The why, what, and how of saying goodbye to gas-powered leaf blowers
The Why & How of Electric Lawn Care
Sustainable Montclair asked six established landscaping companies and Dr. Sarah Evans PhD MPH Assistant Professor of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, to explain the why and the how of sustainable landscaping methods. Watch the webinar here.
Why stop using gas-powered leaf blowers?
The short story: Gas-powered leaf blowers pollute the air with carcinogenic fumes, cause considerable emissions that are harmful to our climate, kick-up a large amount of fine particulate matter, produce unhealthy noise levels, and can harm the hearing and respiratory systems of workers, as well as potentially doubling the risk of certain cancers in workers using them.
User manuals for gas-leaf blowers include statements such as this one “As soon as the engine is running, this product generates toxic exhaust fumes containing chemicals, such as unburned hydrocarbons (including benzene) and carbon monoxide, that are known to cause respiratory problems, cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm”. The science on these machines is clear. They are harmful.
Towns and cities across the United States have ended the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. Some of these include: Evanston, IL. Maplewood, NJ, D.C., Larchmont, NY, White Plains, NY, and many towns and cities in California. The State of California has banned the sale of small off road engines, including gas-powered leaf blowers, effective 2024.
Even Home Depot recently announced that it will transition gradually to selling only electric landscaping equipment by 2028.
Still not convinced? Here are some resources to learn more:
• EPA: National Emissions from Lawn and Garden Equipment
• Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: Gas Leaf Blowers are Health Hazards
• NYTimes: Noise could take years off your life
• Respiratory Health Association: Leaf Blowers Leave Lungs Vulnerable
• Quiet Clean D.C.: Facts and Myths about The Phase-Out of Gas-powered Leaf Blowers
• Quiet Montclair: Get The Facts
• The 'Public Health Menace' of Fall in America
Should I “leave the leaves?”
Sure! Many people manage leaves on their property by mulching these, or raking them into flower beds. Leaves make phenomenal mulch and provide an essential habitat for pollinators and insects that are crucial to our ecosystem. If you are interested in learning about the benefits of leaving or mulching leaves, please check out this informative page by the US Department of Agriculture. We will be adding an entire section soon about best practices for sustainable gardening and landscaping.
Where can I find suggestions on which electric leaf blowers work best?
Electric leaf blowers are a much cleaner and safer alternative to gas-powered ones — and they work! In a 2023 article Consumer reports recently tested and compared gas-powered leaf blowers with electric ones and declared “electric is the clear winner”. The Ego LB7654 scored 89 points (out of 100) and the Ryobi RY404100VNM followed with a score of 86 in the handheld battery consumer category.
Powerful commercial options exist. Various companies offer backpack battery powered commercial blowers. For example. Ego has a commercial line which includes The Ego LBX6000 which delivers 170 MPH air speed and The Ego LBPX8004-2 which delivers 190 mph air speed and has a 26N push force. Commercial chargers for portable blower batteries are available with fast charging modes. For example, the EGO CHX5500 can fully charge a battery in as little as 3.5 hours. Battery capacity and the power level at which a blower is used, dictate how long that battery will last. For example, Ego has the backpack battery BAX1501 which has a capacity of 28.0Ah. If this battery is attached to their lbx6000 blower, it will have a run time as long as 5h 48 min at level 1 and as short as 1h 10 min in turbo boost mode. Commercial landscapers typically use multiple fully charged batteries each day. Best of all, many of the electric backpack blower combinations are lighter weight than their gas-powered equivalent.
How much does an electric leaf blower cost?
It depends on the make and model and the capacity batteries the item comes with. At the moment, a top of the line EGO POWER+ Commercial 56-volt 800-CFM 190-MPH Brushless Backpack Cordless Electric Leaf Blower 6AH costs $699 and that includes 2 6AH batteries. Another new option is the Kress Commercial 60V 35 N Backpack Blower retailing at $499 + batteries. Other brands used by all electric landscapers include the Stihl BGA300 retailing at $699, or the Husqvarna 550iBTX for $499.
Additional residential consumer options range to as low as $99.
How much does a full electric leaf blowing set-up for a commercial landscaping cost?
Commercial set-ups vary according to preferences, and how many batteries are needed in one day.
One theoretical set-up could be the following three items - as needed:
1) Ego Commercial Charger Chx5500 For $219
2) Ego Backpack Battery Bax1501 28.0Ah For $1399
3) Ego Blower Lbx6000 For $429
For a total expense of $2047 for a 28AH battery, a Leaf Blower, and a charger.
Another set-up with EGO equipment could look like this:
1) Ego Commercial 800CFM Backpack Blower with (2) 10.0AH Batteries included for $1299
2) Set of 2 Power+ 12.0AH Batteries for $899
3) Power+ Rapid Charger for $149
For a total expense of approx $2350 for a blower w/ 4 high capacity batteries and one charger.
A third powerful commercial option can be found via Kress. Kress offers the KC500.9 backpack model mentioned above. Kress boasts a different battery technology: “It has been (over)promised. Foretold. Predicted. We’ve finally unlocked the true potential of battery power. Longer service life*. 2x power*. 8-minute recharges**. Zero downtime. The wait is over. Start your transition to battery power today.” The Kress Commercial 60V 35 N Backpack Blower sells for $499. Battery pricing depends on capacity selected and ranges from $200 to $1400 plus the price of a charger.
Which companies sell electric leaf blowers?
Here is a list of companies that offer battery powered leaf blowers:
These can be purchased direct from manufacturer or via Amazon, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, or Lowes. Of course check with your local hardware store too!
Please see videos below for some helpful tips on battery management and more.
Can leaves from large properties really be handled with electric blowers?
Yes! Entire university campuses, public parks, and even golf courses are managed with electric equipment. For example The Battery in Manhattan takes care of all of their acreage, which includes 82 mature specimen shade trees, solely with electric equipment - including EGO blowers. As does local arboretum Greenwood Gardens. Dan Delventhal, a landscaper who owns MowGreen in Connecticut, has been advocating for sustainable landscaping for years while providing clean landscaping services to hundreds of customers. Likewise, Jeff Cordulack, from Organic Ways and Means.
More and more landscaping professionals are choosing electric equipment for both the health benefits and to comply with local ordinances. Many, like Diamond Cut Lawn Care having been in business for decades and are able to maintain high quality and grow their business without the use of harmful fossil fuels.
What companies are 100% electric in Montclair, or can provide electric leaf clean-up services?
Here are some local landscaping companies who can service residents of Montclair with all electric landscaping services.
Green Gus Electric Lawn Care: comicbookhook@gmail.com
Ray Farro Landscaping (transitioning to all electric): Rfarrolandscape@gmail.com or (973) 699-7092
And here are companies that we have been informed can provide electric fall leaf clean-up services in addition to gas-powered mowing and landscaping services:
Amazonia: (973) 752-2220
Evergreen Landscaping (919) 607-1520
Maxtor Landscaping LLC - (973) 202-1742
Naz 973-220-0117
Ojeda landscaping - (973) 530-8692
You can check the list of registered landscapers from our neighbors in Maplewood. Maplewood ended the use of gas leaf blowers in their town, last year.
In addition, many of the companies that already service Montclair already use electric blowers due to the fact that we have had seasonal limits on gas-leaf blowers for two years. We encourage you to have a conversation with your current landscaper.
We will update this list regularly with your recommendations for landscapers. If you are a landscaper who would like to be included in this list, and you are able to provide electric leaf blowing services, please reach out!
I’m a small business. I’d like to invest in sustainable equipment. How can I find loans, grants, financing for new electric equipment?
Long and short-term funding options are available, including:
SBA landscaping business loans
Bank loans
Alternative funding
Lines of credit
Equipment financing
Additional resources: