Discussion Leaf Blowers: CFM vs Speed?

[13Gigatons]

I need a new leaf blower and noticed that some models have high CFM but standard speed such as: 450 cfm (180mph) or 180cfm(180mph).

Also some have very small tubes while others have much larger tubes....any difference?

 

[lxskllr]

Where's the speed measured from? If it's at the nozzle, I'm guessing the 450cfm has a bigger hose, and will cover more area faster. Think about it like a drinking straw. You can generate high mph just blowing through it, but it would take forever clearing leaves.

 

[13Gigatons]

Yes....I guess the speed measured is fake or deceiving spec...

The larger tube model has reviews that state it works well with wet leaves. Ironically it has a lower amp rating and is also lighter.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Does your wife talk a lot??
Then why purchase a leaf blower....put her to work....she can talk outside facing the curb,,,,

 

[Brainonska511]

Leaf blowers, one of the most obnoxious garden tools ever invented.

 

[mindless1]

Link to the ones you're referring to. Usually a smaller tube is used on a weaker, smaller, lighter, lower amp unit to try to make up for (at least allow it to do something useful) low airflow CFM.

 

[kn51]

I need a new leaf blower and noticed that some models have high CFM but standard speed such as: 450 cfm (180mph) or 180cfm(180mph).

Also some have very small tubes while others have much larger tubes....any difference?

How many leaves?

 

[kn51]

Leaf blowers, one of the most obnoxious garden tools ever invented.

Different strokes for different folks. When you have around 30 oak trees that are 40-60' high on your property everyone has one. Why? Because why waste a weekend trying to rake a bunch of rain soaked leaves when I can buy something that does it better? I can get it done in a couple of hours instead of tarps, raking, etc.

Can't wait for this response.

 

[lxskllr]

Can't wait for this response.

I just leave them on the ground. If they weren't supposed to be there, they wouldn't have fallen in the first place ;^)

 

[mindless1]

^ If I left the leaves they would kill the grass and eventually become a slimy mess.

I try to mow right before any rain in fall to mulch them up instead of blowing them away, but having my mower set up to mulch, every time I mow, it does not so cleanly throw to one side so I mostly use my leaf blower to clean up my driveway, sidewalk, and street after mowing, and blow off the mower deck and undercarriage.

 

[lxskllr]

I wish. Stupid grass keeps growing. The best outcome I could imagine is the grass dies, but it hasn't happened in 50 years, so I'm not holdning my breath.

 

[kn51]

Are you trying to tell us you have an issue where if you didn't get rid of the leaves it would kill your grass and lead to erosion in a planned community thus hurting everyone else due to drainage issues and stormwater issues?

 

[rh71]

Leaf blowers, one of the most obnoxious garden tools ever invented.

I complain about landscapers daily because I work from home. Only me and my next door neighbor do our own lawns. The rest of the houses around here all hire landscapers who bring these commercial-grade noise-makers one after another every day of the week. I can hear them 5 houses down with my windows closed. And the backyard neighbors' street has more coming.

If you use them to blow leaves in the fall once a week, go for it. But these guys are blowing dust & pollen all over the place every g'damn day 3 out of 4 seasons, not to mention the noise. Oh yeah, I already mentioned the noise. I have a leaf blower/sucker, and now a sweeper (all I need). They run for 5 mins once a week max if I use them. And nobody past my immediate neighbor can hear it.

 

[mindless1]

I hate the neighbors who get up nice and early on the weekends to not just mow and blow but also to edge, making an infernal metallic clanging noise while their edger blades scrape against the concrete. Blowers, meh my neighbor across the street just had his out and I barely noticed.

 

[Brainonska511]

Different strokes for different folks. When you have around 30 oak trees that are 40-60' high on your property everyone has one. Why? Because why waste a weekend trying to rake a bunch of rain soaked leaves when I can buy something that does it better? I can get it done in a couple of hours instead of tarps, raking, etc.

Can't wait for this response.

If you have 30 40-60' oak trees on your property, you probably live on a huge piece of land, where maybe that garden tool could be useful and your closest neighbors are far away. I'm complaining about the small city and suburban plots, where they are overkill and unnecessary noise makers.

 

[zinfamous]

I just mow over the leaves. Chop them into itty bits, goes back into the lawn. done.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Different strokes for different folks. When you have around 30 oak trees that are 40-60' high on your property everyone has one. Why? Because why waste a weekend trying to rake a bunch of rain soaked leaves when I can buy something that does it better? I can get it done in a couple of hours instead of tarps, raking, etc.

Can't wait for this response.

I find it's bagging that takes the longest. Raking is no biggie. Would be fun to mod a paper shredder to run faster and have a bigger chute and use it for leaves then just let it go into the ground in tiny pieces. Could maybe even set it up to be fed by a shop vac then you can vacuum the leaves!

I don't really care about leaf blower noise myself but after realizing just how loud they are when a neighbour was using one I'd almost feel bad using one myself. suposedly they work well to take snow off the car too. Tempting to buy one just for that... but it means fireing it up at like 6:30am lol.

 

[kn51]

If you have 30 40-60' oak trees on your property, you probably live on a huge piece of land, where maybe that garden tool could be useful and your closest neighbors are far away. I'm complaining about the small city and suburban plots, where they are overkill and unnecessary noise makers.

Heh, my lot is roughly .25 acres.

Hence, the leaf blower.

 

[mindless1]

If you have 30 40-60' oak trees on your property, you probably live on a huge piece of land, where maybe that garden tool could be useful and your closest neighbors are far away. I'm complaining about the small city and suburban plots, where they are overkill and unnecessary noise makers.

?? What would the size of the property have to do with how old, and thus large, an oak is? I have two in my back yard that are at least 50' tall and a good 1/3rd of one hangs over into my neighbor's yard, which he enjoyed having shade from, until he decided to put a pool in.

Now he times his pool opening (uncovering) date based on right after the moss falls off in the spring, and the closing date right before the leaves fall in great #s in the fall.

It's not the size of the property, it's the amount of leaves. You would be welcome to come rake up my leaves in fall if I didn't mow just to mulch them (even if the grass didn't need cut), 'cuz I'm simply not going to manually rake that many leaves over and over again several times every fall.

I used to use a leaf blower to make some leaf mulch out of maybe 1/4th of them to put around flower beds but it took too much of a toll on my blower, which I got tired of completely disassembling to clean all the leaf dust muck out of.

I do understand about the noise though, but at the same time, you have to accept that if you live near other people. They can make as much noise as they want as long as they're not breaking any ordinances, doing something excessive or too late at night.

 

[Brainonska511]

What would the size of the property have to do with how old, and thus large, an oak is

Read his post again. He said he has 30 oak trees that are 40-60' high.

 

[mindless1]

^ That doesn't necessarily change the density of leaves from each one on the ground below.

With just the two big oaks I have (plus other smaller trees), there's no way I'd rake that if I didn't mulch it. I can't just blow the leaves to the moon, they have to end up *somewhere*. A large property with 30 oak trees, makes a leaf blower inadequate x10.

You have it backwards, a leaf blower, for actually blowing leaves rather than pavement debris cleaning, is ideal for a smaller property not a large one... unless you just like spending several days outside playing with power tools.

 

[13Gigatons]

How many leaves?

Not too many...just want to be able to clean the garage and deck faster and easier.

 

[13Gigatons]

Link to the ones you're referring to. Usually a smaller tube is used on a weaker, smaller, lighter, lower amp unit to try to make up for (at least allow it to do something useful) low airflow CFM.

I have not settled on any one model or brand. I will probably just get an electric model, I have good extension cords and my other yard tools are electric and I don't worry about battery life or charging them.

I would like it to be as quiet as possible. Also don't know yet if I want a vacuum/mulching version. I hear those are more prone to breaking....may get more mileage from a standard leaf blower.

 

[mindless1]

I am not going to use mine to mulch any longer. It's too much of a PITA to clean.

Extension cords, I generally dislike but if your property allows dragging them around, it's a trade off vs gas powered, vs spending quite a bit more for something cordless (battery powered) that doesn't trip over itself from being so weak.

Quiet, is a larger problem. The high velocity of the air creates significant noise, no matter what the power source. Anything quiet will be worse at the task. In theory you could get a very large push type on wheels that is quiet if it moves less air than competitive models, but there's no market for that. Everyone wants max performance till they own it and have to hear it, then puts in ear plugs if noise is excessive.
.

 

[13Gigatons]

I am not going to use mine to mulch any longer. It's too much of a PITA to clean.

.

What model do you own?