Leaf Blowers

[rowdyflat]

Some in Yack are keen to use powerful leaf blowers on our tracks where leaves accumulate, afterwards the workers are covered in dust.
The tracks have changed dramatically, they started as smooth red clay now , years later lots of roots and rocks indicating soil is being lost.
I wonder if blowing leaves is actually increasing erosion.?
I think raking would be better ?

 

[Dozer]

Leaf blowers absolutely scalp soft dirt from the trail surface. I have two Stihl petrol versions; the smaller one is a BG86 that cleans a hard pack surface just fine but I had the problem that I needed to remove tons of palm fronds, bigger sticks etc before I could blow the trail because the blower doesn't move it. I bought the Magnum backpack blower last year and don't need to rake anything now, this thing propels you in all directions. My trails are shaded 24 hours a day in a lush rainforest and the bigger blower still lifts tons of dirt from the trail surface exposing what is underneath. It takes me two full days to rake my trails or it takes 3 hours with my backpack blower. My stuff isn't high traffic so I'm not bothered at all by the blower taking some dirt away.
Raked trails are beautiful, a blower does it a lot faster but it does leave some lasting damage.

 

[pink poodle]

I despise leaf blowers. Just use a rake.

 

[safreek]

I despise leaf blowers. Just use a rake.

I love starting them at 6am Sunday morning.
Makes for better communication with neighbors

 

[pink poodle]

I love starting them at 6am Sunday morning.
Makes for better communication with neighbors

It's a great way to let them know you hate them.

 

[Dales Cannon]

It's a great way to remind them they hate you.

Yep

 

[Stredda]

We use both for our club trails.
I find the leaf blower is much faster if it is just leaves on the trail. If there is a lot of sticks or plant matter that is embedded in the silt, a rake does a better job.
We just have a handheld 4 stroke Makita blower like this....

You have to kick the sticks off the trails but the big backpack ones will blow everything off.

Haven't found it degrading the trails that you could notice, but we only give each trail a rake/blow down two or three times a year.

 

[safreek]

Yep

But to be fair I do mow their council front lawn, it just seems fair they have some price to pay

 

[silentbutdeadly]

Some in Yack are keen to use powerful leaf blowers on our tracks where leaves accumulate, afterwards the workers are covered in dust.
The tracks have changed dramatically, they started as smooth red clay now , years later lots of roots and rocks indicating soil is being lost.
I wonder if blowing leaves is actually increasing erosion.?
I think raking would be better ?

A past president of my old club started using a leaf blower near the trail head under the River Red Gums. Great result but it was a fucking menace given the dust it raised. I always preferred the rake.

However, the leaf blower did result in some rather lovely shaped berms for a while.

These days I run a small Husqvarna battery electric blower to tidy up around the house for fire management etc. which much quieter but also has much better air control...which might make a difference??