I too independently found that they seem like an instrument of the devil. Let the leaves be and the people at home to live in peace!
John McCoy - 6 years ago
I use an electric (battery type) and a corded electric leaf blower. I have a one acre homesite. I learned long ago that leaves make excellent mulch and they fertilize the soil pretty much wherever they fall. I blow out the gutters periodically with the hand held rechargeable blower and I've been doing this for a very long time.
The 2 cycle gas powered units are for production. In Florida, lawn cutters are low paid workers and they need to cut many lawns per day to cover operating expenses. Using a rake would place them in a negative cash flow very quickly..
As for legislation to ban the 2 cycle gasoline units I refer you to the old adage that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction...people need to work and the 2 cycle enables them to do so.
Save legislation for the more important things endangering the USA such as over drilling, over fracking, over consuming, over development, and over human population!
John Dunsdon - 6 years ago
Why can’t we let people decide for themselves ?
RS - 6 years ago
I personally use an electric leaf blower, and only clear the driveway and walkways with it. I dont want people to slip on wet leaves.
Peace - 6 years ago
Many more important things to put our energy into banning.
Aab - 6 years ago
In principle also not a fan of noisy leaf blowers. Do find one very handy to blow leaves and other debris off the roof and out of the eaves/gutters along the roof. Much safer than manual removal.
Just use electrics, less noise no pollution and no vibration.
SandyT - 7 years ago
I had a friend who lived in a home with a big front lawn with big beautiful Oak trees. She also always wanted a pristine green lawn so they removed every Oak leave that pristine green lawn......... The Beautiful big Oak trees died. She didn't know she had to let the leaves feed the trees.
Scott McWilliams - 7 years ago
In theory, yes. 2 stroke leafblowers should be banned. However, we (by this i mean you, me, and everyone else who cares about the environment, conservation, global warming and nature in general) have far bigger fish to fry and this os precisely the kind of legislation that turns people against environmentalists. Should people like you keep getting the word out that they suck? Of course. But should we turn to levislation and tell tbe guy down the block who likes them that he no longer has a choice because WE know better? I say no.
Save the legislation and enmity it creates for bigger issues that will have more payoff.
Carolyn King - 7 years ago
I have always hated leaf blowers, for their hideous noise, air pollution and waste of resources. That said, I've just moved into a townhouse complex where most of the trees are some kind of locust which have dropped literally millions of little oval fingernail-sized leaves. They are too small to rake. They could be swept with brooms from roads and pathways, but very difficult, so I doubt that the landscape service would go for that, and they couldn't remove any that were under vehicles. The leaves can't be left lying on lawns and gardens, because even a small wind will blow them onto the paved surfaces, where they stick to footwear and get tracked indoors. So I grit my teeth and put up with the leaf blowers.
Shirley Rice - 7 years ago
I went past two men cleaning up leaves. A slender man was quietly raking his leaves. A fat man was using a leaf blower and disturbing the whole neighborhood.
Donna - 7 years ago
I do use them to blow the leaves out of my stone pathways. Brilliant and leave a lot more stones where they are supposed to be. Mine is electric however.
Linda - 7 years ago
Although i agree with the sentiments of people who want to ban 2 cycle engine leaf blowers, I own and have used an electric leaf blower (as a mulcher--sucking up leaves and shredding them for use as garden mulch).....my lawnmower's also electric. In my opinion, the call to ban ALL leaf blowers is a bit extreme.
Allan - 7 years ago
I have never believed that leaves are like litter, something to be picked up and hidden away. They are a natural part of nature, and what I did was sweep them off the concrete paths, where they can be come slippery, directly into my garden beds. There they make a home for all sorts of insects, slowly decaying and feeding the soil as well as providing a cover against frost in the winter, and the harsh sun in the summer.
I had one neighbour who used to toss any leaves from her sterile brick paved garden, into mine - I did not mind.
Watch the leaves on the trees and see all the beautiful colours they go through, before they fall. The same happens on the ground, a beautiful Kaleidoscope as they blend into the garden. Trees were here before us, so why not let them be. I guess that is man, always trying to change things to fit into his way of thinking.
I too independently found that they seem like an instrument of the devil. Let the leaves be and the people at home to live in peace!
I use an electric (battery type) and a corded electric leaf blower. I have a one acre homesite. I learned long ago that leaves make excellent mulch and they fertilize the soil pretty much wherever they fall. I blow out the gutters periodically with the hand held rechargeable blower and I've been doing this for a very long time.
The 2 cycle gas powered units are for production. In Florida, lawn cutters are low paid workers and they need to cut many lawns per day to cover operating expenses. Using a rake would place them in a negative cash flow very quickly..
As for legislation to ban the 2 cycle gasoline units I refer you to the old adage that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction...people need to work and the 2 cycle enables them to do so.
Save legislation for the more important things endangering the USA such as over drilling, over fracking, over consuming, over development, and over human population!
Why can’t we let people decide for themselves ?
I personally use an electric leaf blower, and only clear the driveway and walkways with it. I dont want people to slip on wet leaves.
Many more important things to put our energy into banning.
In principle also not a fan of noisy leaf blowers. Do find one very handy to blow leaves and other debris off the roof and out of the eaves/gutters along the roof. Much safer than manual removal.
Just use electrics, less noise no pollution and no vibration.
I had a friend who lived in a home with a big front lawn with big beautiful Oak trees. She also always wanted a pristine green lawn so they removed every Oak leave that pristine green lawn......... The Beautiful big Oak trees died. She didn't know she had to let the leaves feed the trees.
In theory, yes. 2 stroke leafblowers should be banned. However, we (by this i mean you, me, and everyone else who cares about the environment, conservation, global warming and nature in general) have far bigger fish to fry and this os precisely the kind of legislation that turns people against environmentalists. Should people like you keep getting the word out that they suck? Of course. But should we turn to levislation and tell tbe guy down the block who likes them that he no longer has a choice because WE know better? I say no.
Save the legislation and enmity it creates for bigger issues that will have more payoff.
I have always hated leaf blowers, for their hideous noise, air pollution and waste of resources. That said, I've just moved into a townhouse complex where most of the trees are some kind of locust which have dropped literally millions of little oval fingernail-sized leaves. They are too small to rake. They could be swept with brooms from roads and pathways, but very difficult, so I doubt that the landscape service would go for that, and they couldn't remove any that were under vehicles. The leaves can't be left lying on lawns and gardens, because even a small wind will blow them onto the paved surfaces, where they stick to footwear and get tracked indoors. So I grit my teeth and put up with the leaf blowers.
I went past two men cleaning up leaves. A slender man was quietly raking his leaves. A fat man was using a leaf blower and disturbing the whole neighborhood.
I do use them to blow the leaves out of my stone pathways. Brilliant and leave a lot more stones where they are supposed to be. Mine is electric however.
Although i agree with the sentiments of people who want to ban 2 cycle engine leaf blowers, I own and have used an electric leaf blower (as a mulcher--sucking up leaves and shredding them for use as garden mulch).....my lawnmower's also electric. In my opinion, the call to ban ALL leaf blowers is a bit extreme.
I have never believed that leaves are like litter, something to be picked up and hidden away. They are a natural part of nature, and what I did was sweep them off the concrete paths, where they can be come slippery, directly into my garden beds. There they make a home for all sorts of insects, slowly decaying and feeding the soil as well as providing a cover against frost in the winter, and the harsh sun in the summer.
I had one neighbour who used to toss any leaves from her sterile brick paved garden, into mine - I did not mind.
Watch the leaves on the trees and see all the beautiful colours they go through, before they fall. The same happens on the ground, a beautiful Kaleidoscope as they blend into the garden. Trees were here before us, so why not let them be. I guess that is man, always trying to change things to fit into his way of thinking.