Live data from Hacker News

Students invent quieter leaf blower

hub.jhu.edu

101–110 of 440 posts

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I lived in cities for four decades and rural areas for two. Hearing late night gunshots was routine in cities. I think it's happened once in hearing from my rural home. My neighbor is a state biologist who put down a sick coyote. Or course it can happen a lot if you get the wrong neighbors. But that's more of a risk in the city where you have so many more neighbors.

Wow, which cities? I've lived between cities and the sticks in the U.S. almost my entire life and while I've never once heard gunfire in a city, in the country it's a daily routine (occasionally, if rarely, even fully automatic).

You had some pretty well-off rural neighbors if they shot guns daily. Ammunition isn't cheap. I've lived in a rural area for a long time, and, yes maybe once a week or month a neighbor will practice their marksmanship, but thankfully it isn't a daily occurrence.

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#102

How about just leaving leaves for what they are. Just leave them and move on with your own life.

A canopy of unblown leaves can cause damage to the surfaces underneath through mold or mildew. In some cases, this damage can be effectively permanent if let go long enough.

>In some cases, this damage can be effectively permanent if let go long enough.

I have no expertise in leaf or ground quality. If this is the correct, even in very rare cases, over the quarter-billion years or so that trees have been shedding leaves, should the entire planet not be barren wasteland by now?

What's the process by which leaf damage is undone over very long time periods?

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#103
post #3
post #2

Can't be quieter than a rake.

Unless you stumble on it. Other than that - leaf blowers are not used only in gardening work.

I've noticed roofing crews use them to remove old shingles. It must work pretty well, if they are dealing with carrying them around on the top of a house.

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I lived in cities for four decades and rural areas for two. Hearing late night gunshots was routine in cities. I think it's happened once in hearing from my rural home. My neighbor is a state biologist who put down a sick coyote. Or course it can happen a lot if you get the wrong neighbors. But that's more of a risk in the city where you have so many more neighbors.

Wow, which cities? I've lived between cities and the sticks in the U.S. almost my entire life and while I've never once heard gunfire in a city, in the country it's a daily routine (occasionally, if rarely, even fully automatic).

San Jose, Burbank, Albuquerque. Not so much in Santa Cruz or the Denver suburbs.

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I lived in cities for four decades and rural areas for two. Hearing late night gunshots was routine in cities. I think it's happened once in hearing from my rural home. My neighbor is a state biologist who put down a sick coyote. Or course it can happen a lot if you get the wrong neighbors. But that's more of a risk in the city where you have so many more neighbors.

Wow, which cities? I've lived between cities and the sticks in the U.S. almost my entire life and while I've never once heard gunfire in a city, in the country it's a daily routine (occasionally, if rarely, even fully automatic).

It might just be a meme, but supposedly it's very common in Chicago?

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#107
post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There's a section of folks who enjoy loud engines. It's their jam, they love being 'outdoors' with loud gas powered engines, big trucks, riding lawn mowers. It's a fantasy escape world for them. That’s an awfully uncharitable projection. The lawn business people I know would love to adopt full electric fleets of gear. They aren’t sending their teams out with gas engines because it’s a “fantasy escape world”. They d…

I just bought a battery powered lead blower from Costco. It's my first one and it's awesome! I use it all the time for things I didn't think I would. However, it is still very loud and doesn't last long enough for commercial use. One instance recently, had a few very aggressive wasps in the garage (Son is allergic). In the past I'd use some chemicals, the leaf blower got them out in seconds, it's so powerful it blew…

I'm a bit frightened to ask what surprising use cases you found for a lead blower.

On a more constructive note, I don't know where people get the idea that battery powered means quiet. My vacuum is electric and far from quiet – why would a leaf blower be?

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#108
post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep, it's invaluable for getting your BBQ grill really going.

I use it to dry my car which is ceramic coated, one of the best tools I have recently purchased.

why would you dry a car instead of buy one that is water proof

i would be leaf blowing my car every other day with the amount of rain here

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#109
post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep, it's invaluable for getting your BBQ grill really going.

I use it to dry my car which is ceramic coated, one of the best tools I have recently purchased.

I have never dried a car, does a car not dry by itself?

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many affluent areas have already banned gas leaf blowers and it’s incredible how quiet the battery powered replacements are. I was in Palm Springs recently and had nearly walked past a landscaper using one before if occurred to me just how quiet it was - didn’t even interrupt our conversation. I believe it was a Stihl backpack version (maybe https://www.stihlusa.com/products/blowers-and-shredder-vacs/... ) but yeah,…

It isn't so much the noise that bothers me, what I've never understood about leaf blowers is what are they meant to accomplish? When I watch people use them they either blow the leaves into the street or the neighbors yard. What do they think that does? Now on the other hand, I do own a very noisy leaf vacuum. But when I've collected a bag full I can just deposit the leaves in my collection container. They are taken…

generally for landscapers it saves them the trouble of raking, which can put a lot of strain on your back — they'll blow the leaves onto a tarp and then wrap them up for easy removal

in my experience, homeowners mostly dick around with them

Post reply on HN