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Skil recently launched a new 40V Max cordless blower, BL4713C-11, which delivers up to 530 CFM, 140 MPH, and is advertised as being lightest in its class.
The new Skil blower features a brushless motor and IPX4 rating, which provides protection against changing weather conditions.
Skil, a ToolGuyd sponsor, sent over a sample for testing and review consideration.
I used the Skil blower a couple of times to blow dry and wet leaves around the deck and driveway before passing along to a reviewer for long-term use.
The reviewer’s first words as I handed the blower off to them? “Wow, it’s so light!”
I deliberately avoid describing a tool or its selling points when passing a sample to a new reviewer. There’s something highly amusing when one’s first impressions directly match up with a manufacturer’s claims.
I’ve been kicking myself for passing my sample along to someone else for long-term testing, but I offered before I started testing this model.
The blower seems very capable and definitely arm-friendly blower. You can control the airflow via a variable speed trigger and a settable lock-on “cruise lever.”
It’s also very reasonably priced at $119 for the kit right now.
Skil emphasizes that this is the lightest blower in its class, weighing just 4.8 lbs (tool-only) and 6.4 lbs with battery.
With the included 2.5Ah battery, the balance was perfect.
I also liked the battery connection, a seemingly minor feature, which was designed in a way that allows for the IPX4-level water resistance.
The included 2.5Ah battery is fully recharged in 60 minutes, and the PWR Jump function can bring it to 30% charge capacity in 15 minutes.
This means that if you only have the one battery and just a little more work to do, you can take a quick break and finish up in short order. It’s a good-to-have feature.
The kit comes with the blower, charger, and 2.5Ah battery.
Price: $119
How it Compares to Other Cordless Blowers
Looking at other brands’ offerings, similarly-priced 18V cordless blowers from Skil’s top competitor don’t deliver anywhere close to these specs. Looking at the lime green competitor’s 40V Max models, they have a kit with lower CFM and MPH specs, and for considerably more money ($179 with a 4Ah battery vs $119 with a 2.5Ah battery).
At present I have 3 cordless blowers in my long-term test rack – a very compact 12V-class jobsite blower, an 18V/20V Max cordless blower, and an EGO 56V blower.
The EGO is great for heavier blowing tasks when I need maximum power and the longest runtime. The jobsite blower is relatively new and has largely replaced the 18V/20V Max cordless blower for blowing sawdust and debris out of the garage.
I continue to use the 18V/20V Max cordless blower for quick cleanup tasks outdoors, but there are times when it’s a bit wimpy.
The Skil 40V cordless blower performs somewhere in between that 18V/20V Max cordless power tool brand of blower, and EGO’s 56V cordless blower.
I like the idea of a cordless blower that uses cordless power tool batteries. But, the 40V battery can drive a larger turbine fan, delivering more power.
Frankly, the price is also appealing. I’d say you get greater quality and performance than the current $119 promo price suggests.
With respect to application speeds, the Skil 40V outperformed my yellow and black 18V-class blower sample.
On a scale of 1 to 5, with the compact jobsite cleanup blower a 1, and EGO top-spec’ed model a 5, the yellow pro cordless power tool brand blower would rate a 2 and this Skil a 3 or maybe 3.5 with respect to power.
Additional Thoughts
As mentioned, I liked the battery design, and how it connected to the tool. The unlatching lever is easy to use and protected against unintentional release.
The Skil 40V cordless blower has softened my stance on 40V-class cordless outdoor power tool systems.
The blower is a compact and manageable size, perfect for common leaf blowing and driveway-clearing tasks. I didn’t have a higher capacity battery to test the blower with, which is okay; I can’t say I minded the weight, balance, or runtime of the included 2.5Ah battery.
Skil bundles the blower with a battery charging dock, which I prefer over “compact” chargers that give you a wall transformer and slide-on charging adapter.
Additional 2.5Ah batteries are available separately, as is a 5Ah battery. If you want a round nozzle, it’s available as a separate purchase. That’s the only *gotcha* – but a minor one. At the time of this posting, the optional nozzle is available at Amazon and elsewhere.
I rarely use nozzles that come with blowers, but it’s good to know it’s available separately. The only thing they’re really good for, in my experience, is scraping wet clumps of leaves in tricky spots. I allow myself to be a little more abusive with a removable nozzle.
40V systems offer a compromise between heavier, pricier, and typically more capable higher voltage cordless outdoor power tool systems, and 18V-class cordless tools that deliver lower performance or capacity but conveniently work with handheld power tool batteries.
I think this Skil 40V cordless blower is capable enough for many users, especially anyone shopping with a tight budget.
What are the cons? I expected some compromises due to its size, but there weren’t any. It doesn’t come with a round nozzle, but you can still buy one separately if you want to.
I’ve been strongly considering buying one for personal use, and if so it’ll take the place of my yellow-branded 18V-class blower. Whenever I use that blower, I have to grab a battery that has a replacement cost in excess of the $119 for this entire Skil kit.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Skil’s 40V cordless blower, but I think they did everything right here.
I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised; Skil tools are designed and developed by the same company that owns EGO, which has been a leader and innovator in the cordless outdoor power tool space for years.
Somehow, Skil managed to deliver high mid-level power and performance into a light blower that’s also more affordable than I would expect for its on-paper and in-test performance. Kudos to Skil – I hope they keep it up!
