Reviewers Say This Ryobi Backpack Blower Makes Fall Cleanup A Breeze

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

If you have a large yard dotted with trees, or your neighbors do, you're no stranger to the seasonal chore of leaf cleanup. There's only so much raking anyone can realistically do in an afternoon without getting completely exhausted...only to have more leaves piling up the next day. The answer is in the stream of air coming from a leaf blower. A leaf blower wrangles those fallen leaves on the lawn much faster than a rake can; at the very least, it'll send them in a direction you choose. If you have a large property, a backpack-style blower is the way to go, as it'll be much less arduous on the arms. 

Ryobi's latest backpack-style blower, the RYOBI 40V HP Brushless 850 CFM Backpack Blower Kit, comes with two 40-volt batteries that can be used with the unit simultaneously. So what makes it good? The product page states that this blower gets more than two hours of runtime on a low-speed setting. It also claims it's 83% quieter than a comparable gas-powered blower, and more powerful than a 58cc gas-powered backpack blower. 

Ryobi also offers a 5-year warranty on the tool and a 3-year warranty on the battery. This blower retails for $599 at Home Depot, so based on price alone, it's a serious investment for someone with a serious amount of leaves to herd. It's highly rated by reviewers on its Home Depot product page, with 29 out of 34 users giving it 5 out of 5 stars. Cumulatively, it has a 4.8 out of 5 stars, with a single 1-star review and no 2-star reviews. It could become one of those Ryobi yard care tools you'll wish you had sooner.

One of the most exuberant Home Depot reviews comes from William, who says, "This thing will blow the grass right off the lawn," adding that it works well on wet leaves, too. He also said it's the quietest yard equipment he owns. Another reviewer said they upgraded from a Ryobi handheld leaf blower and said it's a "game changer," cutting their two-hour leaf cleanup time in half. However, another said it's heavier than expected and that the airflow tube is "too long for [a] small person." The company notes that the blower tube cannot be switched to the other side of the unit. Several other reviewers felt the blower was lightweight compared to gas-powered backpack blowers they've used.

As for runtime, one reviewer said they were disappointed to only get 45 minutes' runtime, instead of the advertised two hours, when using the leaf blower on a low setting as Ryobi recommends. The Ryobi package deal comes with one charger, so only one battery can be charged at a time. The batteries are the same 40V, 8Ah units that fit with other Ryobi tools in the 40V series, so this backpack blower could be a worthy consideration, especially if you already have batteries (or chargers) from other Ryobi gear. 

Once you finish blowing leaves, use them as fuel for your garden. There are some good reasons not to remove leaves from your yard, either, since beneficial insects take shelter in that leaf litter.