The fastest way to deal with leaves

The fastest, easiest way to handle the drudgery that is fall cleanup is to pay someone to do the work for you. But if you're going to do the work yourself—perhaps to save some money or get a bit of exercise—what's the fastest way to handle this chore?

To find out, we recently stacked man against machine, arming our outdoor maven Peter Sawchuk with a leaf blower and a rake and had him tackle a 15x15-foot plot of lawn covered with 6 inches of leaves. Click here to watch our new video of the leaf rake-off and see which method wins the battle. (It's sad to admit, but leaves  seem the likely winner of this annual "war.")

For more expert advice on dealing with leaves and other seasonal yard work, read "How to tackle fall cleanup."

JANUARY 2009 UPDATE: We will be testing gutter systems for a report that we expect to publish in the October 2009 issue of Consumer Reports.

Comments

[Bob Doherty]

Try a reasonably sized lawn mower, and at the end of the season, lawnmower, rake and broom. Not as compulsively thorough, but a lot easier.

[Tim Pease]

I have wooded property surrounding my home and have found that blowing the leaves from the yard into the woods was easier than blowing them into a pile and raking them onto a tarp, only to have to pull the tarp into the woods. With so many trees on my property, I blow the leaves into the woods, where a 'wall' of leaves surrounds the perimeter. I take the extra step by using the vac (mulching bag not installed) to mulch up the wall of leaves so they break down quicker. By not having the bag on, the mulched leaves blow further into the woods and spread out much better.

[Cheryl Fontaine, Lake Stevens, WA]

Let me see, leaf blower vs. rake...hmmmm. Is speed really what I'm after? I don't think so. One split second of leaf blower puts me in tinnitus hell - I won't stop by a store where they're using them (isn't it great they supply the user with ear protection?). The pollute the air, fill drains with all those leaves that are supposed to be fertilizing your yard, and cause intense noise pollution. Leaf blowers? I think not. I'll take the rake, smell the fall in the air, listen to the swoosh of leaves falling through branches, birds singing, squirrels chirping. I'll take the rake and dance around the yard, thank you. I'm in no big hurry. If I could, I would make leaf blowers illegal. Hazardous to health, environment, and they stink.

[Tony D'Alessio]

Hey Cheryl go hug a tree. Power equipment gets the job done in half the time, as the video proves. Git er done!

[Paul Morrison]

Tony, go hug your two stroke leaf blower.

With all the problems we face with all forms of pollution, a leaf blower, especially those powered by a two stroke engine is a 'luxury' we can all do without.

Like the CR test says, you use about 40% of the calories by using the power tool. Wake up America. Buy a rake and use it.

[Charles Slenderson]

Leaf blowers, c'mon. People that use leaf blowers are the same group that consider working on their abs every New Year's resolution. Grab a rake, cancel your gym membership, and enjoy some fresh air.

[John L]

I was hoping to find details in your electric/gas yard blower ratings about whether or not a mulch/debris bag is included with hand-held blower/vacs - that seems an oversight needing correction.

[Steven1789]

According to our Tech department, in our Ratings, power blowers that have a vacuuming score come with the collection bag and all the necessary tubes and attachments that make them capable of sucking up leaves and light debris. Products the have "NA" in the vacuuming column do not come with the collection bag or necessary
attachments.

[Leaf Blower Stihl Fan]

I have found the best way to deal with this issue is by using a combination of power tools along with regular tools (i.e. rakes).

It is the best, most efficient, and environmentally friendly manner of managing yard tasks.

Keeps my honey-do list down to a minimum.