How Long Do Ryobi 40V Blowers Run & How Much Do They Cost?

Ryobi can be considered one of the most popular brands for power tools, and it's hard not to notice its appliances on display in every Home Depot. Ryobi offers many innovative devices to help with different tasks, whether that's simple DIY projects, off-roading mishaps, or equipment to make yard work a breeze.

Within Ryobi's 40V battery system, you'll find several blowers available via either Ryobi's website or at Home Depot. The most expensive via Ryobi is the 40V Brushless Whisper Series 730 CFM Backpack/Handheld Blower at $599, and the cheapest is the 40V 450 CFM Jet Fan Blower at $99. Some of the blowers are part of Ryobi's Brushless Whisper Series, while a couple have added features for convenience, such as the backpack blower, or functionality, like the vacuum plus blower combination.

However, the most notable difference between each of the standard blowers is the CFM rating for cubic feet per minute. For this article, to easily compare and contrast the blowers' battery life and cost, we're going to look at two midrange blowers at Home Depot — the 40V Brushless Whisper Series 600 CFM Blower with 4.0 Ah Battery Kit and the 40V 550 CFM Blower with 4.0 Ah Battery Kit. Both of these blowers come with brushless motors, are fairly close in CFM, and include the same battery size.

Before diving into the battery life of these landscaping power tools, let's talk about the slight differences. The 40V 550 CFM blower is the cheaper of the two, costing $160 at Home Depot. With that price, you'll get a maximum air speed of 120 mph and a noise rating of 59 dB. It's also fairly light, weighing only 8.25 lbs. With its brushless motor, you're getting more use out of your batteries, and over time, there'll be fewer maintenance requirements for the tool.

Comparatively, the 40V 600 CFM blower has higher specifications and a higher price. It costs $229 at Home Depot, has a maximum air speed of 155 mph, and weighs 9.7 lbs. It also has a lower noise rating of 55 dB. According to Ryobi, the Whisper Series is 85% quieter than gas. Furthermore, this more expensive blower comes with a cruise control function and a turbo button for maximum power at a moment's notice.

The details of these two tools are very similar. However, the battery life's runtime is not. With both blowers using a 4.0 Ah battery, the 550 CFM blower has a runtime of 75 minutes if you're using the variable speed on low. The 600 CFM blower has a runtime of up to 22 minutes. The product details do not specify the speed in this case, but considering it's only "up to" 22 minutes, it's safe to assume that's judged when the device is on the lower setting, too.

There is no specification for minimum battery life if both blowers are running at high or if you decide to use the turbo button on the 600 CFM. However, for comparison, it's worth considering the 50-minute duration difference between the two blowers, with only a 50 CFM gap in the respective ratings. Of course, if you purchased an enhanced source of power, like Ryobi's 40V 6.0 Ah Battery, you'll get more runtime, but you'll also have to spend nearly the same amount for the battery as you did for the blower kit. If you want to opt for a bigger battery, consider buying the tool-only version of either the 550 CFM or the 600 CFM and then purchase the larger capacity battery separately.