Vdrop on leaf blower

[sleddriver]

Thought I'd put this here instead of off-topic.

My Toro electric leaf blower/vac finally went Tango Uniform. The brushes arced so much, generating so much heat, it melted one of the motor bushing housings, seizing.

Over the years I'd noticed the motor rpm drop with various extension cords. While shoping for a new one, I noticed some are avail. with 8A motors instead of 12A like the old one.

Electric motors in general don't like to be run with too much Vdrop as it heats up the windings.

So out came the Kill-A-Watt and earplugs while I took some measurements.

VAC = 122V at the wall. With a 2' 14ga. pigtail, V dropped to 119Vac and the current draw was 11.7A. This is a 2.5% Vdrop.

Through the 30' 14ga. retractable cord in the garage, which is frequently used to clear the driveway of leaves, I meas. 112Vac and 11A for a 7.5% Vdrop.

Next I used a 50' or 75' 14ga extension cord I've had for 20yrs. I meas. 107Vac and 10.5A for a 11.6% Vdrop.

Finally, I plugged the 50 or 75' cord into the retractable cord (which happens when I need to get all the way to the end of the driveway). I meas. 106V and 10.4A for a 12.4% Vdrop.

This little test has me thinking I need a 14ga. 50' (or 75' depending) cord to go with the new blower if I choose the 12A model. Or I should consider the 8A model instead, due to its 33% lower current draw and my current 16ga cord.

The old 12A Toro lasted for nearly 18 yrs. so I can't complain. Rarely used the vac function as it made a huge cloud of dust with dry leaves. I would notice the end of the cord where it plugged into the blower would be warm when unplugging.

Smaller one is also cheaper, and lighter to carry. A neighbor has one of the gas-powered bad-boys when I really need to make some wind. Toro has just a blower, with no vac feature, runs on 8A. Noticed B&D also has one as does HomeLite.

So it's between Toro vs. B&D vs. HomeLite. Suggestions?

 

[440Magnum]

OF those three, Toro is the only choice and honestly they're not that great. As you found out the brushes are a big weakness! But they're still a heck of a lot better than Homelite or B&D.

I wouldn't get too worked up about the voltage drop you're seeing- leaf blowers use series-wound (aka 'universal') motors. The most straightforward way to regulate the speed of one of those motors is just to lower the voltage with a variable resistor. They don't mind voltage drop AT ALL. The only consequence of more power cords is that you lose some leaf blowing power, the motor actually will run COOLER at lower voltage. Now if it were an induction motor, different story entirely!

 

[Grebbler]

I have been using one of these:

Switchable Vacuum, blower, and mulcher.

It's a bit of a fangled contraption but it's nice to go from suck to blow by turning the handle.

 

[Donald]

Gas backpack blower. Electric has it uses, but cannot compete with the high RPM 2 cycle units.

 

[JHZR2]

Yeah I'd go to HD and buy an echo if you have enough yard to require that much extension.

I'd personally go buy a 10ga cord and the blower with the biggest motor.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Yeah I'd go to HD and buy an echo if you have enough yard to require that much extension.

I'd personally go buy a 10ga cord and the blower with the biggest motor.


You will spend more $$ on the cord than the blower.

 

[sleddriver]

Originally Posted By: Donald
Gas backpack blower. Electric has it uses, but cannot compete with the high RPM 2 cycle units.
No gas: too big, bulky, loud. As posted, my neighbor has one if I really need it.

 

[sleddriver]

Originally Posted By: Grebbler
I have been using one of these:

Switchable Vacuum, blower, and mulcher.

It's a bit of a fangled contraption but it's nice to go from suck to blow by turning the handle.
I saw those, but not available locally and the nose is quite short and don't need the vac function.

 

[sleddriver]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Yeah I'd go to HD and buy an echo if you have enough yard to require that much extension.

I'd personally go buy a 10ga cord and the blower with the biggest motor.
Don't have a big yard.

10ga cord?? Wow...that's overkill. It would weigh more than the blower! No thanks.

 

[sleddriver]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
I wouldn't get too worked up about the voltage drop you're seeing- leaf blowers use series-wound (aka 'universal') motors. The most straightforward way to regulate the speed of one of those motors is just to lower the voltage with a variable resistor. They don't mind voltage drop AT ALL. The only consequence of more power cords is that you lose some leaf blowing power, the motor actually will run COOLER at lower voltage. Now if it were an induction motor, different story entirely!

OK. Thanks for straightening me out on that. I knew it was true for induction motors.

A neighbor has one of the newer Toros. Quieter than my old one, his bushings are already a touch loose. I did my measurements with it. I'll be making a trip to buy this week.

To all: Thanks for the replies.

 

[Nick R]

I'll never own a non-gas leaf blower. They have no real blowing ability, I'll stick with our current craftsman 25cc 2 cycle unit. Just buy the premix 50:1 stuff and it runs great.

 

[sleddriver]

Originally Posted By: Nick R
I'll never own a non-gas leaf blower. They have no real blowing ability, I'll stick with our current craftsman 25cc 2 cycle unit. Just buy the premix 50:1 stuff and it runs great.
Re-read my post. Not interested in gas. This commenting on posts outside of the topic is escalating....and frustrating.

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: sleddriver
Originally Posted By: Nick R
I'll never own a non-gas leaf blower. They have no real blowing ability, I'll stick with our current craftsman 25cc 2 cycle unit. Just buy the premix 50:1 stuff and it runs great.
Re-read my post. Not interested in gas. This commenting on posts outside of the topic is escalating....and frustrating.



Frustrating... and false. I've got an Echo gas blower and a Toro electric. Different applications, different uses. The Toro vacuums, the Echo doesn't. The Echo is great for moving big volumes of leaves, but the Toro has just as much air speed and can move stuff that's just as heavy as the Echo... just not a big wall of it at once. The Toro does a better job on my deck, in fact, because the nozzle is smaller. The Echo works better in the driveway and yard.

 

[sleddriver]

UPDATE:
My neighbor has one of the newer electric Toro blowers. Not sure how long he's had it. His motor bushings are already loose though. I picked up a B&D blower from Lowes that looks a lot like the Toro. It was $10 cheaper, and lighter than the Toro. Has the same amp rating motor: 12A. It's a two-speed vs. variable speed.

Curious, I pulled out my dB sound meter. The Toro measured ~ 95dBc while the B&D measured 88dBc. That's quite a difference as decibels are measured on a log. scale. I always use ear plugs with these things. We'll see how it holds up.