Comments on: I Hate Leaf Blowers

By: kevin

kevin — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 14:10:07 +0000

use a broom on concrete surfaces.leafblowers are just excessively noisy feather dusters moving a leaf from point a point b.never once seen anyone pick up a pile of leaves after blowing them into oblivion.if their users don’t feel they are a loud pointless abomination not inconveniencing anyone,whats with the big ear muffs?.

By: Norma

Norma — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:27:31 +0000

We love living in a condo and watching the young men show up to do the yard; but I really do hate the leaf blowers. Even our cat hides under the bed. I hope they’re all wearing ear plugs, but its probably not as loud as a rock concerts.

By: Icepick

Icepick — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:24:13 +0000

Unless rakes are used on concrete (I’ve ‘heard’ it done) they aren’t too evil. Or, did you mean a rake in your own hand? Oh…

Definitely a rake in my own hand. Specifically when used to rake up the leaves from the great Southern Oak in my Mom’s front yard. Twice a year it drops acorns all over the place. And it sheds leaves ALL YEAR LONG. (The lack of definite seasons in Florida convinces some species of plants that they can get away with anything.) Raking up the oak leaves serves about as much purposes as dusting a rock in the dessert – or Sisyphus contuinually trying to push that stone up the hill. Clearly the devil’s work.

By: PACIFIC_WATERS

PACIFIC_WATERS — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:36:21 +0000

She rakes her yard with a blower? Must take her a long time.

By: Donna B.

Donna B. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:13:18 +0000

The mower mulches them in place. YES! If there is too much left after the mower passes over, then rake if needed.

I have to say that my husband and I had a serious talk about which neighbors we truly cared about and… the the ones who overdo the leaf blower and lawnmower made the list.

In fact, two of the neighbors who made the list of who we truly care about also made the list of most annoying. What lesson can we learn from that?

By: retriever

retriever — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:48:22 +0000

I hate leafblowers too. IMHO the only truly necessary use for them is if you have a gravel driveway and need to get the leaves out. In our neighborhood, the rented houses (more since people can’t sell them now and don’t dare buy one) are usually landscaped by crews of illegals who come in a truck with a padron directing, the sound of 4 leafblowers at once (even if for only 15-30 minutes) is deafening. We have an ordinance against more than 2 on a smaller than 1/2 acre lot but by the time you call the cops, they are gone. The smoke. The dust and crud blown up into the air (bad for people with allergies) and the noise spoil the outdoors.

Then again, I am REALLY sloppy. I concentrate on the veggies and some of the flowers spring thru fall, and really don’t bother much about leaves (the mower mulches them in place), except to rake them with the kids once a week so they don’t kill the grass. I like the colors, and so long as they don’t mat, the wind blows them harmlessly.

By: Donna B.

Donna B. — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:28:22 +0000

Unless rakes are used on concrete (I’ve ‘heard’ it done) they aren’t too evil. Or, did you mean a rake in your own hand? Oh…

CG — I’m sure we don’t get winds as constantly as you do in OK, but we get some pretty good ones occasionally. We’ve got five pine and five oak trees in our yard, all large, and all our neighbors have similar.

I’m not about to expend a lot of energy trying to keep the yard clean this time of year. I consider the “abandoned house” good Halloween decor.

By: Icepick

Icepick — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:00:57 +0000

Leaf blowers are the work of Satan. So are rakes, really, but they’re MUCH less evil than leaf blowers.

By: CGHill

CGHill — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 22:25:25 +0000

This is one yard implement it’s never occurred to me to buy. Then again, the Oklahoma winds can outblow anything powered by Briggs & Stratton: sooner or later, all the leaves are going to wind up in one corner, and they can by-gosh mulch themselves.