Black & Decker LSWV36 review

The Black & Decker LSWV36 leaf blower lets you clear debris from your yard without putting excess strain on your body

Black & Decker LSWV36
(Image: © Black & Decker)

Top Ten Reviews Verdict

The Black & Decker LSWV36 has everything we look for in a leaf blower, including vacuum functionality and convenience features like anti-vibration and cushioned handles. It's a great choice for people who prefer electric over gas-powered tools.

Pros

  • +

    It’s light – just 5.4 pounds.

  • +

    It can blow leaves a lengthy 17.5 feet.

  • +

    Can be used as a sweeper or vacuum.

Cons

  • -

    Only recommended for use of hard surfaces.

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    It produces below average air speeds, maximum of 120 mph.

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    The battery only lasts about 30 minutes on a full charge.

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We've researched the latest leaf blowers, asked the experts, and sifted through thousands of specs, features and user reviews to find the best leaf blowers around. Here's everything you need to know about the Black and Decker LSWV36 leaf blower.

Black and Decker LSWV36 Leaf Blower: What you need to know

The Black & Decker LSWV36 leaf blower lets you clear debris from your yard without putting excess strain on your body. This battery-powered leaf blower weighs in at just 5.4 pounds, which is several pounds lighter than the other leaf blowers in our lineup. This makes it a good ergonomic choice for most people. It has a feature rich design with all the functionality we looked for in a leaf blower, including the ability to suck up and even mulch leaves, which you can then use to fertilize your garden.

Black and Decker LSWV36 Leaf Blower: Features

  • Padded handle and anti-vibration technology
  • Comes with a solid three-year warranty
Black and Decker LSWV36 specifications

Power source: Lithium battery
Modes: Blowing/Vacuum
Volts: 36 volts
Airspeed: 120 mph
Operation volume: 86.2 db
Run time: 30 minutes
Weight: 5.4 pounds
Charging time: 1 hour
Warranty: 3 years

This yard tool has a padded handle and anti-vibration technology that make it comfortable to hold during long jobs. It also has extras like a built-in scraper to loosen stubborn, matted debris so you can vacuum it up without having to lay down the device. Other extras include anti-vibration functionality and variable-speed settings that you can adjust according to the type of debris you’re dealing with. Since it is a two-piece blower, you can take it apart for easy storage.

The Black & Decker LSWV36 is a feature rich, midrange leaf blower that comes with a solid three-year warranty. The best warranty was seven years, but most of the leaf blowers we looked at were only covered for two years from the time of purchase. Black & Decker has excellent customer support.

Black and Decker LSWV36: Performance

  • Not the most powerful machine in our comparison
  • Creates only 86.2 dB of noise while in operation

While this leaf blower has almost everything going for it, it is not the most powerful machine in our comparison. Battery-operated tools are a great convenience, but they don’t have as much power as their gas or corded counterparts – and leaf blowers are no exception. This blower has airspeeds of 120 mph, which is still powerful enough to blow a pile of leaves and other debris a healthy 17.5 feet, and it will make quick work of debris removal in your yard. It just isn’t as powerful as some of the other leaf blowers we evaluated. By comparison, the most powerful leaf blower in our side-by-side comparison is the Toro 51621, a corded leaf blower with airspeeds of up to 250 mph.

It is, however, the quietest machine in our lineup. The Black & Decker creates only 86.2 dB of noise while in operation. That’s still loud enough that your neighbors will notice, and wearing ear protection is always a good idea. Since it’s battery powered you won’t have to hassle with a cord or mixing fuels. You can also feel good about having a product that is safer for the environment.

Black and Decker LSWV36: User reviews

  • Most general complaint is that it isn't powerful enough
  • People seem to love the convenience of the lithium battery design

On Amazon the Black and Decker LSWV36 has a customer rating of 3/5. While a lot of people are very happy with the product, the most general complaint is that it isn't powerful enough to blow leaves off grass, especially if they're wet. When it comes to blowing leaves off hard surfaces there are no problems reported.

People seem to love the convenience of the lithium battery design, and most seem to use it as a vacuum to suck up leaves, rather than to clear them from paths.

Should I buy the Black and Decker LSWV36?

The Black & Decker LSWV36 is a light-weight, battery-operated leaf blower that makes clearing debris in your yard easy. It is a quiet machine with extras like padded handles and anti-vibration functionality that make it comfortable to use for long periods. It also vacuums and mulches leaves. It’s much easier to use than its gas-powered counterparts and better for the environment, plus you won’t have to breathe in fumes. While it has a decent amount of power, the gas and corded leaf blowers in our comparison will always have more.

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Graham Barlow

Graham usually works in home computer journalism for his day job, and has been at Future Plc for many years, mostly employed across our print titles. He has a keen interest in all things gardening, and has written extensively about lawn mowers and other garden care products while in his freelance capacity at Top Ten Reviews.