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If you picture a leaf blower, odds are you’ll think of either backpack or handheld units, or perhaps even specific leaf blower models others have recommended avoiding. But there was a time when leaf blowers were nothing like the models we’re familiar with today. In fact, those unfamiliar with how these tools looked in the ’70s might not even be able to pick a decades-old leaf blower out of a lineup of tools.
Early leaf blowers had wheels and were low to the ground, like a lawn mower or snow blower, with a drum at the front for the fan and a long handle at the back. Owners would push their blowers along, with the powerful fan generating the airflow to blow leaves away, usually out of a side chute. Ultimately, the walk-behind leaf blower style went out of fashion as the 21st century approached, with backpack and handheld blowers, corded and cordless, becoming the predominant form factors.
Looking back at where leaf blowers began around five decades ago, it’s worth digging into the history behind these now-commonplace tools. They’ve had an interesting run in the power tool world.
The origins of the leaf blower
The rake has existed, in some form or another, for thousands of years, and while it remains as effective a tool as ever, many have sought to improve it over the years. That brings us to the mid-20th century, when the idea for the leaf blower first gained steam. The first leaf blowers were agricultural sprayers that owners used without the pesticide tanks, turning them into blowers. Japanese company Kyoritsu Noki Company – now known as Echo — noticed this modification and released what’s often regarded as the world’s first backpack blower in the 1970s. Not long after, it also created the first handheld leaf blower. Other companies eventually started releasing their own variations.
Where do walk-behind blowers fit into all this? The story is a bit murky, but some accounts trace it to H.L. Diehl. Diehl, who boasted an extensive academic and professional portfolio in aviation engineering, developed and sold leaf blowers through the H.L. Diehl Company in the late 1950s. While Diehl’s design has long since been eclipsed in popularity, brands like SuperHandy and Billy Goat continue to produce walk-behind models.
In a relatively short time, leaf blowers have come a long way, becoming one of several essential leaf cleanup tools for tree-heavy areas. Backpack and handheld models dominate now, but once upon a time, though, walk-behind leaf blowers were all the rage in the landscaping world.