Garden Leaf Blowers – Why I am (and you should be) Using These All Year Round

Generally speaking, both retailers and manufacturers tend to advertise these around the winter/spring season change along with during autumn. 

Slogans are thrown around like “Get your garden ready for spring”, “Garden Projects”, “Spring Cleaning Time!” are dotted by retailers across the land from March onwards. 

Later in the year, its all to do with clearing the leaves away as the season changes again, and we all get ready for yet another cold, wet winter.

And yes, it is true, that there is a bit of a spike in sales during seasonal changeovers for these incredible machines, but as a homeowner with a small, inner-city garden…

….I am not surprised at all.

My garden is roughly 3 metres by 5 metres in size (and yes, that is my garden above).

Despite numerous attempts to cultivate natural grass, I couldn’t get it to grow, so I opted for artificial grass instead. I have two young boys and no pets.

However, the tree in the adjacent garden overhangs the back of my garden.

Although I have trimmed the branches on my side of the property line, I still have leaves, twigs, and other debris falling into my garden, courtesy of the pigeons.

I use a garden vacuum to remove this debris, which allows me to either blow it to an area where I can collect it or vacuum it up and shred it before bagging it.

I use it multiple times a year, as do my neighbours. Whether corded or cordless, we clean our gardens in spring, summer, and especially in autumn and winter.

Why do I prefer to use a blower/vac in winter? The answer is simple – I don’t like my garden looking untidy and I don’t want to freeze my arse off raking leaves in the bitter cold.

Even when it’s cold, I still want a clean garden, but want to spend the least amount of time doing it. 

And I bet I’m not alone either.

In fact, I know I’m not alone in this. I have seen my neighbours, my parent’s neighbours and more, using their blowers and vacs in all seasons – more so from October through to April.

Likewise, I will put down good money that those whose jobs revolve around landscaping and groundskeeping would rather stay inside with a nice warm cuppa. 

Yet if they need to go outside to do work, you can pretty much guarantee that like anyone/everyone else, they do NOT want to spend any more time than is absolutely necessary to get the job done.

Hence, the garden blower/vacuum is, in my opinion, the only genuine garden tool that has year long use.

The choice is yours. 

There some models which simply blow, while others offer a vacuum option. 

Those that offer the ability to blow as well as suck, tend to include a shredder at the same time. 

Often including a ‘waste’ sack that sits underneath the device, this allows you to clean up your garden in one go.

Personally, I favour the vacuum option as it does the collection, shredding and waste storage in one go.

All I need to do is empty it into a bag for disposal or council collection, and I’m done.

The Dewalt DCV100 balances size, functionality and effectiveness to deliver a versatile machine.

Whether its clearing the garden of leaves, cuttings and snow, or cleaning your workshop of dust, this impressively compact tool does it all.

It offers variable speed control and is really nicely balanced so one-handed operation is easy.

Weighing only 1.3kg, the DCV100 includes an inflator/deflator attachment for blowing up anything from paddling pools to bed mattresses.

The Milwaukee M18 FBL 18V FUEL Brushless Blower is an impressive offering, particularly for larger areas.

One of the key benefits of this blower is the addition of a lock on switch for continuous use. This means you’re not holding down a button or pressing a trigger to keep the thing blowing. It just keeps going until you decide to turn it off.

The M18 FBL also includes Milwaukee’s incredible FUEL technology. The POWERSTATE Brushless motor helps maintain the tool and ensures a longer operational life; the REDLITHIUM Battery packs which provide exceptional power for longer; and the REDLINK PLUS overload protection – maximising the power you need when you need it.

The Makita DUB186 18V LXT Blower ticks quite a few boxes. It’s lightweight, easy to operate, very nicely balanced and ideal for getting into all the nooks and cranny’s of your garden.

The long blow that is supplied not only makes it suitable for your garden, but also those hidden spots in your workshop or shed.

Variable speed control lets you choose between one of three settings so as to conserve battery power.

That said, with a fully charged 5.0Ah battery, it can still run for up to two hours.

Now…there is powerful and then there is the STIHL SH 86 Shredder/Vacuum.

This industrial level gardening device is ideal for landscapers and grounds staff or for anyone working on larger areas or in locations where power options are limited.

Driven by a 2 stroke engine, the SH 86 includes a 45L capacity bag. If you choose the shredder option, anything that the vacuum collects, shreds it down for you to dispose of.

Comfortable to hold, it features a multi-function control handle that houses all the engine controls. The running machine switches off immediately after a brief press of a button. 

I like this one – Not top of my list, but it was a genuine close call.

The DUB187 offers an awful lot in one unit – blower, vacuum, shredder and that’s before we start talking about the tech inside.

The two front castors allow for controlled operation while the carry strap makes it comfortable to use over a longer period of time.

It even has a ‘crusie control’ for continued use as well as quick change from blowing to vacuuming without the need for extra tools.

The plastic fan is equipped with chopping blades that reduce the vacuumed leaves and collect them in the 25litre collection bag. 

OK…cards on the table – THIS is my favourite.

Me saying this has even raised a few eyebrows in the office, but it’s true – this is my favourite.

Even from here, I can hear you asking/shouting “Why?”

This does everything I need and it does it every day of the week, month, season and year.

Comfortable to hold and handle, for my inner London, terraced house garden, this is perfect. Not only does it blow at 149mph, but with a 40L collection bag and 650 m³ per hour , I can easily clear my garden of all the small twigs, leaves and Lego bits

The wheels at the end of the nozzle lets me control with ease and precision. The blow rate is powerful to lift damp and broken leaves so that you can vac them later.

Compact and budget friendly, this easily fits in my shed (behind the bikes, and other garden furniture) really does tick my boxes.