Selecting The Ideal Leaf Blower

If you have a small garden, or only a few deciduous trees (those that loose their leaves each fall), a simply hand rake should be sufficient for your needs. For those properties with larger gardens, or those with a selection of trees, it can become far easily to use a powered leaf blower. Remember, too, that the trees on your property may not be the only ones dropping leaves in your garden, or driveway. The neighbouring properties can chip in as well, thanks to the wind.

The models of powered leaf blowers are either electric or gasoline powered.

Electric leaf blowers are usually lighter, certainly quieter, and generally less expensive. But they seldom have the power to equal their gasoline powered counterparts, so it often takes longer to clear the yard. The power rating of the model will be indicated on the unit and/or box, with most blowers having a rating of 300 to 550 cubic feet of air per minute (CFM). Not unexpectedly, you typically pay more for the highest rated units.

Some blowers will have the ability to run off a battery, but in order to keep the weight at a reasonable level, they often only have sufficient power to control a small model. Most are fitted with a cable. If your garden is not too large, you should not have a problem. But for any larger properties, or if trees are located far from the power supply, it may be necessary to select a gasoline powered unit.

Having a hundred feet or more of extension cable following behind the blower is not convenient. The cable typically gets in the way. You may get caught up in it from time to time, and it always seems to have a knack of lying across the leaves that you want to blow away.

Gasoline powered leaf blowers are generally bulkier, but have the ability to blow much more air. On the flipside, they are capable of producing much more noise. Anyone that has noticed a professional gardener at work will probably have noticed the sound, a cross between a lawn-mower and a jet aircraft at a distance.

However, the gas powered unit is able to tackle any sized task you have, and several can function in reverse. Those will operate as a leaf vacuum cleaner, in addition to simply hurling the leaves to another area. This can be a key consideration as blowing leaves into the street or onto a neighing property is often a terrible alternative.

If all you require is to hurl the leaves into a central area to be picked up, this extra feature may not be necessary. And you’ll certainly pay more for a unit that has this option.

Leaf blowers can be lightweight at only a few pounds or as heavy as 30lbs, rarely more. The latter may not sound like that much, by imagine how your feel after dragging it around for an hour. It is important to consider the trade off between power vs. weight.

By: Darren Lintern

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Darren Lintern writes extensively for www.andallgardening.com, a popular informational website that provides helpful tips, and resources on many gardening topics including Mulch Blowers, and Water Garden Plants