A leaf blower is a versatile gardening tool that you can use to clean up your yard quickly and efficiently. Using this tool is as simple as it gets – connect the power, aim, and turn on as a blast of air quickly clears off any nearby leaves, twigs, debris, and litter. It’s the best companion to your trust rake and broom, especially in the fall season when the dead leaves are piling up ankle deep and the acorns are raining down on your deck.
As fast as your yard work may go using your leaf blower, you may find that you can do even better.
Here are a few tips and techniques you can steal to cut down your yard clean up time by an impressive amount – while also being mindful of the safety of everyone around you. Using your leaf blower or vacuum the right way also ensures that you extend the life of your tool, and enjoy faster yard work for years to come.
Helpful Tips On Using a Leaf Blower...
If you have a medium sized yard where the farthest corners are a good distance away from your house, chances are you are using a cordless leaf blower, the battery-powered kind. Maybe you have a gas-powered model you use for a larger yard, or you have plenty of trees. The idea remains the same – you need a plan that suits your yard, else you are just blowing the leaves around and wasting your time.
As the leaves on your lawn are beginning to take over the yard, that’s the best time to bring out the leaf blower. Leaf blowers are effective at dealing with leaves, twigs, and debris in bulk. They are less efficient at chasing around one or two leaves – that’s when you use your rake or your broom.
The idea is for you to push the bulk of the leaves and debris on your yard into one or two huge piles, preferably on top of some tarp so you can dispose of all of them in one go.
Start in the corner of your lawn or yard, preferably from the side that’s farthest from the path to your garbage bin or compost pit where you will be taking all the leaves you collect later. You want to be able to collect the bulk of your leaves from the shortest distance as you can manage.
You will not be able to pick up every last bit of leaf, acorn, or grass trimming with your leaf blower, so you don’t have to waste your time and try chasing after them. Think of the leaf blower as a first one or two pass that will round up 90 percent of the leaves or more. Afterward, you can rake or sweep up all the stragglers really quickly to finish cleaning up.
Some people like to lay down the tarp first, while others prefer to pile up the leaves first before draping the tarp over the entire heap. Both work well enough, in any case – after you are done collecting the leaves, you can drag away the whole thing with a friend before dumping it somewhere.
Depending on the size of your yard or how big your tarp is, you may only be able to handle a heap of leaves up to a certain size. If you want to divide up the clean-up work (for a larger yard, or a property with a lot of trees, for example) you can do it by building your heaps one corner at a time.
Once you have the bulk of the leaves out of the way, it’s time to clean up the rest. For the odd pile of leaves and twigs, you can rake them up, or use the vacuum mode of your leaf blower to go after them. Some leaf blowers also have a mulching attachment, which grinds up and compacts any leaves and debris it picks up so you have more carrying capacity as you move around.
In the next section, we go over the steps involved to use your leaf blower, depending on the type you have.
How to Use an Electric Leaf Blower
Electric leaf blowers, the corded kinds, are quite simple to use. You still have to keep safety in mind, though, especially if you are using an extension cord. If you do use an extension cord, make sure that you don’t lose sight of it, and check that you are not making a tripping hazard for anyone else out there in the yard.
It helps if your extension cord is brightly colored so it stands out. If your leaf blower comes with a 3 pronged plug, also make sure that your extension cord has a ground line, as well. If in doubt, it’s always a good idea to consult your user’s manual first.
Plug your electric leaf blower, and check the area first to make sure that there are no people or pets along the path that you are aiming for. Small rocks and debris can get flung off and possibly injure someone, or damage a window or your car.
Hold the leaf blower with one hand, and turn the blower on at a lower setting. Gradually increase the output of your tool as you get a good handle on where you are sending the leaves to. Since you have a corded tool, you get virtually unlimited running time. Once you are finished using the leaf blower, unplug it first and put it somewhere secure before you attend to the rest of the yard.
How to Use a Cordless Leaf Blower
Cordless battery powered leaf blowers give you unlimited range, at the expense of a somewhat limited running time depending on how your batteries hold up. Cordless leaf blowers are some of the easiest tools you can use – simply carry them out with you to the corner of the yard you want to work on, aim and depress the trigger.
Another advantage that cordless and electrical leaf blowers offer you is the reduced noise level. Make no mistake about it – leaf blowers are loud, regardless of their type. Cordless leaf blowers, on the other hand, are still much quieter than a gas powered model.
As you sweep over the yard, keep an eye out on your battery gauge, if your tool comes with one. You can expect to be able to keep blowing leaves for around half an hour before you need to pause and recharge.
How to Use a Gas Powered Leaf Blower
Gas powered leaf blowers are powerful, heavy-duty gardening tools that give you portability and plenty of running time, on top of all that power. They do need the most maintenance out of all the different types of leaf blowers you can get. You need to get gas for it, and you may have to mix fuel with the right ratio of oil depending on the model you have.
Some gas-powered leaf blowers have four-cycle motors that can run on regular gasoline, just like your car or perhaps your lawn mower. For these models, you don’t need to bother with mixing gas and oil – simply fill up your tank with straight gas and start the blower up. These tools also tend to be more expensive as well.
For blowers with two-cycle engines, you have to get the mixture right – check the user’s manual to confirm. Gently mix the gas and oil in a small container – most models may use a 50 to 1 ratio of gas to oil, or around 2 ½ ounces of two-cycle oil for every gallon of gas. Pour into the tank, and close the cap.
Prime the engine first by slowly pushing and releasing the primer bulb in around six times or so. Check with your manual on the proper choke setting for starting your leaf blower – most models will need you to close the choke all the way, pull the cord once, then partially open the choke lever to the halfway setting.
Pull the starter cord to start the engine, then let it run idle for around ten seconds or so – some models may need around half a minute of warm-up time with the choke closed halfway. Move the choke lever to the open position once the engine has warmed up. If the engine dies on you, simply pull the starter cord again to restart the engine.
Once the engine is running, head to the corner of the yard you want to work on, and use the blower as usual. After you’re done, press the off switch to kill the engine before you attend to the rest of your yard work.
How to Use a Backpack Leaf Blower
Backpack leaf blowers are larger, more powerful blowers that you strap on your back. Most of them are gasoline powered, although there are some battery powered models coming out to the market nowadays. To use a backpack leaf blower, you first have to start it on the ground before putting the straps on.
Fill the tank with the right fuel – straight gas for four-cycle engines, and the right mixture of gas and two-cycle oil for the two-cycle variants. It’s always a good idea to check the manufacturer’s manual on the best fuel and oil to use for your blower. If you don’t want to combine your own fuel-oil mix, you can get the right premixed and use that instead.
Start the blower just like you would with a regular gas-powered leaf blower – prime several times, start in the half-open choke position, let it warm up and set the choke lever to the “open” or “run” position.
Once the backpack leaf blower is fully running, strap it on your back and hold the air outlet control stick – most blowers are made for right handers, but there are a few models designed for ambidextrous use. Control the speed of the blower with the throttle trigger, and use the blower as usual.
Once you’re done, press the off switch on the handle before taking the backpack off.
How to Use a Walk Behind Leaf Blower
Walk behind leaf blowers are even more powerful outdoor and gardening tools compared to backpack and handheld blowers. You would use them just like a lawnmower – start the blower, and push it around as you clear out leaves and debris.
Almost all walk behind leaf blowers are gas powered. To use one, first fill it up with the right gas or gas-oil mix, and then prime the engine. Use the right choke settings for the model you have – check the user’s manual for the specifics. With engines of this size, some walk behind models now offer electric start options in addition to the usual starter cord.
Basic walk behind leaf blowers are mostly able to blow leaves and debris in one direction – forwards, or to one side with the help of a vent. Nowadays, you can get a leaf blower with directional controls, so you can do a sweep of the area without having to turn the whole machine from side to side.
Wheel the walk behind leaf blower towards the direction of the heap of leaves you are building up. You can also circle around while aiming to one side to round up all the leaves into a neat pile.
How to Use a Vacuum Leaf Blower
Vacuum leaf blowers are also called leaf vacuums – they are tools designed to suck up leaves, while also giving you the option to blow them along instead.
Most vacuum leaf blowers also come with a bag that you have to sling to your shoulder as well. To use one of these handy tools, first sling the bag handle on your shoulder, and hold the top handle of the blower to carry it.
Plug the leaf vacuum to an outlet, if you have a corded model. Head over to the area you want to work on, and use the vacuum leaf blower as you would do with a regular vacuum cleaner.
Some vacuum leaf blowers also come with a mulching feature as well, which grinds down the leaves into tiny pieces. This saves bag space, while also prepares them for the compost pile.
Once you’re finished with the vacuum leaf blower, detach the bag and dump the contents.
