For those who have a yard covered in leaves, the task to cleaning them up can be done much easier when working with a leaf blower, as opposed to a rake. Never operated one before?
Here are a few tips to get you more prepared
Timing
Leaves are fickle things and when it comes to collecting them, you have to keep two particular things in mind: wind and moisture. Before heading outside, armed with your blower, take note on which way the wind is blowing. Is it in the direction that you want your leaves to go? If not, all of your efforts may be wasted when they just fly off anyway. Wait until a day that there is little to no wind instead. Then on that day, test the moisture of the leaves by blowing at the bottom of a pile. As dry leaves are easier to manipulate, it may be better to wait for a different day if your pile doesn’t move.
Strategy
The easiest way to collect leaves is to blow them onto a number of different tarps in large piles. Don’t drive yourself crazy though; there is virtually no way that you will be able to gather every last leaf up with your leaf blower. While the machine will be able to do most of the work, leave the stragglers behind and use a rake later to get them. If a few are still stuck in small, hard to reach places, you may want to consider renting a leaf vacuum as well to take care of them.
Technique
The last thing you want to do is gather huge piles of leaves in one area and then have to drag it all the way across the yard to the end of your curb for pick up. Think ahead and position the tarps in an area that will make it easy for you to dispose of them when you’re done. Also keep in mind that leaves are feather light on their own, but can be extremely heavy in heaps. If you don’t think that you can handle the wait of a couple of large piles, create several smaller piles instead. Remember that this is all about making things easier for yourself.
If you’re not sure how a leaf blower will really change your fall cleanup routine as opposed to the trusty rake that you’re used to, give it a test run before making any purchasing decisions. Rent a leaf blower right here through Lawrence Tool Rental Inc. and get some firsthand experience at an affordable rate.
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