How to Use a Leaf Blower
How to Use a Leaf Blower If you’ve just bought a leaf blower for the first time you may be tempted to just whip it out and start blowing those dead leaves out of your yard. But before you pull out your new leaf blower, read these tips on how to use it safely and accurately to ensure that you get the best use out of it. Before You Begin Before you start blowing leaves around, there are a few things you need to do/consider first. Making sure you do these things first will ensure that you are working efficiently and safely and that you get the best use out of your leaf blower. Check the weather It’s best to use a leaf blower when the day is calm. If you try to gather your leaves when it’s windy you will just end up with leaves in places where you didn’t want them to go. Make sure the leaves are dry If your leaves are wet after rain or snow, give them a few days to dry off as much as possible. Wet leaves won’t move as easily as dry ones. Chose a landing spot Chose a place where you want all of the leaves to end up. A tarp in the corner of your yard makes it easy to transport the leaves when you’re done. Chose a place that you can access from all sides of your yard in one direction. Have rake on hand Even though you’ll be using a leaf blower, you’ll still need a rake to condense your pile and gather up any stray leaves that the leaf blower missed. Gear up Since a leaf blower is a power tool make sure you have the proper protective gear on before you start. Put on closed-toed shoes, long sleeves, and long pants. Wear protective eyewear to protect your eyes from debris and leaves that fly up. It’s a good idea to wear earplugs or earmuffs if you think your ears will be sensitive to the loud noises of the leaf blower. How to Use Your Leaf Blower Once you’ve made your plan and gathered your gear, it’s time to start blowing those leaves. Follow these tips for optimum results. Start at the farthest corner from your designated pile Blow the leaves in one direction to keep leaves out of areas you’ve already worked on Hold the blower down by your side at a shallow angle Sweep the nozzle back in forth in a gentle “U” shape and use a smooth motion Work slowly Vacuum Mode Once you’ve gathered your leaves into a pile, you can use vacuum mode to gather up any stray leaves that didn’t make it to the pile. You can also use vacuum mode to clean up areas that are hard to access or where a rake won’t work, like a patio or garden bed, or around plants. Vacuum mode works best on smaller piles of leaves, so save the big pile for your rake.
How to Collect Leaves from Leaf Blowing
How to Collect Leaves from Leaf Blowing It’s that time of year again. The leaves have all fallen down from the trees and are now covering your yard with a carpet of autumn colors. It looks pretty, but you know all too well that soon it will become wet and sludgy and much harder to clean up. So you get out your trusty leaf blower and blow all of those leaves into a big pile. Now what? You have a couple of options. You can jump in them a few times, leave the pile there to rot, or gather them up and dispose of them. We recommend the third option. (Maybe after you do the first one a few times.) You may wonder how to get rid of this giant pile of leaves that is now sitting in the corner of your yard. It’s not hard if you have the proper tools, and if you’ve done a bit of prep work. Read on for tips on how to collect leaves from your yard. Prepare for Leaf Blowing Before you even begin leaf blowing, do these simple things that will help make cleanup easier at the end. Chose a spot in your yard where you want all of the leaves to end up. This can be a corner that’s easy to access. Lay down a tarp on which to blow all of the leaves. Use a medium-sized tarp around 8×8 feet. You can find tarps with rope handles that make hauling easy. Weigh down the edges of the tarp with something heavy to prevent it from lifting up when you’re using the leaf blower. Get some leaf disposal bags. These are specially made biodegradable bags for easy leaf disposal, and most cities will have designated days to pick them up if you leave them on your curb. You can get leaf disposal bags at any hardware or home improvement store. If you don’t want to go the bag route, have a few large trash cans ready. How to Gather up the Leaves Once you’ve gathered all of your leaves into one or two piles, it’s time to get them off of the ground and into a receptacle of some sort. If you’re lucky enough to live next to some woods you can simply blow the leaves into the forest floor, where they’ll biodegrade with all of the other tree leaves. But if you don’t have that advantage, here’s how to gather up the leaves in your yard. Separate the leaves from the big pile into one smaller pile at a time. Use the vacuum function on your leaf blower to pick up the smaller pile and put it in your receptacle. Some leaf blowers come with, or you can buy, an attachment that goes over the top of your trash can. The leaf blower picks up the leaves and deposits them into the trash can via the tube. If you’ve gone the tarp route, simply pick up the corners of the tarp to gather all of the leaves into the center. Dispose of the Leaves Once you’ve gathered up your leaves, make sure you dispose of them in the proper way. The easiest way is if you live adjacent to woods and can just dump them there. Check with your city for collection days if you want to use disposable leaf bags, or carry them in trash cans or a tarp to your local dump.
How to clean a leaf blower carburetor
How to clean a leaf blower carburetor A leaf blower is a great addition to your yard work or gardening arsenal, but you need to keep it in tip-top shape. The way to do that? Keep the engine well-tuned! So how do you clean a leaf blower carburetor? It’s actually fairly straightforward but it can be a messy job if you don’t know where to start. The process is relatively simple, but you will need the right equipment to do so. First, make sure the carburetor is off. You should also have some means of starting it. The fuel should be drained from the unit, so you may want to consider using a vacuum pump if there is too much fuel trapped in the lines. You can find one of these pumps at many auto parts stores; just call ahead and make sure they carry one. If you need to clean a leaf blower carburetor, use a clean towel as a protective layer inside the engine block. Ensure that the engine is cool before removing the air filter and cleaning it and make sure not to use water while cleaning the air filter. When should I clean it? If you are like many individuals, you may feel overwhelmed around the time your leaf blower needs to be repaired. In order to get your leaf blower back up and running as soon as possible, the following information will outline some of the key points that you need to be aware of prior to beginning the process. In the fall, as you are about to pack up your leaf blower, check over the entire machine to ensure it is in proper working order. Once winter comes and the snow begins to fall, leave the leaf blower in a dry, warm place. This will prevent moisture from accumulating inside the carburetor and causing damage to vital parts over time. To clean the carburetor after using your leaf blower throughout the year, blow out excess dirt and debris from all air filters with compressed air before reassembling it. You can also clean a leaf blower using paper towels. To do this, remove the carburetor from the leaf blower. Then take some paper towels and soak them in rubbing alcohol. Scrub both sides of the float needle with the soaked paper towels. Then wipe the carburetor all around with a dry paper towel to remove any excess alcohol. Next, put a small amount of engine oil on the needle and install it back in the carburetor. How do I know if I’ve done a good job? Chances are if you’re reading this, it means you’ve already taken off the carburetor and are reading up to make sure you’ve done it correctly. The carburetor on a leaf blower is made of plastic, rubber, and copper components. Although the gas tank should always be emptied after each use, it’s possible that residue has remained in the fuel line. If you are unable to start your leaf blower, the carburetor may be clogged, and this type of problem will require minor adjustments from a technician.