I HATE LEAF BLOWERS

[midnight armadillo]

I was outside today, working in the yard, taking care of some old crap the PO left in their former garden. Which is a weird spot, since they apparently used their garden as a garbage dump as well as a food source. 3 large trash barrels were filled. I had to spend an hour taking apart a large old kid's metal climbing thing with a hacksaw after spending 15 minutes cutting the shrubs that had grown through it.

Anyway, while hacksawing away and then raking leaves, landscapers showed up at the neighbor's and proceeded to use leaf blowers. From 70', 1 tall fence, and a few trees away it was so loud I couldn't carry on a conversation.

Let's compare and contrast, the rake vs. the leaf blower. The rake: a human powered tool, nearly silent in operation, the product of thousands of years of human labor, cheap (~$15-20), using it you can listen to things around you, its use improves your health via exercise, and its only environmental toll is its manufacture (some recyclable plastic and compostable wood handle). The leaf blower: a two-stroke environmental disaster, so noisy its operators must wear ear protection AND it disrupts conversations at least 70' away, spews fumes everywhere, blows lots of things (stones, twigs, etc) around that can damage people and property, and sprays about 1/4 of its fuel out as pollution. And they're freakin' expensive.

Not only that, but seeing as how I was also raking, I didn't see much of a speed advantage to the leaf blower. Why do we tolerate these abominations in our midst?

[david13]

1. I agree. I think they are insane. They blow the leaves, etc., into your

yard, and the wind blows it all back into the neighbors yard. And vice versa. The rake, the broom, and a basket or bag (reusable, not disposable) to put the leaves, the branches and the trash into.
They are the stupidest thing. They should be banned, destroyed, etc.
Air pollution (most of them are 2 cycle, i.e., burn oil) and noise pollution. But useless. The wind undoes anything they do in 15 minutes. Useless.
dc

[AsahinaKimi]

2. You should move to Santa Barbara, California

They have been banned there..

http://www.independent.com/news/2008/oct/23/leaf-blowers-legacy/

[david13]

3. You betcha I should. I was up there earlier this year, and they are

having a special sale on houses. $1.1 million, starting price. Now reduced to $1.1 million.
Let's all move.
dc

[knowbody0]

4. I am so with you on that

it must be the rpm or something, but it makes my spine hurt, makes me want to scream, which I do, but "he" cannot hear me.

[slay]

5. Ugh gas powered leaf blowers are the worst - stinky and loud

i was out hiking today and the park trails are surrounded by rich people homes - big surprise - so i'm sitting out by the lake contemplating life and what not and some dude whose house is evidently right behind the trees fires up his leaf blower. or more likely the people he'd hired did. either way - noisy polluting menace! exceptions for old people maybe who couldn't handle a rake. ;) even then - those things need a muffler. :evilgrin:

[elocs]

6. I used an electric blower a lot this fall, but most to vacuum the piles of leaves

after raking them. It shreds the leaves so I got everything into 3 or 4 bags rather than more than a dozen. Trying to blow the leaves is like herding mice and it's easier to rake them. The blower is also good for moving leaves and debris out of areas where you cannot get in to.

One of the main reasons I got the blower to use here in Wisconsin is to blow the new fallen snow away from my front door and sidewalk. It works well especially on light and dry snow.

Yes they are noisy, but I use mine for as little time as possible and my electric Toro was only about $50 on sale.

[Throd]

7. Maybe if you made your living as a landscaper you would use one too.

First of all, I find leafblowers annoying as well. I enjoy the zen of raking leaves.

However, the guys who have to bust out 12 yards a day don't have that luxury. They are using the most effecient tools at their disposal. Otherwise they would be using rakes as well.

[Ineeda]

9. I hate 'em too, but

can understand why the pros use them. Time is money. My brother cleans the live oak leaves out of my gutters once in a while and uses a leaf blower. Noisy but fast, and he's doing me a favor, so I can't complain. :shrug: The leaves on the ground are left as mulch.

[Demoiselle]

8. I had EXACTLY the same thought this morning. (early......aaarrrrgghhhhh!)

They DO make an unholy lot of noise. But the tree eaters are even worse.

[GoCubsGo]

10. Me, too. In fact, I'm having it right now

My next door neighbor is using one as I type. The only good thing I can see about them is that they blow the leaves out of the pine needle mulch. It's difficult to get leaves out of pine needles with a rake. If I manage to get a job around here and stay in this house, the first thing I will buy with my first paycheck is one of these:

[NJmaverick]

11. These things could be made to be quieter but the manufactors will not do that

until they are forced to do it.

[He loved Big Brother]

12. I will ban them when I am queen of the world.

They are the enemy of all that is good and pure.