Are Ryobi's Gas Leaf Blowers Any Good? Here's What Owners Say

Ryobi has a reputation for questionable quality throughout its wide catalog of electric-powered tools, but that reputation might not be entirely accurate. The Ryobi line of landscaping tools is quite popular among home landscapers, and the brand's gas-powered leaf blowers, in particular, are generally well-received by buyers for the price value and power. Yet criticisms persist.

Currently, Ryobi has two gas-powered leaf blower models on the market. At the time of this article's publication, the 520cfm handheld model has over 2,400 customer reviews on the Ryobi site, with an average score of 4.7/5 stars. The pricier, more-powerful 760cfm backpack model has over 1,200 reviews, and its score also averages out to 4.7/5 stars. This data comes from the brand's own website, so we'll need to expand our scope. 

Between the Ryobi site itself and outside user reviews, the two models aren't free of criticism. Customer complaints include plastic parts lacking in durability, start-up troubles, fuel leaks, and difficulty in finding parts for DIY repairs. One customer review on the handheld model's Amazon listing also mentions frustrations with unavailable replacement parts and low-quality plastic components.

Thus, it's worth taking a deeper look into customer feedback before you decide to buy a Ryobi gas-powered leaf blower. Fortunately, there are five solid vendors that sell Ryobi products, allowing us to collect customer reviews from multiple sources. That way, we won't have to rely on the potentially-curated reviews from the Ryobi website to decide if these "budget-friendly" blowers are worth their price.

Considering the handheld model's reviews on the Ryobi site, the customer response is overwhelmingly positive. User Biffymyster complimented its high power , pointing out how its weight is offset by the time-saving force of its output. User Marlorman backs up this claim, writing, "This blower has saved me HOURS of time. It is a small yet extremely powerful." Such power is in contrast to Ryobi's questionably-quiet Whisper Series products.  

However, the comments on Ryobi's site have dubious impartiality. Many of the positive reviews answered "Yes" to the disclaimer "Did you submit this review as part of a sweepstakes entry?" Many of the negative reviews, with complaints like start-up difficulties and snapped bolts, responded "No." Thus, the Ryobi site might not be the most unbiased source.

So let's consider what buyers have said elsewhere. Home Depot carries the handheld model, and its owner reviews are mostly positive. With over 4,400 reviews, its average customer rating is currently 4.4 out of 5 stars. Happy customers point to the power and convenience of the design, such as one user, who says, "Easy start, light weight, and powerful... for the money, it just can't be beat!" These four main compliments are common among the 5-star reviews. The Home Depot reviews also reiterate the complaints we found on the Ryobi site. The service life is definitely a sore spot. One unlucky user's blower broke down "just 13 days out of warranty," though that was after three years of use. Other owners reported cheap plastic components, gas leaks, and loose screws and bolts.

The overlap of reviews on Ryobi's site and Home Depot does suggests a consensus. Overall, owners say that this handheld blower is powerful and good for the price, yet it's not free of durability issues.

The 760cfm Ryobi backpack blower is what most people think of when they envision leaf control. Its speed maxes out at 175mph via a 38cc engine, so it's quite powerful. That being said, the price typically falls below $300, placing it on the cheaper end of gas-powered blowers. Overall, owner feedback praises this price-for-power accolade while reiterating the same flimsiness that plagues the handheld model. 

For example, Michael7 shared their review on the Ryobi site, saying, "It's super powerful. I'm 210lbs and it pushes me back a little." That's to be expected for a blower capable of 760cfm, which beats the majority of the most powerful electric blowers. However, looking at the site's negative reviews, we see some downfalls. Owner Terro's handle broke after only 3 months due to "cheap flimsy, plastic." Another buyer, VegasGeof, had a familiar gripe, saying, "Worked fine for 1 year ... before the lower assembly cracked ... Pretty shabby." Shabby indeed.

Other vender websites host similar pros and cons. On the Home Depot listing, user Rico says it, "runs great for 1 year... after that plastics start to crack." Conversely, user CG applauds the power, saying, "after years worth of use I LOVE my blower! It starts up easy and has a ton of power." 

We see the same key points from responses on Amazon. However, reviewer Mike Grier provides some important insight that might explain the negative reviews. "I recommend soaking the end of the bellows ... Otherwise, you risk splitting the plastic." He also points out, "You MUST use gasoline between 0% and 10% ethanol ... The last thing you need is to have the blower not start." Thus, this backpack blower is powerful albeit easily susceptible to failure if you don't follow the instructions to a T.