Cordless leaf blowers are a great option for cleaning gutters, blowing away freshly fallen snow and cleaning up leaves and dirt. If you don't mind a little less power and a shorter run time, opt for a battery-powered model over one with a gas engine.
Perhaps the first obvious advantage of a leaf blower is its ability to take the hard work out of manual raking, no more pulling piles of leaves around the garden – especially useful for those with large gardens or lawns to maintain.
They fail to work in humid conditions and the high speed of fan is not comfortable. An air blower sometimes fails to work in poor ventilation. Air blowers are not as efficient and powerful as Air Conditioner Units. They are noisy and generally not recommended for the people suffering from Asthma.
The blowers disturb and displace beneficial insects and critters important to healthy gardens and ecosystems. Many birds, for example, depend on the insects found in the leaf litter layer to feed their young.
Overall, raking and sweeping leaves is a more efficient way to clean sidewalks and streets than using a leaf blower because it eliminates the need for fuel consumption and noise pollution.
Use nozzle attachments to reach high places. Do not use a leaf blower if you are tired or sick, taking medication, or if you have used drugs or alcohol.
Leave the leaves, or move them just a bit
Leaves are great for soil quality: they can suppress weeds, retain moisture, and boost nutrition. And perennial plants appreciate the extra insulation through the winter, too!
Comparing blowers to rakes is like comparing elephants to turnips. That being said, each has its benefits and its drawbacks. And both rakes and leaf blowers can be very useful as well. Also, if you have a leaf blower, you'll still want a rake too!
The high-decibel noise pollution of a gas-powered leaf blower is not just obnoxious and disruptive; it can actually cause tinnitus and hearing loss for the workers who use them (or anyone who is close to one for a full hour).
Most of the time, however, you'll be doing your garden more harm than good by exceeding recommended speeds: rocks and dirt flying everywhere, destroyed grass and tears of dread. Treat leaf blowing the same way you would any other garden job. Take your time and do it right; Your lawn will appreciate the effort.
Cordless leaf blowers are a great option for cleaning gutters, blowing away freshly fallen snow and cleaning up leaves and dirt. If you don't mind a little less power and a shorter run time, opt for a battery-powered model over one with a gas engine.
More specifically, systems that include blower motors have a lifespan of roughly: Air-Source Heat Pumps: 10 to 12 years, with a maximum of 15 years or more. Furnaces: 10 to 20 years, depending on maintenance schedules. DX Air Conditioners: 15 to 20 years, depending on maintenance schedules and manufacturer quality.
Worse, leaf blower sound is low frequency, which means it penetrates walls. “One of the problems is that you can't really get away from the sound,” says Jamie Banks, president of Quiet Communities and chair of the Noise & Health Committee at the American Health Association.
Leaf blowers are faster and more efficient for clearing large areas of leaves and debris, while leaf vacuums are better for precision work and collecting debris in a bag. Leaf blowers are better for larger yards and tougher debris, while leaf vacuums are better for smaller yards and more delicate areas.
Leaf blowers can save enormous amounts of time. When developing bids or price quotes, most landscape industry estimators work on the assumption that it takes four to five times as long to clean a typical landscape site with a broom and rake than it does with a power leaf blower.
Gas-powered leaf blowers also expel fumes and pollutants like carbon monoxide. Both gas and electric blowers stir up particulate matter, dust, mold, pollen, and pathogen-containing bird and animal feces into the air that we (and insects and wildlife) breathe.
A leaf blower is created for one thing – blowing leaves, right? Undoubtedly they are amazing at clearing up the ever mounting pile of crunchy, orange autumn leaves in our driveways and gardens. The lightweight nature of our latest Honda (HHB 36 AXB) Leaf Blower makes it versatile and super easy to use.
A leaf blower is the best tool for completing this task because it can reach the parts of the roof that you can't reach yourself from the ladder. Be careful not to point the leaf blower directly at the shingles to avoid damaging them or any other potentially vulnerable part of or opening on your roof.
While it's at least partially true that excessive amounts of fallen leaves left in thick piles all winter can smother a lawn, leaving the leaves on the ground as mulch can be an effective soil-building method to support a healthy yard.
Use lawn mower with collecting bin.
6. Use an Electric Leaf Vacuum - catches and mulches leaves as they are sucked up; gives control over placement of leaves; eliminates exhaust and particulate air pollution problems; 50-70% quieter than gas blowers.
Landscaper Gene Cabellero told me that rakes 'offer more control, making them ideal for delicate areas'. If there are leaves in a flowerbed full of delicate plants, a leaf blower is the wrong tool, as it could damage them. A rake, however, can easily manoeuvre around these plants and remove all the leaves.
Leaves can smother your lawn and eventually kill it.
This can quickly kill your lawn if the leaves are not picked up for several weeks and create a breeding ground for certain insects and pests. As the leaves begin to rot, there is also an increased chance for fungus and mold growth.
Simply mow over the fallen leaves. All landscapers have the equipment to mulch mow, and it is just as easy (or easier) to mulch mow than it is to blow the leaves to the curb. If you find that you have excess leaves, place the mulched leaves in your garden beds.
Because it turns out, raking up and bagging or burning those leaves is not only bad for soil health. It also takes away habitat for important wildlife like bugs and birds, who are critical pollinators.