It’s everyone’s dream to have a home with a beautiful yard. However, having a yard also means having to clean leaves. Aside from maintaining a tidy yard, there are many other reasons for clearing fallen leaves. Even a thin layer reduces light to the grass, causing it to become yellow. Leaves also harbour diseases that can re-infect plants the following year. And if left to turn into a brown mush, leaves can make paths, patios and steps slippery and dangerous. While many homeowners opt to use an old-fashioned rake to clean leaves from their yard, there is a better and more efficient solution – a leaf blower.
What Are Leaf Blowers Used For?
A leaf blower is an invaluable garden tool to have. It can be used all year round to blow grass clippings and hedge trimmings off paths and patios, but it’s particularly helpful for use during the Autumn clear-up, keeping your outdoor areas safe and clean from meandering leaves, which can clog up your paths and make your lawn look messy!
Ranking can last for hours, especially as you try to clear leaves from all over the yeard into several piles. With a leaf blower, you can get the same job done in half the time or less, meaning you’ll have more time for other activities. Ranking also involves repetitive movements, including lifting and bending. This can lead to sprains, strains and lower back pain. A leaf blower requires much less effort and allows you to stand upright during the process. This takes the strain off your back as you clear the leaves.
Another great thing about this garden tool is that it allows you to access tough-to-reach areas like around your flowers, plants and garden ornaments. Large and unwieldy rakes could damage them.
How to Choose a Leaf Blower?
The first step to choose the right blower is to access your needs. How big are your yard and the number of leaves you deal with each year during fall clean up? How tight is your budget and how sensitive are you to noise? The answer to these questions will help you buy the right blower for your needs and not just any leaf blower for sale.
Power Source: Gas vs Electric vs Cordless Leaf Blowers
Gas-powered blowers are the most powerful garden tool for dealing with leaves. However, they’re also the loudest and required the most maintenance. Corded electric blowers require less maintenance than gas-powered blowers but the limited length of their electric cord makes then suitable to small yards only. Because these blowers don’t have a gas engine or a battery pack, they are extremely lightweight, making them a convenient choice for homeowners who want an easy-to-maneuver blower.
Corded electric blowers offer freedom from the cord and newer models of leaf blower for sale have the power to rival low-to-mid-range gas models. So, for those who are still wondering are cordless leaf blowers any good, the answer is yes, they are. And since they don’t have a heavy motor, these blowers are a lot lighter than their gas-powered counterparts and you also don’t have to worry about pulling a power cord behind you.
Types: Handheld vs Backpack vs Walk-Behind Leaf Blowers
A self-contained unit designed to be held in a single hand, a handheld leaf blower is the most popular option among homeowners. This compact blower is a great choice for relatively small jobs. With a backpack leaf blower, the motor sits in a shoulder harness that you carry on your back but you still hold the blower in your hand. This type of blower tend to be a little more powerful than their handheld counterparts and the harness makes them relatively comfortable to use. They are a good option when the blower is going to be used for a prolonged period. Walk-behind blowers look like snow blowers and are the most powerful of the three. Because they are also the least physically demanding to use, they are a great choice for large yards. Homeowners with physical limitations should consider the work required in maintaining and storing a walk-behind blower.
Leaf Blower Features do Consider
Noise
When it comes to what is the quietest leaf blower battery-powered leaf blowers are much quieter than the gas variety. Certain neighbourhoods and cities have banned gas leaf blowers due to excessive noise. With a battery-powered model, you should have no worries.
Balance
The blower should feel balanced in your hand or should move and adjust easily. For better grip, make sure you use a garden glove when working with the blower. Functions such as speed control and the shutoff should also be easy to reach (ideally it should allow for one-hand operation).
Design of the Nozzle
Wider nozzles are better at moving leaves while round nozzles are more efficient at moving heavier dirt and debris. The majority of blowers offer the option to swap out the nozzle or use an adaptor to change the shape of the airflow. Make sure the blower you choose also do.
Vacuum Option
Some handheld blowers come with this option to allows for light mulching to reuse your yard waste. These blowers are a great option for flower beds where blowing is less effective and ranking can hurt delicate plants.