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Students invent quieter leaf blower

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Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#281

Post by vel0city »

superultra wrote: post #126
maxerickson wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The higher voltage lawn care product lines typically have much larger batteries that are not strained doing a modest urban yard.

When we moved into a new in city home a few years ago, I wanted to keep things quiet and electric. I bought a ryobi leaf blower and lawn mower, with four 40v 6.0ah batteries. Our lawn is neither small nor big - not sure on sq ft but it’s far from huge. It takes me about 6-8 gull charges to complete mowing and blowing. Leaf blowing is by far the more energy intensive. During the fall I have to space out the work in or…

When we moved into a new home a few years ago, I wanted to keep things quiet and electric. I bought an Ego lawn mower, multi-head trimmer/edger, and blower. A 56V 8Ah and a 4Ah battery. Once again, our lawn isn't small or big, fairly average 80s suburban lot.

I pretty much never need to recharge the batteries when working. I haven't needed to do much maintenance to it at all, just sharpening the mowing blade. Even after a few years the batteries still have plenty of charge to mow, trim, edge, and blow both yards. I don't normally have enough battery to do all that and do the hedge trimmer for a while though, I'll normally go inside and cool off for 15-20min and then go back out if I need to handle that. The fast charger can get a pretty good charge in 20 minutes

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#282

Post by SoftTalker »

lesuorac wrote: post #171
sidewndr46 wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Keep in mind; in some towns a truck comes around and collects the leaves from the street with a vacuum (although I guess your town doesn't?). I have seen (predominately contractors) blow leaves into a tarp to take away on a truck though.

Our town used to do that, then they decided it was too costly and stopped. I am waiting for them to corelate the increased need to clean leaf-clogged storm drains with this decision.

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#283

Post by debunn »

SoftTalker wrote: post #278
foobarian wrote: post #158

I got an electric leaf blower mostly to avoid the noise and partly to avoid gasoline engine issues (a Kobalt 80V blower). What baffles me is that here the designers had a chance to make something truly quiet but instead they blew it and used a super-high-RPM motor-powered narrow turbine placed inside the pipe. It sounds like a dental drill amplified through a set of loudspeakers. I would kill to get a commercially de…

They are made. Of course a hand-held blower that has enough air velocity to do its job is going to make some noise, but I walked by a landscape maintenance guy outside work yesterday, he had a battery-electric blower and it was much quieter than the old two-stroke gas blowers they were using last year. I didn't note the brand but the casing was green. Maybe Deere, but it wasn't quite the Deere shade of green so I don…

Greenworks offers battery powered leaf blowers - might have been one of these? https://www.greenworkstools.com/collections/leaf-blowers

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#284

Post by SoftTalker »

ajmurmann wrote: post #226
klankschap wrote: post #54

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

Are leaf blowers only a North American thing? When I grew up in Germany I hardly ever saw one. When I moved to the US they were everywhere. Not sure if they became popular around that time or if it's just more common in the US. When and where I grew up everyone also took care of their own garden, so I suspect that played a role as well

Yeah I have to think it's the same phenomenon that makes people buy large 4-wheel-drive pickup trucks that they rarely use for anything but commuting and getting groceries. The same phenomenon that makes people buy a commercial-style zero-turn Dixie Chopper to cut their suburban lawn once a week. Big? Loud? Smokey? Gratuitious in every way? I want it!!

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#285

Post by nkrisc »

sidewndr46 wrote: post #254
nkrisc wrote: post #250

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In many places that would be the homeowner’s responsibility to clean up. Even if not, it’s often in the homeowner’s best interest to not have a huge pile of rotting leaves clogging the gutter.

there is no gutter, just the curb. The couple times I looked into this, to do maintenance on the street I'd need to have some form of insurance.

Well I guess everywhere is different. That's truly bizarre to me though.

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#286

Post by HanShotFirst »

hedora wrote: post #263
ajmurmann wrote: post #226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are leaf blowers only a North American thing? When I grew up in Germany I hardly ever saw one. When I moved to the US they were everywhere. Not sure if they became popular around that time or if it's just more common in the US. When and where I grew up everyone also took care of their own garden, so I suspect that played a role as well

They’ve become more popular. However, I think the idea that everyone needs to have a gardener loudly and poorly tend their 1/16th acre lot at random times is a problem unique to California suburbs.

I can attest it also happens in New York suburbs.

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#287

Post by organsnyder »

debunn wrote: post #283
SoftTalker wrote: post #278

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are made. Of course a hand-held blower that has enough air velocity to do its job is going to make some noise, but I walked by a landscape maintenance guy outside work yesterday, he had a battery-electric blower and it was much quieter than the old two-stroke gas blowers they were using last year. I didn't note the brand but the casing was green. Maybe Deere, but it wasn't quite the Deere shade of green so I don…

Greenworks offers battery powered leaf blowers - might have been one of these? https://www.greenworkstools.com/collections/leaf-blowers

Or Ryobi. Though Greenworks is probably more likely for a professional.

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#288

Post by organsnyder »

SoftTalker wrote: post #282
lesuorac wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Keep in mind; in some towns a truck comes around and collects the leaves from the street with a vacuum (although I guess your town doesn't?). I have seen (predominately contractors) blow leaves into a tarp to take away on a truck though.

Our town used to do that, then they decided it was too costly and stopped. I am waiting for them to corelate the increased need to clean leaf-clogged storm drains with this decision.

I would think that encouraging everyone to put their leaves in the gutter might also cause clogged storm drains.

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#289

Post by rpdillon »

sidewndr46 wrote: post #122
micromacrofoot wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

I guess that would work, but I have never seen anyone do that.

My son and I raise money for our Boy Scout troop by doing yard cleanup in the fall. Using leaf blowers and tarps is how the crew worked through 20 acres of cleanup over two weekends.

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#290

Post by auntienomen »

organsnyder wrote: post #287
debunn wrote: post #283

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Greenworks offers battery powered leaf blowers - might have been one of these? https://www.greenworkstools.com/collections/leaf-blowers

Or Ryobi. Though Greenworks is probably more likely for a professional.

EGO makes a really good one.
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