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I would like to recommend an alternative to the leaf blower called a 'rake'. It takes no time at all to rake a lawn, the exercise is good for you, emissions ar

I would like to recommend an alternative to the leaf blower called a 'rake'. It takes no time at all to rake a lawn, the exercise is good for you, emissions are low and the noise levels are safe. How many times have you seen someone blow leaves away, only for the wind to blow them straight back. A rake is no use for starting pulse jet engines, however. https://youtu.be/zsXWspo5hrc https://youtu.be/zsXWspo5hrc

binarymax 6y ago
The past autumn my neighbors landscaper was using a leaf blower for 2 hours just trying to blow a whole wet pile into the wind to the curb - about 10 feet away. He was failing miserably, but didn't care and kept at it. Infuriated, I stormed out during my lunch break with a rake and just did it in under five minutes. He didn't know how to react, so he just stood there STILL USING THE BLOWER TRYING TO HELP. Strangest experience I'd had in awhile. Edit - this is getting popular, so here's my baby: https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/gardening-tools/rakes/7439565 https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/gard...
ummonk 6y ago
And a sharp hand-forged sickle is surprisingly effective at trimming.
asdff 6y ago
Try raking an acre lot and then you will be running to the Stihl store to get a backpack blower after you get your second blister two hours into the job. This task was literally my childhood. It would take five of us and two tarps to haul leaves to the woods over a couple days to rake out that yard, and don't get me started if the leaves were the least bit wet at all. Now, the job takes one person with a backpack blower an afternoon. You gotta think of the scale the average landscaper operates and their margins. They aren't going to employ five people for two days to rake one parcel. They are going to employ five people and buy five leaf blowers to do ten parcels in those two days instead. They don't live in the neighborhood, they don't care that they make noise, and outside the pandemic, no one else does either because they are at the office when they are busy landscaping.
- jimnotgym 6y ago
  An acre of lawn? There is the problem! I would not use a leaf blower no. I would either a) rethink whether I really need an acre of manicured grass, and probably leave the leaves where they are, making a more dappled woodland setting. Leaves don't stay on open grassland of course, I don't see farmers blowing off the fields. b) if I were mowing an acre I would have a lawn tractor...and use that to shred and then pick up the leaves.

binarymax 6y ago

The past autumn my neighbors landscaper was using a leaf blower for 2 hours just trying to blow a whole wet pile into the wind to the curb - about 10 feet away. He was failing miserably, but didn't care and kept at it. Infuriated, I stormed out during my lunch break with a rake and just did it in under five minutes. He didn't know how to react, so he just stood there STILL USING THE BLOWER TRYING TO HELP. Strangest experience I'd had in awhile. Edit - this is getting popular, so here's my baby: https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/gardening-tools/rakes/7439565 https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/gard...

ummonk 6y ago

And a sharp hand-forged sickle is surprisingly effective at trimming.

asdff 6y ago

Try raking an acre lot and then you will be running to the Stihl store to get a backpack blower after you get your second blister two hours into the job. This task was literally my childhood. It would take five of us and two tarps to haul leaves to the woods over a couple days to rake out that yard, and don't get me started if the leaves were the least bit wet at all. Now, the job takes one person with a backpack blower an afternoon. You gotta think of the scale the average landscaper operates and their margins. They aren't going to employ five people for two days to rake one parcel. They are going to employ five people and buy five leaf blowers to do ten parcels in those two days instead. They don't live in the neighborhood, they don't care that they make noise, and outside the pandemic, no one else does either because they are at the office when they are busy landscaping.

jimnotgym 6y ago
An acre of lawn? There is the problem! I would not use a leaf blower no. I would either a) rethink whether I really need an acre of manicured grass, and probably leave the leaves where they are, making a more dappled woodland setting. Leaves don't stay on open grassland of course, I don't see farmers blowing off the fields. b) if I were mowing an acre I would have a lawn tractor...and use that to shred and then pick up the leaves.