i considered, but didnt pull the trigger.
As just a homeowner, i thought that a backpack blower would be better value and more versatile.

 

I have one. It has like double the power of a big backpack. It really moves the leaves which I have a lot of.
I have the six horse Billy Goat.
https://www.billygoat.com/na/en_us/product-catalog/blower/f6-small-property--residential.html

 

Thanks @gene_stl that thing looks legit!

 

Once you try one you're gonna feel silly for waiting.
Besides the obvious difference in CFM and air speed you gotta look at the angle of attack. A walk behind is going to give you a massive advantage in the "sweeping" motion in that the forced air is near parallel to ground.
Backpacks obviously are great for tight areas etc. but you're stuck at 45 maybe 30 degrees at best.

Do the HD one and if you're not completely convinced or happy return it.

 

I have one. It has like double the power of a big backpack. It really moves the leaves which I have a lot of.
I have the six horse Billy Goat.
https://www.billygoat.com/na/en_us/product-catalog/blower/f6-small-property--residential.html

I second the Billy Goat. I got the F9 because I wanted the Honda engine:

https://www.billygoat.com/na/en_us/product-catalog/blower/f9-large-property--commercial.html

This thing is a beast and I rarely have to use it at full throttle. I got it mainly because I hate 2-cycle engines and the whiney sound they make, not to mention the oil burning smell. And a really nice feature on the Billy Goat is the user can control the angle of the chute on a hand lever while you're using it. That is handy if you're dealing with leaf windrows.

I have to say I don't recommend the Troy-Bilt one from Home Depot. It is inexpensive, yes and there is a reason for that. Troy-Bilt used to make excellent equipment until MTD Yard Machines bought the company and destroyed it. Buy cheap, buy twice.

 

They do seem more effective than backpacks. Mine has a Subaru Robin engine. Starts easy and really blows the leaves around. I had to figure out that there is a friction lock on the control lever for the nozzle. Mo HP always mo bettah!