Friday, January 15, 2010

What's the Best Leaf Blower on the Market?

It's hard to say what's the best leaf blower on the market at the moment because there are different kinds of such devices meant for different things. That's why before answering this question in your case, you will have to think about the needs and expectations you will have from such a device.

What do you need it for?

Do you want it to sweep your decks? Or maybe your driveway? Or maybe the lawn? Well, according to these, you will need less or more powerful devices. The only leaf blower powerful enoughand capable to deal with almost any type of lawn are the gas powered ones. Electric devices will do fine with low cut lawns plus all the other above, while cordless leaf blowers will only work for decks and stairways.

Do you need mobility or not?

If you do, then electric leaf blowers are not your choice, as they need to be plugged in. Cordless and gas devices provide mobility, so pick one of these according to the power levels needed.

If you have a bigger lawn to clean?

If the answer is yes, you will need mobility also, that's why you will have to go for gas powered leaf blowers. Cordless devices are mobile but not powerful enough, while electric ones can do the job but you will need a very long power line to cover the entire yard.

Do you need the shredder/vacuum mode ?

This mode allows you to gather leaf and debriefs easily, storing them in special bags attached to the devices. Both electric and gas leaf blowers can offer this feature.

What's your budget?

You should know that electric blowers are the cheapest (around $50), with gas powered being the most expensive (around $90-$150) and cordless leaf blowers coming somewhere in between. So if you're on a tight budget, you should really see what's the best device you can get to fulfill your other needs. And it's probably going to be an electric one.

And of course there are other questions too, like: are gas powered leaf blowers allowed in your state, what are your preferences on noise levels, do you want a handheld or a backpack device, do you want a lighter or a heavier blower, etc. Answering to all of these will allow you to pick the best leaf blower for you. As a short conclusion, these are the common types of such devices and their main specs:

  • gas devices: very powerful, mobile, noisy and polluting, heavy, both handheld and backpacked, lots of features, expensive
  • electric devices: medium powered, not mobile (need to be connected to a plug), usually handheld, not to noisy, most affordable priced
  • cordless devices: less powerful, mobile, limited working time, handheld, light, almost noiseless, medium priced

So, for more advices and posts about leaf blowers you should visit Leaf blower reviews blog , where you'll find reviews, pictures and very good prices for the best leaf blowers at the moment, plus accessories for them.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Aurel_Andrew

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Take the Strain Out of Autumn Gardening With a Ryobi Leaf Blower

Maintaining a quality lawn requires a lot of work and a leaf blower is a great option to save time and get the neat lawn you desire without back breaking physical labor. Though their are a lot of leaf blowers on the market a Ryobi leaf blower is top of the line and offers a versatility unfound in other brands. Ryobi blowers are industrial strength and are a good fit for a home gardener or those running a small professional gardening or lawn care business. Though more commonly used as an alternative to raking leaves consumers who make a purchase will find that the Ryobi leaf blower is ideal for all types of outside jobs such as sweeping off driveways, mulching and clearing away snow. When purchasing the Ryobi brand, home owners have several different choices to consider.

Electric or Gas Powered

The main decision in purchasing a Ryobi leaf blower will be choosing between gas and electric powered leaf blowers. Electric leaf blowers are lighter and are also ideal for those with close neighbors and worried about getting a noise complaint. Electric blowers have an advantage over gas powered models in that they do not give off fumes. Price wise those with a modest budget will find that an electric Ryobi leaf blower is less expensive to buy and requires little maintenance to maintain. The ability of an electronic leaf blower is also a better choice for those with small or modest sized yards who don't need a lot of power; an electronic Ryobi blower is best suited for blowing leaves off the driveway or sidewalk.

With gas powered blowers you can expect to deal with a heavier piece of equipment but for those with larger yards it removes the inconvenience of dealing with a cord, that can be tripped over or require an extension in order to let you complete yard work. It's also a better fit for those with a lot of trees and other yard obstacles that would make a corded electric leaf blower a nuisance. With a gas powered Ryobi blower, you can expect to deal with more noise while in use and the blower is more expensive since gas will have to be purchased to supply your leaf blower. Because mixing gas with oil is required for a gas powered Ryobi leaf blower some users may just prefer to stick with the more environmentally friendly electric powered blower.

Other Factors to Consider

A handheld Ryobi leaf blower is the lightest possible option weighing as little as 10 pounds. To make it easier to start up a gas blower, look for one featuring a zip start motor, this type can usually start up with only 1 or 2 pulls. Variable speed control varieties allow you to only use as much power as you need to get the job done. Many Ryobi leaf blowers can be converted from blowers to vacuums with just a push of a button. Backpack style leaf blowers can suck up the mess and are capable of picking up wet leaves that other leaf blower brands have trouble with. They also have more power than handheld blowers and can even move small tree limbs.

Pay attention to the mulching ratio when considering a Ryobi blower for removing your leaves, the higher the better. For example, a ratio of 12:1 means the blower is capable of chopping and compressing 12 bushels of leaves down to 1 bushel. The CFM and MPH are also important factors to consider. The CFM refers to the air output while the MPH deals with speed. The higher both numbers are the easier yard work becomes.

Autumn gardening means dealing with falling leaves, twigs and yard debris. Relying on a Ryobi leaf blower can keep your yard clean throughout the year and save you time on doing yard work.

You can also find more info on garden leaf blowers and Autumn gardening at http://www.gardenleafblowers.co.uk/ which is a comprehensive resource to know more about leaf blowers and leaf vacs.

For more articles and reviews about leaf blowers by Alec Tritton. You are welcome to visit his website on garden leaf blowers for more useful information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alec_Tritton