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I'm moving from 1/3 acre w/trees to a full acre. Unfortunately I'm responsible for both in November. I'm thinking of getting a leaf blower--it's been rake up to now. Is that overkill for a single homeowner? If not are there recommendations on the kind I should get?
Leaf blowers are not just for leaves; there are many uses. I blow out my computers, I blow light snow off my deck and vehicles, I blow dirt out my pickup (both the bed and cab), I blow leaves out of my gutters, I blow dirt out of my garage and many other things I cannot think of right now.
Now the question is what kind of leaf blower do you need. The backpacks are great for very large jobs - but are not that handy for small jobs. The hand held gas blowers are probably the best choice for only one acre - no electric cord and plenty of power. All you need to do is to get the leaves to where you can mow/mulch them. Electric blowers are great for inside areas; like the garage that you don't want fumes. I have all three with my five acres of woods.
PS Stay away from the battery powered - the batteries don't last very long and you'll be disappointed. They are only good for very small jobs.
Leaf blowers are not just for leaves; there are many uses. I blow out my computers, I blow light snow off my deck and vehicles, I blow dirt out my pickup (both the bed and cab), I blow leaves out of my gutters, I blow dirt out of my garage and many other things I cannot think of right now.
Now the question is what kind of leaf blower do you need. The backpacks are great for very large jobs - but are not that handy for small jobs. The hand held gas blowers are probably the best choice for only one acre - no electric cord and plenty of power. All you need to do is to get the leaves to where you can mow/mulch them. Electric blowers are great for inside areas; like the garage that you don't want fumes. I have all three with my five acres of woods.
PS Stay away from the battery powered - the batteries don't last very long and you'll be disappointed. They are only good for very small jobs.
Thanks for the quick advice. Any brand recommendations? There don't seem to be a lot available in store.
...battery powered - the batteries don't last very long and you'll be disappointed
(if you expect them to do more than they are meant to do)...
I'm happy enough with one of these, but I can't do the whole yard at once.
Since I don't often want to do the whole yard at once it works out just fine.
And I didn't want yet another gas engine to take care of.
Quote:
All you need to do is to get the leaves to where you can mow/mulch them.
(or vacuum them up with the grass catcher)
^^This is the point. And a rake will still be needed regardless of blower type.
If you have environmental consciousness, you might want to get an electric blower, either corded or not. They pollute much less that gas types. Also, rather than bagging all those leaves, mulch at least some of them to put on your garden beds and/or to add to your compost pile or container.
Leaf blowers are handy for many applications as others have noted. Is your acre in grass that needs to be mowed anyway? If so, the easiest way to get rid of all those leaves is to mow as usual but with a mulcher attachment. No leaves to bag, and the mulched leaves will decompose and feed your lawn. This method works best if you do this every week as the leaves fall, otherwise you'll clog up your mower engine with too many leaves at once.
Thanks for the quick advice. Any brand recommendations? There don't seem to be a lot available in store.
You have many that swear by Stihl. But I think you can probably get the job done for less money. I had a Toro, that I got as a safety award, and it lasted over twenty years. Now I have a Poulan and have been happy with that - I also have a Toro electric and a backpack (I forget which brand) that I do not use that much. Go to the store, pick the units up and feel how heavy they are or if you feel comfortable with them.
You have many people that want you to pick up the battery powered because of environmental issues or because they are quite. They do not have the power of the gas blowers. You want to get out there and get the job done. You don't want to wait for batteries to charge. Think of a "leaf" blower as just an extension of your lawn mower, when it comes to picking up your leaves. Use the blower and mower together. You just want to move the leaves to where you can mow them. Mow the leaves so your discharge chute sends them into the middle and you can mow over them on the next pass. You really don't need any special mulching blade - re-mowing will mulch your leaves great. You will have less leaves or no leaves to dispose of. It all depends on how many times and how good you get at mulching with the mower.
You will want to pick up ear protectors for use while operating your gas leaf blower. I think they also recommend safety glasses - which I don't use religiously (but I did get a fishhook stuck in my eye - so I might not be an expert on eye protection).
I have been using an Echo blower for years and an very happy with it. I bought it because it has good usability ratings and a low noise rating. One of my neighbors has an electric and it is the loudest in the area with a irritating shrill noise.
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