How to Use and Choose A Backpack Blower
At Solo, we tend to focus on manual pump backpack sprayers and, to some extent, battery-powered backpack sprayers. After all, Solo’s 425 and 475 backpack sprayers are two of our flagship products, and battery-powered lawn care equipment is all the rage in the lawn and landscaping industry. While our focus is on backpack sprayers, backpack air blowers are versatile and useful tools for homeowners and professional landscapers.
Blower uses
Blowers are straightforward, blowing objects at high speed and velocity, for fast and easy outdoor clean-up. Here are a few examples of how you can use a blower:
- Pine needles and leaves from your yard or gutters.
- Trash from parking lots, stadiums, and other commercial facilities.
- Snow from your driveway or car.
Choosing a blower: backpack or handheld
For the most part, blowers are straightforward, but you have few options depending on what you want to accomplish. First, you have the choice between a handheld or backpack blower.
Handheld Blowers
The most significant and obvious difference between the two options is size. Handheld blowers are suitable for smaller jobs, and homeowners tend to opt for a handheld sprayer for this reason. Overall, handheld blowers are less powerful than backpack blowers but also less expensive. One possible downside to handheld blowers is you have to hold them and using a handheld blower for extended periods might become cumbersome.
Backpack Blowers
Landscaping professionals gravitate toward backpack blowers because they do more extensive clean-up jobs. Backpack blowers are more powerful than handheld blowers, making them more efficient. You might use a backpack blower to clean leaves and debris from larger commercial properties like stadiums, office parks, or hotel parking lots. Backpack blowers are heavier and more expensive than handheld sprayer options but more efficient for extensive clean-up jobs.
Which should you choose?
It depends. Homeowners gravitate toward smaller options, but homeowners with large lawns may benefit from a backpack blower. Professionals, who tend to gravitate toward backpack options, may keep a handheld sprayer handy for quick clean-up jobs.
How to use a backpack blower safely
Now, let’s talk about how to use a backpack blower safely. You can’t sling on a backpack blower and start. Remember, backpack blowers are heavy, powerful tools. Here are a few tips on using a backpack blower safely:
- Wear protective eyewear. It’s important to wear glasses or goggles when using a backpack blower because you’re blowing debris at high speeds. You want to protect your eyes from flying projectiles as well as from dust and debris.
- Wear protective earwear. Most backpack blowers are loud. While backpack blowers tend to be loud, Solo has one of the quietest backpack blowers on the market.
- Do not point the blower in the direction of people or animals, or use the blower indoors. Avoid blowing when people are nearby.
- Inspect your backpack blower to make sure it is undamaged and working before you use it.