Next year I will be taking care of the lawn rather than using a local
lawn services, I simply can't afford it any more. Besides my lawn
mower, edge trimmer and leaf blower are there any other tools that I
need in order to keep my lawn healthy? I leave in North Eastern, NJ.

Javier

"Javier" wrote in message
ups.com...
Next year I will be taking care of the lawn rather than using a local
lawn services, I simply can't afford it any more. Besides my lawn
mower, edge trimmer and leaf blower are there any other tools that I
need in order to keep my lawn healthy? I leave in North Eastern, NJ.

Javier


Some good hand weeding tools. And, don't be one of those people who chases
one leaf around the yard for 3 hours with the blower, thereby making your
neighbors want to put a bullet in your head. You could replace the silly
thing with a good quality push broom.

On Aug 26, 1:41 pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"Javier" wrote in message

ups.com...

Next year I will be taking care of the lawn rather than using a local
lawn services, I simply can't afford it any more. Besides my lawn
mower, edge trimmer and leaf blower are there any other tools that I
need in order to keep my lawn healthy? I leave in North Eastern, NJ.

Javier

Some good hand weeding tools. And, don't be one of those people who chases
one leaf around the yard for 3 hours with the blower, thereby making your
neighbors want to put a bullet in your head. You could replace the silly
thing with a good quality push broom.

Thanks,

So basically ditch the blower idea and use a push broom to get the
fall leaves to the curb so the town can pick them up?

Thanks,

Javier

"Javier" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Aug 26, 1:41 pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"Javier" wrote in message

ups.com...

Next year I will be taking care of the lawn rather than using a local
lawn services, I simply can't afford it any more. Besides my lawn
mower, edge trimmer and leaf blower are there any other tools that I
need in order to keep my lawn healthy? I leave in North Eastern, NJ.

Javier

Some good hand weeding tools. And, don't be one of those people who
chases
one leaf around the yard for 3 hours with the blower, thereby making
your
neighbors want to put a bullet in your head. You could replace the silly
thing with a good quality push broom.

Thanks,

So basically ditch the blower idea and use a push broom to get the
fall leaves to the curb so the town can pick them up?

Or, run over them with your mower, mulching blade is best, and return the
nutrients to the soil like Nature does. Set the wheels high in front and low
in back. If you have a side discharge mower, blow the leaves toward the
center, then reverse when the distance of the discharge throws it toward the
edge.

"Javier" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Aug 26, 1:41 pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"Javier" wrote in message

ups.com...

Next year I will be taking care of the lawn rather than using a local
lawn services, I simply can't afford it any more. Besides my lawn
mower, edge trimmer and leaf blower are there any other tools that I
need in order to keep my lawn healthy? I leave in North Eastern, NJ.

Javier

Some good hand weeding tools. And, don't be one of those people who
chases
one leaf around the yard for 3 hours with the blower, thereby making your
neighbors want to put a bullet in your head. You could replace the silly
thing with a good quality push broom.

Thanks,

So basically ditch the blower idea and use a push broom to get the
fall leaves to the curb so the town can pick them up?

Thanks,

Javier


No. You use a rake for the leaves. I can move leaves twice as fast as my
neighbor, who's got a leaf blower, and I ain't no spring chicken. Look in
your phone book for a REAL garden center, and tell them you need a rake for
leaves.

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Javier" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Aug 26, 1:41 pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"Javier" wrote in message

ups.com...

Next year I will be taking care of the lawn rather than using a local
lawn services, I simply can't afford it any more. Besides my lawn
mower, edge trimmer and leaf blower are there any other tools that I
need in order to keep my lawn healthy? I leave in North Eastern, NJ.
Javier
Some good hand weeding tools. And, don't be one of those people who
chases
one leaf around the yard for 3 hours with the blower, thereby making your
neighbors want to put a bullet in your head. You could replace the silly
thing with a good quality push broom.
Thanks,

So basically ditch the blower idea and use a push broom to get the
fall leaves to the curb so the town can pick them up?

Thanks,

Javier


No. You use a rake for the leaves. I can move leaves twice as fast as my
neighbor, who's got a leaf blower, and I ain't no spring chicken. Look in
your phone book for a REAL garden center, and tell them you need a rake for
leaves.


My electric blower makes little noise but while OK for driveway and
walk, is not that great on the lawn.

But my suggestion is that she needs a fertilizer spreader.

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"Javier" wrote:

Next year I will be taking care of the lawn rather than using a local
lawn services, I simply can't afford it any more. Besides my lawn
mower, edge trimmer and leaf blower are there any other tools that I
need in order to keep my lawn healthy? I leave in North Eastern, NJ.

Some good hand weeding tools. And, don't be one of those people who chases
one leaf around the yard for 3 hours with the blower, thereby making your
neighbors want to put a bullet in your head. You could replace the silly
thing with a good quality push broom.

What makes you think the blower is going to be used for leaves... this
is about lawns... there's no leaf blowing during the entire grass
growing season... and perhaps the OP has no trees dropping leaves, or
would prefer a rake, so don't assume. The blower is primarilly used
to blow grass clippings from edging and string trimming... for the
typical surburban lawn that's like a five minute blow job..

If the OP has the typical surburban lawn of about an acre or less it's
not possible to save money doing it yourself... can do it for
enjoyment and exercize but it's not possible to save a dime... and
then there's the time element, what takes the do-it-yourselfer the
better part of a day the lawn service will do in under 40 minutes, and
they'll do a far better job because they are just better at it plus
they use top of the line professional equipment... no way your dinky
Home Depot lawn equipment can compete with expensive commercial
machinery. And you need an edger and broadcaster too. Not only do
those machines need maintenance and repairs they need fuel, and a
storage facility, a good sized facility, like another garage. About
the only area where one can save a few pennies (maybe) is on the
chemicals... but then you need to haul them, store them, and spread
them... the lawn service pays less than half what you'll pay for
chemicals. The lawn service also takes away the grass clippings, may
not seem a biggie but in many surbuban municipalities the trash
collectors will not take lawn clippings, you need haul it yourself and
to pay to dump it. The clippings is what made me turn to a lawn
service at my last house, the town in its wisdom decided not to take
clippings with the trash. At first I resisted, but once I engaged the
service I realized how much less it cost than doing it myself... AND I
DIDN"T HAVE TO DO IT!

I had 1/2 acre, during the entire 14 years they only raised their
price once, from $25/wk to $30/wk. They were extremely reliable,
showed up every Thursday without fail, even in the rain.

Now that I'm retired I mow ten acres. I have to do it myself, there's
no lawn service around here that will mow that much lawn, certainly
not for a price I'm willing to pay. Of course if I grew hay I could
get my lawn done for free. But hay is ugly, and dirty.

"Sheldon" wrote in message
ups.com...
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"Javier" wrote:

Next year I will be taking care of the lawn rather than using a local
lawn services, I simply can't afford it any more. Besides my lawn
mower, edge trimmer and leaf blower are there any other tools that I
need in order to keep my lawn healthy? I leave in North Eastern, NJ.

Some good hand weeding tools. And, don't be one of those people who
chases
one leaf around the yard for 3 hours with the blower, thereby making your
neighbors want to put a bullet in your head. You could replace the silly
thing with a good quality push broom.

What makes you think the blower is going to be used for leaves... this
is about lawns... there's no leaf blowing during the entire grass
growing season... and perhaps the OP has no trees dropping leaves, or
would prefer a rake, so don't assume. The blower is primarilly used
to blow grass clippings from edging and string trimming... for the
typical surburban lawn that's like a five minute blow job..


Yeah. Five minute job. That explains why, without exception, my various
neighbors have the stupid things running for a half hour at a time, just for
a few grass clippings.

HALF
HOUR
AT
A
TIME

Get a push broom for the wide surfaces, and a whisk brook for edges. Just as
fast as a blower.

On Aug 26, 6:25?pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"Sheldon" wrote in message

ups.com...





"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"Javier" wrote:

Next year I will be taking care of the lawn rather than using a local
lawn services, I simply can't afford it any more. Besides my lawn
mower, edge trimmer and leaf blower are there any other tools that I
need in order to keep my lawn healthy? I leave in North Eastern, NJ.

Some good hand weeding tools. And, don't be one of those people who
chases
one leaf around the yard for 3 hours with the blower, thereby making your
neighbors want to put a bullet in your head. You could replace the silly
thing with a good quality push broom.

What makes you think the blower is going to be used for leaves... this
is about lawns... there's no leaf blowing during the entire grass
growing season... and perhaps the OP has no trees dropping leaves, or
would prefer a rake, so don't assume. The blower is primarilly used
to blow grass clippings from edging and string trimming... for the
typical surburban lawn that's like a five minute blow job..

Yeah. Five minute job. That explains why, without exception, my various
neighbors have the stupid things running for a half hour at a time, just for
a few grass clippings.

HALF
HOUR
AT
A
TIME

Get a push broom for the wide surfaces, and a whisk brook for edges. Just as
fast as a blower.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

May not be so simple to sweep, I sure wouldn't want to sweep my
driveway, that's why I bought the blower.

I string trimmed today, but only my driveway and walks need blowing...
blowing lots of clippings, dirt, and all the pine cones that are
falling now... took me no more then ten minutes, and my driveway is a
doublewide and 150' long. My little Echo blower is small but gets
heavy fast, I don't want to lug it around longer than necessary. I
know I can get some sort of harness but I only use it 2-3 times a
year, that's how often I edge my driveway and walks... I don't bother
blowing the clippings off my lawn, where would I blow ten acres
worth. And I can run my blower as long as I want with no one
complaining, my nearest neighbor is more than 1,000 feet away.but like
I said, that thing gets heavy, I don't think I'd want to carry it
around for a half hour. Your neighbor must be a creep, perhaps he's
running it on purpose because he knows it bothers you. I had a creepy
neighbor behind me where I lived previously. Everytime he'd see us
outside he'd start up one of his many ratty old push mowers and just
leave it run unattended (a lot of times he'd have more than one
running, noisy mufflers too), he had the auto-shutoff rigged or they
were so old they didn't have that. His wife was a creep too, she
would peep out the window to see if we were annoyed... so finally I
got fed up and had a six foot cedar stockade fence installed... first
time he did his lawnmower trick they discovered that the noise echoed
off my fence and was three times louder for them.... they didn't do
that anymore. And they were the ones whose rose of sharon I poisoned
shortly thereafter. Not only did all those zillions of seeds sprout
in my lawn and perennial beds but they would toss their fallen
branches over the fence. The year before I moved that useless old
creep got cancer and died. Ask me if I felt bad.

On Sun, 26 Aug 2007 21:51:58 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

"Javier" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Aug 26, 1:41 pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"Javier" wrote in message

ups.com...

[...]

No. You use a rake for the leaves. I can move leaves twice as fast as my
neighbor, who's got a leaf blower, and I ain't no spring chicken. Look in
your phone book for a REAL garden center, and tell them you need a rake for
leaves.

I want a rake with fine thin metal teeth like my gardener has. But I
haven't seen one anywhere around -- Home Despot, OSH, etc.
Any sources not too far, LA Area?

Tx

Persephone

Persephone wrote in message
...
On Sun, 26 Aug 2007 21:51:58 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

"Javier" wrote in message
roups.com...
On Aug 26, 1:41 pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"Javier" wrote in message

ups.com...

[...]

No. You use a rake for the leaves. I can move leaves twice as fast as my
neighbor, who's got a leaf blower, and I ain't no spring chicken. Look in
your phone book for a REAL garden center, and tell them you need a rake
for
leaves.

I want a rake with fine thin metal teeth like my gardener has. But I
haven't seen one anywhere around -- Home Despot, OSH, etc.
Any sources not too far, LA Area?

Tx

Persephone

A real garden center would be the place to look. Open the yellow pages.

Or, here's a real stretch: Ask the gardener where he got his.

"Sheldon" wrote in message
ps.com...
On Aug 26, 6:25?pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"Sheldon" wrote in message

ups.com...





"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"Javier" wrote:

Next year I will be taking care of the lawn rather than using a
local
lawn services, I simply can't afford it any more. Besides my lawn
mower, edge trimmer and leaf blower are there any other tools that I
need in order to keep my lawn healthy? I leave in North Eastern, NJ.

Some good hand weeding tools. And, don't be one of those people who
chases
one leaf around the yard for 3 hours with the blower, thereby making
your
neighbors want to put a bullet in your head. You could replace the
silly
thing with a good quality push broom.

What makes you think the blower is going to be used for leaves... this
is about lawns... there's no leaf blowing during the entire grass
growing season... and perhaps the OP has no trees dropping leaves, or
would prefer a rake, so don't assume. The blower is primarilly used
to blow grass clippings from edging and string trimming... for the
typical surburban lawn that's like a five minute blow job..

Yeah. Five minute job. That explains why, without exception, my various
neighbors have the stupid things running for a half hour at a time, just
for
a few grass clippings.

HALF
HOUR
AT
A
TIME

Get a push broom for the wide surfaces, and a whisk brook for edges. Just
as
fast as a blower.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

May not be so simple to sweep, I sure wouldn't want to sweep my
driveway, that's why I bought the blower.

I string trimmed today, but only my driveway and walks need blowing...
blowing lots of clippings, dirt, and all the pine cones that are
falling now... took me no more then ten minutes, and my driveway is a
doublewide and 150' long. My little Echo blower is small but gets
heavy fast, I don't want to lug it around longer than necessary. I
know I can get some sort of harness but I only use it 2-3 times a
year, that's how often I edge my driveway and walks... I don't bother
blowing the clippings off my lawn, where would I blow ten acres
worth. And I can run my blower as long as I want with no one
complaining, my nearest neighbor is more than 1,000 feet away.but like
I said, that thing gets heavy, I don't think I'd want to carry it
around for a half hour. Your neighbor must be a creep, perhaps he's
running it on purpose because he knows it bothers you. I had a creepy
neighbor behind me where I lived previously. Everytime he'd see us
outside he'd start up one of his many ratty old push mowers and just
leave it run unattended (a lot of times he'd have more than one
running, noisy mufflers too), he had the auto-shutoff rigged or they
were so old they didn't have that. His wife was a creep too, she
would peep out the window to see if we were annoyed... so finally I
got fed up and had a six foot cedar stockade fence installed... first
time he did his lawnmower trick they discovered that the noise echoed
off my fence and was three times louder for them.... they didn't do
that anymore. And they were the ones whose rose of sharon I poisoned
shortly thereafter. Not only did all those zillions of seeds sprout
in my lawn and perennial beds but they would toss their fallen
branches over the fence. The year before I moved that useless old
creep got cancer and died. Ask me if I felt bad.


Did you feel bad? :-)

Actually, there are many leaf blower slobs around here. It seems to be this
years stylish accessory. My neighbor's is the worst, though, because the
muffler apparently fell off or something, so it sounds like 1000 gas powered
RC model planes going at once. He thinks it's funny. His wife does not.

JoeSpareBedroom said:

"Javier" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Aug 26, 1:41 pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"Javier" wrote in message

ups.com...

Next year I will be taking care of the lawn rather than using a local
lawn services, I simply can't afford it any more. Besides my lawn
mower, edge trimmer and leaf blower are there any other tools that I
need in order to keep my lawn healthy? I leave in North Eastern, NJ.

Javier

Some good hand weeding tools. And, don't be one of those people who
chases
one leaf around the yard for 3 hours with the blower, thereby making your
neighbors want to put a bullet in your head. You could replace the silly
thing with a good quality push broom.

Thanks,

So basically ditch the blower idea and use a push broom to get the
fall leaves to the curb so the town can pick them up?

Thanks,

Javier


No. You use a rake for the leaves. I can move leaves twice as fast as my
neighbor, who's got a leaf blower, and I ain't no spring chicken. Look in
your phone book for a REAL garden center, and tell them you need a rake for
leaves.

Guaranteed, you can't move leaves faster than a backpack blower, using only
a rake.

--

Eggs

Do stars clean themselves with meteor showers?

On Aug 26, 8:23?pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"Sheldon" wrote in message

ps.com...





On Aug 26, 6:25?pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"Sheldon" wrote in message

roups.com...

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"Javier" wrote:

Next year I will be taking care of the lawn rather than using a
local
lawn services, I simply can't afford it any more. Besides my lawn
mower, edge trimmer and leaf blower are there any other tools that I
need in order to keep my lawn healthy? I leave in North Eastern, NJ.

Some good hand weeding tools. And, don't be one of those people who
chases
one leaf around the yard for 3 hours with the blower, thereby making
your
neighbors want to put a bullet in your head. You could replace the
silly
thing with a good quality push broom.

What makes you think the blower is going to be used for leaves... this
is about lawns... there's no leaf blowing during the entire grass
growing season... and perhaps the OP has no trees dropping leaves, or
would prefer a rake, so don't assume. The blower is primarilly used
to blow grass clippings from edging and string trimming... for the
typical surburban lawn that's like a five minute blow job..

Yeah. Five minute job. That explains why, without exception, my various
neighbors have the stupid things running for a half hour at a time, just
for
a few grass clippings.

HALF
HOUR
AT
A
TIME

Get a push broom for the wide surfaces, and a whisk brook for edges. Just
as
fast as a blower.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

May not be so simple to sweep, I sure wouldn't want to sweep my
driveway, that's why I bought the blower.

I string trimmed today, but only my driveway and walks need blowing...
blowing lots of clippings, dirt, and all the pine cones that are
falling now... took me no more then ten minutes, and my driveway is a
doublewide and 150' long. My little Echo blower is small but gets
heavy fast, I don't want to lug it around longer than necessary. I
know I can get some sort of harness but I only use it 2-3 times a
year, that's how often I edge my driveway and walks... I don't bother
blowing the clippings off my lawn, where would I blow ten acres
worth. And I can run my blower as long as I want with no one
complaining, my nearest neighbor is more than 1,000 feet away.but like
I said, that thing gets heavy, I don't think I'd want to carry it
around for a half hour. Your neighbor must be a creep, perhaps he's
running it on purpose because he knows it bothers you. I had a creepy
neighbor behind me where I lived previously. Everytime he'd see us
outside he'd start up one of his many ratty old push mowers and just
leave it run unattended (a lot of times he'd have more than one
running, noisy mufflers too), he had the auto-shutoff rigged or they
were so old they didn't have that. His wife was a creep too, she
would peep out the window to see if we were annoyed... so finally I
got fed up and had a six foot cedar stockade fence installed... first
time he did his lawnmower trick they discovered that the noise echoed
off my fence and was three times louder for them.... they didn't do
that anymore. And they were the ones whose rose of sharon I poisoned
shortly thereafter. Not only did all those zillions of seeds sprout
in my lawn and perennial beds but they would toss their fallen
branches over the fence. The year before I moved that useless old
creep got cancer and died. Ask me if I felt bad.

Did you feel bad? :-)

Actually, there are many leaf blower slobs around here. It seems to be this
years stylish accessory. My neighbor's is the worst, though, because the
muffler apparently fell off or something, so it sounds like 1000 gas powered
RC model planes going at once. He thinks it's funny. His wife does not.

Maybe his wife needs to tell him where to shove it.

On Aug 26, 10:12 pm, Eggs Zachtly wrote:
JoeSpareBedroom said:

No. You use a rake for the leaves. I can move leaves twice as fast as my
neighbor, who's got a leaf blower, and I ain't no spring chicken. Look in
your phone book for a REAL garden center, and tell them you need a rake for
leaves.

Guaranteed, you can't move leaves faster than a backpack blower, using only
a rake.

--

Eggs

Do stars clean themselves with meteor showers?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

That's not exactly correct in all cases.

My husband can rake the leaves in our yard, thoroughly & efficiently,
much faster than he can clean the yard with the backpacker blower.
Honestly, he rakes faster than anyone I've ever seen.

I guess it depends on who you are, and what you are used to.