When we visited New England one autumn, to attend a friends wedding, and also to see the fall colours, we also encountered the occasional leaf blower. Noisy things they were too. So no surprise to read that they’re something of a neighbourhood nuisance.
I’m a bit puzzled by the American fascination with such things: I rarely see them in the UK. But as far as private leaf blowers go, haven’t they ever heard of a standard garden rake? That said, I think my childhood would have been very different if we’d had a leaf blower. I think I might actually have enjoyed some of the chores… 
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October 9th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
I am amazed at how many leaf blowers there are in the UK now. Councils use them; garden contractors use them; all my neighbours use them. In an era where everyone is worrying about “carbon footprint” I can’t imagine that these petrol guzzling items would pass noise emmission tests if they were going to be put on the road as a vehicle. I can’t think of anything around me that makes as much noise as one of these infernal objects. What’s wrong with leaves? They fall off trees and unless they are landing on pavements where they can be slippy and a hazard, the odd leaf on the lawn or flower bed could be left to degrade naturally over time. A garden rake is a very good implement for collecting leaves - it is quiet, does not emit smelly exhaust fumes, and does not require petrol or an intricate manufacturing process.