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The latest Toro 60-volt (V) leaf blower, boasting massive 900 cubic-feet-per-minute (CFM) airflow and extended runtime, promises to be a major upgrade over earlier options. Battery-powered leaf blowers offer grab-and-go convenience for quick cleanup tasks, but many of them lack capability for big yards and routine maintenance. Toro has been whittling away at the problem for a few years with its 60V MAX FlexForce platform. Could this new iteration be a lawn care game changer?
I recently tested the Toro 51827 leaf blower for a month of routine maintenance in my three-quarter acre yard. I used it for everything from cleaning tree debris off the deck to dispersing clumpy grass clippings and pushing sand and soil spills off the driveway. The blow force was excellent, runtime was very good, and it was pretty easy to use overall. I’ll cover the details in my review ahead.
Toro 60V MAX 900 CFM Brushless Leaf Blower: At a Glance
Our rating: 4.9/5
| Toro 60V Max 900 CFM Leaf Blower Specs | |
| Power source | 60-volt 4-amp-hour (Ah) battery |
| Airflow | 900 CFM |
| Air speed | 165 miles per hour (mph) |
| Weight | 12 pounds |
| Runtime | Up to 120 minutes |
Testing the Toro 60V Leaf Blower
Boasting massive airflow and extended running time, this new Toro 60V leaf blower could be one of the best handheld battery blowers for large lawns. To find out, I used it for routine maintenance in my three-quarter acre yard. Twice or three times a week I spent 20 minutes at a time clearing accumulated dust, leaves, and tree debris off my deck and front porch. I also spent 30-plus minutes per week blowing grass clippings from the driveway, curb, and walkways; dispersing clumps of grass on the lawn; and returning wayward mulch to landscape beds after mowing. At the end of the month, I performed a few “staged” tests, dispersing piles of sand and potting soil from the driveway, and emptying water from a bird bath.
Throughout testing, I recorded my observations with regard to operator comfort, general performance, and user convenience. I also recorded the battery charge times and length of runtime per charge for different tasks. As you’ll see in the details ahead, the Toro 60-volt 900 CFM leaf blower scored remarkably well in most subjective and measurable categories.
| What We Like | What We Don’t Like |
| Lots of blowing force | Heavier than some other options |
| Excellent battery life | Slight delay after triggering |
| Well balanced and easy to maneuver | |
| Variable trigger, turbo, and cruise |
Features
The Toro 60V 900 CFM leaf blower comes with a 4 Ah battery and charger, compatible with all Toro 60V MAX tools. It offers up to 120 minutes of runtime on the lowest setting, 15 minutes on high, or 10 minutes on turbo. The blower is equipped with a high efficiency 3-phase brushless motor and variable trigger to maximize runtime while delivering just the right amount of blow force for the job at hand. It also comes with cruise control for easy operation. The blow tube includes a detachable velocity nozzle that concentrates airflow to lift heavy, wet debris. Remove the nozzle for added maneuverability in tight spaces. The textured and contoured handle is designed for comfort and control, with a foregrip for two-handed operation.
Out of the box, this Toro blower looked and felt like a top competitor. It comes from a legacy brand that has been at the forefront of the consumer lawn equipment industry for more than a century. The technical specifications match or exceed those of perennial favorites from other leading brands. It felt durable and comfortable in hand. I couldn’t wait to give it a go.
Ease of Use
Easy operation is a hallmark of battery-powered leaf blowers. Insert a fresh battery, squeeze the trigger, and go. This one is no different. The battery charged fast. The controls are well placed and intuitively easy to operate. The cruise control dial works in conjunction with the throttle trigger to lock on any power level. Tap the turbo button while cruise control is engaged to instantly ramp up to full output without having to hold down the throttle. Everything worked flawlessly to minimize hand fatigue.
Although this model was heavier than most other battery blowers, at 12 pounds, it still weighed less than many gas-powered handheld blowers. The weight was perfectly balanced for an efficient blowing angle without wrist strain from constant up-and-down angle adjustments. The handle had smooth contours and a comfortable, slightly cushioned grip, plus a fore handle for those who prefer two-handed operation. I mostly used it one-handed.
Performance
The included battery charger worked fast. From less than 20 percent, it fully recharged the battery in about 50 minutes on average. A single battery charge was enough to clean the porch and deck twice and do the after-mowing cleanup once.
I have tested dozens of leaf blowers. The Toro 900 CFM model was one of the most powerful handheld blowers I’ve used, gas or electric. It pushed a huge column of air with a good amount of velocity—it was way more than adequate for dry grass clippings on the driveway. Toro bills it as an all-season leaf blower, capable of moving matted wet leaves and keeping up with snow on the sidewalks. I don’t doubt it. I tested it in late summer, so the biggest challenge came right after I got it, when I had not mowed in about 2 weeks because of rain. After I cut the overgrown lawn, I used this blower to disperse the clumps of grass clippings that were left behind. It had plenty of power to break up the clumps and to gather the excess clippings into a pile.
After the month of testing, I played around with debris removal. I dumped 3-gallon piles of potting soil and sand on the driveway, and approached them with the blower starting 50 feet away. At a distance of 22 feet, the soil started to disperse in earnest, and I was able to eliminate all traces of it from 15 feet away. The results with sand were similar. It took 45 seconds to eliminate the soil pile, and 1 minute 5 seconds to disperse the sand. The blower was easy to maneuver, and there was more than enough power to do the job quickly and thoroughly.
Sound
Although there is no gas engine noise associated with this blower, the rapid airflow does create a fair amount of noise. It was loud enough that I decided to wear hearing protection as I worked. The sound level compared similarly to other battery leaf blowers I’ve used, but I wanted to include actual numbers as a reference point for this review. Using the NIOSH sound meter app, holding my phone at ear level, I measured the ambient neighborhood noise at 55 A-weighted decibels, or dB(A). Then, with the phone at my ear and holding the blower in normal operating position, I triggered the blower, which raised the noise reading to 87.5 dB(A). Lastly, I engaged the turbo and got a reading of 93.4 dB(A).
Why I Think the Toro 60V 900 CFM Leaf Blower Is Worth Every Penny
At a regular retail price of $349, the Toro 60-volt 900 CFM leaf blower is one of the more expensive battery leaf blowers on the market, but not the most expensive. I have seen a few notable examples of higher-priced models that produce less blowing force and shorter running time, with lower user ratings. With the single exception of its heavy weight, this blower delivered everything else I wanted to see in a large yard leaf blower: robust build quality, fantastic blowing force, excellent running time per charge, perfect balance for maneuverability, and controls that are easy and comfortable to operate. It’s a fair value at this price point.
Buy the Toro 60V leaf blower at:
Product Comparisons
| Toro 51827 | Ego Power+ LB7654 See our review. | Greenworks 2436602 | Husqvarna Leaf Blaster 350iB | DeWalt DCBL777Y1 | |
| Power source | 60V 4 Ah battery (included) | 56V 5 Ahbattery (included) | 80V 2.5 Ah battery (included) | 40V 7.5 Ah battery (included) | 60V 4 Ah battery (included) |
| Air flow | 900 CFM | 765 CFM | 800 CFM | 800 CFM | 760 CFM |
| Air speed | 165 mph | 200 mph | 200 mph | 200 mph | 160 mph |
| Weight | 12 pounds | 9.75 pounds | 9 pounds | 10 pounds | 10.5 pounds |
| Maximum runtime | 120 minutes | 150 minutes | 60 minutes | Not provided | 20 minutes |
| Price | $349.00 | $299.00 | $395.99 | $379.00 | $399.00 |
So, is the Toro 60V leaf blower right for you?
It seems like new battery-powered leaf blowers come out every week. Brands continue to experiment with different combinations of battery size, blow force, and various control features as they improve on previous iterations, and provide for a range of consumer needs. The ideal Toro 60V 900 CFM leaf blower user is someone who maintains a midsize or large yard, about a half to one acre or more. What makes it great are its combination of powerful blow force that can tackle year-round yard work and an extended runtime per charge that allows it to cover more ground than most of its competitors.
Of course battery-powered tools work most efficiently when the user has fully committed to a particular brand. If you’re already into the Toro FlexForce 60-volt battery platform, this blower will make a good addition to your collection. If you are new to FlexForce, and are wondering about future tool purchases, I can vouch for the performance of the 60-volt Toro Recycler self-propelled mower and the electric TimeCutter zero-turn mower. They’re everything you would expect from a century-old lawn equipment company. They are well built and do the job as well as their gas counterparts.
Meet the Tester
Mark Wolfe is a writer and product tester with an extensive background in the nursery and landscaping industry. For more than 20 years he mowed, edged, planted, pruned, cultivated, irrigated, and renovated beautiful landscapes. Now he tests and writes reviews about the latest outdoor power equipment, hand tools, lawn care products, and other outdoor living goods.