REASONS TO BUY
Decent power
Impressively ergonomic
REASONS TO AVOID
Limited battery life
Loud
Worx Turbine 56V WG591 Review
The WORX packs a surprising punch but still couldn't match the top models in our tests
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
RELATED: Best Leaf Blower
Our Verdict
While the Worx Turbine 56V did have some standout performances in a few of our tests, it overall scored in the lower portion of the group, failing to garner any awards. It does have decent leaf blowing power and is one of the more ergonomic models that we have tested, but we feel there are far better options out there — some of which even cost a significant amount less.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Worx roughly matched the results of the Husqvarna 320iB and ahead of the Sun Joe iONBV. It's more powerful than both of them but is louder and has a shorter battery life. The Worx does cost a bit more than the Sun Joe but is less expensive than the 320iB. However, none of these three blowers are our favorites and we don't readily recommend purchasing them.
The slightly bulky Worx Turbine 56V WG591.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Performance Comparison
To rank and score cordless leaf blowers, we bought all the best products on the market and tested them head-to-head to find out for ourselves which one swept the floor with the rest. We grouped our tests into four weighted rating metrics, with the Worx's relatively unremarkable performance detailed below.
The WG591 has medium tier power.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Power
Our most important rating metric, power is accountable for half of the final score for each leaf blower. We tested each product out by using it to clear all sorts of debris and mess — dirt, sand, leaves, pebbles, and pine needles — from an area of our parking lot, as well as by measuring the height that it could successfully levitate a beach ball and its maximum useful range. The Worx did slightly above average, meriting a 6 out of 10.
The Worx worked quite well for clearing our parking area but it still can't match the power and efficiency of the top blowers. It's fine for moving light to medium-weight items but did struggle with the heavier piles of pine needles and small pebbles. It did better than the lower-tier but we found it to be the least powerful of the blowers that we would use for clearing considerable amounts of mess.
It has a respectable range, able to move sand up to 13.75' away from the nozzle with the Worx held in the same spot.
The WG591 can effectively move playground sand.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
It also did a solid job in our beach ball test, holding it steady at a height of around 5' on its Turbo mode and 40" on its high setting.
The WG591 had a nice showing in the beach ball test.
Credit: Austin Palmer
Battery
Worth a quarter of the Worx's overall score, our battery metric came next in terms of significance. For this score, we measured how long a completely full battery would power the Worx and how long it would take to recharge that battery once it was dead. Since the Worx has a continuous Turbo mode, we measured the effective runtime both on its high power and Turbo mode, then calculated the simulated runtime estimating usage of 70% high, 30% Turbo. Unfortunately, the Worx did relatively poorly, receiving a 3 out of 10 for its performance.
The Worx has a shorter run time than most blowers.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The Worx's 56-volt, 2 amp hour battery pack only lasted for 12 minutes with our estimated 70/30 split, which is one of the shortest runtimes of the group.
The Worx recharge time is only a little bit quicker than the average.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
It did redeem itself slightly by recharging a little faster than average — 80 minutes or so — but not by much.
Ergonomics
The Worx did do a much better job in our ergonomics metric, which makes up 15% of its final score. It earned a 7 out of 10 overall, based on its weight, balance, comfort, and how often it tended to suck in and snag your pants or shirt.
You can grip the WG591 where ever you want because it doesn't have a trigger you need to hold down.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The Worx Turbine is about average in weight, reading just shy of eight pounds on the scale with the battery installed.
We particularly liked how balanced this unit is, holding a perfect angle for clearing leaves and debris without any effort on your part. The grip is a little on the larger side but the majority of our judges didn't even notice.
Without much trouble, you can adjust this model's speed.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
It easy to reach the dial without adjusting your grip too much, allowing you to pick between low, medium, high, and turbo modes.
Close up of the variable speed (and cruise control) wheel.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
However, we did find that it usually will try to suck in your shirt when switching hands, as the Worx has an air intake right on the back.
Noise
The last tenth of the Worx's final score is based on the noise that it produces, measured both for the operator and for an individual 50' away. Regrettably, the Worx is one of the louder blowers we have seen in the course of our tests, earning a 4 out of 10.
Here at GearLab, we believe that hands-on testing is the only way to truly evaluate a product's performance.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
We recorded sound levels of 87.6 dBa for the operator on Turbo mode, which dropped a bit for a bystander, registering 84.1 dBa at that distance.
Value
While the Worx isn't one of the most expensive blowers we have seen, it isn't the best value, as multiple less expensive products outperformed it.
Conclusion
The Worx has a solid amount of oomph when it comes to moving messes but this is overshadowed by its louder sound levels and super short relative runtime, leading us to vastly prefer other blowers over this one.
—
Austin Palmer, David Wise, and Jenna Ammerman
You Might Also Like
