UGH! Can't take the blowers!!!

[Donna in AZ]

I jumped for joy when they banned them in L.A. It's noise pollution for sure but doesn't it put out other pollution as well? Plus they kick up dust (cars get coated) yet construction companies are required to wet down their sites for that reason.

[Solere]

Speaking of leaf blowers, does anyone know of a shop that sells used leaf blowers? I promise to use it sparingly and during normal hours LOL.

[pgc323]

Leaf blowers should be banned! What happened to the good old days when people would use rakes and brooms. No wonder obesity is such a problem today.

[HX_Guy]

Rakes are fine for lawns, but what do you do for gravel?

I dont really get the problem here, the original poster must be exaggerating. We have our front and backyard done once a week and its maybe 20 minutes that the blower is on? You can't even really hear it when they are on the other side of the house, only when going by a wall/window you are by.

If it bothers you, why are the windows open when they are using the blowers.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by HX_Guy

Rakes are fine for lawns, but what do you do for gravel?

I dont really get the problem here, the original poster must be exaggerating. We have our front and backyard done once a week and its maybe 20 minutes that the blower is on? You can't even really hear it when they are on the other side of the house, only when going by a wall/window you are by.

If it bothers you, why are the windows open when they are using the blowers.

Maybe we could go to 1/4 minus. I have much of my "estate" in 1/4 minus and that can be raked quite easily. It's the chunky stuff out front that defies being cleaned out with anything but a blower. Our HOA won't allow 1/4 minus in front though.

[PheenixJobless]

Originally Posted by momtogrif

Is there a neighborhood anywhere in the Phoenix area where we can get away from blowers? I tried to keep the windows open today but the neighbor across the street was getting her yard done. Then the neighbors 2 doors down got their yard done and I swear the guys spend 2 hours with the blowers going constantly. It's like they don't know how to use a broom or a rake!

Maybe I do need to live somewhere cold as much as it would kill me! This goes on all year long. It's bad enough that everyone's dogs bark all day long but then the blowers go. Maybe it's my fault for being home all day long. My husband works out of the house and it's hard for him to be on conference calls because he can hear it even while locked in his office!

With the amount of dust and dirt here, it's pretty hard to ever get away from leaf blowers. You could try using headphones or another noise-cancelling source to deal with the buzz.

[pathrunner]

Those noise cancelling headphones are great. I used them once while taking an exam for a professional license. I couldn't believe how effective they were. I couldn't hear a thing.

As for the issue of how long these yokels blow, it's different now than in the past. I finally went psycho on two guys in the neighboring condo complex who came through my area (my condo borders the other complex). They came through 6 times in 5 hours. One guy would cut, and the doofus with the blower would blow. Then again, again, again, again, and AGAIN. On the 6th time I went out there and went off on them. They had shown up at 8am and were still at it at 1pm. They're too stupid to figure out that you do one area in its entirety, and then go through and blow it all, all at once. Job done. I told them if they did it again I was going to the office that hired them and complain. Miraculously, since that time about 3 months ago, the problem is solved. Now they only come through twice in a couple hours, then they're gone. Thankfully.

I hope the OP can find some resolution. Two hours from one blower is noise pollution and should be stopped. There's no excuse for it, and probably an HOA rule or a city/local ordinance against it. It doesn't take 2 hours to blow one yard. Beyond 1 hour, it's just a stupid guy playing with a fun toy. Almost like making stuff blow up, so important to so many guys.

[Ponderosa]

The guy who does my neighbor does two at one time - one in each hand. Lots of decibels. It sounds like I am back in class at ASU.