Leaf blowers make quick work of clearing leaves, grass clippings and other debris from your yard or driveway. Cordless models provide freedom of movement without tangled extension cords. I tested 10 popular cordless leaf blowers head-to-head to see which is the best.
The Contenders
I purchased all leaf blowers myself for unbiased reviews. Here are the models I tested:
- Atlas 80V (tool only)
- Hulkbuster 20V
- Dewalt 20V Max
- Milwaukee M18
- Makita 36V
- Greenworks 80V
- Dewalt 60V
- Milwaukee M36
- Ryobi 40V
- Ego 56V
Key specs for each model:
| Brand | Voltage | Motor | Air Speed | Air Volume | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas | 80V | Brushless | 150 mph | 605 cfm | $80 |
| Hulkbuster | 20V | Brushless | 90 mph | 400 cfm | $99 |
| Dewalt 20V | 20V | Brushless | 106 mph | 450 cfm | $159 |
| Milwaukee M18 | 18V | Brushless | 120 mph | 450 cfm | $279 |
| Makita 36V | 36V | Brushless | 120 mph | 473 cfm | $298 |
| Greenworks 80V | 80V | Brushless | 170 mph | 730 cfm | $299 |
| Dewalt 60V | 60V | Brushless | 125 mph | 600 cfm | $300 |
| Milwaukee M36 | 36V | Brushless | 145 mph | 600 cfm | $329 |
| Ryobi 40V | 40V | Brushless | 190 mph | 730 cfm | $329 |
| Ego 56V | 56V | Brushless | 200 mph | 765 cfm | $329 |
Let’s see how they compare in real world testing.
The Tests
To crown the best leaf blower, I put them through the following tests:
Air Speed
First I tested maximum air velocity using a precision air meter. More mph is better for blowing debris away quickly.
Air Volume
I calculated cubic feet per minute (cfm) output to measure airflow volume. More cfm makes blowing leaves easier.
Power
A custom dyno test shows force of air generated. More power moves debris faster.
Blowing Wood Chips
Timed how long each took to blow a pile of wood chips 10 feet away. Less time is better.
Moving Leaves
Timed blowing 4 buckets of leaves 15 feet away. Faster time wins.
Thrust-to-Weight
Tested blowers’ force using a hanging scale. Higher ratios are best.
Run Time Test
Ran blowers at full power until the battery died. Longer run times beat shorter.
The Results
Here’s how the 10 leaf blowers compared in each test:
Air Speed
| Brand | Air Speed |
|---|---|
| Ego 56V | 155.7 mph |
| Ryobi 40V | 143.6 mph |
| Greenworks 80V | 142.3 mph |
| Atlas 80V | 125.2 mph |
| Milwaukee M36 | 124.6 mph |
The Ego had the highest air velocity by a significant margin. The Ryobi and Greenworks tied for second place.
Air Volume
| Brand | Volume |
|---|---|
| Ego 56V | 743.5 cfm |
| Greenworks 80V | 704.1 cfm |
| Ryobi 40V | 689.1 cfm |
| Milwaukee M36 | 606.0 cfm |
| Atlas 80V | 598.8 cfm |
The Ego blew away the competition pun intended) in cfm results as well. Greenworks edged out Ryobi for second.
Power Testing
| Brand | Power |
|---|---|
| Ego 56V | 9.1 lbs |
| Greenworks 80V | 8.13 lbs |
| Ryobi 40V | 7.52 lbs |
| Atlas 80V | 6.31 lbs |
| Milwaukee M36 | 6.14 lbs |
No surprise – the Ego had the most powerful airflow overall. Greenworks and Ryobi followed behind.
Blowing Wood Chips
| Brand | Time |
|---|---|
| Ego 56V | 16 sec |
| Greenworks 80V | 20.5 sec |
| Ryobi 40V | 21.5 sec |
| Atlas 80V | 26.3 sec |
| Milwaukee M36 | 28.2 sec |
The Ego blew the wood chip pile away fastest. Greenworks and Ryobi were close behind.
Moving Leaves
| Brand | Time |
|---|---|
| Ryobi 40V | 13.3 sec |
| Ego 56V | 14.5 sec |
| Greenworks 80V | 14.5 sec |
| Milwaukee M36 | 20.2 sec |
| Atlas 80V | 22 sec |
The Ryobi edged out Ego and Greenworks in leaf blowing time. Surprisingly close results.
Thrust-to-Weight
Higher ratios are better:
| Brand | Ratio |
|---|---|
| Ego 56V | 1.97 |
| Ryobi 40V | 2.07 |
| Atlas 80V | 2.07 |
| Greenworks 80V | 2.07 |
| Milwaukee M36 | 2.3 |
The Ego had the best thrust-to-weight ratio. Atlas, Greenworks and Ryobi followed.
Run Time
Longer run time is better:
| Brand | Run Time |
|---|---|
| Ego 56V | 15.6 min |
| Greenworks 80V | 14.9 min |
| Milwaukee M36 | 14.7 min |
| Ryobi 40V | 12.8 min |
| Atlas 80V | 11.2 min |
The Ego ran the longest on a full battery. Greenworks and Milwaukee had excellent run times as well.
The Final Rankings
Based on the test results, here are my overall leaf blower rankings:
- Ego 56V
- Ryobi 40V
- Greenworks 80V
- Milwaukee M36
- Atlas 80V
- Dewalt 60V
- Makita 36V
- Dewalt 20V
- Hulkbuster 20V
- Milwaukee M18
The Verdict
The Ego 56V is my top pick for best cordless leaf blower. It had the most power, highest air speed and air volume. Battery life was excellent and it’s lightweight and comfortable to use.
The Ryobi 40V gives you great power and run time for the price. It was nearly as impressive as the Ego for hundreds less.
The Greenworks 80V is a beast with outstanding power. The heavy battery makes it tougher to handle than the Ego and Ryobi though.
Milwaukee, Dewalt and Makita all make high quality blowers, but they didn’t stand out in testing like the top brands.
The most affordable blowers from Atlas and Hulkbuster struggled to keep up in terms of power. I’d spend a little more for better performance.
Let me know if you found this cordless leaf blower comparison helpful! I’m happy to answer any questions in the comments.