Prices from Amazon AU, updated daily. Swipe or use the arrows for more.
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Quick summary7 picks
- Entry PickBLACK+DECKER 18V Lithium-Ion Power Command… about$151.05
- Bosch 18V Cordless Leaf Blower with 2-Speed… about$175
- BLACK+DECKER 18V Lithium-Ion Axial Blower… about$199
- Stanley Fatmax V20 18V 4Ah Blower Kit about$217.59
- STANLEY FATMAX V20 | 18V Brushless Blower… about$269
- Metabo 18 V 150 Km/H Brushless Leaf Blower… about$327.08
- Most PremiumHusqvarna Aspire™ Blower 18V Kit with 4.0Ah… about$359
Air speed and air volume are different numbers
Every leaf blower listing leads with a speed in kilometres an hour, and it's the number people compare first. Air speed is how hard the stream hits, which is what lifts wet leaves stuck to concrete or gets grit out of a paver joint. It's only half the story, though, because a thin, fast jet clears a narrow strip and leaves the rest of the drive untouched.
Air volume is the other half, usually given in cubic metres a minute or in CFM, and it's how much air the blower moves. A high volume blower pushes a wide pile of dry leaves along like a broom, even if its speed figure looks modest. The Stanley Fatmax V20 axial kit quotes 5.7 cubic metres a minute at 145 km/h, and its brushless sibling quotes up to 11.6 in boost, which is roughly double the air.
The trouble is that most listings give one number and not the other. Of the six picks, the two Stanley kits give both, the Bosch and the BLACK+DECKER give speed only, the Metabo gives speed only, and the Husqvarna gives neither. So when one listing says 245 km/h and another says 150 km/h, that's not a fair fight unless you know the volume too. I've said on each card which figures the listing states and which it doesn't.
In practice, a small courtyard, a path and a short drive are fine with any of these. A long gravel drive, a big lawn edge or a deck covered in gum leaves is where the higher volume, brushless units earn their price. If you mostly blow dry leaves into a pile, chase volume. If you mostly shift wet muck off concrete, chase speed and a nozzle that narrows the stream.
Runtime, and why the box number is generous
Runtime figures on blower listings are measured the kind way, usually on the lowest speed with a fresh battery and nothing in front of the nozzle. The Stanley brushless listing is honest about that in its own footnote: up to 18 minutes per charge on a 4.0Ah battery, on low speed. The Bosch states up to 17 minutes on its 2.5Ah pack, and the other four listings don't give a runtime at all.
On full speed or in boost, expect a lot less, often half or under, because the motor draws far more current. That's fine for a quick clean of the patio, but it's not enough for a big block in one go. Most people find the battery runs out about the time the job is two thirds done, and the fix is a second battery rather than a bigger blower.
Battery size is in amp hours on the label, and more amp hours means more runtime on the same tool. The Metabo kit comes with a 5.2Ah pack, the two Stanley kits and the Husqvarna with 4.0Ah, the Bosch with 2.5Ah and the BLACK+DECKER with 2.0Ah. If you've got a bigger area, the bigger pack in the kit is worth more than a few extra kilometres an hour on the speed figure.
Use boost in short bursts for the stubborn stuff, not as the normal setting. Running a pack flat on boost every time heats the cells, and heat is what shortens a lithium pack's life. Working on the lower speed for the open areas and keeping boost for wet leaves along the kerb gets more done per charge and keeps the pack in better shape for longer.
The battery platform you're buying into
A blower is usually not the first battery tool in the shed, and it shouldn't be bought as if it were. Each brand's batteries only fit its own tools, so the platform you already own matters more than the blower itself. If there's a Bosch green drill or a Bosch hedge trimmer in the cupboard, a bare Bosch blower and the battery you've got is the sensible buy.
Here's what the batteries cost on the same day, from the same Amazon AU data. Bosch's AL 1830 CV fast charger on its own is listed at $99, and the Bosch blower without a battery is $130 against $175 for the kit with a 2.5Ah pack and charger, so the kit's battery and charger cost $45 on top of the bare tool. A genuine Stanley Fatmax V20 2Ah pack is listed at $88 by a marketplace seller. Those numbers are why the second and third tool on a platform cost so much less than the first.
The platforms in this guide are Bosch Home and Garden 18V (the green Power for All range), BLACK+DECKER 18V, Stanley Fatmax V20, Metabo 18V and Husqvarna Aspire. Stanley's listing says the V20 range runs to more than 50 tools, and Bosch's says its battery fits every tool in the green 18V system. Bosch's blue professional range is a different platform, so don't mix those up when you're buying a bare tool.
If you've got no battery tools yet, think about the next two you'll want. A battery lawn mower and a trimmer are the usual companions to a blower, and buying all three on one platform means a couple of shared batteries instead of three separate chargers on the shed wall. Pick the brand with the mower you'd actually buy, then the blower from the same family.
Brushed or brushless motors
Two of the six picks state a brushless motor: the Stanley Fatmax V20 brushless kit and the Metabo. The Bosch, the BLACK+DECKER and the axial Stanley don't state brushless, so I'd treat them as brushed, and the Husqvarna listing doesn't say either way. A brushed motor has carbon brushes rubbing on a commutator to pass power to the spinning part, and those brushes wear down over time.
A brushless motor swaps the brushes for electronics that switch the current, so there's nothing rubbing inside. That means more of the battery's energy ends up as air, longer runtime from the same pack and less heat in the motor. It also means a small circuit board inside the tool, which is the part that fails when water gets in, so a brushless blower still wants to live somewhere dry.
For a few minutes of blowing once a week, a brushed blower is perfectly good and costs less. The difference shows up on bigger blocks and longer sessions, where the brushless unit runs longer on the same battery and the motor isn't the part that wears out first. If you're clearing a quarter acre of gum leaves every weekend through autumn, that's where I'd spend the extra.
Noise, neighbours and where you blow
Battery blowers are quieter than petrol ones, and that's half the reason people switch, but they're still loud enough to annoy the neighbours at seven on a Sunday. Most councils set quiet hours for powered garden equipment, so check yours before an early start. Two listings, the BLACK+DECKER and the Husqvarna, describe their blowers as low noise, but neither gives a decibel figure, so I can't compare them on that.
Where you point it matters as much as when. Blowing leaves into the gutter or a stormwater drain is usually against council rules, and it's how drains block before the first big storm. Blow into a pile on the lawn, rake it into a bin or a compost heap, and keep the nozzle low so you're moving leaves rather than throwing dust into the air and onto the car.
Wear safety glasses, because grit and small stones come off a path at speed and they don't always go where you aimed. Closed shoes are worth it too. Keep kids and pets clear of the nozzle, and never point it at anyone as a joke, since a blower at full speed can flick a stone hard enough to chip a window, let alone an eye.
Gutters, decks and the jobs beyond leaves
A blower is a handy tool for more than leaves. It clears grass clippings off paths after mowing, dries a car or a ute after washing, blows sawdust out of the garage and pushes water off a deck after rain. The Bosch kit includes an inflator nozzle for air mattresses and paddling pools, and both Stanley kits have a built-in scraper for leaves that are stuck down.
Gutters are the job people most want a blower for, and the one I'd be careful with. Standing on a ladder with a blower in one hand is a good way to fall, and most handheld blowers can't reach a gutter from the ground without a gutter kit, which none of these six include. Our gutter and roof maintenance guide covers the tools built for that job.
For hard surfaces with grime rather than loose debris, a blower only moves the top layer. Moss, mould stains and tyre marks on a driveway need water and pressure, and a pressure washer is the right tool there. Blow the loose leaves off first and the pressure washer has less to fight with, which gets the whole job done faster.
Charging and storing the battery
The battery is the most expensive part of a cordless blower, and the one most likely to be killed by how it's stored. Lithium packs hate heat, and a tin shed in a Central Coast summer gets well past what the cells like. A pack left on a shelf near the roof all summer, or left in the car on a hot day, loses capacity faster than one kept inside where it's cool.
Store packs part charged, somewhere between half and three quarters, rather than full or flat. Don't leave a battery on the charger for weeks at a time, and don't charge a pack that's still hot from a long session, let it cool down first. If a pack ever swells, smells, gets hot while sitting idle or won't take a charge, stop using it and take it to a battery recycling point.
Use the charger that came with the kit or a genuine replacement. Third-party packs and chargers for Bosch, Stanley and BLACK+DECKER tools are all over Amazon at well under the genuine price, and some are fine, but a pack with poor cell matching and no proper protection is a fire risk on a shelf. Our page on what goes wrong with poor chargers covers why the electronics matter.
Charge on a hard, non-flammable surface rather than on a wooden workbench under a pile of rags, and not overnight in a garage you can't hear from the house. The chargers in these kits draw very little power, well under what a standard 10A socket can supply, so overload isn't the issue. The risk is a faulty pack heating up with nobody around to notice.
How I picked these six
I started with every battery leaf blower kit sold new on Amazon AU between about $120 and $525, then dropped anything sold by an overseas seller, anything with a European or US region code on the part number, the skin-only tools, since a kit is what most first-time buyers need, and a well-ranked no-name kit whose listing ships a US-style charger. A DeWalt compact blower was left out because its listing gives a European part code beside an Australian model code, and I couldn't confirm which unit ships.
I picked the six best-ranked kits from $151 to $359, ranked by Amazon AU sales rank in the Leaf Blowers category on the day. The Bosch is the best-ranked of the six by a long way at #6, and the rest sit between #60 and #112. I read every listing for box contents, battery size, stated speed and stated volume, and where a listing doesn't give a figure, the card says so rather than guessing.
Prices change week to week, and battery kits often get bundled differently through the year, so check what's in the box against the listing before you order. The ranks are a snapshot from the day I checked, not a lifetime figure. If the blower you're looking at isn't one of these, the same checks still apply: platform first, then volume, then runtime.
The 6 picks, $151 to $359
Prices are Amazon AU at time of writing (2026-11-12) and move week to week. Ranks are Amazon AU sales ranks in the Leaf Blowers category, checked the same day.
Bosch UniversalLeafBlower 18V-130 Kit with 2.5Ah Battery and Fast Charger
ASIN B0CRXLCF4K • $175 • Ships from Amazon AU
This is the blower I'd start most people on, and it's the best-ranked of the six by a wide margin at #6 in Amazon AU's Leaf Blowers category. It's Bosch's green Home and Garden 18V blower, sold by Amazon AU as a kit with a 2.5Ah battery, a fast charger, a leaf blower nozzle and an inflator nozzle. The listing gives a top air speed of up to 245 km/h across two speeds, the highest speed figure of the six picks. Website-wide it sits at #1,147 on Amazon AU, while the other five picks sit between about #17,900 and #32,200 overall, so it outsells the rest of this list by a long way. That matters less for performance than for parts, since a popular tool tends to have spare nozzles and batteries around for years.
It weighs 1.6kg by the listing, which is light enough to hold out in front of you for a full battery without your wrist complaining. The stated runtime is up to 17 minutes on the 2.5Ah pack, which is plenty for a courtyard, a path and a drive, and short for a big block. The battery fits every tool in Bosch's green 18V range, so a trimmer or a drill on the same platform can share it. Two speeds is a simple setup: low for dry leaves along the lawn edge and garden beds, high for the drive and anything wet. There's no variable trigger, so you can't feather it around pot plants, and I'd hold the nozzle further back from loose mulch rather than expecting a gentle setting to do the job.
The listing doesn't give an air volume figure, so I can't say how wide a pile it moves compared with the Stanley kits. The inflator nozzle is a nice extra for the paddling pool and air mattresses. If you already have a green Bosch 18V battery, the bare blower is listed at $130, which is $45 less than this kit. Keep the pack out of a hot shed in summer. Blow out the air intake grille now and then so leaves don't clog it, and wipe the housing down after a dusty job.
Honest caveats: The 2.5Ah pack is the second smallest in the kits here, so a big block will need a second battery. Two speeds only, with no variable trigger, and no air volume figure on the listing. It's Bosch's green Home and Garden range, which doesn't share batteries with Bosch's blue professional tools.
Best for: Most homes with a courtyard, paths and a drive, and anyone already on Bosch's green 18V platform.
Price: $175 (Amazon AU) • Model: UniversalLeafBlower 18V-130 (06008A0640) • Air speed: Up to 245 km/h, 2 speeds • Air volume: Not stated on the listing • Battery: 1 x 18V 2.5Ah, fast charger included • Runtime: Up to 17 minutes stated (2.5Ah) • Weight: 1.6kg stated • In the box: Blower, leaf nozzle, inflator nozzle, battery, charger • Rank: #6 in Leaf Blowers (Amazon AU)
View on Amazon AU
BLACK+DECKER 18V Power Command Blower Kit 2.0Ah (GWC1820PC-XE)
ASIN B076VFZ8NC • $151.05 • Ships from Amazon AU
The BLACK+DECKER is the lowest-priced of the six at $151, and it's a sensible blower for a small yard, a unit courtyard or clearing grass clippings off the path after mowing. It's part of the Power Command range, sold by Amazon AU under the Australian model code GWC1820PC-XE, and the title lists a 2.0Ah battery. The listing gives a top speed of up to 209 km/h, with a boost button for stubborn debris. Power Command is BLACK+DECKER's 18V range, and the battery fits the other BLACK+DECKER 18V garden and household tools rather than the Stanley Fatmax range. The listing says it's meant for hard surfaces like patios, decks, pavements, drives and garages, which is a fair description of where it does its best work.
At 1.7kg by the listing it's about the same weight as the Bosch, and the soft grip handle helps if you're holding it for a while. The boost button is the useful bit: run it on the normal setting for dry leaves and push boost for the wet clumps along the kerb, which stretches the small battery further. The listing describes it as low noise, but it doesn't give a decibel figure. For a unit or a townhouse with a small courtyard, a short runtime rarely matters, since the whole job takes a couple of minutes. Where it falls down is a big lawn edge or a long drive, and that's the point to look at the 4Ah Stanley kits instead of buying a second small battery.
The listing doesn't state a runtime, an air volume figure or the charger in the box, so check the box contents on the current listing before you order. At #60 in Leaf Blowers it sells well below the Bosch. The 2.0Ah pack is the smallest in the six kits, so it suits short jobs rather than a big block. Store the battery inside over summer. Shake leaves out of the intake after each use, and don't leave the pack sitting flat for months. Brush the vents clean with a dry brush rather than a wet cloth.
Honest caveats: The 2.0Ah battery is the smallest of the six kits, and the listing gives no runtime or air volume figure. The features don't spell out the charger, so read the box contents on the listing. BLACK+DECKER's 18V batteries don't fit Stanley Fatmax V20 tools, even though the brands share an owner.
Best for: A small yard or courtyard and quick clean-ups after mowing, where a short runtime doesn't matter.
Price: $151 (Amazon AU) • Model: GWC1820PC-XE (Power Command) • Air speed: Up to 209 km/h, boost button • Air volume: Not stated on the listing • Battery: 18V 2.0Ah (per the title) • Runtime: Not stated on the listing • Weight: 1.7kg stated • Rank: #60 in Leaf Blowers (Amazon AU)
View on Amazon AU
Stanley Fatmax V20 18V Axial Blower Kit with 4Ah Battery (SFMCBL714M1-XE)
ASIN B0FQ5DB3GC • $217.59 • Ships from Amazon AU
The axial Stanley is the kit I'd pick for a bigger block on a sensible budget, because it puts a 4Ah battery in the box for $218. Amazon AU sells it under the Australian code SFMCBL714M1-XE, with a 4Ah V20 battery and a 2.0A charger. It's one of the two picks whose listing gives both numbers: 5.7 cubic metres a minute of air at 145 km/h, with a clearing distance of 3 metres. That clearing distance is the listing's figure for how far the air pushes debris, and it's a useful number to have, since most listings leave it out. The 4Ah battery is double the BLACK+DECKER's pack and well above the Bosch's 2.5Ah, which is what carries it through a bigger block.
The speed figure looks low next to the Bosch, but the volume is what moves a wide pile of dry leaves, and an axial fan pushes a lot of air for its size. It weighs 1.5kg without the battery by the listing, so it'll be heavier with the 4Ah pack fitted. There's a built-in scraper on the nozzle for leaves stuck to concrete, and a hanging hook so it can live on the shed wall instead of on the floor. Axial means the fan sits in line with the tube rather than off to one side in a snail-shaped housing, and that layout usually gives a lot of volume for its size. The stream tends to be a little softer at the very tip, so wet leaves stuck to concrete may need the scraper or a second pass.
The listing doesn't state a runtime or a brushless motor, so I'd treat it as brushed and expect less runtime per amp hour than the brushless Stanley. It ranks #67 in Leaf Blowers. The V20 battery fits the whole Stanley Fatmax V20 range. Keep the pack inside over summer. Blow the dust out of the fan intake after each job, and check the scraper edge for chips if you use it on rough concrete. The 2.0A charger is on the slow side for a 4Ah pack, so charge it straight after a job rather than right before the next one.
Honest caveats: No runtime figure on the listing, and no mention of a brushless motor, so expect it to run down faster than the brushless sibling. The 1.5kg weight is without the battery. The 2.0A charger is slow for a 4Ah pack, so a flat battery takes a while to come back.
Best for: A bigger block of dry leaves where air volume and a 4Ah battery count for more than top speed.
Price: $218 (Amazon AU) • Model: SFMCBL714M1-XE • Air speed: 145 km/h stated • Air volume: 5.7 cubic metres a minute stated • Battery: 1 x 18V 4Ah V20, 2.0A charger • Runtime: Not stated on the listing • Weight: 1.5kg without battery stated • Extras: Built-in scraper, hanging hook • Rank: #67 in Leaf Blowers (Amazon AU)
View on Amazon AU
Stanley Fatmax V20 18V Brushless Blower Kit 4.0Ah (SFMCBL730M1-XE)
ASIN B0D1JWCLH3 • $269 • Ships from Amazon AU
The brushless Stanley is the pick for the biggest piles. Its listing quotes up to 11.6 cubic metres a minute in boost, about double the axial Stanley's figure, and up to 177 km/h on its variable speed trigger. It's sold by Amazon AU under the Australian code SFMCBL730M1-XE for $269, with a 4.0Ah V20 battery and a 2A charger, and of the six it's the kit that pairs a variable trigger with a stated boost mode. It's the same V20 platform as the axial Stanley, so the battery swaps between the two and across Stanley's wider V20 range. The title also quotes 410 CFM, which is the same boost figure in imperial units, and the XE suffix on the part number marks the Australian unit.
The brushless motor is the reason it costs more, and it's what lets it move more air from the same size battery. The listing gives up to 18 minutes per charge, but it's honest that the figure is on low speed with no load, so boost will run it down much faster. There's a built-in scraper, a charge indicator on the battery and what Stanley calls Weather Guard, sealed modules and drain holes that the listing says apply to the tool, not the battery or charger. The variable trigger matters more than it sounds, because you can feather the air around garden beds and pot plants instead of blasting mulch across the lawn. The charge indicator on the pack means no guessing how much is left before you start on the drive.
At #88 in Leaf Blowers it ranks below the axial Stanley, even though it's the stronger tool on paper. Use boost in short bursts on the wet stuff and the trigger for everything else, which gets far more than a few minutes out of the pack. Even with the Weather Guard, I'd keep it out of the rain and dry it off before it goes back on the hook. Keep the battery inside over summer, and blow out the intake after each use. Check the scraper edge for chips after rough concrete.
Honest caveats: The 18 minute runtime is on low speed with no load, so boost will drain the pack far faster. The listing doesn't give a weight. Weather Guard covers the tool only, not the battery or charger, and a brushless controller still doesn't like water. It costs $51 more than the axial Stanley on the same battery.
Best for: Bigger blocks and heavy autumn leaf fall, especially if you're already on the Stanley Fatmax V20 platform.
Price: $269 (Amazon AU) • Model: SFMCBL730M1-XE • Motor: Brushless • Air speed: Up to 177 km/h, variable trigger • Air volume: Up to 11.6 cubic metres a minute in boost • Battery: 1 x 18V 4.0Ah V20, 2A charger • Runtime: Up to 18 minutes stated (low speed, no load) • Extras: Scraper, charge indicator, Weather Guard on the tool • Rank: #88 in Leaf Blowers (Amazon AU)
View on Amazon AU
Metabo LB 18 LTX BL Brushless Leaf Blower Kit with 5.2Ah Battery
ASIN B0DRNPKNPJ • $327.08 • Ships from Amazon AU
The Metabo is the kit for someone who wants the biggest battery in the box and a trade-brand platform behind it. It's sold by Amazon AU for $327 with a 5.2Ah pack and a charger, under the model LB 18 LTX BL and an AU part number. The listing gives a brushless motor, variable speed control and up to 150 km/h, and the 5.2Ah battery is the largest of the six kits, which is what carries a longer session. The 150 km/h figure is lower than the Bosch and the brushless Stanley, but on its own that says little without a volume figure, which the listing doesn't give. The part number carries an AU prefix, which is the tell that this is the Australian unit rather than a European one.
Metabo's 18V batteries are aimed at trade tools, so if you've got a Metabo drill, grinder or saw in the shed, this blower runs on the same packs and the 5.2Ah battery is a useful spare for those too. A brushless motor and a big pack together are the combination that gets the most clearing from one charge, though the listing doesn't put a minute figure on it. A bigger battery is also a heavier one, so the 5.2Ah pack will make it heavier in the hand than the 2.0Ah and 2.5Ah kits, though the listing doesn't give a weight to compare. If you've got no Metabo tools at all, the Stanley brushless kit gives you stated airflow figures for less money, and I'd look at that first.
The listing is thin on detail. It doesn't state the air volume, the runtime, the weight or the nozzle options, so I can't compare it directly with the Stanley kits on air moved. It ranks #73 in Leaf Blowers. Buy it for the platform and the battery, not for a figure on the box. Keep the pack inside and part charged between uses, and blow the intake clear after each job. Check the nozzle clips are seated before you start, since a loose tube costs air. Wipe the battery contacts dry if it's been out in the damp.
Honest caveats: The listing gives no runtime, air volume or weight, so it can't be compared on air moved with the Stanley kits. The 150 km/h speed figure is below the Bosch, the BLACK+DECKER and the brushless Stanley. It's the second most expensive of the six, and the price is mostly the 5.2Ah battery.
Best for: Anyone already running Metabo 18V trade tools, or who wants the biggest battery in the kit.
Price: $327 (Amazon AU) • Model: LB 18 LTX BL (AU60160702) • Motor: Brushless • Air speed: Up to 150 km/h, variable speed • Air volume: Not stated on the listing • Battery: 1 x 18V 5.2Ah, charger included • Runtime: Not stated on the listing • Rank: #73 in Leaf Blowers (Amazon AU)
View on Amazon AU
Husqvarna Aspire Blower 18V Kit with 4.0Ah Battery and Charger
ASIN B0DJ25PXCG • $359 • Ships from Amazon AU
The Husqvarna Aspire is the pick for a small shed or a unit garage, because it's built around storage. The tube detaches, it comes with a hook, and the listing describes it as compact enough to hang on a wall or tuck into a tight space. Amazon AU sells it as a kit for $359 with a 4.0Ah battery, a 2.5A charger and a round nozzle, under part number 970620406, and it has a three-step speed setting. The title calls the charger 2.5Ah, which presumably means its 2.5A output, since a charger doesn't hold amp hours. The features use the same wording, so if charge time matters to you, check it on the current listing before you order.
The Aspire range is Husqvarna's home garden platform, so the battery fits the other Aspire tools rather than Husqvarna's bigger professional gear. The three speeds cover light work in garden beds up to wet leaves on the drive, and the 4.0Ah pack is the same size as the two Stanley kits. The listing describes it as low noise, though it doesn't give a decibel figure to compare. Husqvarna is a name most people know from mowers and chainsaws, and Aspire is the brand's smaller, lighter range for homes and small gardens. If you've already got an Aspire trimmer or mower, the battery swaps across, which makes the kit price easier to justify. If you haven't, the Stanley kits give more stated performance for less money.
It's the most expensive of the six and the listing gives the least performance data: no air speed, no air volume, no runtime and no weight. That makes it hard to recommend on power alone, and at #112 in Leaf Blowers it's the lowest-ranked of the picks. Buy it if storage and the Aspire range suit you. The harness and vacuum kit are sold separately. Keep the battery inside over summer, and wipe the tube joint clean so it seals when you refit it. Hang it by the hook rather than standing it on the nozzle.
Honest caveats: The listing gives no air speed, air volume, runtime or weight, so it can't be compared with the others on performance. It costs the most of the six. The harness and vacuum kit are extra, and the Aspire battery doesn't fit Husqvarna's larger professional tools.
Best for: Small sheds and unit garages where compact storage and a detachable tube matter most.
Price: $359 (Amazon AU) • Model: Aspire Blower 18V (970620406) • Speeds: 3-step adjustable • Air speed: Not stated on the listing • Battery: 1 x 18V 4.0Ah, 2.5A charger • Runtime: Not stated on the listing • In the box: Blower, round nozzle, battery, charger, storage hook • Rank: #112 in Leaf Blowers (Amazon AU)
View on Amazon AUSide-by-side comparison
What we see fail in the workshop: battery blowers
Battery garden tools come through our door for the same reasons phones and laptops do: the lithium pack, the charger and the small circuit board between them. The motor and fan are usually the last parts to give up. Here's what tends to go wrong with cordless blowers, how to tell which part it is, and what's worth checking before you buy a new kit.
Battery won't charge or dies in minutes
A pack that charges to full and then dies after a minute or two has usually lost capacity in one group of cells, and the protection board cuts the whole pack when that group drops too low. Heat is the usual cause, from summers in a hot shed or being charged straight after a long session. A pack that won't charge at all can be a flat-dead cell group the charger refuses to touch. Try a second battery before blaming the tool, and if the pack is swollen, hot or smells, stop and recycle it.
Cuts out, stutters or only runs on boost
A blower that runs in bursts or cuts out when you squeeze the trigger is often a worn switch or a dirty battery contact. Dust and fine grit get into the trigger switch, and the contacts in the battery slot corrode if the tool is stored damp. Clean the battery terminals with the pack out, check they're not bent, and see if a different battery fixes it. On a brushless tool, water in the controller board gives similar symptoms, which is why drying it off matters.
Rattles, whines or blows weakly
A rattle or a whine that wasn't there before usually means something has gone through the fan. A stick, a stone or a clump of wet leaves sucked into the intake can crack a fan blade, and a cracked fan wobbles, rattles and wears the motor bearings. Weak airflow with no noise is more often a blocked intake grille or a nozzle tube that isn't seated. Clear the intake, refit the tube, and if the rattle stays, stop using it before the motor bearings go too.
Decision tree: which one should you actually buy?
- Want one good blower for paths, a courtyard and a drive? → The Bosch UniversalLeafBlower 18V-130 kit at $175 is the best-ranked of the six, with up to 245 km/h and a 2.5Ah battery.
- Only clearing a small yard or clippings after mowing? → The BLACK+DECKER 18V Power Command kit at $151 has a boost button and a 2.0Ah battery for short jobs.
- Got a bigger block of dry leaves on a sensible budget? → The Stanley Fatmax V20 axial kit at $218 states 5.7 cubic metres a minute and ships with a 4Ah battery.
- Heavy autumn leaf fall and want the most air? → The Stanley Fatmax V20 brushless kit at $269 states up to 11.6 cubic metres a minute in boost and a variable trigger.
- Already running Metabo or want the biggest battery? → The Metabo LB 18 LTX BL kit at $327 comes with a 5.2Ah pack, the largest of the six.
- Blower battery dead, swollen or won't charge? → Stop using a swollen or hot pack and try a second battery first. If the charger or the tool is the fault, bring it into our Erina workshop and we'll test the pack and charger and tell you what's worth fixing before you spend anything.
Frequently asked questions
Is a higher km/h figure always better on a leaf blower?
No. Air speed is how hard the stream hits, which helps with wet leaves and grit stuck to concrete, but air volume is how much air the blower moves, which is what pushes a wide pile of dry leaves. A fast, thin jet clears a narrow strip. Most listings only give speed, so comparing two speed figures without the volume isn't a fair test. Of the six picks, the two Stanley Fatmax V20 kits are the ones whose listings give both numbers.
How long does a cordless leaf blower battery last?
Less than the listing suggests on full power. Runtime figures are usually measured on the lowest speed with no load, and the Stanley brushless listing says so in its own footnote. On full speed or boost, expect roughly half or less. Battery size in amp hours is the best guide, so a 4Ah or 5.2Ah pack runs longer than a 2.0Ah one on the same tool. For a big block, a second battery is usually a better buy than a stronger blower.
Should I buy a blower kit or the bare tool?
Buy the bare tool if you already own a battery and charger from the same platform, because the kit price is mostly the battery. On the day I checked, the Bosch blower without a battery was $130 against $175 for the kit with a 2.5Ah pack and charger. If you've got no battery tools yet, the kit is the better start, and it's worth choosing the platform with the mower and trimmer you'd want next.
Are brushless leaf blowers worth the extra?
For long sessions on a bigger block, usually yes. A brushless motor has no carbon brushes to wear and turns more of the battery's energy into air, so it runs longer on the same pack and runs cooler. For a few minutes on a small yard once a week, a brushed blower is fine and costs less. A brushless blower does have a small controller board inside, so it still needs to be kept dry.
Can I use a leaf blower to clean my gutters?
Carefully, and usually not from a ladder with one hand. Most handheld blowers can't reach a gutter from the ground without a gutter attachment kit, and none of the six kits here include one. Holding a blower at the top of a ladder is an easy way to lose your balance. A gutter cleaning kit or a tool made for the job is safer, and it's worth checking the attachments sold for your brand before you buy.
Are third-party batteries safe in a cordless blower?
Some work fine, but it's a risk. Third-party packs for Bosch, Stanley and BLACK+DECKER tools are listed at a fraction of the genuine price, and the difference is often in the cell matching and the protection board that stops a pack overheating. A poor pack can lose capacity quickly or, worse, heat up on a shelf. I'd stick with genuine batteries, charge them on a hard surface and never leave a pack charging unattended overnight.
Related buying guides
Blower battery dying or tool cutting out?
Most cordless blower faults we see come down to a lithium pack that's lost cells to a hot summer, a worn trigger switch, corroded battery contacts or a cracked fan. Bring the tool, the battery and the charger into our Erina workshop and we'll test which part has failed and tell you whether it's worth fixing before you spend anything.
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