Leaf Blowers

[daiking]

I used to think these were only for professionals or turbo-nonces who like to  strut around their garden wearing a tool belt and pretending they’re Batman.

 

Is there anything I need to know before I ignore all your advice and buy the cheapest one I can find online?

Edited September 20, 2020 by daiking

[joe90]

After watching all the leaves fall onto my new gravel I shall be watching this thread closely (although I am thinking of a leaf vacuum so I can make leaf mould)

[Nickfromwales]

STHIL one in CNS Power Tools was less than £100. I use it to vacuum sites after drilling timbers for 1st fix. Works a treat. 

[joe90]

Petrol or electric (big price difference), frankly an electric one would suit me as needed near the house/garage.

[daiking]

35 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

STHIL one in CNS Power Tools was less than £100. I use it to vacuum sites after drilling timbers for 1st fix. Works a treat. 

See, that’s double the price of a normal one.

 

29 minutes ago, joe90 said:

Petrol or electric (big price difference), frankly an electric one would suit me as needed near the house/garage.

Electric for me, obvs, but more a question of cordless/corded? Is a vacuum necessary? as it’s harder to empty the bag than blowing them into a pile and using those big plastic bin lid hands to pick up the leaves.

[Conor]

Two-stroke leaf blowers must be one of the most anti-social contraptions ever devised. First thing I'll ban when I'm king of the world.

[dpmiller]

but 4-strokers  are ok?

[ProDave]

We bought one,.

 

First year it worked well, the leaves fell down quickly in a sharp frost and they blew into nice piles easily.

 

Next year, the leaves fell down gradually in a prolonged wet and windy spell.  The leaves were stuck to the ground with water and the blower would not shift them and they never dried all winter enough for the blower to shift them.  We used the rake.

[joe90]

Alternative? https://www.coopersofstortford.co.uk/garden/st08286i/?SKU=8286&src=gbase&vsrc=igb9b2&gclid=Cj0KCQjwnqH7BRDdARIsACTSAdt8av_lTCwQZ1jdFs8-BAXxdXQNrvY_FhxrhGdW0tXWBU5V0WSotpAaAg4AEALw_wcB

 

[jfb]

13 hours ago, daiking said:

Is there anything I need to know before I ignore all your advice and buy the cheapest one I can find onlin

A brush maybe?

[daiking]

26 minutes ago, joe90 said:

Alternative? https://www.coopersofstortford.co.uk/garden/st08286i/?SKU=8286&src=gbase&vsrc=igb9b2&gclid=Cj0KCQjwnqH7BRDdARIsACTSAdt8av_lTCwQZ1jdFs8-BAXxdXQNrvY_FhxrhGdW0tXWBU5V0WSotpAaAg4AEALw_wcB

 

Could be a good option for someone but that’s not going to get around stuff on the patio very well for me

[daiking]

4 minutes ago, jfb said:

A brush maybe?

That’s what I’ve been doing and that’s exactly why I’m now asking about blowers. It’s a never ending job to do manually so doesn’t get done enough.

[PeterW]

Got LXT batteries.??

 

https://www.cnspowertools.co.uk/makita-dub183z-18v-cordless-blower-body-only

[daiking]

10 minutes ago, PeterW said:

Got LXT batteries.??

 

https://www.cnspowertools.co.uk/makita-dub183z-18v-cordless-blower-body-only

 

No I don't. I'm nursing a set of 4 very old (13 years?) Roybi nicad 18v batteries - which would probably last 30 seconds in a leaf blower. Have promised myself a new drill for a number of years but never quite made it across the line.

 

The cheap cordless other name blowers typically only last 10-12 minutes on a charge so ideally you want a system where you have multiple batteries - without paying extra for more batteries.

 

I use a corded lawn mower so... a corded blower will probably be fine for me. 

Edited September 21, 2020 by daiking

[scottishjohn]

11 hours ago, ProDave said:

We bought one,.

 

First year it worked well, the leaves fell down quickly in a sharp frost and they blew into nice piles easily.

 

Next year, the leaves fell down gradually in a prolonged wet and windy spell.  The leaves were stuck to the ground with water and the blower would not shift them and they never dried all winter enough for the blower to shift them.  We used the rake.

its called sods law -fine in US where they get dry cold autumn --but scotland --wet --no  i won,t be buying one 

 but I have spent on a milwaukee cordless weed spryaer pack --just due to the amount I have to do --

good tool and can be used as a water supply for a stihl concrete cutter --so 2 jobs in one-

could be battery grease gun next --Iuse a cartridge of grease to do the dumper every time and same for the digger -

yesI know digger is hired --but want to keep man happy he delivers +picks up for free + insures it  and they are new diggers --so keep this man happy 

[Nickfromwales]

1 hour ago, PeterW said:

Got LXT batteries.??

 

https://www.cnspowertools.co.uk/makita-dub183z-18v-cordless-blower-body-only

Nowhere near enough puff with that, guv. 

[ToughButterCup]

Bought a Stihl blower. Use it every day, almost, to ;

• sweep out the house (open the down wind doors and blow) 
• Sweep the workshop 
• Clean off the crosscut saw at the end of each session 
• Ditto the table saw
• Chase the sodding chickens out of the winter garden 
• Sweep out the piggery
• Sweep the bin store. 
• Blow (...) out of the dog pens
• Clear the lane up after the hedges are trimmed / slashed by the farmer

If it broke down I would be down the repair shop that day. Saves me hours of work. Never used for leaf blowing - ever. 

[Gav_P]

I had a cheap mains powered blower/vac.... it was crap. Like others have said, it can’t shift anything that has got damp. So I would definitely go for a petrol version next time. 

[daiking]

Hope Aldi still has these in stock when I go at the weekend 

 

https://tinyurl.com/y24l5ke6

[Gav_P]

8 minutes ago, daiking said:

Hope Aldi still has these in stock when I go at the weekend 

 

https://tinyurl.com/y24l5ke6

That’s the same spec as the one I have... I was thoroughly disappointed by it. Can’t cope if anything is damp, or if anything has been damp and is now stuck to something else. 

[daiking]

4 hours ago, Gav_P said:

That’s the same spec as the one I have... I was thoroughly disappointed by it. Can’t cope if anything is damp, or if anything has been damp and is now stuck to something else. 

I’m very lucky to have been disappointed so many times my expectations are now so low they cannot fail to be met.

[Temp]

I have a blower but find a ride on mower collects them better.

[daiking]

10 minutes ago, Temp said:

I have a blower but find a ride on mower collects them better.

stands to see reason as my electric mower does a reasonable job too

[Gav_P]

32 minutes ago, Temp said:

I have a blower but find a ride on mower collects them better.

Slightly different price range though

[Temp]

A push mower might work as well?