Ryobi 36V HP Brushless 730CFM Jet Blower R36XBLW30

Ryobi 36V 730CFM Jet Blower (R36XBLW30-Tool Only) Review – 1. Why? Who needs a leaf blower? Enormous noise, thoughtlessly blowing leaves and grass clippings onto the public roadway, blocking street drains, damaging your hearing and undermining good neighbourly relations? Or so it seemed! However, Ryobi has, in this case, created something well beyond my expectations. 2. Which model? First, this review is about the 36V Whisper 730CFM Jet Blower. Ryobi has other leaf blowers. But it is the 36V Whisper 730CFM which tops product tests and reviews in Australia, UK and USA for the quietest leaf blower available with serious umph! Don’t mix it up with other models. 730CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) from the rear oriented fan-intake, gives a very respectable blast of air (20.7 cubic metres per minute). It puts this machine in the serious blower range (albeit far from those more powerful V8 brick-moving, petrol-driven machines). 3. Sound? Well, ‘Whisper’ is a relative term, however in this case it’s pretty good. The Australian Specs say 78 decibels, but the UK reviews say 58 decibels on the same rating scale. I suggest it’s probably somewhere between, about the noise level of an average upright vacuum cleaner. While one still should wear eye and ear protection, this machine is not painful to hear in short bursts. 4. Uses: Well, do you have gum trees? Autumn trees? Do you have solar panels, decks or worse still, a gravel-topping driveway? This machine blows leaves from under solar panels, sweeps a colour-bond roof in a jiffy, and halved my roof-gutter cleaning time (of course no leaf blower/vacuum can actually clean the gutters themselves, except in advertising blurbs). As for a gravel-topping driveway, it is cleared of leaves in minutes without collecting a small pile of gravel mixed in with them (as per raking). And after a rotary-belt sanding job, the job and surrounds are cleaned up in seconds – next to impossible with such very fine dust and a dustpan and broom. And leaf-covered decks with furniture or obstacles – swept clean in seconds. 5. Ergonomics: The tool (including battery) is comfortably held in a single hand at arm’s length. Weight is not a problem. It requires a little practice to shepherd leaves correctly away from car, kids, pool etc. But it is very easy to use. 6. Power: Fits Ryobi 36V batteries. If you already have them, home and hosed. I actually get the same time from a 6.0ah battery on the Whisper Blower as on the Whisper 36V Line Trimmer, about 35 minutes at minimum power settings, which is much better than the Tool packaging estimated at 21 minutes. The ‘Turbo’ button doesn’t add much, and the 3 speed ‘Speed Selector’ is almost unnecessary. It seems all these controls do is chew up more power without adding much to performance. I’ve not found it necessary to increase minimum power settings, which give best battery performance. 7. Price: Well, all Ryobi 36V Whisper tools are probably somewhat overpriced compared to cheaper competition. This is probably due to small production runs rather than expensive design and special components. (Furthermore, the anti-noise improvements should probably be on all equipment, and should have been for a long time! So, full marks to Ryobi for introducing it.) Nevertheless, one has to ask oneself (or perhaps one’s spouse) whether paying a couple of hundred dollars extra for the ‘Whisper’ quietness is worth it. (Apart from happier neighbours). Look at it like this (and I know): better to make a small investment today and avoid permanent hearing damage that emerges in 10-15 years, leaving you with a bill for $5,000 hearing aids (only ever partially effective) and a problem that impacts one’s life options and relationships ever after. 8. Summary: I didn’t know I needed the Ryobi 36V 730CFM Jet Blower until I used it. It is well worth the money. And it performs as well, or better than the various industry reviews suggest.

I bought this to replace my old Ryobi 36V turbo jet blower, which I've owned for 8 years. The first thing you notice is how quiet it is - about as loud as my home vacuum cleaner. Hard to believe so much power comes out of this silent assassin! Ryobi have kept the barrel fan design but wisely moved the inlet grille from the side to the back of the machine. With the old model it wants to eat your shirt by sucking it into the fan. The weight and balance is good. Hold on tight though because this jet wants to take off when you give it some stick. The nozzle length has been increased so there's no need to stoop. I really like the cruise control throttle. Reminds me of a Stihl backpack blower I once owned. Makes the job easier when you don't need to hold the trigger the whole time. This is an expensive piece of kit but worth every penny in my view. Ryobi got everything right with this model!

Update: 18 months down the track... I. am currently looking. for nozzle again itlooks. like it. the. second. one. \i have. lost. and. i. will have. to. go. to. bunning and. get. them. to. order. me. oine. at t he. spec ial. orders. desk. It. took. me. a lot. longer than. mosr. to warm. to. battery powered tools but i. I. feel. the technology. sti,l has. a long. way. tio. go to. move. ahead. of. gas powered. Petrol. powered. is. and. will remain. to. be. my. fav. in. lawn mower , blowers. , whipper snippers. NOW BATTERY LIFE CONCERNS ME ALSO . THESE 36V BATTERIES CAN COST THE SAME AMOUNT AS THE TOOLS . OF THE 3 I HAVE ONLY 1 HOLDS CHARGE UNDER USE FOR LONGER THAN 5 MINUTES.

Could be the Best Blower Available...but without the flimsy rubber nozzle which easily separates itself from the unit, the stream of air, or should i say 'scream of air', loses its power and ability to be directed along with a significant decibel increase which is more like a Shriek or a Scream than a Whisper. 2018, I was using Ryobi's Jet. A 2-stroke multi-turbine blower that could move a brick. Probably the end of an era, electric tools powered by rechargeable batteries were taking over the floor space in-store and dominating sales despite being outperformed in-the-field by gas-powered combustion engine tools. Whether it was only a matter of time or not, I focused only on head-to-head performance stats which had never favored electric so neither have I... .

The Ryobi Whisper 36V cordless blower signals a changing of the guard. Pros: Quieter, more powerful, lighter Cons: While the shape reminds me of the Jet, when fitted with any of the compatible batteries, the unit has no firm position in which one can reliably let it stand.