Leaf Blowers are a Great Yard Cleanup Tool
Spring is here and many of you have already started your back yard clean up projects. It is a lot of work and for gardeners who just can’t live without as many power tools as they can afford to do the menial tasks, I’m guessing that a vacuum blower is one that holds a special place in the tool shed. Yet compared to the alternatives – sweeping with a broom or wasting water washing your paths and driveway it’s a no-brainer to have one on hand.
Electric leaf blowers are often the choice of most homeowners. They are quieter, lighter and more eco-friendly than gas leaf blowers and cordless models make quick work of small jobs and hard surfaces. For yards that extend beyond the reach of a 150-foot extension cord, gas leaf blowers offer cord-free portability and extra power but are noisier and more of a hassle to fuel and maintain.
The electric leaf blower is a lightweight handheld unit generally intended for decks, small yards or walkways. Most models weigh less than 7 pounds, so they are easy to handle without tiring your arm too much. Some models also have an optional vacuum mode that shreds the leaves as it picks them up. Which can make your job that much easier. Even though they are light weight, some of them can be almost as powerful as gas models. But these electric models don’t produce any smelly, polluting exhaust. The only downsides to an electric leaf blower are the cord and maybe some power.
If the yard is small enough to be reached via an extension cord, Toro would be the way to go for an electric blower. Consumer Reports gives Toro the top three slots for electric blowers: Ultra Blower Vac 51599, Super Blower Vac 51592, and the Toro Rake and Vac 51574, respectively.
Leaf blowers powered by gas engines are the most powerful tools in use today to move leaf and debris in the landscape trade. Gas powered blowers allow you to “cut” the electrical umbilical cord, and take advantage of higher performance machines when electrical and cordless blowers just don’t meet the needs.
Most of the gas blowers are powered by 2-cycle engines although 4-cycle engines are becoming much more common in both handheld and backpack models. Their power is rated in cubic centimeters; the more cubic centimeters an engine has the more powerful the machine. Small properties (under 1/2 acre) should be fine with a gas leaf blower in the 25-30 cc range.
Apart from the noise, and they are noisy, gas blowers have one major fault – they can be heavy. I find this especially true of blower vacs which collect the rubbish at the same time. It doesn’t take long trying to graciously balance one of these machines at the end of your arm to realize the toll it’s going to take on the old muscle structure. This is probably one of the major reasons why manufacturers developed the backpack blower.
Backpack blowers are more commonly used by professionals but are also being bought more and more by the home owner with a large lot. The blower fits into a harness, which is worn on the operator’s back. With the engine and fan attached to the backpack frame it frees up the arms and hands to control the hose and spout to direct the airflow. Backpack blowers are powerful and convenient. They have a larger, more efficient fuel tank and air filter and therefore have a longer life cycle.
Maybe you’ve been thinking that you’ll be able to get away with an unnamed box store hand held blower. However, I never think it is a sensible idea to buy a cheap box store one. They’re usually very unreliable and weak compared to a quality name brand blower. The top leaf blower brands are Stihl, Toro, Echo, Black & Decker, Craftsman, Homelite, Poulan, Ryobi, Husqvarna, and Tanaka.
The type of leaf blower you should buy will depend on many factors, including its intended use, your personal strength, and the amount of area you’ll need to cover while using it. Manufacturers make several different types of leaf blowers for different uses, and some are made for residential projects, while others are generally aimed at commercial use.
They will sure help with the clean up this spring and then you will have it for helping out in the fall as well.
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They’re usually very unreliable and weak compared to a quality name brand blower. The top leaf blower brands are Stihl, Toro, Echo, Black & Decker, Craftsman, Homelite, Poulan, Ryobi, Husqvarna, and Tanaka. The type of leaf blower you ……
April 13th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
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It is a lot of work and for gardeners who just can’t live without as many power tools as they can afford to do the menial tasks, I’m guessing that a vacuum blower is one that holds a special place in the tool shed. … Consumer Reports gives Toro the…
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