Leaf Blowers For Dummies

Posted by Gardenknow on June 22nd, 2019

A Dummies Guide to Leaf Blowers

For some gardeners, especially those who are new to gardening the idea of using a leaf blower can be overwhelming. There's a range of different kinds of leaf blowers, capabilities and not to mention potential regulations you need to be aware of. 

Different Types of Leaf Blowers

There's a range of different kinds of leaf blowers these include the following:

• Corded Leaf Blowers - These are one of the most common types of leaf blowers, not to mention one of the most affordable. They require a connection to an extension cord, one of the apparent drawbacks being for more extensive gardens; the cord length can sometimes be limiting. However, these are perfect for those of you with small to medium sized gardens.
• Battery Powered Leaf Blowers - Similar to corded leaf blowers the primary power source of these is also electricity. However, you don't have the limitation of cables preventing your range of movement. Thanks to the battery you're able to move as you please for the duration of your battery life. Some battery powered leaf blowers also come with additional batteries so you can swap them around to extend run time.
• Gas Leaf Blowers - Like battery powered leaf blowers a cable doesn't constrain you. These, however, use gasoline as an energy source instead of electricity. This often means they can be more powerful, but less environmentally friendly which is the major downside. 
• Walk Behind Leaf Blowers - Often gas powered, these leaf blowers are effective for heavy-duty jobs with significant accumulations of leaves. Unlike the types mentioned above, the leaf blower is on wheels which you can push around your garden. This makes them excellent options for people who don't want to be carrying blowers around for long durations of time.

Capabilities of Leaf Blowers

Leaf blowers can be multi-functional tools that aren't just limited to blowing leaves. It's quite common that leaf blowers come with hoover or mulching capabilities. Leaf blowers with these options come with a bag that you can suck the leaves into from the ground. The benefit of using this technology is that you don't have to worry about the leaves making a mess the way you do if you're blowing them.

Regulations Affecting Use

In some locations, you need to be mindful of the rules and regulations in place when it comes to using leaf blowers. This is especially applicable to those of you in California. 

In some cities, you will find that leaf blowers are banned completely; in others, there are limitations on noise and time of day restrictions. If you are from California, we'd recommend checking your cities leaf blower regulations here. 

Our Thoughts on Leaf Blowers

At Gardenknow we're big advocates of utilizing leaf blowers. The technology is quite tremendous; they can make a difficult job a lot easier and less strenuous. It's essential you do your homework, and make sure you're aware of the rules and regulations when it comes to their usage in your city before you buy one.