What Is the Best CFM for a Commercial Leaf Blower?

With a good leaf blower, you can cut the time you spend on cleaning leaves in half. If you’re looking for a leaf blower to prepare for the next season and don’t know where to start, we’ve got you covered! In this article, we’ll make sure to guide you in choosing the best leaf blower that is suited for you and your needs.

What does CFM mean for a commercial leaf blower?

If a car's speed is measured through km/h and lightbulbs’ brightness is measured through lumens, surely there is a measurement for equipment such as leaf blowers, right? Leaf blowers are measured by CMF and MPH. 

CFM refers to cubic feet per minute, and MPH refers to miles per hour. It is a common way to measure airflow. CFM represents the power of the volume of air used in one minute, whereas MPH represents the speed of air that is used in one minute. These two measurements are an important standard you should look for in choosing your next leaf blower.

Is MPH or CFM better for a commercial leaf blower?

All leaf blowers could be measured with both, MPH for the speed the air blows and the CFM for the power of the area that the air covers.

There are some leaf blower manufacturers who only put the MPH or just the CFM in the product specifics, though you should check out both. Here are CFM MPH ratios to consider:

Low CFM / High MPH - The manufacturer makes this combination by reducing the diameter of the nozzle. These leaf blowers are best for a smaller area.

High CFM / Low MPH - These leaf blowers typically have a much larger tube mouth to allow the high CFM rating. This combination may be more useful than the previous one as it is suitable for blowing dry leaves in a much larger area.

High CFM / High MPH - This may be the best combination there is. The nozzle of these backpack leaf blowers has a decent diameter, allowing the optimal air volume and speed combination. A commercial leaf blower is best for larger areas, and heavier debris, such as wet leaves.

Is a higher CFM better in a commercial leaf blower?

Now that we discussed why you should check out your leaf blower CFM, let us tell you why you need a higher CFM.

Using a commercial leaf blower probably means you're using it on a large area, right? 

Having a leaf blower with a higher CFM best suits commercial use. A large space to cover requires a more powerful leaf blower, especially with the mix of dirt, debris, and leaves that need to be cleared by your backpack air blower. Whether you’re clearing dust, grass, or wet or dry debris, the more area you can cover quickly and efficiently means more time and less work for you.

What CMF do you need in a commercial leaf blower?

The CMF you need mostly depends on the size of the area you’re working with. If you need to clear an acre size of the ground, you need around 400 CFM – 700 CFM. Larger than that, you need a higher CFM depending on what you’re working with. Leaf blowers with that CFM are not unusual. Most of them are in a backpack leaf blower style and gas-operated so that you don't have to worry about cords in an acre-size field. 

Choosing a higher CFM to make sure you have enough power is important but also don’t choose a commercial leaf blower that is too extreme. It could cause damage to grass, bushes, or agriculture if you are not familiar with the power.

Does every commercial leaf blower have the same CMF?

Definitely not, a lot of commercial leaf blowers are used differently. It might depend on the frequency of usage, the field they're working on, the fuel gauge, or the voltage it has. There are a lot of commercial leaf blower manufacturers to choose from, and they offer a variety of choices but you need the best.

Schröder USA gives you commercial leaf blowers that run for 980 CFM. This is one of the most powerful backpack leaf blowers offered by Schröder USA. There are also others that run a little less for around 920 CFM.

What are the types of commercial leaf blowers?

Leaf blowers are divided into battery or electricity-powered and gas operated leaf blowers. 

Electric leaf blowers are usually used for yards and smaller areas since they are not suitable to be used for a long time. You have to keep them plugged in or save the battery for future uses. Most of the electric ones are handheld and/or cordless. 

Gas-operated is ideal for larger fields. Since gas produces fumes upon usage, it is much better to use it in an open field for open ventilation. Most gas-operated leaf blowers are in backpack style and some are hip mounted. It’s heavier but more powerful for clearing dirt, debris, and leaves efficiently.

Which CMF in a commercial leaf blower is right for me?

Most leaf blowers' CMF depends on the leaf blower as a whole. For commercial use, look for backpack leaf blower since those levels of products have a higher CMF. Also, don’t forget to consider other aspects of the leaf blower:

•  Can you handle the weight? Pick heavier or lighter ones.
•  Is the CMF too much or too little for the field? Measure the field you’re working with.
•  Gas or Battery powered? Store gasoline or stock up on some batteries.

Aside from the basics that we talked about, look out for other features of the product that you might be interested in such as engine type, noise, comfortability, handling, prices, and reviews.

At Schröder USA, we give you a variety of choices for your commercial leaf blower needs, contact us and we will help you find the right one!