apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

The best leafblower is the one that is used after 10am. As much as I appreciated the wonderful landscaping service my last apartment building employed, I hated the way they ruined my lazy Saturday mornings.

One that mulches is a great option!

Just mow the leaves and leave it on yr lawn, if you have a lawn. And use an electric mower, please. No excuse for gas-powered these days unless you have a huge lawn -- they are filthy polluters!

I hate these things. The noise actually makes me feel anxious, along with car alarms, squealing tires and eyeball-rattling thumping bass. Quiet is becoming harder and harder to find.

How ungreen can you get? Electricity or Gas pollution because you won't rake? Noise pollution to irritate the neighbors? You're going to be real popular.

This is in the same category of people who clean their sidewalks by hosing them down. Just get a bucket, a sturdy broom and get those muscles going.

Forego going to the gym and rake instead.

Why wouldn't you want it to suck? To me that would make more sense. :S

I can understand the reluctance to do it yourself, but I agree that leaf blowers are horrendous. Are there any children/teenagers in your neighborhood who would be wiling to do the raking for you? (for a fee of course) Or even a "green" landscaping company who would promise to use a rake?

I am not being a smart-ass, just a sheltered city dweller, but is there a reason besides aesthetics to rake, blow or whatever your leaves away? Fire hazard, kills lawns, I am just curious.

None really other than it looks sloppy to have leaves and grass clippings turning brown everywhere.

And depending on your city they might have rules against leaving yard waste like this just sitting around.

Ive wanted a leaf vac for a while for two reasons. I have 5 oak trees in my yard that are over 60 feet tall. They constant drop dead leaves and acorns everywhere. The previous owners of this home decided that raking leaves was bad for some reason and let them get at least 5-7 inches deep. Most of it had started to decay. I life in Florida, it rains alot, its not really like raking big maple leaves or anything that just sit on your grass.

The second is I have a compost heap (consisting mostly of the already rotting leaves that Ive piled into one corner of the yard, its a very big pile) and a vac that mulches would speed up the process so I can redistribute the compost soil into the yard and grow real grass.

Im only one man and I cant afford to pay kids to come and do it every two weeks. Are we all against electric weed eaters too?

I gotta agree with everyone above... if you can't be bothered raking your yard just mow the leaves into it. Leaf blowers are one of the stupidest inventions known to man. If you hate your tree covered yard so much I suggest moving somewhere without a yard.

Sounds like the anti leaf blowers never really lived in an urban suburb with trees, sidewalks and lawns. First, any leaf matter left to winter on your lawn will kill the grass. I know...it happened to us last winter and I had huge spots of dead grass. Second, duh, well manicured lawns increase property values and encourage better neighbors. We have had 5 houses turn around in the last 4 years and everyone commented that our lawn...all year long...inspired them to keep up their own yards. Third, well blown side walks, curbs and facing streets allow for easy efficient snow removal and you dont run the risk of being sued...which happened to a neighbor.

As for pollution. I can go a whole season on a single 1/2 gallon tank of gas. I waste more gas going to the mall.

Jeez, Hollie, take it easy. I can love my yard and hate raking leaves. I can love my house and hate painting the trim. I can love my car but hate changing the oil.

How about this--if you hate your leaf blowing neighbor, I suggest moving somewhere without trees. Or, if you love raking leaves so much, c'mon over to my house.

gee, robertcraig, what did all those suburban houseowners do before leaf blowers? They raked. Their kids raked. They got a neighbour's kid to rake. It's not a big deal.

Some of my male neighbours enjoyed comparing the size of their blowers, then moved on to comparing the nozzles on their power washers.
leaf blowers = power washers = homoerotic bonding

In the decades before leaf blowers, people worked maybe 40 hours a week and didn't spend hours on the road commuting to and from their jobs.

So for those who have huge yards, deciduous trees or simply want to spend the few precious hours of their weekend enjoying themselves rather than doing more work, I say blow away!!