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The 6 best leaf blowers for fall 2024 can blow away the competition
Worx
With the autumn season upon us, in many parts of the country, this means one thing — the leaves on the trees will eventually fall to the ground. And if you like to maintain a pristine yarn, gathering and removing those leaves can be a pain. One solution: Invest in a powerful leaf blower.
Pro Tip: To reduce noise and maintenance, we recommend a battery-powered leaf blower and investing in at least two batteries for it.
What is the best leaf blower?
Unless you have a gardener, chances are, leaf collection and disposal is all your responsibility. Forget using a traditional rake. Check out these powerful leaf blowers that reduce the labor and time required for this dreaded seasonal task. Our team of in-house home and garden experts has curated this roundup of the best leaf blowers for fall 2024.
Best leaf blower: Worx Trivac 3-in-1
Amazon
This leaf blower from Worx is a corded, electric, three-in-one tool that blows, mulches and collects leaves. Because it’s a plug-in tool, it’s less expensive than battery- or gas-powered units, but a long extension cord (sold separately) is required. So you don’t have to worry about recharging batteries or dealing with the maintenance associated with a gas-powered leaf blower.
You can use the Worx Trivac 3-in-1 as a traditional blower, or adjust the 12-amp motor to serve as a vacuum and mulcher. It even collects the leaves in a bag for easy disposal. And best of all, the mulcher reduces what would otherwise be up to 18 bags of leaves into just one.
The blower is able to generate up to 210 miles-per-hour air flow, but is adjustable. You can use it for everything from light-duty sweeping to blasting away leaves. We chose the Worx Trivac 3-in-1 as out top pick, because it offers good value and versatility at a low cost. And it comes from a highly reputable brand. Based on more than 10,600 user reviews, this leaf blower has earned a 4.2-star out of five rating, so it’s generally well liked.
Best budget leaf blower: Lazyboi LA808
Amazon
When a leaf blower uses rechargeable batteries, you get added maneuverability and convenience, since you don’t have to deal with a long extension cord. This low-cost Lazybio LA808 is a 21-volt, cordless lead blower that comes with two batteries and a charger.
The blower has two speed options. It can be ramped up to the maximum air speed of 150 miles per hour, although, when turbo mode is engaged, it uses a lot of power and drains the battery faster. Turbo mode does, however, efficiently tackle stubborn debris, which makes yard cleanup a breeze.
The batteries offer up to 30 minutes of power when the leaf blower is set at low speed, or between 10 and 20 minutes in high-speed mode.
The unit itself weighs just 3.5 pounds and features an ergonomic body that reduces user fatigue by up to 30%. Meanwhile, the rubber grip offers non-slip support, making your work easier and more comfortable. The biggest drawback to this unit is the short battery life, but competing leaf blowers with higher-capacity batteries cost two to three times more.
Best low-noise leaf blower: Ryobi RY40440
Amazon
Here’s a leaf blower that relies on 40-volt rechargeable batteries. We like this unit because it operates on the quieter side, generating no more than 57 decibels when the motor is generating air flow at up to 190 miles per hour. While it’s not the least expensive leaf blower option, the RY40440 offers really good value for the money.
This leaf blower weighs in at under 17 pounds. It comes with two 4 Ah batteries and a charger. It’s powered using an intelligent, brushless motor that delivers maximum power for enhanced performance and a longer motor life.
The jet fan design delivers an impressive 730 CFM of clearing power to easily blow through the toughest cleanups. This blower features a turbo button and variable-speed trigger, which allows you to control the output of air. One notable feature is cruise control. This feature means you don’t have to continuously hold down the trigger with a finger while the blower is on.
Best leaf blower with vacuum and bag: Black & Decker BV6000
Walmart
We’re fans of leaf blowers that double as mulchers and leaf vacuums. The Black & Decker BV6000 handles all three of these tasks with ease. Plus, it comes with a disposable leaf bagging system.
The blower has two speeds and coverts from a blower to vacuum with a single button press. At maximum speed, you can expect airflow up to 250 miles per hour. We like that the high-impact metal fan helps prevent clogging during the mulching process. So you can grind up to 16 bags of mulched leaves and debris down to just one. Plus, the motor generates 50% less noise than Black & Decker’s previous model.
The BV6000 is a corded electric unit, so an extension cord (sold separately) is required. The unit, however, has a built-in cord retainer to keep the extension cord in place and plugged in for uninterrupted use.
Best battery-powered leaf blower: Greenworks BL80L2510
Amazon
When it comes to battery-powered lawn tools, we’re huge fans of the Greeworks and Worx brands. Both companies manufacture well-designed and durable products that use long life rechargeable batteries. The Greenworkx BL80L2510 leaf blower comes with one 80 volt, 2.5Ah battery and a charger.
Additional Greenworks batteries are sold separately ($240), but Amazon also sells compatible batteries from Bonacell, priced at just $119 each. We love that the same rechargeable battery is compatible with more than 75 other Greenworks tools.
This leaf blower runs using a brushless motor that generates airflow up to 145 miles per hour. This motor offers two times more torque and quieter operation than the company’s previous battery powered leaf blower models.
You also get a variable speed option and cruise control feature. Each fully charged battery offers up to 19 minutes of run time. The biggest perk of using a battery-powered leaf blower is that it requires no gas or oil, so it generates zero emissions. And it’s also lighter weight. The unit itself weighs just 10 pounds. Based on more than 3,200 user reviews on Amazon, this leaf blower has earned a 4.5-star out of five rating.
Best gas-powered leaf blower: Echo PB-9010T
Amazon
Unless you’re a professional landscaper or have a really large yard, a gas-powered leaf blower is probably not needed for easy leaf gathering and removal. Yes, gas-powered leaf blowers are more powerful and operate significantly longer than a battery-powered model, but these units are heavier, louder and require more maintenance, too.
The Echo PB-9010T is a backpack-style leaf blower that operates at a maximum volume of 80 decibels. So we recommend earplugs when using this or any similar leaf blower. This highly-rated unit weighs in at 27 pounds.
Built into this leaf blower is a two-stage air filter that extends the life of the two-stroke, 79.9-cc engine. You get a variable-speed, tube-mounted throttle with a convenient cruise control feature. Maximum airflow is up to 220 miles per hour.
If you’re looking for a battery-powered version of this leaf blower, check out the Echo eForce 795 ($699). It also offers a backpack design and is almost as powerful as the gas model, but runs on rechargeable batteries.
If you’re also shopping for a lawn mower, be sure to check out our coverage of the best riding lawn mowers of 2024 and the best robotic lawn mowers in 2024. We’ve also got you covered with our roundup of the best lawnmower and other smart lawn-care tech for 2024. And of course, all of our home, kitchen and outdoor coverage is continuously updated to make your buying choices easier.
Police arrested a man on murder charges this month, 14 years after he allegedly killed a man in Virginia, but the victim’s body has never been found.
Shane Ryan Donahue, a Virginia man, is presumed deceased, the Prince William County Police Department said Tuesday. He was last seen leaving his parents’ home in Nokesville, Virginia, on March 22, 2010. Donahue, 23, was headed to his house in Nokesville, but never made it there.
Donahue was added to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System after he vanished. According to records, Donahue did not have a car and regularly got rides from friends. He frequented Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Fauquier County, Virginia, and Northern Virginia.
The case stumped investigators, who followed a number of leads over the years. This spring, detectives reactivated the investigation and started looking at every detail of the case from scratch, officials said. They revisited people who had been interviewed during the initial investigation and reviewed “digital evidence in greater detail due to advances in analytical technology and modern police investigative practices,” according to a news release.
Officers said Donahue was last seen leaving his parents’ home with Timothy Sean Hickerson, now a 43-year-old Florida resident. Investigators connected Hickerson to a burglary at Donahue’s home that happened just days before the Virginia man disappeared.
Detectives got an arrest warrant this month and, with the help of Florida’s Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, Hickerson was taken into custody in Palm Coast, Florida. Hickerson was charged with murder and burglary, is now set to be extradited to Virginia.
Former President Donald Trump, an avowed proponent of tax cuts, is floating the idea of reversing a measure passed during his tenure in the White House that effectively raised taxes for many U.S. homeowners.
In a post Tuesday on Truth Social, Trump suggested he would scrap a $10,000 cap on deducting state and local taxes (SALT) that was passed as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act — a massive revamp that he has said boosted economic growth.
Now, in the run-up to the November election, Trump said in the post he would “get SALT back, lower your taxes, and so much more,” although he stopped short of offering details. Trump made the post ahead of a speech he’s giving Wednesday at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island.
Trump’s new proposal for getting rid of his $10,000 SALT deduction cap comes as the presidential hopeful is pitching several additional tax cuts that would, if enacted, reduce taxes for major groups of voters. He’s also vowed to eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits, a pledge that could get support from the nation’s senior citizens, as well as to end income taxes on tipped workers and on overtime pay, ideas that would help lower- and middle-income Americans.
Yet Trump’s reversal on the SALT deduction has sparked skepticism from lawmakers as well as economists and policy experts.
“So … now Trump is against the SALT tax cap which *checks notes* is a key part of the — only — major piece of legislation passed during his administration?” noted Chris Koski, a political science professor at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, on X.
Rep. Tom Suozzi, a Democrat from Nassau, Queens, said in a statement on Wednesday that he is “happy that the former president is saying that he has finally reversed his devastating decision in 2017 to cap the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction.” He also urged Trump to convince Republican lawmakers to vote to restore the full deduction “if he is truly serious.”
The SALT deduction cap “has been a body blow to my constituents for the past 7 years,” Suozzi added.
Senator Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, wrote on X,”Donald Trump took away your SALT dedications and hurt so many Long Island families. Now, he’s coming to Long Island to pretend he supports SALT. It won’t work.”
Asked for details about Trump’s proposal to restore the SALT writeoff, a spokeswoman for the Trump campaign told CBS MoneyWatch: “While his pro-growth, pro-energy policies will make life affordable again, President Trump is also going to quickly move tax relief for working people and seniors.”
Here’s what to know about the SALT deduction.
What is the SALT deduction?
The state and local tax deduction allows taxpayers who itemize to deduct property taxes, sales taxes and state or local income taxes from their federal income taxes. Prior to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, there was no limit on how much people could deduct through the SALT deduction.
But the 2017 tax overhaul passed under Trump limited the deduction to $10,000 – a blow to many homeowners in states with high property taxes, many of which are Democratic leaning. At the time of the law’s passage, the Treasury Department estimated that almost 11 million taxpayers in high-tax states like New York and New Jersey would forfeit $323 billion in deductions.
Who benefits from the SALT deduction?
Homeowners with high property taxes, such as people in New York, New Jersey and California, were the biggest beneficiaries of the the full SALT deduction.
But some experts also noted that the SALT deduction primarily put more money in the pockets of higher-earning Americans. About 80% of the full SALT deduction had helped people earning more than $100,000 a year, according to the Tax Foundation.
What happened after Trump capped the SALT deduction at $10,000?
The limit has increasingly impacted middle-class homeowners across the U.S. because of rising property taxes and incomes. Some lawmakers have also sought to either repeal or increase the SALT cap, but none of those efforts have borne fruit.
Earlier this year, some lawmakers sought to double the SALT deduction cap to $20,000 for married couples, with the change retroactive for the 2023 tax year. But that bill was blocked in the House in February.
Won’t the SALT deduction cap expire anyway?
Yes, the SALT deduction cap is a provision that’s due to expire in 2025, as are many other parts of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, such as a reduction of the individual tax brackets. But Trump has previously indicated he wants to extend the provisions in his signature tax law.
How much would it cost the U.S. to repeal the SALT deduction cap?
It won’t be cheap, according to the the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a think tank that focuses on budget and policy issues.
Eliminating the $10,000 deduction limit “would increase the cost of extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) by $1.2 trillion over a decade,” the group estimates, adding that such a measure would be a “costly mistake.”
Extending the TCJA’s tax cuts would increase the nation’s deficit by $3.9 trillion over the next decade, the group estimates. By adding in a expiration or repeal of the SALT deduction cap, that would grow to $5.1 trillion, it added.
“Lawmakers should not extend the TCJA without a plan to – at a minimum – offset the costs of extension, but ideally the plan would raise revenues relative to current law and help put the nation’s debt on a better trajectory,” the group said in a statement.
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