a huge yard. The mowers—similarly to vacuum cleaners—will drag the cord behind them, though, making them a little unwieldy. If you have trees or other landscaping for the cord to get wrapped around or caught on, corded lawn equipment might not be very practical. However, if you’re just looking to trim some hedges close to the house or have a small area to clear, the corded variety does have the advantage of not needing charged batteries. If you’re able to trade range for unlimited battery life, brands like Toro, Black and Decker, and Stihl are all a good choice. Since they run between around $60 and $200 per tool, they’re definitely a cheaper option if you’re on a budget.

Battery-powered lawn tools

Most new electric lawn equipment is battery-powered these days. That’s an added convenience because you don’t need to plug in or drag a cord around behind you as you go. The downside is that for some yards, one battery (or set of batteries) won’t be enough, so you'll want to make sure to have at least two batteries on hand so you can alternate them on the charger. Keep in mind that most tools only come with one battery (if there's one included at all), when you're considering the overall price of replacing your gas-powered tools.

Tools that will run on shop tool batteries

For lawn tools that will work with an existing set of batteries for other tools you already have, you can get battery-operated leaf blowers, lawn mowers, and trimmers from most major brands, like Makita, Ryobi, Milwaukee, DeWalt and Bosch. The advantage of this type of tool is that the battery set you already have can be added to, rather than needing a whole new set of chargers and batteries. Any batteries from your lawn care set can also be used with your existing tools. This will help make the whole transfer to electric power for leaf blowers and other lawn equipment much cheaper because larger tools might require more than one battery at a time to operate.

Tools with lawn care-specific batteries

Other reliable types of battery-powered tools that might work better for larger spaces are brands like EGO and Greenworks that are specific to lawn care. Since these sets are designed to replace gas-powered equipment, they tend to pack more of a punch per pound than tools that run on regular shop-tool batteries. If you plan to use these tools separately from your regular shop tools, or if you need a larger, more powerful outdoor tool, it’s worth investing in a brand designed to be used for yard maintenance. While more powerful tools can be a lot more convenient sometimes, they can also be more expensive, ranging from $120 to $1,000 per tool, depending on the size and type.