Leaf Blowers vs Leaf Rakes – Which Is Best & Why?
Is your lawn covered with leaves yet? If not, it’s only a matter of time before you will have to dedicate an afternoon to dealing with them. The good news is that you have a number of options to use to get rid of the leaves.
Option 1: Raking
Raking is the traditional way for homeowners to remove leaves from their lawn. For decades, people have spent their afternoons on the weekend in the fall raking leaves. For some, it’s become a fun family activity, but for others it’s something they dread doing each year.
Raking does have its benefits:
- Its cost effective (compared to the cost of buying a leaf blower, its fuel, and maintenance)
- Its good exercise
- Its environmentally friendly
Plus, it’s a chore that you can get the kids to do.
Option 2: Leaf Blowers
Leaf blowers have become a popular option for many homeowners because they tend to be quicker, are easier to use than raking, and because it takes less time. However, leaf blowers are also associated with a number of drawbacks, something that has seen them fall out of favor in many communities.
- Drawbacks of using leaf blowers include:
- Cost
- They are noisy
- They pollute the air
- You usually have to rake as well – they don’t get all the leaves
- Your neighbors don’t appreciate you blowing leaves onto their lawn
- You could risk clogging the storm sewer
Depending on the size of your lawn and what you plan to do with the leaves, this may or may not be your best option.
Option 3: Mulch
If you want to avoid the hassle of raking and are not interested in investing in a leaf blower, mulching is a great third option. And, it’s simple. Mulching is known to be very beneficial for your lawn. All you have to do is cut the lawn, with the leaves still on the grass, in order to break them up. Mulching will help to feed your lawn, helping it to be green and healthy come spring.
Based on these options, its looks like raking and mulching are your best options to get rid of the leaves this fall.
Which method do you use? Do you prefer to rake? Do you use a leaf blower? Do you mulch? Why do you use this method?
Learn More about Fall Yard Maintenance