Earlier quoted context omitted.
Pretty sure driving 1-2 ton cars every day and flying planes do a way better job of destroying the planet than mowing the lawn with a small four-cycle motor once a week.
Lawns use ridiculous amounts of water for zero agricultural productivity.
Leaf blowers are a scourge. Why is it hard to get rid of them?
31–40 of 150 posts
Re: Leaf blowers are a scourge. Why is it hard to get rid of them?
#32Earlier quoted context omitted.
Why people would put so much effort into growing useless grass is astonishing to me. You can grow anything there and you choose grass? Why? I assume it has to do with an HOA? Or aesthetics? Or it’s easier?
If you have small kids that like to play outside, you would likely have grass, not trees or something else that is more wild.
Re: Leaf blowers are a scourge. Why is it hard to get rid of them?
#33“40% of homeowners with lawns pay for landscaping services”?!? Wow. I had no idea the number was that large. That seems so … lazy. EDIT: I should say that I'm biased and think green thick pristine lawns are a blight. (Irony noted.)
Re: Leaf blowers are a scourge. Why is it hard to get rid of them?
#34Right at the very bottom the article suggests the correct way to deal with fallen leaves: leave them alone. They decompose and provide nutrients to the grass.
Re: Leaf blowers are a scourge. Why is it hard to get rid of them?
#35However mixed fuel ones really do suck, but happily electric ones are finally getting really solid too. I got an Ego 600 CFM as soon as it became available and while air velocity and total volume are somewhat lower than my Stihl it was able to take over a good 70% of the work. For this fall and winter season (about a month ago) I got an upgraded 800 CFM Ego Commercial one that takes double battery packs and look forward to putting it through its full paces, but so far I'd estimate that has closed the gap to something like 90-95%. Maybe even enough to completely get rid of the gas though the winter will be the real proof. But the pace of advancement has been pretty solid. They're far far quieter, they don't produce all the awful fumes, they're incredibly reliable and convenient in terms of instant start.
The remaining flies in the ointment are just lack of standardization in batteries and interfaces and upfront battery cost (when used a decent amount I think the value vs cost of fuel and oil is often positive over lifetime, but that doesn't change the fact that it's hard for many people to plunk down hundreds/thousands upfront vs as opex buying fuel). Both hopefully will get addressed over time. But I think at least the capabilities to match/exceed 2-stroke in raw performance is there for nearly everyone which is a good change and makes it politically much easier for governments to step in and start accelerating the transition.
Re: Leaf blowers are a scourge. Why is it hard to get rid of them?
#36The official soundtrack of Houston, TX. The noise is so ubiquitous it is almost noteworthy when you can’t hear it. Paradoxically, the better the neighborhood, the worse the noise.
Edit: Seems like I wasn't far off. Stopping homeowners from making bad choices will need to include real estate agents not playing into the idea that a leaf-free, poison sprayed lawn is more valuable.
> Lawn care specialists have claimed for years this strategy leads to better lawns, but it would only work if customers are willing to accept a change to the manicured status quo, a look that real estate agents and landscapers claim boosts home values and that some homeowners associations require in their bylaws.
Re: Leaf blowers are a scourge. Why is it hard to get rid of them?
#37Right at the very bottom the article suggests the correct way to deal with fallen leaves: leave them alone. They decompose and provide nutrients to the grass.
Re: Leaf blowers are a scourge. Why is it hard to get rid of them?
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
I’ve never seen a leaf blower used for grass up here. Only leaves. But I also never see the gas powered backpack blowers portrayed on TV so maybe I’m perceiving a different context.
I think the point was, if we didn't have lawns then leaves could remain where they fall and mulch the soil.
Re: Leaf blowers are a scourge. Why is it hard to get rid of them?
#39It’s just a symptom of the larger problem of manicured lawns being the number one “managed crop” in America. Eliminating home lawn is probably one of the singular things that would significantly slow down our destruction of the planet I’m sure someone will post some reason why their lawn is different somehow [1] https://www.huffpost.com/entry/lawn-largest-crop-america_n_5... [2] https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisf…
Re: Leaf blowers are a scourge. Why is it hard to get rid of them?
#40I wonder if the electric ones are quieter and can still get the job done.