If your yard is littered with leaves and grasses, you’re probably scratching your head and wondering how to get rid of them.
Getting the best tool for the job can be a daunting task.
Should you get a leaf blower or rake?
So, Is A Leaf Blower Better Than A Rake For Yard Cleanup?
Well, when choosing between a leaf blower and a rake, you must understand the scale of your work. If it is a wide field that needs to be cleared of leaves, a leaf blower would be the best choice. If you need to clear a small space of stubborn debris, however, a rake would fit in. There are many other reasons and circumstances under which each tool should be used.
We will walk you through all that in this article and shed light on the advantages and setbacks of using each tool in a bid to help you make an informed decision.
What Is the Difference Between a Leaf Blower and A Rake?
Well, both a leaf blower and a rake are used to collect and remove leaves.
Trees do shed off leaves seasonally and if they are not routinely cleared away, your compound can get extremely dirty.
A compound littered with leaves attracts a lot of unwelcomed guests including pests and other freaky dangerous animals.
When looking for tools and appliances to tidy the compound, a leaf blower and a rake often come to mind first. To get the difference between these two, we will define each tool differently.
Leaf Blower
A leaf blower works by propelling air out of a nozzle to move leaves and other debris to a specific location.
Leaf blowers are available in different types and sizes.
There are those powered by electricity and those powered by gasoline.
They both work the same way- blow leaves to one destination for easy removal.
A Rake
A rake, on the other hand, is a simple and handy tool with a pole and a toothed crossbar at its end.
Unlike a leaf blower that thrust leaves away, a rake works by drawing together leaves, grass, and other debris for easy collection.
It is manually operated and does not need electricity or gas.
Three Reasons Why a Leaf Blower Proves To Be Better Than a Rake
1. It Is More Efficient
One of the main reasons why prefer leaf blowers to rakes is because it saves time.
By just turning it in the direction of your choice, leaves are propelled away to the point of collection.
It is such a simple tool that works efficiently and well.
2. It Has a Workable Design
A leaf blower is designed for easy use in a lot of perspectives.
Firstly, you do not need to be strong to operate it.
All you need to do is hold it in the right direction and walk around to assemble leaves in one destination for easy collection.
Most leaf blowers come with a strap that you can use to hang the toll on your shoulder as you aim at the leaves.
3. Versatility
When it comes to versatility, a leaf blower does not disappoint.
That means you can use it for a vast spectrum of chores including removing snow that often piles up around your home during cold winters.
Of course, you have to blow snow before frost hardens it. A leaf blower comes in handy for such a job as well making it one of the most versatile tools you can own.
You can also use your leaf blower to clean gutters. It does an excellent job.
These days, there are plenty of gutter cleaning kits that work well with leaf blowers. Invest in such kits and get work done pretty well.
It will help you get rid of stubborn leaves that often pile up in the gutters and hamper a direct flow of water.
Tip: When removing snow using a leaf blower, it is advisable to avoid doing so during a windy day.
The Three Leaf Blower Drawbacks
1. Relatively High Costs
As you would expect of anything that is powered by either gas or electricity, leaf blowers are acquired at relatively high costs.
Besides, you will have to purchase gas or electricity units to power it.
That means you need to dig deeper into your pocket every time you hit the ground running with the machine.
In this case, a traditional rake will beat the leaf blower by great proportions.
2. Noise Output
Propelling leaves and debris away using a leaf blower releases noise.
Well, if you hate noise as most people do, you will be irritated by a leaf blower.
More so because you may have to spend long hours getting the compound or yard clean.
Electric leaf blowers are less noisy when compared to their gas-powered counterparts.
3. Routine Maintenance Is Needed
A leaf blower has to be cleaned after every blowing activity.
If not maintained, it can develop flaws and make work harder for you.
Worst still, it can even break down completely.
Three Reasons Why a Rake Is Better Than a Leaf Blower
1. Costs
Needless to say, a rake is way cheaper than a leaf blower.
The very fact that they require no fuel or maintenance makes them even cheaper since you are not likely to incur any maintenance costs.
2. Raking Exercises Your Body
There is no denying that raking is a very demanding activity.
So, if you are that folk who spends most of the week sitting on a chair administering office duties, raking is a cool way to exercise your body.
3. Rakes Are Eco-Friendly and Require Little Maintenance
Since they do not use gasoline, rakes are friendly to the environment. They also require little or, sometimes, no maintenance.
The Three Downsides of A Rake
1. A Rake Can Break Down
Unlike a leaf blower, a rake comes in physical contact with the ground.
They can hit upon rocks and study debris beneath the leaves hence causing possible breakdown.
A leaf blower cannot reach such debris because they do not come in contact.
2. Exhaustion
Raking involves a lot of pulling. It is a rigorous exercise and if you have a large area to cover, you are in for an exhaustive duty.
Raking involves moving around from place to place and pulling debris such as leaves to one spot for easy collection.
3. Less Efficient
Unlike leaf blowers that do the job very fast, a rake will require you to spend a lot of time executing the job.
It is slow and hence time-consuming.
The Bottom Lime
As you have seen in this article, every tool has its own set of advantages and downsides.
Besides, there are circumstances when you will need a rake and not a leaf blower.
One case scenario is when dealing with stubborn grasses and leaves that require massive physical strength.
An ideal tool for you is the one you feel comfortable working with under the right circumstances.
