!#1: Best Gas Blowers Buy: November 2011

!: Blowers

There are many types of Blowers -- leaf blowers, industrial blowers, snow blowers, etc, Each type has different subtypes such as backpack, handheld, corded and cordless, wheeled, electric-powered and gas-powered, and so on. Each type and subtype differs in function and purposes. For example, while some of them may be specifically manufactured for home maintenance, other more powerful units are aimed at commercial users.

Electric-powered blowers require an electrical power source provided from an electrical outlet, through an extension cord. Cordless blowers, on the other hand, use rechargeable batteries and are more suitable for smaller areas because of their limited operating time. Mixing oil and gasoline operates gas-powered leaf blowers. 2-stroke gasoline engines generally power backpack blowers, while wheeled units generally have 4-stroke gasoline engines.

Snow blowers can be single-stage and two-stage. The former is a light duty machine that uses a single high-speed impeller (a rotor inside a tube) to pull in snow and expel it from a discharge chute. Two-stage snow blowers on the other hand, are heavy duty and have more than one low-speed metal auger that pull the snow into an impeller, which then discharges the snow into a chute.

Leaf blowers can be handheld, backpack or wheeled. Handhelds are most suitable for simple, home maintenance works. Backpack blowers are swift, has quick throttle response and fuel efficient and generally preferred by professionals. Wheeled or walk-behind leaf blowers are the best for maintaining larger areas and are mostly gas-powered.

Industrial blowers are manufactured using a range of durable plastics and metals, or a combination of both materials. Function includes drying, reducing heat levels, reducing smoke and odors, processing and controlling gaseous fumes in industrial settings like factories.