Walk behind leaf blowers

[AA7483]

Who owns one and what brand should I look at? I know Little Wonder seems to be the most popular. I certainly dont think I'd pay new prices for it but they're are plenty available on the second had market. I see that Home Depot sells Toro and Cub Cadet. How do they compare? They are much cheaper.

 

[jonshonda]

Just out of curiosity why a walk behind vs backpack?

 

[DuBois]

Just out of curiosity why a walk behind vs backpack?

Moar powurr!

Also having the airflow come out parallel to the ground can be nice.

But I'm speaking based on my own use, I don't know specifically why OP wants one.

 

[Dumber than lumber]

I remember seeing those in a Sears catalog about 40 years ago. Having lived in Florida for so long I did not appreciate the need for that kind of lawnmower alternative.

 

[PMD1966]

Saw a nice leaf blower at my landscape supply store. Ride on, zero turn. Price was around $12,000.

 

[Bighead38]

Little wonder from my commercial experience. Have abused many of them for years. The handles get loose after a lot of hours but you can fix that. The Honda motors last longer than any home owner will need. I’ve used billy goats but wasn’t a big fan of them.

Even the biggest backpack can’t compare to a 13hp little wonder. When used in combination you get the best results.

Some yards you need a ground blower. Some you can do with a backpack. Then there are houses like mine which require a push blower and a backpack. Sure I could do it with just a backpack but I would only be able to do small sections at a time. With both blowers I can start at the small side and just work the pile all the way to the street.

 

[Bretny]

Anything i can get to with a walk behind blower i can also get to with my lawnmower. Years ago i started just mulching in place. The pine needles i drive around in a circle blowing them inwarn with the lawnmower.

I still have a backpack blower and mostly just use it to blow away from trees of confine the leafs before i mow them.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Anything i can get to with a walk behind blower i can also get to with my lawnmower. Years ago i started just mulching in place. The pine needles i drive around in a circle blowing them inwarn with the lawnmower.

Mulching in place is actually a very good solution IF you can chop them fine enough ! I have seen yards next the wooded areas that get 6"-12" of leaves !!

 

[RKA]

I use an 8hp little wonder with a briggs engine. I hate starting that engine...it does fire up start reliably but it's a pita to turn it over unlike every honda motor I've owned (a 5 year old can start them). Anyway, the little wonder was bought second hand in good working order and it's bulletproof. The air filled tires are a must for my lot.

The first few years in this house I used a Stihl handheld blower/vac. I would spend 3 hours pushing and mulching leaves with that thing every weekend for 5 consecutive weekends. My back would ache for days each time. It could start and move a leaf pile about 20 feet total at which point it was too much for the blower and I'd switch to mulching and bagging. And if they weren't bone dry, it was less than 20 feet and forget about mulching. A backpack blower would do better, but you're talking going from 400 cfm to 600-700 cfm. The 8 hp little wonder goes to around 2000 cfm, and as mentioned above, its at ground level shooting the air horizontally across the ground. In 20 minutes I can blow everything off my yard and back into the woods. To hell with mulching it. Each pass advances the leaf pile 10ft easy. I still keep the handheld around for getting around plant beds and other little tasks during the year. The big boy comes out in Oct and Nov only.

 

[Steve_P]

In the 80s, at the shop I worked at, it was all Billy Goat. We also sold Little Wonder, but I don't remember if they made blowers back then. The LW hedge trimmer and little tiller were great. Is BG good now? I looked and they still exist.

 

[Bighead38]

In the 80s, at the shop I worked at, it was all Billy Goat. We also sold Little Wonder, but I don't remember if they made blowers back then. The LW hedge trimmer and little tiller were great. Is BG good now? I looked and they still exist.

I don’t like the modern billy goats at all. Every commercial landscaper around here uses little wonder for a reason.

 

[bas157]

I've got a Giant Vac that has worked fine for at least 10 years now. Why Giant Vac...because I was at a local OPE manufacture that was having a 'garage sale' on various items and the 2 Little Wonder sold before I could grab one of the. Been happy with it and have had no problems at all with it.
Little Wonder is what I see the most of around here.
As to why a push instead of backpack...because it can blow a huge wall of leaves across my yard that a backpack couldn't.

 

[Aileron]

I'll tell you why you would want one. They will blow the neighbors leaves right back into their yard across the street. I clean my leaves up, but the neighbors, hell no, they leave theirs lay to blow away over into my yard. Honest,they can have a 2 foot pile and after a week they are almost gone and wrapped all around my house. Pisses me off they go out and enjoy their weekend off while I'm out cleaning up their leaves. I bought one from a buddy, its old and loud and I don't care as long as they go back across. Works a lot better than my Stihl blower. I tried it with the Stihl and it whips the leaves up and not down and across. Poor politician caught me in my front yard a couple years ago a i was cleaning the leaves up and made the mistake on asking how he could help get me to vote for him. He knows about the leaves now. Yeah I know i need to move, I say until the trees bloom in spring.

 

[DetroitDIESEL444]

giant vac. i have a few

 

[AA7483]

Any one have any opinions on the toro and cub cadet that home depot offers. They are much cheaper than the little wonders but Im sure there is a reason. Ill probably look for a second hand little wonder

 

[Tbender78]

I have used a few different brands. All work well but you want one that is 8 hp or more. The smaller ones just don’t blow like the bigger machines. Sounds silly but you want a good front wheel. Something good size like 5” and larger. Anything smaller and it it get stuck in every divot in the yard.
I found mine used and not running for short money. Thru a carb kit in and runs like a top. Haven’t raked a lawn since.

 

[Shadowdog500]

I’ve had a 10hp little wonder for about 15 years or so and really like it. Just moved it from the shed into the shop today to get it ready for the leaves. Don’t know if today’s little wonder is as good as the ones sold 15 years ago.

 

[Bighead38]

I’ve had a 10hp little wonder for about 15 years or so and really like it. Just moved it from the shed into the shop today to get it ready for the leaves. Don’t know if today’s little wonder is as good as the ones sold 15 years ago.

Better. Moar Power!

 

[craftsman47]

Yep, the newer optimax little wonders move more air. I have 2, Love them.
9hp Honda's. Avoid the briggs Intek engine.

Anyone use a Fradan?

 

[setfocus]

my dad has an older billy goat with a 5hp honda, it works great, leaves never get too thick. But it's the only walk behind I've used. I don't have any experience with backpack blowers, just handheld gas and the older corded electric from when I was a kid