Phisherman wrote:

Anyone comment on gas-powered blowers? I'm thinking about getting one
for leaf pickup, and more importantly, to clean driveways and streets
from grass clippings. Any comments on Stihl blowers?



They have their uses, but don't throw your rake away. The blowers are
quicker than a rake for getting leaves out of restricted places (window
wells, under bushes, corners, etc.). Once you have a large pile of
leaves, the blower doesn't work well. At that point you're better off
with a rake, but at least by that time the piles are consolidated
somewhat.

Also, the rake works better on wet leaves and pine needles in moderately
tall grass.

I have a Stihl backpack blower. My only complaint is that until the
engine warms up a half a minute, a sudden pull on the throttle can stall
it. Once it stalls, you can't start it without taking it off your back
(unless you're into those strange yoga positions). To put it on is not
really all that easy unless you have a pickup truck and can put it on
the tailgate. A 4wd with a higher tailgate is better. (However, it's
probably not worth buying a 4wd truck just for your leaf blower.) I've
been using it about 5 years without any other problems.

If you have only a small area, the hand blower is probably what you
want. Electric models are cheaper, but you're limited by the extension
cord. I have one of those also, and it's great for cleaning out the
garage.