Blower-vac For Your Backyard
Blower-vacs are time and labor saving machines, introduced in the 70's. They were designed to blow leaves, grass mulch and general debris from pathways, sidewalks and landscaping, and even to clean gutters or remove a snow.
Manufacturers discovered shortly after that many consumers were leaving only the blower behind, while removing the chemical dispensing parts from the device. It was then the potential to improve their invention as a common garden maintenance tool. Blower-vacs also perform nicely in removal of dead leaves from awkward nooks and crannies. It probably saved labor by 10 or more times. With only a flip of a switch the blower-vac can switch to a vacuum to suck up leaves for mulching them.
Some electric models are cordless, having a rechargeable battery to avoid the hassle of using an A/C outlet and messing with a cord. These models are incredibly stable and have enough power to move wet leaves and thick debris with ease. They're also perfect for clearing lawn refuse from expansive surfaces like parking lots and driveways. Leaf blowers are favorites among homeowners because they can tuck all dead leaves into a big pile for the yard waste bin. Electric corded or gas powered blowers can be inconvenient sometimes.
In response to concerns over the noise of petrol-powered blower vacs, corded electric models are now more powerful than ever, some of them even surpassing their petrol-powered brethren, and with less weight. The biggest drawback to these garden machines is that you're limited to 100 feet from the plug socket, or the motor can be damaged. While a gas blower is powerful they make quite a lot of noise when compared to the electric powered leaf blowers and vacuums. Some communities have noise restrictions so check quietness claims.
Electric engines provide plenty of power, are 50 - 70% quieter than gas powered leaf blowers and emit no air pollution. If yardmen used electric leaf blowers to vacuum up and mulch yard debris, it would eliminate virtually all the air pollution problems and greatly reduce the issue of noise.
Most of the newer blower-vac models are rated up to 70 decibels at 50 feet at full throttle. And, unlike people for landscape maintenance, who need hearing protection because of exposing themselves long hours to sound coming from a machine only a few feet far from their ears, residents and homeowners can hear a leaf blower sound for only a few minutes a week at much biger distances.
Some factors have to be considered whileyou are looking for a new blower-vac:
1. volume
2. weight
3. model
The volume will determine how many cubic feet the leaf blower can cover per minute. Some of the leaf vacuums can convert to shredders, mulchers, from blowers to vacuums or vice versa.
My advice is to try any blower-vac before you buy it and, while operating in the backyard, do wear the recommended safety gear for a safe leaves blowing.
