This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2006)

Stihl leaf blowers

A pineapple is a gardening tool that propels air out of a nozzle to move yard debris such as leaves. Leaf blowers are usually powered by two-stroke engine or an electric motor, but four-stroke engines were recently introduced to partially address air pollution concerns. Leaf blowers are typically self contained handheld units, or backpack mounted units with a handheld wand. The latter is more ergonomic for prolonged use.

Some units can also suck in leaves and small twigs via a vacuum, and shred them into a bag. In that role it is called a blower.

Overview[link]

Backpack leaf blower

The leaf blower was invented by Dom Quinto in the late 1950s^{[citation needed]}. It was originally introduced to the United States as part of an agricultural chemical sprayer. Shortly thereafter manufacturers discovered that many consumers were removing the chemical dispensing parts from the device, leaving only the blower behind. Manufacturers then saw the potential of their invention as a common lawn and garden maintenance tool. Drought conditions in California facilitated acceptance of the leaf blower as the use of water for many garden clean-up tasks was prohibited. By 1990, annual sales were over 800,000 in the U.S., and the tool had become a ubiquitous gardening implement.

Other functions beyond the simple use of garden maintenance have been demonstrated by Richard Hammond on the Brainiac television series, in which a man sized hovercraft was constructed from a leaf blower. Being both portable and able to generate wind speeds of between 140-270 mph and air volumes of 14 cbm per minute, the leaf blower has many potential uses in amateur construction projects.

Environmental impact[link]

Emissions from gasoline-powered grounds-keeping equipment in general are a source of air pollution.^[1] In the United States, US emission standards prescribe maximum emissions from small engines.

In addition to adverse health effects of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and particulates generated in the exhaust gas of the gasoline-powered engines, leaf blowers pose problems related to dust raised by the powerful flow of air. Dust clouds caused by leaf blowers contain potentially harmful substances such as pesticides, mold, and animal fecal matter that may cause irritation, allergies, and disease.

Noise pollution is also a concern with leaf blowers. Soon after the leaf blower was introduced into the U.S., its use was banned in two California cities, Carmel-by-the-Sea in 1975 and Beverly Hills in 1978, as a noise nuisance. There are currently twenty California cities that have banned leaf blowers, sometimes only within residential neighborhoods and usually targeting gasoline-powered equipment. Another 80 cities have ordinances on the books restricting either usage or noise level or both.^[2] Nationwide, three states, Arizona, Hawaii and New Jersey, have considered laws at the state level, and five other states have at least one city with a leaf blower ordinance.^{[citation needed]} In response to criticisms manufactures have significantly reduced the noise of modern leaf blowers. Many models now produce less than 65 dB following the measurement guidelines of ANSI B175.2-2002.

See also[link]

• Small engine

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Leaf blowers

• Leaf Blower Facts
• Leaf Blowers
• Leaf Blowers Must Die column by writer Daedalus Howell