Consumer Reports Recommends This Home Depot Buy If You've Got Wiggle Room In Your Budget

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One of the newest Ryobi 40V tools you might consider adding to your toolkit is the brand's 40V HP 800-cfm Whisper Series Blower, a powerful device designed to clear dead leaves or clean a dusty workshop. Using hefty Ryobi 40-volt batteries, it's not your grandfather's leaf blower, as it doesn't need a cumbersome electrical cord or a noisy, noxious gas engine. As lithium-ion technology continues to become more sophisticated, more and more cordless electric blowers are available, but not all are built the same, and it can be tough deciding which one is worth your hard-earned cash.

The Ryobi 40V HP 800-cfm Whisper Series Blower comes recommended by Consumer Reports, though, which is a testament to its quality. The nonprofit organization doesn't make its recommendations lightly either, as it puts products of all kinds through rigorous testing, as well as compiles feedback from surveyed owners. Ryobi's 40V HP 800-cfm Blower (model RY40HPLB01B) is one of the higher-rated blowers on Consumer Reports' list, which includes options from several major brands.

As part of Ryobi's Whisper Series, the blower runs 82% more quietly than a gas-powered equivalent. Consumer Reports even says that you can operate the tool without needing to wear hearing protection. The battery-powered tool is also more powerful than a 31cc gas blower and propels air up to 180 mph. It offers two power levels and is controlled by a variable-speed trigger. Despite these specs and features, one reason you might not immediately rush to Home Depot and pick up the CR-recommended Ryobi 40V HP 800-cfm Whisper Series Blower is that it's on the pricier side. It's not grossly expensive, but it's enough to make anyone on a tight budget think twice.

The Ryobi 40V HP 800-cfm Whisper Series Blower is available at Home Depot for $229. This price isn't astronomical, but you can get blowers for less than half that, including others from Ryobi, such as its 18V One+ 250-cfm Blower. However, many of these blowers are far less powerful and won't be as useful for heavier-duty tasks, like yards with lots of trees or rain-soaked leaves. While its airflow is not quite as strong as Ryobi's most powerful leaf blower, the RY40HPLB01B comes pretty close.

Whether or not Ryobi's 40V blower is a smart purchase may depend on just how much wiggle room you have in your budget. That's because you probably need to factor in more than the cost of the tool, especially if you don't already own batteries for it. Ryobi's powerful 40V system includes over 85 different cordless products, which are generally more expensive than the brand's 18V tools. Likewise, Ryobi's 40V units cost more than its 18V units. A single Ryobi 40V 4 Ah battery, for example, is $149, which costs more than several Ryobi 18V blowers. Meanwhile, you can get a 2-pack of Ryobi 18V 4 Ah batteries at Home Depot for $99.

If you don't already own any Ryobi 40V batteries, it's probably a good idea to buy Ryobi's CR-recommended blower as part of a bundle. A Ryobi 40V HP Whisper Series 800-cfm kit, which includes a 40V charger and 8 Ah battery, sells for $339 at Home Depot, which is cheaper than if you bought the three products individually. With an 8 Ah battery, you can get up to 89 minutes of runtime on low and 17 minutes on high — at least that's what Ryobi claims.

The fact that the Ryobi 40V HP 800-cfm Whisper Series Blower is recommended by Consumer Reports is promising, but it's never a bad idea to check other sources for a wider scope of feedback. Not too surprisingly, many users and expert reviewers agree that Ryobi's blower is a winner, though. Home Depot customers who've already gone ahead and purchased the tool overwhelmingly rate it 5 out of 5, with 92% of surveyed users recommending it.

Factors mentioned in multiple positive reviews include the tool's solid performance, including its powerful airflow. Its variable-speed trigger and turbo button for tackling tougher patches of debris are also mentioned as particularly useful features. However, the tool isn't completely immune to common problems with Ryobi leaf blowers, with some users say that it's a bit too heavy to control and use comfortably. Users also mention that the battery life of the blower doesn't live up to what Ryobi promises, which is corroborated by Consumer Reports' and other experts' tests.

After thoroughly testing the device, Pro Tool Reviews praises its power, quiet operation, and ergonomic balance. However, the tester notes that its actual runtime with an 8 Ah battery is much less than what Ryobi claims, lasting only 15 minutes on low power. The reviewer also notes that, while the blower is an improvement on Ryobi's previous-generation model, it doesn't justify spending the money on it if you already own the latter. If you do have wiggle room in your budget, that money would be better spent on a different tool. But, if you don't already have the older leaf blower, the Ryobi 40V HP 800-cfm Whisper Series Blower may be worth the expense.