I think I 'need' a leaf blower to keep my lawn clear of autumnal leaf fall. Probably only need an electric jobber. Not going to spend loads. Talk to me, oh wise ones.
[i]keep my lawn clear of autumnal leaf fall[/i]
For just the lawn I just set the cut height on my mower 'high' and run it up and down - it collects all the leaves in the grass box.
(although if you really *need* a leaf blower don't let that stop you buying one!)
Buy a petrol one. If you get an electric one you will only wish you had gone petrol after five minutes of use.
If you want to collect leaves do as the poster up there.
I have a small Stihl one, it's brilliant...
Also, electric? Are you serious?? The beauty of a leaf blower is that you frap it up, walk once around the garden and voila, all the leaves are in the road/next door. Much quicker than sweeping.
If you've got to faff about with plugs and flexes, AND not be able to venture more than 15ft from a mains socket, it kinda defeats the object of the exercise.
I got one of[url= http://www.husqvarna.com/au/products/blowers/125bvx/952715645/ ] these [/url]
Works great, easy to start, quiet (as quiet as the electric one I had for two days). Does the job on tickover with little squirt for the heavier stuff.
Aye, I se what you mean but it not a massive lawn and it's right next to garage (power point). I use an electric mower on it with no probs. Petrol ones are probably far better but more faff and cost by the looks of it. I'm only going to be using it once a week during Autumn, after all.
Once you have one, you'll find lots of uses for it... 😉
Pah. Use mine for clearing drive, paths, getting the charcoal going nicely in the Smoker and Tandoor. Clearing out the detritus from the shed, clearing out the gutters and sometimes for leaves.
## Edit ## beaten too it.
In my ignorant innocent days I bought an electric one then returned it the same afternoon as not fit for purpose - so pathetically weak that the merest hint of dampness on the leaves and it was not man enough to move them.
I've now given up. If god intended the garden to be covered in leaves well that's fine with me. They stop the bastard grass from growing and then when I'm sick of them in the spring I mower them into a fine mulch with a petrol flymo to give the grass an emergency kickstart after it has been suffocated all winter.
Got a Black and Decker garden vac. Collects the leaves rather than blowing them into a pile?
I use a stihl magnum for my work and love it, you could knock over children with it if you wanted. Stones, rocks, wet grass, soil, everything crappy gets lifted and thrown into a corner where you can scoop it up with a shovel, or onto lawns where you can sook it up with a mower. It's probably the most important tool in my armoury.
I'm guessing you have a small garden MoreCashThanDash?
Half an hour with a leaf blower leaves me with a pile of leaves the size of a family car... And that's every weekend during Autumn... 🙁
I bought a Bosch one a few weeks ago, it sucks also 😆
Reason I bought it wasn't in fact leaves, more the grass cuttings. I'm finding using a strimmer more effective for trimming the grass as the season turns cooler and the grass grows in increasingly more random clumps, and the Mrs wanted one.
It's great so far has to be said, and whilst one day I thought these things came with the passing of age related retirement, seems I should have bought one a few years ago.
Recommended 😕
Two 30x20 lawns. Each lawn fills the bag, once a week.
But the OP doesn't have a big garden, apparently.
It's true, I don't. Yes, I want one that sucks too, ideally.
So, given that I DON'T want a petrol one. How much am I going to have to fork out for something that'll do the job (realistically)?
its the reason the nation is over weight, slackers the lot of ya, get a decent rake and broom and put some effort in.
Mulch them into the lawn, means only a mower required
Had one, used it about 4 times them gave it away. Was more hassle, and made more mess, than it was worth! The leaves were always wet and would be stuck in the grass. I just put my lawnmower to the highest clearance and use that.
How much am I going to have to fork out for something that'll do the job (realistically)?
Mine cost £90 from BnQ
I have just raked, scarified and over seeded the lawn. I'm not adverse to putting some work into it. I have religiously mowed it every week, ffs. I don't like leaving it covered in leaf mulch over winter as:
a. it looks crap
b. it doesn't do the lawn a lot of good.
c. stray dog eggs can lurk there undiscoverd, right until they aren't.
Our garden has lots of corners, beds, nooks and crannies and lots of big trees in and around.
I use the mower as a 'vac' on the lawn, then use a 'blower' on suck only on the beds, hard standing, drive and corners that are tricky to rake. Don't see the point in blowing, it just disperses everything.
Had a cheap petrol one, it was loud, hard to start, smelly and vibrated like crazy. Everything a man wants, but I hated it.
Got an electric one like this, begrudgingly very happy with it - for the size of our garden with a decent extension it's loads better.
gravity slave - cheers, its a bit pricey for me. Looking for sub £100 ideally.
bikebuoy - what model is it, do you know?
Leaf blowers must be the most idiotic garden tool ever invented, surely?
Waste electricity to annoy your neighbours while redistributing leaves that will just blow back onto the lawn or wherever the next time the wind blows?
Ferkin' idiocy. Get a rake, strip down to your shirt and get some exercise raking them into a big bag. Cyclists have weak arms anyway so you need the workout.
Rake!
I wasn't sure of the exact model, maybe try this one - £50
http://www.amazon.co.uk/BLACK-DECKER-GW2200-Blower-Vacuum/dp/B003WE9CRI
Get a petrol one if you are going to buy one. I have an electric flymo blower/hoover and while the blower part works well it's rubbish at sucking up the leaves.
That video of the chiminea is brilliant.
They're also good for drying the bikes ...car and for getting the BBQ going
I can recommend black and decker one. I used to borrow one for clearing up hedge currents and it'd suck up and mulch beech no probs. Didn't use it as a blower though and was under £100
Slight high jack/
However, I've now got a much bigger garden so am watching with interest on the petrol blower/vac recommendations. Raking is OK until it gets to pulling stuff out of borders and then it's just becomes too time consuming. Plenty of other stuff to do that requires lots of effort before I get berated for oxygen thievery 😉
Has anyone got a stihl sh86? Or equivalent?
http://www.mowdirect.co.uk/stihl-sh86-vacuum-shredder.html
I've got a works 86. It's okay doesn't seem as good as my old Stihl I had but I can't remember what model that was. Just seems to lack a bit of power compared to the old one, thought it was just mine but work mates seem's the same. For domestic use its more than powerful enough.
Bosch ALS 2500.. follow the link..£70 now from Screwfix..
We live on an estate full of large old trees so we're surrounded. We've a garden waste wheely bin and I can fill it every week with all the leaves etc from our small garden.
When we moved in two years ago the bloke we bought the house from left me an old electric jobby, used it a couple of times and got annoyed with it. Used a rake until about a month ago when I splashed out on a Stihl petrol one, never looked back!
The electric one is in the garage waiting to go to the tip, it's probably 20 years old and not that great but if you want it OP and can collect it it's yours (Crowthorne, RG45).
Thanks kuco
Bought an electric Stihl that mulches into a bag. It's rubbish. Bought a very wide plastic rake for £20 and it's excellent. I harvest about 20 full bin bags of leaves from our trees.
If you have a modest sized garden, get a rake.
Surely the only use for the jetski of the suburbs..
"Drying the car..."... 🙂
