Whoever Invented the Gasoline-Powered Leaf Blower Should Have His Butt Kicked

[niko]

The fact that these idiotic things continue to exist is perplexing. They are heavy, loud, stinky, noisy. They scatter dust, dry shit, and mold spores into the air. They are inefficient.  They are retarded. A broom does the job, is cheaper, lighter, quiter, smells nicer, and can be used for flying, too.

They are actually excellent when used as intended (To blow leafs).

The problems arise when they are used for other stuff.

The problems arise when you blow leaves around with leaf blowers. As I already pointed out, they are a noisy, polluting, inefficient technology. You cannot use them to blow leaves without also blowing all sorts of shit with them. A rake does the job, and is a much more appropriate technology for the task of moving leaves around.

[Malawi]

The fact that these idiotic things continue to exist is perplexing. They are heavy, loud, stinky, noisy. They scatter dust, dry shit, and mold spores into the air. They are inefficient.  They are retarded. A broom does the job, is cheaper, lighter, quiter, smells nicer, and can be used for flying, too.

They are actually excellent when used as intended (To blow leafs).

The problems arise when they are used for other stuff.

The problems arise when you blow leaves around with leaf blowers. As I already pointed out, they are a noisy, polluting, inefficient technology. You cannot use them to blow leaves without also blowing all sorts of shit with them. A rake does the job, and is a much more appropriate technology for the task of moving leaves around.

I tried one in a park with lots of leafs, and made pretty neat rows that were then removed. There were very little "other stuff" being blown together with the leaves. most twigs and a few resilient leaves had to be raked away.

We were about 5-6 persons, and the leaf-blower more than halved the time it would otherwise have taken to remove the leafs.

[FirstAscent]

We were about 5-6 persons, and the leaf-blower more than halved the time it would otherwise have taken to remove the leafs.

So what if it halved the time?

You can halve the time of grocery shopping by careening around the store with your shopping cart pushing people aside everywhere you go. You can halve the time of cooking by ignoring some ingredients and not cleaning up after yourself.

In other words, certain things need to be done right. And doing things right takes more time. I guess the reality of the situation is that gardening and cleanup actually costs more because the proper way takes more time. But that's just the way it is, because halving the time with a leaf blower isn't really an acceptable way to do the job. Plain and simple.

[Matthew N. Wright]

lol@"Proper". There is nothing improper about blowing around a ton of leaves into piles in a big ass yard that is not directly connected to and thus not annoying any neighbors. What should be said here and hasn't so far is that there is right tool for every job, and a leaf blower is an industrial solution being abused as a consumer one. To hear people complaining about it in general (instead of mentioning that there are uses for it and that normal everyday raking isn't one of them) makes me think they'd also complain about jet engines.

"Flying should be done slowly, the right way. Jets are loud and blow birds around."

[niko]

We were about 5-6 persons, and the leaf-blower more than halved the time it would otherwise have taken to remove the leafs.

So what if it halved the time?

You can halve the time of grocery shopping by careening around the store with your shopping cart pushing people aside everywhere you go. You can halve the time of cooking by ignoring some ingredients and not cleaning up after yourself.

In other words, certain things need to be done right. And doing things right takes more time. I guess the reality of the situation is that gardening and cleanup actually costs more because the proper way takes more time. But that's just the way it is, because halving the time with a leaf blower isn't really an acceptable way to do the job. Plain and simple.

Also, there is the externalized cost with leaf blowers (others are forced to suffer so you get the job done your way), and hidden/forgotten costs (gas, maintenance, health).

[FirstAscent]

What should be said here and hasn't so far is that there is right tool for every job, and a leaf blower is an industrial solution being abused as a consumer one.

Ummm, no.

It's not the consumers who are the problem. It's the landscaping and gardening crews who use them regularly in residential areas, often condo and apartment complexes.

[fsk]

But without the gas powered leaf blower we couldn't have diy hovercrafts http://blog.makezine.com/2011/06/24/some-assembly-required-leaf-blower-hovercraft/

and everybody likes hovercrafts

[Malawi]

We were about 5-6 persons, and the leaf-blower more than halved the time it would otherwise have taken to remove the leafs.

So what if it halved the time?

You can halve the time of grocery shopping by careening around the store with your shopping cart pushing people aside everywhere you go. You can halve the time of cooking by ignoring some ingredients and not cleaning up after yourself.

In other words, certain things need to be done right. And doing things right takes more time. I guess the reality of the situation is that gardening and cleanup actually costs more because the proper way takes more time. But that's just the way it is, because halving the time with a leaf blower isn't really an acceptable way to do the job. Plain and simple.

You can even more than halve the time of transporting the goods to the shop by using a large truck. But I guess Wheelbarrows are the correct way.

Not to mention those pesky digger, we have shovels for a reason.

[Malawi]

We were about 5-6 persons, and the leaf-blower more than halved the time it would otherwise have taken to remove the leafs.

So what if it halved the time?

You can halve the time of grocery shopping by careening around the store with your shopping cart pushing people aside everywhere you go. You can halve the time of cooking by ignoring some ingredients and not cleaning up after yourself.

In other words, certain things need to be done right. And doing things right takes more time. I guess the reality of the situation is that gardening and cleanup actually costs more because the proper way takes more time. But that's just the way it is, because halving the time with a leaf blower isn't really an acceptable way to do the job. Plain and simple.

Also, there is the externalized cost with leaf blowers (others are forced to suffer so you get the job done your way), and hidden/forgotten costs (gas, maintenance, health).

There is some sound, but in my situation i don't think it was that much worse than the sound of the traffic.

Maintenance and gas was more than paid for in saved labour, and healthwise it was probably better to use 3-4 hrs and get away before rush hour, than staying for 7-8 hrs beside a road with constant traffic.

[Matthew N. Wright]

What should be said here and hasn't so far is that there is right tool for every job, and a leaf blower is an industrial solution being abused as a consumer one.

Ummm, no.

It's not the consumers who are the problem. It's the landscaping and gardening crews who use them regularly in residential areas, often condo and apartment complexes.

I guess it doesn't really matter where it's used, so long as the task at hand requires it (which is doubtful at a random condo/apartment but who am I to judge).

[Malawi]

What should be said here and hasn't so far is that there is right tool for every job, and a leaf blower is an industrial solution being abused as a consumer one.

Ummm, no.

It's not the consumers who are the problem. It's the landscaping and gardening crews who use them regularly in residential areas, often condo and apartment complexes.

I guess it doesn't really matter where it's used, so long as the task at hand requires it (which is doubtful at a random condo/apartment but who am I to judge).

Exactly :-)

It has to be a fairly large and open space with a fair amount of leafs. In a small area or where there is not that much leafs, it's probably better to use rakes.

[Tonko]

Fucked up, yes, but reading your story makes me wonder which of you two was more responsible for fucking it up a little bit more on that day...

True to your icon. Always looking for ways of portraying morons as victims and trying to muddy the waters.

[FirstAscent]

We were about 5-6 persons, and the leaf-blower more than halved the time it would otherwise have taken to remove the leafs.

So what if it halved the time?

You can halve the time of grocery shopping by careening around the store with your shopping cart pushing people aside everywhere you go. You can halve the time of cooking by ignoring some ingredients and not cleaning up after yourself.

In other words, certain things need to be done right. And doing things right takes more time. I guess the reality of the situation is that gardening and cleanup actually costs more because the proper way takes more time. But that's just the way it is, because halving the time with a leaf blower isn't really an acceptable way to do the job. Plain and simple.

You can even more than halve the time of transporting the goods to the shop by using a large truck. But I guess Wheelbarrows are the correct way.

Not to mention those pesky digger, we have shovels for a reason.

Did you see anyone complaining about large trucks here? Because I didn't.

[Malawi]

We were about 5-6 persons, and the leaf-blower more than halved the time it would otherwise have taken to remove the leafs.

So what if it halved the time?

You can halve the time of grocery shopping by careening around the store with your shopping cart pushing people aside everywhere you go. You can halve the time of cooking by ignoring some ingredients and not cleaning up after yourself.

In other words, certain things need to be done right. And doing things right takes more time. I guess the reality of the situation is that gardening and cleanup actually costs more because the proper way takes more time. But that's just the way it is, because halving the time with a leaf blower isn't really an acceptable way to do the job. Plain and simple.

You can even more than halve the time of transporting the goods to the shop by using a large truck. But I guess Wheelbarrows are the correct way.

Not to mention those pesky digger, we have shovels for a reason.

Did you see anyone complaining about large trucks here? Because I didn't.

I think large trucks are too loud. Now there is one.
It's not as hard to do a little complaining as one might think.

We are talking about utility vs negative impact here, and it's only natural to bring in other examples. If you think the truck analogy is wrong, then say so and reason why. Don't just go "nobody have mentioned that particular example earlier in the tread."
And BTW - I used that analogy because it's related to your poor shopping analogy.

[Biomech]

We were about 5-6 persons, and the leaf-blower more than halved the time it would otherwise have taken to remove the leafs.

So what if it halved the time?

You can halve the time of grocery shopping by careening around the store with your shopping cart pushing people aside everywhere you go. You can halve the time of cooking by ignoring some ingredients and not cleaning up after yourself.

In other words, certain things need to be done right. And doing things right takes more time. I guess the reality of the situation is that gardening and cleanup actually costs more because the proper way takes more time. But that's just the way it is, because halving the time with a leaf blower isn't really an acceptable way to do the job. Plain and simple.

You can even more than halve the time of transporting the goods to the shop by using a large truck. But I guess Wheelbarrows are the correct way.

Not to mention those pesky digger, we have shovels for a reason.

Did you see anyone complaining about large trucks here? Because I didn't.

I think large trucks are too loud. Now there is one.
It's not as hard to do a little complaining as one might think.

We are talking about utility vs negative impact here, and it's only natural to bring in other examples. If you think the truck analogy is wrong, then say so and reason why. Don't just go "nobody have mentioned that particular example earlier in the tread."
And BTW - I used that analogy because it's related to your poor shopping analogy.

I actually approve of most of these devices.

I just like to bitch in threads that are obviously about bitching

(I'll make an exception to the leaf blower. They have their uses, but I frequently think they are misused and do more harm than good to the job at hand. If ya got that big of an area, a vacuum attachment for a lawn tractor makes more sense.)

[FirstAscent]

We were about 5-6 persons, and the leaf-blower more than halved the time it would otherwise have taken to remove the leafs.

So what if it halved the time?

You can halve the time of grocery shopping by careening around the store with your shopping cart pushing people aside everywhere you go. You can halve the time of cooking by ignoring some ingredients and not cleaning up after yourself.

In other words, certain things need to be done right. And doing things right takes more time. I guess the reality of the situation is that gardening and cleanup actually costs more because the proper way takes more time. But that's just the way it is, because halving the time with a leaf blower isn't really an acceptable way to do the job. Plain and simple.

You can even more than halve the time of transporting the goods to the shop by using a large truck. But I guess Wheelbarrows are the correct way.

Not to mention those pesky digger, we have shovels for a reason.

Did you see anyone complaining about large trucks here? Because I didn't.

I think large trucks are too loud. Now there is one.
It's not as hard to do a little complaining as one might think.

We are talking about utility vs negative impact here, and it's only natural to bring in other examples. If you think the truck analogy is wrong, then say so and reason why. Don't just go "nobody have mentioned that particular example earlier in the tread."
And BTW - I used that analogy because it's related to your poor shopping analogy.

People aren't complaining about large trucks vs. a line of 100 men pushing wheelbarrows down the highway for 20 miles. But they do seem to complain about leaf blowers vs. rakes. If someone else besides you puts forth the complaint about trucks in earnest, rather than as choosing to be a stupid clown, then you might have a point.

EDIT: I reread your post, and it's even worse than I thought. You're implying wheelbarrows are a stupid solution, which is absolutely correct, and thus renders your point absurd. You agree trucks are the better solution, which is counter to your recent complaint about trucks. Ergo, you have no point.

[myrkul]

I also think large trucks are too loud. Trains as well. But noise pollution is one of the least problematic externalities. It's short-lived, easy to block out, and unless it's really extreme, does no actual harm. It's just annoying.

[Malawi]

We were about 5-6 persons, and the leaf-blower more than halved the time it would otherwise have taken to remove the leafs.

So what if it halved the time?

You can halve the time of grocery shopping by careening around the store with your shopping cart pushing people aside everywhere you go. You can halve the time of cooking by ignoring some ingredients and not cleaning up after yourself.

In other words, certain things need to be done right. And doing things right takes more time. I guess the reality of the situation is that gardening and cleanup actually costs more because the proper way takes more time. But that's just the way it is, because halving the time with a leaf blower isn't really an acceptable way to do the job. Plain and simple.

You can even more than halve the time of transporting the goods to the shop by using a large truck. But I guess Wheelbarrows are the correct way.

Not to mention those pesky digger, we have shovels for a reason.

Did you see anyone complaining about large trucks here? Because I didn't.

I think large trucks are too loud. Now there is one.
It's not as hard to do a little complaining as one might think.

We are talking about utility vs negative impact here, and it's only natural to bring in other examples. If you think the truck analogy is wrong, then say so and reason why. Don't just go "nobody have mentioned that particular example earlier in the tread."
And BTW - I used that analogy because it's related to your poor shopping analogy.

People aren't complaining about large trucks vs. a line of 100 men pushing wheelbarrows down the highway for 20 miles. But they do seem to complain about leaf blowers vs. rakes. If someone else besides you puts forth the complaint about trucks in earnest, rather than as choosing to be a stupid clown, then you might have a point.

EDIT: I reread your post, and it's even worse than I thought. You're implying wheelbarrows are a stupid solution, which is absolutely correct, and thus renders your point absurd. You agree trucks are the better solution, which is counter to your recent complaint about trucks. Ergo, you have no point.

You don't see the point in that one have to tolerate some discomfort if the alternative would be much more costly and labour intensive?

The wheelbarrow example is meant to be absurd to highlight other discomforts we put up with because we understand that they make our lives better.

[FirstAscent]

We were about 5-6 persons, and the leaf-blower more than halved the time it would otherwise have taken to remove the leafs.

So what if it halved the time?

You can halve the time of grocery shopping by careening around the store with your shopping cart pushing people aside everywhere you go. You can halve the time of cooking by ignoring some ingredients and not cleaning up after yourself.

In other words, certain things need to be done right. And doing things right takes more time. I guess the reality of the situation is that gardening and cleanup actually costs more because the proper way takes more time. But that's just the way it is, because halving the time with a leaf blower isn't really an acceptable way to do the job. Plain and simple.

You can even more than halve the time of transporting the goods to the shop by using a large truck. But I guess Wheelbarrows are the correct way.

Not to mention those pesky digger, we have shovels for a reason.

Did you see anyone complaining about large trucks here? Because I didn't.

I think large trucks are too loud. Now there is one.
It's not as hard to do a little complaining as one might think.

We are talking about utility vs negative impact here, and it's only natural to bring in other examples. If you think the truck analogy is wrong, then say so and reason why. Don't just go "nobody have mentioned that particular example earlier in the tread."
And BTW - I used that analogy because it's related to your poor shopping analogy.

People aren't complaining about large trucks vs. a line of 100 men pushing wheelbarrows down the highway for 20 miles. But they do seem to complain about leaf blowers vs. rakes. If someone else besides you puts forth the complaint about trucks in earnest, rather than as choosing to be a stupid clown, then you might have a point.

EDIT: I reread your post, and it's even worse than I thought. You're implying wheelbarrows are a stupid solution, which is absolutely correct, and thus renders your point absurd. You agree trucks are the better solution, which is counter to your recent complaint about trucks. Ergo, you have no point.

You don't see the point in that one have to tolerate some discomfort if the alternative would be much more costly and labour intensive?

The wheelbarrow example is meant to be absurd to highlight other discomforts we put up with because we understand that they make our lives better.

Your analogy fails due to the matter of degree.

[Malawi]

Your analogy fails due to the matter of degree.

Then consider lawnmowers, grinders, chainsaws, branch-mulchers and other gasolin or electric powered tools that simplify tasks that might as well be done by hand, and make a bit of noise (preferably outdoors). Not to mention those large stone hammer-drills.