Well, after weeks of testing and reviews, we’ve finally come to the big winner of our Best Backpack Blower Shootout. Almost all of the entries were great, but only one could win, and the Husqvarna 580BTS backpack blower reigned supreme over all the other contenders. The margins for victory were all pretty slim. In fact, it’s safe to say that while all of the entries blew real hard, none of them sucked. And, in the end, the Husqvarna blew the most out of all the other entries. Keep on reading to find out why.
For the last couple of months, we’ve been up to our elbows in pro-grade, gas-powered backpack blowers. As you well know, blowers play a major role in lawn care and maintenance, and we wanted to find the best one on the market right now. After receiving entries from the likes of Stihl, Makita, RedMax, Echo, Maruyama, Shindaiwa, and Husqvarna, we spent the next few weeks putting these blowers through the ringer. We looked at build quality, power, fuel efficiency, value, ergonomics, and feature sets to figure out which blower will work out the best for demanding lawn jobs. We were particularly impressed with Husqvarna’s entry into the competition.
Performance
Before we really get into the nuts and bolts of the “hows and whys” of how power measurements get tested in not only our tests but also manufacturer’s tests, you might find it helpful to check out our articles on Blower MPH and CFM Ratings and CFM and Airspeed Discrepancies.
We use MPH and CFM ratings, as well as Force measurements, to determine how powerful a blower is. Airspeed, which could be looked at similarly to horsepower, relates to how fast a blower pushes air out of its tube. In this case, winds from the Husqvarna 580BTS backpack blower reached 179 MPH. This sounds impressive, but realistically, only the Stihl BR700 produced less. This isn’t the whole story, however.
Next, we looked at the volume of air, or the Cubic Feet per Minute, the 580BTS produced at Wide Open Throttle. It registered 907 CFM, which came in second to the RedMax EBZ8500, which scored 916 CFM. The fact that these two blowers finished neck-in-neck in this department should not be much of a surprise. For those that don’t know, Husqvarna owns the RedMax brand, and basically modeled the 580BTs after the RedMax specs.
We also like to look at the amount of force a blower produces, which is measured in Newtons. A Newton is the amount of force required to accelerate 1 kg of mass at the rate of 1 m/sec2. In our testing, the Husqvarna 580BTS backpack blower cranked out an impressive 38.2 N Force. Again, the RedMax model eeked out a first-place finish with 38.9 N.
But how does all this translate to real-world practicality? We measured the swath that each blower cut out of a uniform patch of wet playground sand on porous asphalt. Multiplying the width by the length of the swath, we were able to measure how much work the blowers were capable of over a certain amount of time and space. In this case, the Husqvarna and RedMax both cleared 840 Square Inches, while the Stihl cleared 888.
Husqvarna 580BTS Backpack Blower Ergonomics
While every blower had nice, thick, padded straps with adjustments for cinching the blower tight to the shoulders, we felt that the Husqvarna 580BTS backpack blower won the comfort competition, hands down. The only blower in the competition to include waist and chest straps, the Husqvarna’s weight settles across the hips and back rather than hanging off the shoulders. Whether or not lawn guys will take the time to use the straps will constitute a separate issue. But, with everything strapped up properly, the 580BTS feels the best.
Incidentally, we found this somewhat surprising as the Husqvarna was the heaviest of all the blowers we looked at. Objectively, it has the biggest tank and weighs the most, but the weight displacement makes the feel lighter and more comfortable.
The Husqvarna 580BTS backpack blower also includes an active cooling system, which pulls air across the user’s back, keeping him cool while he works. Makita’s system definitely worked the best out of those blowers that included this feature, but the Husqvarna’s system was no slouch.
Runtime
This runtime tests brought about some strange results. In fact, our 6 oz. runtime test showed us that, if there is one major critique to make of the Husqvarna 580BTS backpack blower, it’s in the fuel efficiency category. Legitimately, this blower sucked up some fuel. It finished just above the RedMax (go figure), in the second-to-last place with a runtime of 5:03.
However, when it comes down to work efficiency, the Husqvarna beats out every other blower. Because the tank is so big (87.9 oz) on this blower, it can run for well over an hour before it sputters out. You might spend more on the gas to fuel this beast, but at least you won’t have to refill it constantly.
Final Thoughts
So, the Husqvarna 580BTS backpack blower ranked last in the weight department, and in fuel efficiency. So what? It still managed to feel the most comfortable through weight displacement and active cooling, and with its super-size gas tank, it managed to run longer than any other blower we tested. It finished 2nd in performance testing and ergonomics, and its value rating was solid.
We believe that any lawn pro in the market for a new blower would be wise to check out the Husqvarna 580BTS. At $549, it costs about $40 less than its RedMax cousin, and it performs as well, if not better than all the other blowers we looked at.
You can find more information and Husqvarna dealer locations here .
Husqvarna 580BTS Backpack Blower Features
X-Torq Engine – X-Torq Engine design reduces harmful emissions by up to 60% and increases fuel efficiency by up to 20%.- Comfort Handle – Easily adjustable soft-grip handle for optimum comfort.
- Air Injection – Centrifugal air cleaning system removes larger dust and debris particles before reaching the air filter. This results in reduced air filter cleanings and improved engine life.
- Air Purge – Removes air from carburetor and fuel systems for easy starting.
Husqvarna 580BTS Backpack Blower Specs
- Displacement: 75.6 cc
- Weight: 26.4 lbs
- Fuel Capacity: 87.9 oz
- dB(A) @ ear: 101
- Max Air Volume: 907 CFM
- Max Air Speed: 179 MPH
- Force: 38.2 Newtons
- Tank Runtime: 1 hr 14 min
- MSRP: $549.99
