Electric lawn care tools like the Worx Turbine 56V Cordless Leaf Blower are emerging as must-haves for those who maintain their yards. These eco-friendly models are surpassing their gas-powered equivalents for ease-of-use reasons. So we put the Worx Turbine 56V Cordless Leaf Blower to work in the fall to see if it has enough power to efficiently clear a lawn of leaves and debris. After several hours of testing, here are our thoughts on this cordless leaf blower.
Setup: As easy as it gets
The Worx Turbine 56V Leaf Blower arrives in five pieces: the body, the blower tube, the nozzle, the battery, and the charger. Putting it together proved to be a simple task, even for someone with limited power tool experience. All we had to do was push the two blower tube pieces together and then snapped them into place on the leaf blower’s main body. The whole process took two minutes. From there, we charged up the 56V lithium battery, which simply slides into place on the charger. It takes 90 minutes to charge completely, and it’s important to note that it won’t charge if the ambient temperature is less than freezing. The manual explains that charging at under 32 F can damage the battery, so we opted to charge it inside, rather than in the barn or garage. Once the battery was charged, we clicked it into place at the end of the lead blower body, and we were ready to go.
Design: Easy to handle
One of the Worx leaf blower’s major selling points is that it weighs just 8 pounds (many of its parts are plastic, making it lightweight), so it’s easy for any homeowner to handle. We could wield the leaf blower comfortably in one hand and are confident that most homeowners can comfortably hold this leaf blower thanks to its ergonomic design. The tool is well-balanced, too—it stayed level to the ground when picked up, and it takes little effort to angle the blower tube downward. When using the Worx Turbine Leaf Blower, it was easy to adjust the speed with one hand. You use your thumb to control the multi-speeds. However, when on its turbo setting, we needed two hands to aim the nozzle accurately. A common complaint about leaf blowers is that the turbine fan on the back of the machine can suck up clothing if held too close to your body, which was not an issue with the Worx model. We were able to easily pass it from hand to hand without the fan grabbing at loose clothing. Once the job is complete, there’s a key-hole shaped cutout on the back of the motor housing that allows you to hang the unit on the wall using a hook or bolt.
Performance: Powerful turbo setting
We were impressed with the performance of this battery-powered machine. The variable speed control allowed us to adjust the air speed from 60 to 125 miles per hour, which was ideal for moving different debris types. We started blowing dry leaves off a 25-foot driveway and completed the task in around 10 minutes on low to medium speeds. Our next task was removing wet leaves and debris from flower beds. This job required higher speeds and took a bit longer. The turbo boost mode is powerful enough to move just about any debris, including small rocks. However, it’s important to note that turbo is just an extra-high speed on this tool, whereas a traditional turbo setting on a leaf blower provides a temporary boost of power. Our only real complaint about the Worx Turbine 56V Leaf Blower’s performance is that we wished this model had an interchangeable flat nozzle. The included Hyper-Stream air nozzle works well in most situations, but we would have benefited from a more targeted stream of air when we were removing debris from a garden bed.
Battery Life: Extremely limiting
The Worx Turbine 56V Leaf Blower falls flat in terms of battery life. After fully charging the battery, we set a timer and turned on the machine. After around 12 minutes of constant use, the air stream started weakening, then it shut off. During that period, the blower was on high or turbo for about 6 of those minutes. We found that you can get a little more runtime if you keep the machine on low. Even on low, you’re still only looking at 20 or so minutes of runtime per charge. You may only have enough time to clear a small driveway or deck. It certainly wasn’t sufficient for a 2-acre property. If short battery life affects the flow of your work too much, you could keep a backup battery handy, but a WORX WA3555 56V Replacement Battery costs a whopping $125. The silver lining is that Worx batteries are interchangeable in the brand’s various tools, so it may be a worthwhile investment if you own other Worx products.
Noise Level: On the noisy side
Usually, electric power tools are significantly quieter than gas models. In this case, the Worx Leaf Blower is still reasonably noisy, operating at 75 decibels. For comparison, gas-powered lawnmowers and leaf blowers are typically 80 to 85 decibels, so this model is only marginally quieter. This leaf blower isn’t so loud that you need ear protection, but there’s no way you could have a conversation over it. If you’re looking for a leaf blower that won’t disturb your sleeping family, this model isn’t it.
Price: Middle of the line
Leaf blowers can range anywhere from $100 to $500 in price, and the Worx Turbine 56V Cordless Leaf Blower falls roughly in the middle at $200. This cost seems a little high for a machine that can only run for 20 minutes, but it’s also an average price for a cordless leaf blower of this capacity.
Worx WG591 Turbine 56V Cordless Leaf Blower vs. WORX WG520 Turbine 600 Electric Leaf Blower
If your yard is small enough, you might be better off with a corded electric leaf blower, such as the WORX WG520. This model is quite similar to the Worx WG591 Turbine 56V Cordless model, but because it stays plugged in while you work, battery life does not limit you. The WORX WG520 Turbine 600 Electric model weighs just 6 pounds and boasts air speeds up to 110mph. It has an 11.5’ electrical cord, and at only $60, it costs less than half as much as the cordless model. If you’re looking for a lightweight, powerful cordless leaf blower to help clear your driveway, patio, or another small area, the Worx WG591 Turbine 56V Cordless Leaf Blower is a reliable option. It can move all sorts of debris on its turbo setting, and the ergonomic design makes it more comfortable to use than many other leaf blowers. However, its major flaw is its short battery life, which only lasts for around 20 minutes per charge.
