Leaf blowers

[Muddy42]

Any feedback on the smaller blowers where the fan can be reversed so they vacuum into a bag? I cut a few low level ornamental hedges - one side gravel one side flower bed, where the cleaning up is awkward and I thought this might be a good idea.

[Mark Bolam]

It’s not, they’re shit.

[Stere]

Yeah they are shit.

[Mark Bolam]

Don’t get me wrong, it is a good idea.

The actual performance is disappointing though.

[pleasant]

1 hour ago, Mark Bolam said:

Don’t get me wrong, it is a good idea.

The actual performance is disappointing though.

Can be if used incorrectly. Ok, they arent for large areas, but tidying up around an average sized garden they are fine. Worst thing you can do is use them to vacuum debris that is anything but dry. No good trying to suck up wet leaves....if they stick to your shoes or driveway they they will stick to the insides of the vac tubes. Also the extra water content will effectively turn the 'shredding' feature of the machine into a juicer. Which again, will cause clogging. The wet material will then dry rock hard (a combination of chopped leaves and dirt dries surprisingly hard) around the impellor and will then compromise blowing and vacuum performance until you chip it all away.  Added that to the fact the wet material if it makes its way into the collection bag then wets the bag and then drips everywhere, and the material if left in the bag rots it...and those bags arent cheap. A few days of no rain and some wind and you see leaves being blown around on a lawn tells you they are dry enough to collect 

[Muddy42]

3 hours ago, Mark Bolam said:

It’s not, they’re shit.

 

3 hours ago, Stere said:

Yeah they are shit.

 

1 hour ago, pleasant said:

Can be if used incorrectly. Ok, they arent for large areas

 

OK thanks for the feedback, maybe I'll borrow one.  Its just the alternatives to a vacuum aren't great.  I've tried blowing and it just sends the clippings into the flower beds or all over the gravel. I have been collecting the clippings with ground sheets, but its seriously slow.  Yes, I will always be cutting these box hedges in prolonged dry spells to help with the various dreaded box blight.  

[Mark Bolam]

3 hours ago, pleasant said:

Can be if used incorrectly. Ok, they arent for large areas, but tidying up around an average sized garden they are fine. Worst thing you can do is use them to vacuum debris that is anything but dry. No good trying to suck up wet leaves....if they stick to your shoes or driveway they they will stick to the insides of the vac tubes. Also the extra water content will effectively turn the 'shredding' feature of the machine into a juicer. Which again, will cause clogging. The wet material will then dry rock hard (a combination of chopped leaves and dirt dries surprisingly hard) around the impellor and will then compromise blowing and vacuum performance until you chip it all away.  Added that to the fact the wet material if it makes its way into the collection bag then wets the bag and then drips everywhere, and the material if left in the bag rots it...and those bags arent cheap. A few days of no rain and some wind and you see leaves being blown around on a lawn tells you they are dry enough to collect 

Yes, as I said, they’re shit.

[Stere]

 

 

Blowers are excellent  for clearing stuff off gravel just start one end then work along till its all blown off /piled up somewhere it can be picked up easier or it disapears  under the neigbours hedge etc.

 

Only time its   a pain is  if its to windy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Stubby]

24 minutes ago, Stere said:

 

 

Blowers are excellent  for clearing stuff off gravel just start one end then work along till its all blown off /piled up somewhere it can be picked up easier or it disapears  under the neigbours hedge etc.

 

Only time its   a pain is  if its to windy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go on !

[Dan Maynard]

5 hours ago, Muddy42 said:

 

 

 

OK thanks for the feedback, maybe I'll borrow one.  Its just the alternatives to a vacuum aren't great.  I've tried blowing and it just sends the clippings into the flower beds or all over the gravel. I have been collecting the clippings with ground sheets, but its seriously slow.  Yes, I will always be cutting these box hedges in prolonged dry spells to help with the various dreaded box blight.  

I had a cheap one that was my brother's, thought it would be cool to vac up sawdust from cutting firewood in front of my garage.

 

All the tiny stones on the concrete going up the tube into the impeller sounded like bullets, gave up on that pretty quick.

 

I don't see a better way really than plenty of sheets to keep 95% of the leaves off the gravel then blow the last bit. Sheets are pretty cheap really compared to fancy blowers.