Last Updated on
A leaf blower is a fantastic power tool that can make short work of clearing your lawn and garden. During autumn, in particular, lawns and gardens often become saturated with leaves and debris. Using a leaf blower is an excellent way to maintain your garden clean.
Many people think that this is a simple task – you point the tool at the ground and blow the leaves, right? Wrong! In this guide, we’ll show you how to use a leaf blower properly and effectively!
A Step-by-Step Guide
There are a lot of things to think about when utilising a leaf blower. Also, you have to plan, wait for optimum conditions, and perfect your leaf blowers technique! Here’s how to do this in six simple steps:
Step 1: Gear up!
Firstly, we recommend you wear the correct protective equipment. This process can be messy, creates a lot of noise, and can be dangerous. Grass, debris, and dirt can easily flick up and hit you.
Therefore, always wear safety glasses and protective gloves. If you have sensitive hearing, you may also want to wear earplugs.
Step 2: Wait for Optimum Conditions
The weather conditions are also important if you want to use a leaf blower. If you try to use leaf blowers when the wind is blowing, you will get terrible results. In most instances, the leaves will end up exactly where you blew them from.
Also, it may not be a good idea to blow leaves after rainfall. If leaves have excess moisture, they will weigh much heavier. As a result, leaf blowers will be much less effective – you may not even be able to move wet leaves! You can test the movability of the wet leaves simply by giving a pile a quick blow. If the pile doesn’t move, consider leaving this job for a different day!
Step 3: Plan Where You Want to Gather Your Leaves
When looking at how to use a leaf blower, there must be some planning. This involves considering where you want the leaves to fall. For example, maybe you want to blow the leaves into large piles so they can easily be placed in a bin.
Alternatively, you may want to blow them directly towards a compost pile. Leaves are an excellent form of compost, and it could be an idea to invest in a composter if you regularly have to remove leaves from your lawn.
Step 4: Using a Leaf Blower Effectively
Now it’s time to use the leaf blower. Hold the leaf blower at your side. Point the nozzle in the direction of the ground at a relatively shallow angle. Whilst maintaining this direction and angle, you should then blow leaves steadily, using a back-and-forth movement pattern.
You must blow the leaves in one direction. If you simply blow leaves without purpose or direction, you will end up making more mess in your garden or yard than when you started!
Also, it is beneficial to have a tarp handy in the designated area if you are not turning the leaves into compost. You can then simply use the blower and direct the leaves and debris onto the tarp. This makes it incredibly easy to pick the leaves up or use a vacuum.
Step 5: Sweep Up
With the leaves gathered into manageable piles, you must then collect them. Some leaf blowers have both blowing and vacuuming functions. If yours does, you could use the blower to suck up the leaves from the piles. It should be noted, however, that most blowers only have a weak vacuuming function. Also, the collection bag is usually small.
It may, therefore, not be suitable to use suction for large mounds of debris and leaves. Instead, you could use a rake or simply collect the leaf piles in the lightweight tarp and empty them directly into a bin or composter. You may also consider blowing the leaves into a wooded or secluded area, so they can degrade naturally.
Step 6: Finishing Touches
Next, you may want to give your garden a once-over with a rake or sweeping brush. When blowing leaves, there may ultimately be some debris that remains on your lawn. You can tidy this up and sweep around any trees and bushes to finish it off.
Some Handy Tips
To finish, we have provided some general tips for using your blowing tool effectively. As you get used to the device, your technique will improve.
A Blower Will Not Remove Everything
Many people make the mistake of thinking that this type of tool is the one-stop solution. They expect a leaf blower to completely clear their garden.
This is generally not the case. A leaf blower makes the job easier and quicker. You can cut down the work involved by hours. However, a leaf blower is only part of the equation. As mentioned above, you will most likely have to collect the leaves afterwards and maybe tidy up the garden, too.
Choose the Correct Tool for Your Yard
It is also important to find the right tool for your garden. There are many different sizes and styles of leaf blowers. If you only have a small garden, you may not benefit from a large, powerful blower that uses fuel, for example.
Alternatively, if you have a huge lawn and a big garden, a fuel-powered blower could be what you need. Look at the size of your outdoor area. Also, watch how many leaves typically fall and if your garden gets much debris. If it stays relatively clear, a blower may simply not be worth the investment.
Leaf Blower FAQs
Can leaf blowers be used as vacuums, too?
Yes, some can! It depends on the manufacturer and the design of the device. Many blowers have both a suction and blowing function. They usually include a bag that collects the debris you suck up. As mentioned, the vacuum function is often not that powerful and should only be used on smaller piles.
Are leaf blowers loud?
Yes! It is not uncommon for these tools to generate noise levels of up to 75 decibels. Also, more importantly, if you use these tools regularly, it may damage your hearing.
This is why it is important to use the correct safety gear, including earplugs.
Using Your Leaf Blower
Learning how to use your leaf blower properly takes a lot of practice so you can improve your technique. Don’t forget to plan and wait for the right conditions when tending to your garden.
Do you use a leaf blower? Tell us all bout it below.
Paul is the type of person who never met a problem he couldn’t fix. He can always be found tinkering with something in his house, even if it isn’t broken! His tips and tricks are often shared on our site. He’s the one you call when something breaks because he has been known to improvise fixes for everything from leaky faucets to malfunctioning dryers.
