If you’re looking for ways to lessen the burden of yard work, a leaf blower like the Greenworks Pro 80V can be a great tool to have at your disposal. Rather than raking and sweeping, using a power tool can shorten your working hours so you can spend more time enjoying your yard. Whether that means throwing a memorable party or taking it easy with a relaxing afternoon at home, well that’s entirely up to you. We put the Greenworks Pro 80V leaf blower to work in our own yard. Read on to see how it fared.
Setup Process: Easy but requires patience
The setup process is pretty simple, but not as simple as other models. While a corded blower can be plugged in and ready to use in no time, the battery-operated Greenworks Pro does require some charge time. The 2Ah battery takes 30 minutes to reach a full charge. While it’s not a terribly long time to wait, you will want to plug it in ahead of your planned yard work.
Design: Innovative but imperfect
Bright colors and sleek lines make this leaf blower quite stylish (as far as yard work equipment is considered, anyways). We also enjoyed that we didn’t have to tug an extension cord along as we moved around our yard. The battery-powered device proved especially useful near our fenced-in garden and the set of stairs that run up an ivy-covered hill where we’d typically have to painstakingly rake out the leaves. After a bit of use, the weight of this leaf blower did start to wear on us. Because the battery is heavier than the front of the blower—the whole thing weighs 8.9 pounds—the balance is a bit out of proportion, making it less ergonomically designed than other leaf blowers we tried. If you’re already a Greenworks household, you’ll be happy to know that this tool is compatible with the rest of their line of yard tools, though. One drawback to the Greenworks’ design is that it must be stored indoors so inclement weather doesn’t affect the battery’s ability to hold a charge. We prefer to keep our yard equipment in our shed or garage, but in this case, we’ve had to make room for it in the basement.
Performance: Agile and powerful, but short-lived
The Greenworks Pro moves 500 cubic feet of air per minute which makes it one of the most powerful electric leaf blowers on the market. We found it was able to easily move small sticks, pine cones, and even wet piles of leaves. It was also much quieter than other models we’ve used. When it came to run time, though, we did run into a few issues. The Greenworks Pro is designed for yards up to one acre in size and the manufacturer states that the blower will last up to 70 minutes when used on its lowest setting, or 20 to 30 minutes on its highest setting. Unfortunately, that was not our experience. When we operated this leaf blower on its highest setting, it lasted precisely 13 minutes. If you’re moving a sizeable amount of wet leaves, this just isn’t enough time to get the job done. On its lowest setting, it did last quite a while. We turned it on and off quite a bit, but were able to clear our driveway, patio, garage area, and move debris from all of our flower beds. We loved that we were able to blow leaves from anywhere no matter how cramped or cluttered, but the battery lasted 50 minutes at most. We could see the Greenworks Pro being a great option for those with decks and outdoor furniture. Having no cord to get tangled up on would make that sort of clean-up a lot easier. We also think it’d be great for someone with a patio or porch that needs frequent sweeping. It’s as easy to grab as a broom, but it does the work in a fraction of the time. And because it’s so quiet, we don’t think it’d disrupt the neighbors if you used it several times a week.
Price: It’s steep
At $190, this is an expensive investment in your yard care arsenal. And, if you don’t want to wait to recharge your battery during heavy-duty jobs or if you simply have a large yard, you’ll likely want to pick up a second battery. The added expense will give you longer use times, but it’ll set you over $300 which is comparable to the price of a gas-powered leaf blower.
Competition: There are better values out there
Kimo Cordless Leaf Blower: If you don’t need a ton of power and are more in the market for something that can clean up small outdoor areas, there are budget friendly options. The Kimo Cordless Leaf Blower is a two-in-one blower and vacuum that can be purchased for around $100 at popular online retailers. It’s also incredibly lightweight at just 2.2 pounds. WORX Turbine 600: While the WORX Turbine 600 isn’t cordless, it is a very powerful, well-designed leaf blower that can get most any job done. And at just $60, if your yard can be reached without a cord, dealing with an extension may just be worth the savings. While it’s not the most budget-friendly pick, the Greenworks Pro is a quiet and convenient leaf blower. If you have a small space or hard-to-reach areas that usually need to be hand-raked (like garden beds), this cordless blower may be worth the investment.
