Ego Vs Ryobi: Who Makes The Best Leaf Blower?

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When colder weather is upon us, it comes the inevitable blanket of leaves covering our driveways, lawns, and sidewalks. With this in mind, it might be time to think about shopping for a new leaf blower. 

Even though most gas-powered leaf blowers don't consume large amounts of fuel, gas prices can fluctuate greatly, so you may want to consider electric options instead. The two-stroke engines that power these devices are also loud and not at all environmentally friendly, making a battery-powered leaf blower your best choice to be a good citizen of your immediate neighborhood and the world at large.

Two of the most popular and affordable manufacturers of battery-powered leaf blowers currently on the market are EGO and Ryobi, both of which offer several models that can be found at various brick-and-mortar and online retailers. Looking at the wide range of portable leaf blowers offered by these two makers, one model stands out above the others.

When Popular Mechanics tested several battery-operated models, the magazine rated the EGO Power+ LB6504 Best Overall, citing an airspeed of 134 mph at 6 inches from the tip of the tube and "a focused air stream, with sharp edges, extending beyond the end of our test area." 

While the LB6504 was not the quietest or lightest blower tested, Popular Mechanics found the effective run time to be nearly a half hour when the trigger was used judiciously and nearly 17 minutes on the turbo setting.

Doug Mahoney of the New York Times also gave the LB6504 high marks, comparing its power to some corded models and noting that it was a good entry point into EGO's wide line of cordless yard care tools. "For the money," he wrote, "you're getting the absolute best combination of power, portability, and ease of use, and it's an especially smart investment if you plan to expand your collection of EGO's successful system of lawn tools, including lawn mowers, string trimmers, and snow blowers."

While the Ryobi 18V One+ Cordless Leaf Blower holds 4.3 stars from a small pool of reviewers, the EGO LB6504 has a 4.5-star average rating from nearly 8,500 Amazon buyers. User Anime Dad gave it five stars and wrote, "I must say, the EGO Power+ LB6504 Leaf Blower Bundle exceeded my expectations. Both the leaf blower and the battery have been game-changers. I'm definitely sticking with EGO for my electric tools."