I’ve never used a blower of any type before so was wondering if anyone here had any experience with the DeWalt DCBL720P1 20V MAX?
I live in a rural area and haven’t actually came across one that I could actually handle but have watched a few video reviews. I have no idea how often I would use a blower but think it would be useful for blowing out the garage, drive, deck, things like that. I can’t see myself using one for pushing leaves around the yard although blowing them away from my front porch might be nice… but that’s about it. I’m not sure if I’m ready to buy a cordless blower immediately but sure would like some input for when I do.
From the reviews I’ve read the DeWalt appears to be fairly light which is what I’m looking for… along with great ergonomics. But does it have enough power for what I want to use it for? When it comes to rating power, reviews can go from one extreme to the other.
I have no other DeWalt tools but instead have a couple of Milwaukee 12V cordless tools but really not that deep into any platform. For the same price I have looked at the EGO 56V 530 CFM at HD and it looks pretty sharp. The weight was ok but that’s without the battery so I could quickly change my mind about that.
A video reviewer did say during his testing of the EGO that he felt most people would use it in ‘High’ mode (not Turbo) because of the extended run time. The EGO 56V 530 CFM on High mode is rated at 400 CFM & 85 MPH vs the DeWalt 20V ran on high is rated at 400 CFM & 90 MPH. How much you would use or miss the Turbo mode of the EGO is up for debate, but it does appear the DeWalt 20V is at least somewhat comparable in normal use.
I have one, it’s got plenty of power for what you want.
I have horse chestnut trees with BIG leaves. The Dewalt struggled to move these when wet. When dry it’s no problem.
The one thing I will say is that the Dewalt motor, while powerful, has very little torque. Just putting a couple of fingers across the nozzle causes the motor pitch to change. Push it into some long grass and it squeals like a pig.
To be honest, if you’re just blowing out the garage, the smaller brother DCB100 might suit you better…especially if you have any air toys / mattresses / pools to inflate!!
Thanks Adam that’s great to know! Since you say you can get it to squeal if pushed, do you feel like you could do it any harm if you weren’t careful?
Are you generally happy with it, or wished you had purchased something else?
I don’t think I would be interested in the smaller DeWalt I think I want the DCBL720P1 or the EGO. No telling what I may decide to do with a blower in the future and I want to have enough power.
No, I wouldn’t say it’s fragile. During normal use by me, it’ll run all day long without breaking sweat (given a steady supply of batteries).
It gets it’s hardest workout when my 3yr old daughter decides to help out Daddy. To keep her occupied, I fit a padded shoulder strap to it and she toddles round the garden ‘helping’ by blowing bushes, trees, gravel, toys, brothers etc. This invariably involves running it into solid objects and like I say, getting the motor pitch to shriek. This is apparently hilarious so after 20mins, Daddy steps in and gives her a broom instead to save his nerves/eardrums. I’ve not noticed any ill effects from this treatment.
Lol that’s funny well it gets run thru the paces at your house! Sounds like it will take a LITTLE abuse.
I tested one recently, for blowing out the garage, and it worked quite well. It was light, had great airflow and velocity, was easy to control/aim, and I didn’t feel like it was loud enough to where I needed hearing protection.
I also liked that I could place it down on its base for easy pickup after moving stuff around.
My main goal was to clear out some styrofoam balls, and I was surprised at the amount of dust, leaves, and other gunk that it was finding.
Given the usage you described, I think you’ll like it a lot.
The compact blower might be better suited for clearing out a garage (I’m not quite sure), due to its more focused nozzle and variable speed, but the DCBL720P1 will be better for clearing your deck and driveway.
Thanks Stuart it sounds like it should work fine for my needs. Maybe it would even surprise me should I decide to move some leaves around the yard as long as I didn’t get carried away.
I ended up getting both the blower and the compact blower. Both worked great for cleaning my shop but only the blower could be used outside. The compact blower reminds me of using a compressed air gun… less air but higher velocity. I now use that exclusively in my shop and it’s replaced using the compressor and airguns. I am more then happy with it. The only negative I’ve found with both blowers is that the side intake can grab your shirt if you hold it too close to your body.