Thanks for taking your time to read our information on the best petrol leaf blowers that are currently available on the UK market. Leaf blowers which can also vacuum are powered up in one of three ways. Those are electric, cordless or by an engine.
Most UK home owners are likely to go for either an electric model that plugs into an electrical socket. Those are the cheapest to buy and they do work really well. The downside is of course that you are restricted by the length of the lead and in most cases an extension lead is required.
For that reason many home owners are now switching to a cordless option. Those are more expensive but you are not restricted by an electrical lead. They are heavier though and the batteries don't last for very long.
The other option is the petrol leaf blower which is what we are checking out here. These remain very popular with landscapers and anyone with a big garden. They are also really popular with those who have a lot of leaves in their garden and want something powerful to shift them quickly.
Below we will show you our top recommendations for petrol leaf blowers but before that we want to explain a few things to look out for before parting with any of your hard earned cash.
What types are available?
There are two main types of petrol leaf blowers which are:
- 2 stroke engines
- 4 stroke engines
These are then available as either:
- A handheld leaf blower or,
- A backpack leaf blower
How to choose?
Just below we explain which brands make these, the average cost of the blower and also the really important features for you to consider. In reality these are not complicated machines as they have a body with a blowing or sucking option and that action is powered by some type of engine.
Which Brands make these?
When an engine is involved for garden tools there are certain brands who make these to a good quality standard. They include:
- Husqvarna
- Hyundai
- Makita
- Murray
- McCulloch
- Parker
- Stihl
- Webb
How much do they cost?
On average in the UK these cost around £150. The price range is £100 at the low end and up to £25 for the top of the range blowers.
Handheld or Backpack
Any garden tool that has an engine is by design pretty heavy. It may not seem that heavy when you first pick it up. However, after 10-15 minutes of use you will notice that it gets really heavy. Handheld models are particularly heavy and that is why the backpack version is more popular with some users. The backpack type also allows you carry a heavier and more powerful engine.
Our recommendation would be that for smaller to medium gardens a handheld model will be cheaper and lighter. If you have a larger garden or one with lots of leaves then a backpack is the better choice.
Engine Power
There are either 2 stroke or 4 stroke engines available on leaf blowers. With 2 stroke engines you do have to mix petrol and oil to make the fuel. With the 4 stroke engine these are two separate tanks. The 4 stroke engine is the more powerful of the two and also the easiest to start and maintain. 4 stroke engines also produce less emissions and have much better fuel consumption.
4 stroke engines come in 24.5-26 cc sizes whereas 2 stroke engines are usually around 43-55 cc engines. Most 4 stroke engines will have a simple electronic start whereas 2 strokes will have the traditional pull cord stating up system.
These engines then create the power which is measured in watts. Typically this will vary from model to model with ranges of between 600-1200 watts. As a general rule the higher this wattage the more power it can generate.
Fuel Tank Size
The capacity of the fuel tank is another important consideration. Put simply, the larger this is then the longer you can use your blower without having to stop and fill the tank again. That just makes the whole task faster and allows you to get on with other things.
We explain in more detail the importance of the weight of the blower, but it's obvious to say that the more petrol your tank can hold the heavier the blower will be to carry around and use.
Fuel tank sizes vary from 0.2 litres to 1.3 litres. Professionals tend to look for larger capacities as they are relying on their blower to last for a long time without the need for constantly having to fill it up.
Blowing Speed
Manufacturers refer to this in a few different ways. The most popular is cubic metres per hour. It's really not that helpful as a measurement other than to say that the bigger this number is the more blowing power your leaf blower will have. This number can vary from 720m3/hr to 1490 m³/hr.
Almost always the bigger and more powerful the engine is the higher and bigger the airflow will be.
Comfort and Weight
Models do vary quite a lot depending on the brand and engine size. They can be as light as 4 Kg, but the most powerful blowers, with the big engines can get upwards of 10 Kg. Something that people often overlook is that when these are then filled with petrol they become heavier again.
You should look for features like adjustable straps that are padded. If buying a backpack variety, the pack should also be padded.
Noisy
Any type of blower will make a noise, but petrol leaf blowers are the noisiest of all the power options. You have the blowing noise and in addition you also have the noise of a small petrol engine. Let's put it this way, we wouldn't recommend using one of these in the early morning otherwise you may have a few irritated neighbours.
It is worth knowing that any noise greater than 85 decibels is considered harmful to your hearing. Many of these blowers, especially those with bigger engines can be as loud as 115 decibels. That is why manufacturers will all recommend wearing some type of ear defenders. They also recommend wearing eye protection as well. This ensures your eyes are not at risk should a piece of debris fly up and into your face.
The higher end models such as Makita also use a muffler which reduces the sound a lot, so worth noting if that is important to you.
Garden Blower vs Garden Vacuum
The obvious difference is that a blower simply blows leaves over to the side, whereas a vacuum will suck them up and into a bag. Most models can do both by simply flipping a switch.
For small gardens it is probably easier to use the vacuum setting, but for larger gardens better to just blow the leaves and debris to one side. You can then blow those into piles and dispose of them after that.
Best Petrol Leaf Blowers at a Glance
- Best budget petrol leaf blower - Parker PBV-2600 leaf blower
- Best for large gardens - BU-KO 65CC Petrol Backpack Leaf Blower
- Best Professional leaf blower - McCulloch GB 355 BP Backpack Leaf Blower
Parker PBV-2600 Petrol Leaf Blower, Vacuum, Mulcher & Shredder
Parker are a well known brand when it comes to petrol driven garden tools, and this model overall gets solid buyer reviews. It can be used as a leaf blower, or can be used as a vacuum using the canvas collection bag - it also shreds and mulches leaves making it more suitable for composting, or simply more compact in terms of disposal
It is certainly the best value for money model and also one of the cheapest on the UK market right now.
Check Amazon UK for Availability - Price when reviewed £94.49 - 88% customer satisfaction based on 800+ buyers
BU-KO 65CC Petrol Backpack Leaf Blower
This is a 65cc 2 stroke engine so packs plenty of power and ideal for larger gardens and is very good at handling wet leaves
The backpack is well designed and comfortable to wear thanks to the wider shoulder straps.
We also like the fact that this one has a muffler, a transparent petrol tank, a throttle trigger and cruise control
We would recommend this one for medium to larger gardens.
Check Amazon UK for Availability - Price when reviewed £139.99 - 82% customer satisfaction based on 400+ buyers
McCulloch GB 355 BP Backpack Leaf Blower
This McCulloch model is the one that most professional landscapers use and it is an excellent machine
It is a 46 cc 2 stroke engine with a 2.2 litre fuel tank and a blow speed of up to 355 Km/hr (220 mph)
Please note that this is a blower only so can' vacuum or mulch
The backpack is very well made and very comfortable to wear and use.
Check Amazon UK for Availability - Price when reviewed £229.95 - 90% customer satisfaction based on 1,500+ buyers
You may also be interested in other leaf blowers that are not petrol driven. If so please check out our reviews of the top 10 leaf blowers in the UK by clicking here.
