What Is a Good MPH for a Leaf Blower: Tips for Choosing a Leaf Blower

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Yard care can only be a joy when you use the latest technology for this purpose. When you finally decide to give up the rake and buy a leaf blower, you may find that it’s not a simple choice. You might think that a leaf blower should blow air, and that’s enough. But the different specifications, especially the different MPH to CFM ratios, can throw you off. Can’t determine what is a good MPH for a leaf blower? Don’t rush back to the rake. In this article, I will tell you how to choose a household tool for effective cleaning of your yard.

Guide on How to Choose a Leaf Blower

Determine the size of your yard.
Find out what СFM and MPH mean.
Select a blower with the MPH to CFM ratio considered.
Pay attention to the high СFM parameter because it is not airspeed that moves the leaves but its high volume.
Note the type of power on which the device operates.

What Is a Good MPH for a Leaf Blower?

Leaf blower parameters, such as MHP and CFM, often confuse buyers. While each of them individually is clear, their combination can be confusing. I’ll tell you why these criteria are essential and what ratio of MPH or CFM for the leaf blower you need to pay attention to.

What does MPH mean?

MPH is a simple term that stands for miles per hour. It shows how fast the airflow will move. If the unit is 100 miles per hour, you can understand how far the airflow can throw the leaves.

What is the difference between MPH and CFM?

CFM stands for cubic feet per minute. Buyers often consider this indicator an afterthought. But if you look at blowers and notice that they all have different nozzle widths, it’s clear that the CFM is just as important. Unlike MPH, the CFC value tells you not about the length but the width of the surface that the device will capture.

What ratio of MPH to CFM is optimal?

We’ve learned that both are essential because the CFM shows the width of the airflow, and the MPH indicates the airflow length. But pay attention to a reasonable ratio, or the leaves will remain on your lawn. Before determining what kind of MPH is needed for leaf blowing and which CFM, you should know your yard size and how many leaves you need to remove.

Up to 500 CFM

If you don’t have a large yard, a 200–500 CFM is sufficient. That said, the airflow rate can be 100 MPH. That is a working airspeed ratio to the area that will allow the blower to remove leaves. In addition, this type of device often runs on a battery. So if your yard area is less than an acre, a battery charge will be enough to remove all the leaves in one go.

Over 500 СFM

If your yard is above one acre, you need a blower that covers a larger area. The optimal setting for such an area is 500 to 800 CFM. The airspeed should be 200 MPH or higher. Devices with these characteristics usually cost more, but they will allow you to clean the yard quickly, considering that this is not a small area. Also, blowers with high MPH and CFM usually run on electricity or gasoline. So you don’t have to worry about it turning off before you can finish cleaning.

Over 800 СFM

It makes sense to use such blowers on an industrial scale. Since they can produce 1,000 to 3,000 cubic meters per second, this is too much airflow for a standard yard. But a blower that is too powerful can wreak chaos not only in your yard but in your neighbors’ as well. People usually use such blowers for cleaning areas in large factories. They can also have larger dimensions and wheels for their movement. They run on gasoline or electricity like previous blowers.

FAQ About Leaf Blowers

You should keep this information in mind when choosing a leaf blower.

Is MPH or CFM better for a leaf blower?

Sometimes manufacturers emphasize only one of these indicators. But remember that a device with a high MPH and a low CFM will not help you harvest leaves efficiently. So you should pay attention that both features have a reasonable ratio.

How strong should your leaf blower be?

If you are looking for a blower for a yard that is not very large, a 500–600 CFM blower is fine, and the MPH can be between 100 and 150. A blower with a CFM of 500–800 should have an MPH of at least 200.

Clean Up Your Yard Efficiently

So you know that fast-moving air is good, but it’s not enough to clean the leaves. If a salesman draws attention to the high MPH, do not forget to ask what СFM the blower has. It is the one that plays a significant role in getting the blower to move the leaves out of the way. Remember, it’s not the high air speed that pushes the leaves, but the big air volume.

What kind of leaf blower are you planning to buy? Share in the comments.

Also read

References

Leaf blower | Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaf_blower
Nozzles: Selection and Sizing | Virginia Cooperative Extension – https://www.mssoy.org/uploads/files/nozzle-selection-vt.pdf
Lawn Size Calculator | Lawn Chick – https://lawnchick.com/lawn-size-calculator/
Acre | Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acre

Contents

Guide on How to Choose a Leaf Blower