The Right Rake for the Job
Blower/Vacuum Operating Tips
- Twigs, garden mulch and landscape rocks can damage the impeller, so scout your yard and remove those objects before using the vacuum feature.
- Wear a dust respirator when shredding dry leaves and emptying the shoulder bag—shredding kicks up a lot of dust.
Mower Leaf Collection
Smarter Leaf Collection
Keep the Roof Clean
Gutter Guards Work
How to Get Rid of Leaves with a Yard Vac
How Do I Keep My Stone Mulch Clean?
You'll have to pull weeds occasionally, but the main problems are leaves and other debris from trees and shrubs that clutter the appearance. The easiest way to remove debris is to suck it up or blow it away with a leaf vacuum. Stone placed directly under a tree is virtually impossible to keep clean. Better to choose organic mulch, because the tree debris will blend in.
Gutter Spouts
Fall Grass Lawn Fertilizer
Blower-Bag Bungle
I was house-sitting for friends who have several huge trees in their yard, and I decided to take on the leaf cleanup. My dad's new leaf blower/vacuum seemed like just the right tool to suck up the leaves.
Leaves had collected on a porch off the kitchen, so I looked for an outlet, found one just inside the doorway and started vacuuming. The blower/vac sucked up the pile of leaves instantly. Then I caught something out of the corner of my eye: Mulched leaves were flying through the kitchen like confetti. I had forgotten to zip up the bag before starting the machine. I could only clean up the mess, laugh and swear never to tell anyone.
Leaf Blower Safety Tips
- Wear leather gloves to decrease vibration-induced hand and finger numbness and tingling.
- Wear hearing protection. Newer leaf blowers are usually rated below 75 decibels, but that's based on the noise level 50 ft. away from the machine. The noise level right at the machine can easily approach 100 decibels — high enough to cause permanent hearing loss.
- Wear eye protection. Leaf blowers kick up dust, dirt and rocks.
- Let the machine cool for 15 minutes before refueling. Heat from a hot engine can ignite gas vapors as you fill the tank.