In the full review (14 sections)
- Which model is this?
- Quick specs: Toro’s current 60V blowers
- Why a battery blower made sense for me
- Balance: my 5-year-old could run it
- High vs. turbo: my dog noticed
- The battery problem
- Toro’s gutter-cleaning kit
- What’s changed since my video
- How it compares
- Pros and cons
- Who should buy it, and who should skip it
- FAQ
- Why this review stops here
- Sources
Short verdict: When I reviewed it in fall 2020, Toro’s 60V Flex-Force blower was the most powerful battery leaf blower I had tested. On turbo it felt on par with the heavy-duty commercial gas blower I was used to, yet it’s balanced well enough that my 5-year-old could run it with two hands. The catch is the battery. On turbo, the included 2.5Ah pack lasted me roughly 10 minutes, and the blower doesn’t show you how much charge is left. Toro’s lineup has grown since then. As of October 26, 2026, the 605 CFM kit with a 2.5Ah battery (51820) lists at $239.99, and the new 900 CFM model (51827) is $289.99 on sale with a 4.0Ah battery.
Disclosure: Toro sent me its Flex-Force line to review. My opinions are my own.
Which model is this?
My video doesn’t give a model number. The blower I used came with a 2.5Ah battery and has a variable trigger, a turbo button on top and a cruise control. Toro’s current kit with those features is the 51820, rated at 605 CFM and 120 mph. Toro’s own blower page also lists a 51822 that has the same 605 CFM, 157 mph and a 4.0Ah battery. I’m treating the 51820 as the closest current match, but I can’t confirm the exact model from the video.
Quick specs: Toro’s current 60V blowers
| Spec | 51820 (closest to mine) | 51827 (newest, most powerful) |
|---|---|---|
| Air volume | 605 CFM | 900 CFM |
| Air speed | Up to 120 mph | Up to 165 mph |
| Battery included | L135, 2.5Ah, 135Wh | L216, 4.0Ah, 216Wh |
| Claimed runtime | Up to 90 min (low speed) | Up to 428 / 16 / 10 min (low / high / turbo) |
| Charge time | 64 min | 50 min |
| Motor | Brushless DC | Brushless DC |
| Controls | Variable trigger, cruise control, turbo button | Variable speed, cruise control, one-tap turbo |
| Weight | 11 lb (Toro) | not listed |
| Price as of Oct 26, 2026 | $239.99 (Toro) | $289.99 sale, $359.99 regular (Toro) |
| CPSC recalls | None found for Toro 60V blowers | None found |
Why a battery blower made sense for me
A couple of trees overhang my deck, so in the fall it’s always covered in leaves. Hauling out a gas blower for a two-minute job was never worth it. With this one I put a battery in, pull the trigger and the deck is clear in seconds. That quick, frequent kind of job is where a battery blower is hard to beat.
It also makes sense if you have a shed or barn with no power. Without a battery, you’d be running a long extension cord out to it for a corded blower.
Balance: my 5-year-old could run it
What surprised me most was the design. The big handle makes it easy to run with one hand, which I did on camera, or with two. My 5-year-old used it with two hands. That’s thanks to the balance with the battery in, and to the smaller 2.5Ah battery keeping the weight down. It’s a big blower, but it feels balanced in your hand.
High vs. turbo: my dog noticed
I compared full trigger with and without the turbo button. My dog, who’s used to loud yard tools, made the comparison for me. On full trigger alone she stayed put. On turbo she moved.
Full trigger without turbo still pushed leaves well. With turbo, it throws them. I’d say turbo is on par with the heavy-duty, commercial-grade gas blower I’m used to. It’s also the fastest way to clear leaves, so you’ll want to use it a lot.
The battery problem
Turbo drains the battery quickly.
- On the included 2.5Ah battery, I got roughly 10 minutes of constant turbo.
- On a Toro mower’s 6Ah battery, the one that comes with the self-propelled recycler, I got about 30 minutes of constant turbo.
If this will be your main blower and you have a lot of leaves, you’ll need spare batteries. One 2.5Ah battery isn’t much if you use turbo the way I’d recommend.
My biggest complaint: no live charge display. The blower doesn’t show how much battery is left. You find out it’s empty when it stops. Press the battery’s button and it shows the charge level, but you have to stop and check. EGO puts lights on the back of its blowers that show the charge the whole time, and I like that a lot better.
Toro’s gutter-cleaning kit
I also tried Toro’s universal gutter-cleaning kit with this blower. It’s made to fit any Toro blower, and the way it’s designed it should fit most other blowers too.
- Setup: it took me a couple of minutes. I followed the instructions so I’d only have to assemble it once.
- Reach: this was the big limitation. I’m about six feet tall, and from the ground I could only reach to the bottom of the second-floor windows. It won’t reach second-story gutters. If you’re getting on a ladder anyway, you might as well scoop the gutters by hand.
- Use: with the cruise control set at full or half speed, it cleared out the dry leaves easily. I’d expect leaves that have sat for a season or two to be harder to get out, though a stronger blower like this one helps.
For one-story or story-and-a-half gutters you can reach from the ground, it’s a simple, quick way to do the job.
What’s changed since my video
In 2020 I called this the strongest and most powerful battery blower on the market. That was based on what I’d tested. It isn’t true of the 605 CFM model today, even within Toro’s lineup. As of October 26, 2026, Toro’s blower page lists:
| Toro model | Air volume | Air speed | Battery included | Runtime (Toro, low speed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51821 | 565 CFM | 110 mph | 2.0Ah | Up to 90 min |
| 51820 | 605 CFM | 120 mph | 2.5Ah | Up to 90 min |
| 51822 | 605 CFM | 157 mph | 4.0Ah | Up to 140 min |
| 51826 | 750 CFM | 145 mph | 2.5Ah | Up to 75 min |
| 51827 | 900 CFM | 165 mph | 4.0Ah | Up to 120 min |
The 51827 is the interesting one. Toro rates its runtime separately for each speed: up to 428 minutes on low, 16 on high and 10 on turbo with its 4.0Ah battery. That 10-minute turbo figure is close to the roughly 10 minutes I got on turbo with a 2.5Ah battery, so the new model trades runtime for far more air. Toro also says the 51827 uses “acoustic resonator technology for improved sound quality.” I haven’t tested it.
On safety: I found no CPSC recall for Toro 60V blowers. One consumer report in the CPSC’s public SaferProducts database, from 2022, describes light shocks from the turbo button on a 51820 after about two years of use. It’s a single unverified report, not a recall. I had no issue like it.
How it compares
| Toro 51820 (605 CFM) | Toro 51827 (900 CFM) | EGO LB7654 (765 CFM) | Ryobi 40V HP Whisper RY404100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air volume | 605 CFM | 900 CFM | 765 CFM | 730 CFM |
| Air speed | 120 mph | 165 mph | 200 mph | 190 mph |
| Battery included | (1) 2.5Ah | (1) 4.0Ah | (1) 5.0Ah | (2) 4.0Ah |
| Claimed runtime | Up to 90 min, low | 428 / 16 / 10 min, low / high / turbo | Up to 90 min | Up to 2 hr, low |
| Live charge display on tool | No (my experience) | not listed | Yes, on EGO batteries | not listed |
| Weight | 11 lb | not listed | 4.6 lb tool only | not listed |
| Warranty | not listed on Toro’s page | not listed on Toro’s page | 5-yr tool, 3-yr battery | 5-yr tool, 3-yr battery |
| Price as of Oct 26, 2026 | $239.99 | $289.99 sale ($359.99 regular) | $299 (Acme Tools) | $329 (Home Depot) |
| Tested by me | Yes (closest match to my unit) | not tested | not tested | not tested |
How I’d read that:
- If you’re already on Toro 60V, the 51827 is the one to get today. It moves far more air, and it’s only $50 more than the 51820 at the October 26, 2026 sale price.
- If you’re choosing a brand from scratch, EGO’s 765 CFM model with a 5Ah battery costs about the same and its batteries show their charge, which fixes my biggest complaint. Ryobi’s kit comes with two batteries, which helps with the runtime problem.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Turbo felt on par with a commercial gas blower when I tested it
- So well balanced that a 5-year-old can run it with two hands
- Cruise control saves your trigger finger
- Ready in seconds for quick deck and patio cleanups
- Shares batteries with Toro’s 60V mowers, trimmers and snow blowers
- Brushless motor across the current lineup
Cons
- About 10 minutes of turbo on the 2.5Ah battery
- No live charge display on the blower
- You’ll want spare batteries if it’s your main blower
- 605 CFM is no longer near the top of the class; even Toro now offers 900 CFM
- The gutter kit won’t reach second-story gutters from the ground
Who should buy it, and who should skip it
Buy it if you already own Toro 60V batteries, you do lots of short cleanups on decks, patios and driveways, you want a blower anyone in the family can handle, or you need a blower for a building without power. Today, I’d look first at the 51827.
Skip it if you clear large, leaf-heavy lots with one battery, you want to see your remaining charge at a glance, or you’re committed to another brand’s batteries.
FAQ
Was this blower sponsored? Toro sent me the Flex-Force line to review. Nobody paid for my opinions.
How long does the battery last? On constant turbo, about 10 minutes for me on the 2.5Ah battery and about 30 minutes on a 6Ah mower battery. Toro claims up to 90 minutes on low with the 2.5Ah battery.
Is turbo worth using? Yes. It’s the fastest way to move leaves. Just plan for the battery drain.
Does it show the battery level? Not while you’re blowing. You press the battery’s button to check.
Can I use my Toro mower battery? Yes. All Toro 60V Flex-Force batteries fit, and the 6Ah mower battery gave me about three times the turbo time.
Does the gutter kit reach second-floor gutters? Not from the ground for me, and I’m about six feet tall. It’s good for one-story and story-and-a-half gutters.
What’s the newest Toro blower? The 51827, rated at 900 CFM and 165 mph with a 4.0Ah battery, at $289.99 on sale as of October 26, 2026.
Any recalls? I found no CPSC recalls for Toro 60V blowers as of October 26, 2026.
Why this review stops here
I have one full review of this blower, plus a 2025 Short that reuses the same footage. That covers power, balance, battery life and the gutter kit, but not long-term durability or the newer 750 and 900 CFM models. I’ve kept to what I tested and labeled everything else as Toro’s or a retailer’s claims.
Sources
- My videos: Full review (Nov 6, 2020), Short (Sept 19, 2025)
- Toro 51820 page, accessed Oct 26, 2026
- Toro 51827 page, accessed Oct 26, 2026
- Toro electric leaf blowers lineup, accessed Oct 26, 2026
- Toro recall information, accessed Oct 26, 2026
- SaferProducts report via UL open data, accessed Oct 26, 2026
- EGO LB7654 page and Acme Tools EGO blowers, accessed Oct 26, 2026
- Ryobi RY404100 at Home Depot, accessed Oct 26, 2026
