A Leaf Blower Product Review
Leaf blowers are a challenge; they can be noisy, they toss dust into the air, and they have gasoline fuel exhaust issues which contribute to greenhouse gases. Yet for someone with a physical health problem such as arthritis, they represent a better solution for muscle and joint pain rather than physically raking leaves. This season I tried a leaf blower in order to assist my fall leaf-raking chores in order to give my spinal osteoarthritis less stress. I consciously chose a better-for-the-environment solution to test.
LEAF BLOWING TIP — Instead of blowing leaves to the street to be collected, blow the leaves into a pile and leave it through the winter for a nice pile of “Leaf Mold” in the spring to put on the spring beds. Or do like I do – blow the leaves into your beds instead of out of them in order to give a little extra winter insulation. By spring the leaves will have broken down into compost.
GreenWorks Pro is a line of cordless outdoor tools that are run by 80 Volt Lithium Ion batteries. Their 80v GreenWorks Pro Leaf Blower retails for about $299.00 with battery and charger. Happily it is quieter than a gas blower, but strong enough to replace the 32cc gas eating machine without all the annual maintenance problems you typically have with the tool.
This seasons leaf blower product test went well – I used it to clean up errant soil, sticks, and leaves from gardening, harvesting, and fall leaf drop season with great success. It is powerful enough to move large piles of leaves with no trouble. Charging the leaf blower is super-easy. Just plug it in when the charge runs out, which is about every 30 minutes.
After putting the leaf blower through its paces with the Shawna-marator (which included dropping it several times, charging and recharging constantly, and using it on my neighbors yards as well as my own) – I like it and give it an exceptionally positive review. Great tool. Easy to use. Convenient and “greener” for the environment than the gasoline choices. Now if it could only make dinner for my family and fix me a martini it would be absolutely perfect. ::wink:: Happy Fall my friends!
Very cool review. Looks like the battery power is getting better and better on these tools. I purchased a battery powered grass trimmer this past summer and it holds the charge for 3 or 4 uses. Far better than the one I bought 10 years ago. Now if I can only convince the guy around the corner to stop blowing all of his leaves into the street, we’ll be in business.
Thanks Mike!
Hi Shawna,
I’ve carefully read through your review and appreciate the information you’ve provided. I especially love your tip about blowing the leaves into a pile and leaving it through the winter to decompose.
Personally, I frequently recommend blowing the leaves onto a tarp and later throwing them into a composting bin or using them as mulch as you’ve suggested.
Great review for an excellent product.
The GreenWorks Leaf Blower 80v is undoubtedly the most environmental-friendly blower out there today. Thanks for sharing your experience with the device.
Cheers.