Leaf blowing techniques

[897tgigvib]

Ok, the older we get the smarter and more efficient we have to be!

Now, about blowing leaves with a gas powered leaf blower, there has I think, never been a manual on efficient performance.

Leaves can't always be dry.

Ever notice when ya blow a bunch of leaves toward the pile they keep blowing to the sides, and then rounding those up along with your bunch of leaves growing...whooph!

Today I tried a new racric! shoot this keyboard's r looks like a t
tactic!

I worked a concentric ring away from the pile starting at the pile, circling it in a circle with an increasing diameter.

I was not sure what to do next and I made me a pretty good mess to finish tomorrow!

oh yea, more smiles emoticons should work!!!

 

[vfem]

Totally thrilled I have very few trees! lol

 

[dickiebird]

The best way I've found to deal with leaves is let the wind carry them where it may!!!!

THANX RICH

 

[thistlebloom]

If you have a solid fence or wall to herd them towards that makes it a little easier to get them gathered.
On long driveways I start at the end and start blowing from side to side and moving them about 20 feet, then start a wide circle around them and throttle back so there's not too much velocity ( is that the word I want? ) and slowly work them into a mound.

This is a lot easier with wet leaves. Blowing dry leaves on a windy day is good for your character, but not a lot of fun!

You probably aren't blowing on paved surfaces though, are you?

 

[897tgigvib]

I was hoping you'd have input thistle! I know how you love tools...

No, not much pavement here.

I'm starting to get the idea that doing the circle thing is efficient. Maybe semi circles...

i can see it now a college class called Basic Leaf Blowing 5A
Advanced Leaf Blowing Techniques 5B

I'd sign up!!!

 

[secuono]

I let nature deal with leaves or we mow them when we do the final fall mowing.

 

[897tgigvib]

Myself I'd rather let nature do her thing with the leaves too Secuono, but where I am is a complicated deal. I have 80 campers as an association that I take care of, at a lake in a forest, and we have layers of rules and regulations. It's a working national forest, most of the lake perimeter is controlled by a power company, the camper association leases the land, and I take care of it.

So, I really have to keep everyone happy raking care of this beautiful place. (and I do).

Each camper, the association, the association's board, President of the board...that's my actual boss...the power company, power company's land manager, power company's lands supervisor, Lake County, California, Forest Service, fire departments...my boss is also chief of that...and all federal laws.

Wellp, the association gets told by the power company land manager to keep the place looking like a park, and the land's supervisor says that means raked. My boss, the association president who is also fire chief agrees for fire safety. He continually gets elected president...even when he doesn't want to be anymore...and one added part of my job is to try to make sure he stays on as president of the association. Nobody else can hold it all together.

So, to keep the power company happy, each camp is kept raked. I do the common areas. And we have a lot of trees. For the fire safety alone is reason enough. In summer it is really dry here. Dry air.

 

[canesisters]

I got a leaf blower for Christmas .. and it's rained at least once a week since then!
But my plan (IF it ever stops being muddy) is to switch it to leaf vac mode and turn them into compost/mulch.

(yup - smilies always make things better)

 

[Ridgerunner]

I sort of had the hang of it once but that was too many decades ago. I cant remember the details on how I did it. I cant remember if I would hit them low and once they were in the air go up to move them the right direction or if I snuck up on them, maybe from above. Probably a combination of different tactics.

Wet clumps on the ground were always a problem. I remember Id have to kick those to loosen them up so I could blow them. And limbs and small bushes/briars would snag them. I sort of had the hang of it but it was a challenge.

The reason they go to the side is probably the same principle that makes airplanes fly. That moving air is probably reducing air pressure along the sides of its path so they are sucked to the side. If I remember right, I think once they were loose and moving, I reduced the force of the blower to reduce that side suction. Like I said, probably a combination of tactics.

I remember when I mentioned at work that I was thinking about getting a leaf blower. I lived in suburbia then. One of my coworkers said So you can blow the leaves in your neighbors yard like they do yours. That comment had absolutely nothing to do with where I would blow the leaves or where my neighbors were blowing the leaves. That comment told me a whole lot about where he would blow the leaves if he had a leaf blower. I often think about that comment when I hear people talking about how people will always do less than honorable things. That type of comment doesnt tell me anything about other peoples honor but it tells me a lot about the speakers honor.

 

[897tgigvib]

You sure got that right Ridge about some of the things some folks say. You should've heard some of the things I heard folks say when I was a bartender in Montana! Luckily I forget most of it! But the moral is, I sure hope I don't much talk or do that way!