Are you tired of the falling leaves and the pile of leaves in your backyard? Then you need to use a good machine for cleaning those leaves.
You will find that both leaf blowers and leaf vacuums clean up dry and fallen leaves off the ground. But, confusion may arise about which machine is ideal for your use.
This article offers detailed information on the leaf blower and leaf vacuum, including their features, pros, cons, and variants that will help you make an effective decision. So, read on to know more-
When You Should Use A Leaf Blower?
A leaf blower is one of the best machines to clean your background or garden during particular seasons. Even though a vacuum cleaner is excellent, using a leaf blower often helps in the following situations-
1. Ideal for Rapid Cleaning Task
If you are running out of time and want to clean the mess faster, get your hands on the trusted leaf blower. Well, leaf blowers are more powerful than usual leaf vacuums.
A bowler throws a high-pressure air jet through its nozzles. The best part is that the jet airflow is precise and accurate, which clears up the leaves and debris faster than a vacuum cleaner. So, you get a clean backyard within a few minutes.
2. Useful While Cleaning Wet Debris
Wet debris is hard to clean from a background, irrespective of its size. Whether it is a pile of wet leaves or freshly cut grass, or anything else, you need to work extra hard to clean them.
But, if you use a leaf blower, you can clean the debris off faster with the high-pressure jet air from the machine.
3. More Useful When You Use A Different Cleaning Equipment
Well, leaf blowers are better than other home cleaning equipment. If you want to have a clean and debris-free backyard, a leaf blower is the best option. With its high air pressure flow and other benefits, you will not find even the smallest leaf lying.
Even many seasoned homeowners prefer Leaf blowers instead of vacuums.
4. Ideal for Cleaning Extra Wide Spaces
Wild spaces require extra effort during cleaning and landscaping. An unused part of your backyard, a narrow gutter, or a small poodle often is challenging for cleaning. Even though you can clean these spaces using a vacuum, a blower works best.
Blowers have smaller and narrower nozzles and offer high-pressure airflow for effective cleaning.
When Should You Use A Leaf Vacuum?
Leaf blowers and leaf vacuums are different. A typical leaf blower comes with a leaf collection bag attached to it. Like any vacuum cleaner, it vacuums the leaves and collects them in the bag.
You can find different models like walk-in front leaf vacuums, pull or push leaf vacuums, and tow-behind yard leaf vacuums in the market.
Its suction power is higher than regular vacuums. Hence, the leaf vacuums offer you relief from manually cleaning all the falling leaves during the season. A powerful leaf vacuum can even suck up small debris like coffee cups, soda cans, etc. Our experts reveal that leaf blowers are –
1. Ideal for Cleaning Dirty Leaves/Debris in the Narrow Spaces
If you have a small or narrow space to clean the piled leaves and debris, leaf vacuums perform better. It can be a narrow gutter or trench or even a small alley in your backyard, cleaning becomes easier with this gadget.
A leaf vacuum will work just fine while cleaning those small spaces and narrow areas like the proportion between two trees or near a flower garden. The vacuum nozzles are powerful and catch almost all leaves, except a few missed and scattered leaves.
2. Vacuums Are Perfect For Delicate And Sensitive Cleaning Tasks
Well, leaf vacuums are ideal if you have only a few leaves. It is also great for those who have flower beds and other delicate plants or a garden in their home.
The leaf vacuums are not powerful as a leaf blower and use less powerful air suction during the vacuuming process. Hence, you do not damage the flowers or plants while cleaning the backyard.
3. Good for Erasing/Removing Pests
If you face problems due to pest infestation, leaf vacuum is better than leaf blowers. It vacuums the nasty pests and insects from your flowers, fruits, or delicate plants.
Many professional gardeners also recommend using leaf vacuums for cleaning invading pests from gardens.
4. Lawn Vacuums Can Shred Debris to Create Mulch
You can easily substitute your lawnmower with the trusted leaf vacuum for mowing your lawns. A regular leaf vacuum uses air circulation and channeled airflow into creating a vacuum channel and sucks the debris through the vacuum channel in its bag. Similarly, it can also mulch down the unwanted grass from your background. Additionally, it shreds the grass in fine pieces, making them great compost for your garden.
5. They Present You with Amazing Convenience
A leaf vacuum is one of the most convenient garden cleaning tools. Its bag keeps all the collected leaves and debris in one place and prevents the leaves from falling on the ground again. You can easily dispose of the debris after cleaning with the bag.
Comparing the Pros & Cons of Leaf Blowers And Leaf Vacuums
Any machine has its specific advantages and disadvantages. Both Leaf blower and leaf vacuum will come with their own pros and cons.
As a buyer and a gardener, you need to understand the merits and demerits of each machine to find the best suitable machine for cleaning purposes. Here is the information that will help you to make the decision-
Pros of Leaf Blowers
A leaf blower comes with the following advantages-
- Time-Saving
Leaf blowers are extremely fast. Their sheer power and airflow make them formidable cleaning equipment. With a leaf blower, you can clean your yard in the shortest possible duration, even if it is entirely messy with piled heaps of debris.
- Easy To Use
Leaf blowers are user-friendly. You just need to plug them in and start blowing by pressing the switch. Hence, you do not need to take care of multiple machine control buttons.
- Leaf Blowers Are Available In Variety
Leaf blowers come in different shapes and sizes. You can pick any model based on your cleaning purpose and budget. Hence, there will always be a leaf blower for you, whatever your purpose.
- Some Are Extremely Accessorised
Many leaf blowers come with multiple accessories to customize the cleaning experience as per the area, occasion, and amount of debris. Some blowers even mulch the leaves. The sheer availability of customization makes it an excellent choice for anyone.
- Suited For Multiple Uses
Another advantage of leaf blowers is their versatility. You can use it to clean the piled-up leaves, remove damp leaves and dirt from the garden for grass clipping. Additionally, you can also blow the piled-up snow during the winters. Hence, a leaf blower works during different seasons and offers multiple uses.
- Saves you from having backache
Leaf blowers do not require any bending or carrying. Hence, your back does not get stained. That means, even if you use a leaf blower for hours, you will not get a backache or any strained back muscle after cleaning your yard.
Cons of Leaf Blowers
Leaf blowers are one of the favorite garden cleaning machines among gardeners and landscaping artists worldwide. But, this fantastic machine also has disadvantages like-
- Leaves May Come Back To Your Yard
While blowing the leaves, a leaf blower ends up blowing the leaves in a different direction than your intention. It can cause more damage than cleaning. In many cases, the blown leaves come back in your yard due to the airflow. A blower usually does not come with a collection bag like a leaf vacuum. Hence, you may need to re-clean certain parts of the yard or garden to collect all the leaves.
- Quite Costly
Leaf blowers do come with a hefty price tag. These are not affordable, like rakes or leaf vacuums. Hence, if you plan to buy a leaf blower, try to research first to allocate the proper budget for a good model.
- Quite Noisy
Since leaf blowers throw out high-pressure airflow with their motor, the noise level can be higher. The gasoline-powered blowers usually are the loudest among the models. If you need to cut down the noise level, try to get the blowers that work with electricity.
- Maintaining The Leaf Blowers Is Costly
Leaf blowers require serious maintenance to ensure you get the desired result while cleaning. You may also need to replace parts like a spark plug or the filters periodically. Hence, these machines cause a lot of maintenance costs in the long run.
- Not The Best For People Having Respiratory Problems/Allergies.
Leaf blowers are not recommended for throwers with dust allergy or respiratory problems, and other health conditions like asthma. A blower blows the dirt and dust while blowing the leaves. These dust particles can cause serious health issues like sudden allergy bout, asthma attacks, etc. Hence, if you or your family members are allergic to dust or suffer from any respiratory health issues, avoid using a blower.
- Do you Need Rakes after Utilizing Leaf Blowers?
A leaf blower does not effectively blow away the smaller leaves. Additionally, some leaves also come back due to the airflow. As a result, you need to use a rake after using the blower to ensure all leaves are collected. This extra work often seems like a burden after a heavy cleaning.
- Quite Heavy
Another advantage of leaf blowers is their weight. These machines are extremely heavy. Hence, you may require some assistance to carry a leaf blower.
Pros of a Leaf Vacuum
A leaf vacuum also offers a lot of advantages like-
- Creates Mulch
A leaf vacuum mulches the grass or leaves while vacuuming them from the ground. This mulch makes an excellent bio-fertilizer for your garden. Hence, you get a sustainable way to grow your plants while cleaning the leaves and grass from your backyard.
- Effective Lawn Maintenance and Cleaning Tool
Leaf vacuums come with a spate leaf collection bag to store the collected debris. It creates a heavy vacuum channel that collects all the leaves or grass from the ground while mulching them. It keeps the ground clean and prevents any mess-ups during cleaning.
- Powerful & Strong
A leaf vacuum is powerful and is better than a regular vacuum. It has high suction power and also picks debris like Sticks and small twigs without any chances of damage. Additionally, the machine is also long-lasting with minimum maintenance requirements. Moreover, it also consumes less electricity, keeping your bills low even after an intense cleaning session.
Cons of a Leaf Vacuum
But, despite the advantages, a leaf vacuum will also have its own cons like-
- Quite Noisy
The main problem with a leaf vacuum is its extreme noise level. The Boise may irritate your family members or neighbors sometimes.
- Creates a Lot of Dust
Even though leaf vacuums mulch down the leaves and debris during cleaning, they make a lot of dust. The dust is not collected in the bag and often causes discomfort during cleaning. The best method is to wear a mask while using a leaf vacuum.
Types: Vacuums vs. Blowers
Do you know that there are different models for leaf blowers and leaf vacuums? Well, you can find multiple models of both machines in the market. Here is a simple guide about all the available varieties of these machines-
Types of Leaf Vacuums
You can find the following types or models of leaf vacuums in the market-
1. Light-Duty Vacuums
These are the lightest and most compact models among all variants. Light-duty leaf vacuums also make less noise as they work on electricity. If you want to clean the leaves from your patio or driveways, a light-duty vacuum will be ideal. These machines are available in both cordless and corded forms.
2. Heavy-Duty Vacuums
Heavy-duty leaf vacuums are powerful machines that can clean and vacuum leaves from a large yard within an hour. Additionally, their mulching capacity is also great, and they make the best composts out of the college leaves. You can find some models with leather cords of nearly 150ft for cleaning a large compound.
3. Backpack Gasoline-Fueled Leaf Vacuums
Backpack gasoline-powered leaf vacuums are easy to carry and portable cleaning solutions. You can carry these machines in a backpack and are often used for cleaning up large fields and grounds. But, since these models come with a gasoline motor of 40cc, the noise level is higher.
4. Handheld Gasoline-Fueled Leaf Vacuums
Handheld gasoline-powered leaf vacuums are also lighter in weight and portable. They usually come with an engine of 30cc and can blow medium to large compounds easily. But, they make a lot of noise which can disturb other people.
5. Push Vacuums
Push vacuums are hybrid leaf vacuums that use four-cycle engines of 40 cc for generating suction power. They also come with air vents to maintain proper air circulation while cleaning. Their noise level is lower due to the inclusion of paddling mechanisms.
6. Tow-Behind Vacuums (Pull)
If you want to find a way to operate a leaf vacuum for cleaning heavy debris and huge piles of leaves, a tow-beginning or pull vacuum is ideal. You can easily attach these two vacuums with a lawnmower or tractor to clean the leaves effortlessly.
7. Walk-Behind Vacuums (Push)
Walk-Behind leaf vacuums or push vacuums are great for leaning larger leaves and debris like twigs or sticks and even bottles and cans. If your garden or backyard is very thirsty and requires frequent cleaning, you can use this type of vacuum.
Types of Leaf Blowers
Like leaf vacuums, the leaf blowers also come in different variants like-
1. Electric Cordless
Electric cordless leaf blowers operate with batteries and are portable. These machines are powerful but may exhaust the battery life soon. Hence, it is better to have a spare battery with full charge capacity. `
2. Electric Corded
Corded leaf blowers run on electricity and are one of the most affordable models. The machines are also user-friendly and lightweight. But, the cords may not reach your desired length, and you may need to use an extension for cleaning a larger yard.
3. Backpack Gasoline-Powered
Backpack gasoline leaf blowers are often used for professional cleaning. Since they run on gasoline, you can carry them anywhere, but the machines weigh nearly 17 pounds, making them difficult to carry for a long time. On top of that, the backpack gasoline leaf blowers are also expensive.
4. Gasoline-Powered Handheld
It is one of the cheapest variants of leaf blowers available in the market. You can easily carry them and use them in your yard without any problem. Their main disadvantage is their loud noise level. The handheld blowers make a lot of noise and can cause disturbance among the people when you are cleaning your garden.
5. Wheeled Gasoline-Powered
Wheeled gasoline-powered leaf blowers are an excellent choice for those looking forward to pushing a machine to clean the leaves. But, their heavyweight (nearly 100 pounds or even more) makes it difficult to move them from one corner to another during cleaning. Additionally, these machines run on gasoline. Therefore, they make a lot of noise during cleaning.
Comparing Features of Leaf Blowers vs. Leaf Vacuums
If you check out the features of leaf blowers and leaf vacuums, you will find that they share many similarities. Here is a comparison of the standard features of these two machines:
1. Noise Levels
Noise levels are one of the main concerns for buyers. You can buy either a vacuum or a blower, but you need to check out the noise level. A machine that makes a lot of noise is not a good choice. It can cause disturbance to the user and neighbors and cause adverse health effects in some people.
While the gasoline-powered leaf blowers and leaf vacuums make a lot of noise, their electric counterparts are quieter.
2. Size of Hose
The hose size matters a lot in the case of both the blower and the vacuums. If you require higher horsepower, you need to use a longer hose.
3. Source of Power
The leaf blowers and vacuums use either gasoline or electricity or a charged battery for operating. Gasoline-powered ones are the loudest. You can choose any variant as per your preference.
4. Weight
You also need to consider the weight of the blower or the vacuum while buying. A heavier machine may not be convenient for many people. You can choose from pull or push or tow or backpack or wheeled models as per your weight comfort level.
5. Method of leaf disposal
A blower uses high-pressure air jet flow to blow the leaves away, while a leaf vacuum uses high suction power to suck the leaves inside the collection bag. If you want a better dirt disposal method, choose a leaf vacuum. But, if you want to have a cleaner garden within a short span of time, choose a leaf blower.
Conclusion
A leaf blower will blow the leaves away, while a leaf vacuum will vacuum the leaves from the grounds. Both machines are reliable, versatile, and offer a great cleaning experience. You can compare their features, pros, and cons side by side to make an informative decision.
Well, it depends on your choice. You can choose a leaf vacuum if you plan to use the collected leaves as compost for your garden. On the other hand, a blower may seem like a good idea if you want faster and heavy-duty cleaning. But, both machines are equally effective.
If you need to clean a vast garden, a portable or a heavy-duty machine will be great. On the other hand, a small machine works well for small to medium spaces.
Additionally, the usage of the collected debris also affects the decision to make the best model. If you want some mulch after cleaning, go with a leaf vacuum. Otherwise, a leaf blower will be suitable too.
But, in the end, your options and priorities should choose the best machine for your home.
