It’s a good thing fall is pretty, because it can be a real pain getting buried alive by leaves each year.
Yes, the color of the landscape is breathtaking; yes, everything looks like a Turner masterpiece; yes, it stirs up pleasant feelings in the soul that make you appreciate life, but practically speaking, it’s a complete nightmare. Unless, of course, you have yourself a handy leaf blower!
With these contraptions, the rakes stay in the shed, and managing dead leaves becomes an absolute breeze (pun definitely intended!).
However, picking a leaf blower out isn’t as easy as you might think. The main decision to make is between corded and cordless designs.
In this article, I’ll be giving you the big scoop on both devices, helping you to choose the perfect one for the applications you have in mind. Let’s get to it!
Corded Leaf Blower: Pros
Constant Power
Unless your area is hit by a freak blackout, your corded leaf blower will keep on blowin’ until you unplug it, a godsend when you have to run it for extended periods of time.
Equipped with one of these nifty devices, you can chase leaves around all day with no drop in productivity (if you call that productivity).
Consistent Power
The thing about battery powered devices is that, towards the end of the battery’s life, output generally tends to dwindle, meaning you won’t get optimal performance for the entire battery cycle.
With corded leaf blowers, this is a non-issue, as they draw power from an outlet. They will work at 100% capacity until you unplug them.
Power In General
This isn’t always the case, but generally speaking, corded leaf blowers will have a bit more air in their lungs than their cordless counterparts.
So, if your leaf piles tend to look more like mountains than molehills, a corded unit may be just the ticket!
Lightweight
As I’m sure you’re aware, corded leaf blowers draw their power from wall outlets, which means they don’t need an integrated energy source, which in turn, means they’re a lot lighter.
Being that you might be lugging this thing around for hours at a time, you’ll really appreciate the absence of an on-unit power system.
Choose this kind of leaf blower, and your shoulders, neck, back, arms, and legs will thank you for it!
Affordability
The wireless makeover almost always jacks the price up a little, which is why if you want to save some pennies, you should definitely go for a corded model.
That’s not to say that all corded leaf blowers are bargain bin buys that won’t do good work or last for a long time.
They’re manufactured to inhabit multiple levels of the market, so if you’re looking to spend a bit more for a truly premium device, you absolutely can, but the premium cordless models will always cost more.
Extra Functionality
Corded leaf blowers, especially those that occupy the stratosphere of the market, will arrive with some nifty extra functions, such as a vacuum setting, allowing you to collect autumn leaves up easily for mulching. You can then use this homebrew mulch to give your yard some TLC.
Corded Leaf Blowers: Cons
Lack Of Range
As is the case with any corded device, your mobility is limited by the cord and the fact the blower must be plugged into an outlet to function.
That’s not to say if you choose a corded model that you’ll have to invest in a dodgy chain of power strips to get use out of it, as most models will have nice, long cords.
However, if you have to venture particularly far from the outlet, you might run into some troubles.
Manageability
The cord of a leaf blower can get caught on things, knock stuff over, and can even pose a trip hazard if you’re working with other people.
Cordless Leaf Blowers: Pros
Battery Powered
With an integrated battery, a cordless leaf blower is completely uninhibited in terms of range.
You can take them as far as you can carry them, making them the ideal choice for people with some real distance to cover. They offer complete freedom of movement!
Easy Storage And Setup
Without a hefty cable to deal with when starting and finishing a job, a cordless leaf blower makes your life a lot easier.
You simply take your hand off the throttle, and voilà; it’s ready to be packed away, where it will wait for a quick and effortless deployment next fall.
Cordless Leaf Blower: Cons
Battery Cycle
You may be free as a bird when using a cordless leaf blower, but you’re entirely at the whim of the battery.
Once it runs out, unless you have the option of replacing it with a spare, you’ll have to concede some downtime while it recharges.
Charge Times
Charge times may not be too long for many cordless models, but it’s something to keep in mind regardless.
If you’ve got sizable or multiple areas to cover, the need to replenish the battery of your leaf blower is going to add some serious time to your task.
Power
When going cordless, most of the time, you’ll have to sacrifice a bit of power, which could slow down operations.
Consistency
As your battery runs dry, your blower’s output is going to suffer. This can be incredibly annoying if you’re close to finishing the job, but don’t quite have enough juice to get there purely because of the dip in output.
Weight
With a battery onboard, you can expect your cordless blower to weigh quite a bit more than a corded unit.
Limited Functionality
You’ll rarely find a cordless unit with a vacuum function, but they are available if you’re willing to part with the right amount of money, which brings me to my next point.
Price Tag
Cordless leaf blowers may be incredibly convenient, but you have to pay through the nose for the privilege. If you’re on a tight budget, your decision might be made for you.
Final Thoughts: Which Is Right For You
As you can see, there are certainly more cons to owning a cordless leaf blower than a corded model, but that’s not to say that they’re objectively worse.
Instead, we have to weigh up the value of what they do bring to the table, against those cons.
For instance, for many, total freedom of movement will be well worth a slight dip in power, and a few additional lbs.
Have you made your decision? Here are some prompts to help you figure it out.
- Need range? Go cordless
- Got lots of ground to cover within a small radius? Go corded
- Want something easy? Go cordless
- Want value for money? Go corded