Husqvarna 580BTS Gas Backpack Leaf Blower, 75.6-cc 4.59-HP 2-Cycle Gas Leaf Blower, 1000-CFM, 47-N, 220-MPH Superior Blowing Capacity and Ergonomic, Ventilated Harness

Why it's worth it

The Husqvarna 580BTS runs a 75.6cc X-TORQ engine to 1,000 CFM, 220 MPH and 47 newtons of blow force — the most of anything in this guide. It's built for professional crews and half-acre-plus properties with heavy tree cover.

Nothing cordless here comes close on sustained force. At 1,000 CFM and 47 N, the 580BTS moves piles that the EGO and the Milwaukee have to work at in several passes. On a property with mature oaks and maples dropping for six weeks straight, that gap compounds into hours. Owners describe cutting cleanup time by two-thirds coming from a handheld.

The harness is a bigger deal than the engine spec. It's ventilated with a padded hip belt, so the 34 pounds rides on your hips and shoulders rather than your spine. That's what makes four- and eight-hour days survivable. Weight distribution is the whole reason backpacks exist, and this one is done properly.

From our review of 8 leaf blowers, by David Sinclair, Managing Editor

What we like

• +Nothing cordless here comes close on sustained force
• +The harness is a bigger deal than the engine spec
• +It also refuels in a minute
• +There's a legal question you have to answer before buying

What to know

• –It's loud enough to require hearing protection, full stop
• –It needs annual service: spark plug, air filter, fuel filter, carburetor check
• –Owners occasionally report assembly headaches — wrong or ill-fitting handle mounts, a blower tube that takes real force to lock