Worst. Invention. Ever.

Flint · 08-07-2008, 11:07 AM

The leafblower.

Look at this thing. It's a massive, gasoline-powered abomination designed to do the work of a push broom.

What's wrong with the broom? Sure, you have to do the pushing yourself, but on the other hand you don't have to lug around a 50-pound backpack. The old-fashioned broom works just fine, and doesn't burn gasoline (this is a finite resource, folks). The broom is also considerably less noisy--nobody is passing laws outlawing broom noise.

Maybe I thought I would get used to seeing landscape crews running leafblowers; but the fact is that I still marvel at the utter ridiculousness of this device every single time I see one.

To see a leafblower in action is to witness the world's laziest spectacle. Instead of using a broom to push grass clippings a few feet over, a gas-guzzling, giant hair dryer is lolligagged back and forth, pointed generally in the groundwardly direction. It's a wonder people don't fall asleep while operating these things.

I realize...maybe you have a leafblower, and love it. I would be interested to know how you can operate one of these things without feeling foolish.

Sundae · 08-07-2008, 11:11 AM

Rarely seen here.
Perhaps because of the running costs.

glatt · 08-07-2008, 11:17 AM

I hate leaf blowers.

But I have to admit they are fast. Watching a skilled grounds keeper use a leaf blower to do in 5 minutes what would have taken me 1 hour with a rake is always impressive. It's a simple financial equation with a grounds keeping crew.

Homeowners are a different story though.

Juniper · 08-07-2008, 11:21 AM

I don't know if they all do this, but ours works like a vacuum, too. Sucks the leaves up and chops them into smaller bits, so they are compacted and can be dumped into a compost pile. Sure is great when you have a big yard and lots of trees.

Shawnee123 · 08-07-2008, 11:26 AM

I thought it was a jet-pack. Speaking of jet-packs, you can buy one now. That's all we need, people who can barely drive floating around the city.

lookout123 · 08-07-2008, 11:47 AM

I have an electric model that is used quite a bit, if not as frequently as mrs lookout would prefer. You all may have big beautiful leaves that fall gracefully onto your nice green lawns just waiting for your rake, but that just isn't my reality. My trees discard more needle -ish type of leaves into my front yard which is covered in rock. (I chose the trees because they give great shade while needing little water) Raking is not an option. The blower will push the needles up out of the rocks and out into the street where I can easily sweep them up.

So there is a use that has nothing to do with being lazy.

HungLikeJesus · 08-07-2008, 12:01 PM

For that you don't need a leaf blower - you need a flame thrower.

In fact, I don't think that there's any lawn task that can't be handled best with a flame thrower.

Flint · 08-07-2008, 12:04 PM

:::CBOL::: (chuckled briefly out loud)

Pooka · 08-07-2008, 01:06 PM

Guess I shouldn't mention that your daughter pointed at the lawnman pictured above and said rather proudly "Papa" or the the fact that there happens to be a leaf blower in your garage????

Now coming to your defense the blower is our friends ... we borrowed it with the intention of using the reverse feature for making mulch out of our massive amounts of fallen leaves... and have failed to return the device. And Morgi pretty much thinks any picture of a man should be Papa.

BTW... dinner is going to be REALLY tasty... Morgi ate 3 bowls for lunch. Just a lil somethin' somethin' to look forward to after your long hard day of jacking around on the Celler... lol.

lookout123 · 08-07-2008, 01:08 PM

better keep your eye on the lawnboy dude.

Shawnee123 · 08-07-2008, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pooka

Guess I shouldn't mention that your daughter pointed at the lawnman pictured above and said rather proudly "Papa" or the the fact that there happens to be a leaf blower in your garage????

Now coming to your defense the blower is our friends ... we borrowed it with the intention of using the reverse feature for making mulch out of our massive amounts of fallen leaves... and have failed to return the device. And Morgi pretty much thinks any picture of a man should be Papa.

BTW... dinner is going to be REALLY tasty... Morgi ate 3 bowls for lunch. Just a lil somethin' somethin' to look forward to after your long hard day of jacking around on the Celler... lol.

Now that is funny!

barefoot serpent · 08-07-2008, 02:12 PM

IIRC the MythBusters used one to make a hovercraft. That's why.

lumberjim · 08-07-2008, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lookout123

better keep your eye on the lawnboy dude.

OH, SNAP.

Clodfobble · 08-07-2008, 09:51 PM

Just today, my lawn people came to mow my lawn, and I thought of this thread while they were blowing all the stupid crepe myrtle droppings off my back porch.

But then I was distracted by the fact that the blower guy was wearing a pimp hat--seriously, a big floppy brim with bright orange and yellow and black swirls all over. Minifob banged on the window yelling, "Hat! Hat!" at him. True story.

monster · 08-07-2008, 11:25 PM

Beest and I were just discussing this yesterday on a swamp dock in LA. Hector was fishing, we were all hanging around, would have been blissfull if not for two girls trying to move some swamp weep off the road with leaf blowers. that stuff would have been shifted in 5 minutes with a rake.... thankfully, after almost an hour, they gave up for lunch...

08-07-2008, 11:07 AM	#1
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	Worst. Invention. Ever. The leafblower. Look at this thing. It's a massive, gasoline-powered abomination designed to do the work of a push broom. What's wrong with the broom? Sure, you have to do the pushing yourself, but on the other hand you don't have to lug around a 50-pound backpack. The old-fashioned broom works just fine, and doesn't burn gasoline (this is a finite resource, folks). The broom is also considerably less noisy--nobody is passing laws outlawing broom noise. Maybe I thought I would get used to seeing landscape crews running leafblowers; but the fact is that I still marvel at the utter ridiculousness of this device every single time I see one. To see a leafblower in action is to witness the world's laziest spectacle. Instead of using a broom to push grass clippings a few feet over, a gas-guzzling, giant hair dryer is lolligagged back and forth, pointed generally in the groundwardly direction. It's a wonder people don't fall asleep while operating these things. I realize...maybe you have a leafblower, and love it. I would be interested to know how you can operate one of these things without feeling foolish. Attached Images __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

08-07-2008, 11:26 AM	#5
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	I thought it was a jet-pack. Speaking of jet-packs, you can buy one now. That's all we need, people who can barely drive floating around the city. __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

08-07-2008, 11:47 AM	#6
lookout123 changed his status to single Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Right behind you. No, the other side. Posts: 10,308	I have an electric model that is used quite a bit, if not as frequently as mrs lookout would prefer. You all may have big beautiful leaves that fall gracefully onto your nice green lawns just waiting for your rake, but that just isn't my reality. My trees discard more needle -ish type of leaves into my front yard which is covered in rock. (I chose the trees because they give great shade while needing little water) Raking is not an option. The blower will push the needles up out of the rocks and out into the street where I can easily sweep them up. So there is a use that has nothing to do with being lazy. __________________ Getting knocked down is no sin, it's not getting back up that's the sin

08-07-2008, 12:01 PM	#7
HungLikeJesus Only looks like a disaster tourist Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: above 7,000 feet Posts: 7,208	For that you don't need a leaf blower - you need a flame thrower. In fact, I don't think that there's any lawn task that can't be handled best with a flame thrower. __________________ Keep Your Bodies Off My Lawn SteveDallas's Random Thread Picker.

08-07-2008, 12:04 PM	#8
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	:::CBOL::: (chuckled briefly out loud) __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

08-07-2008, 11:11 AM	#2
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	Rarely seen here. Perhaps because of the running costs.

08-07-2008, 11:17 AM	#3
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	I hate leaf blowers. But I have to admit they are fast. Watching a skilled grounds keeper use a leaf blower to do in 5 minutes what would have taken me 1 hour with a rake is always impressive. It's a simple financial equation with a grounds keeping crew. Homeowners are a different story though.

08-07-2008, 11:21 AM	#4
Juniper I know, right? Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 1,539	I don't know if they all do this, but ours works like a vacuum, too. Sucks the leaves up and chops them into smaller bits, so they are compacted and can be dumped into a compost pile. Sure is great when you have a big yard and lots of trees.

08-07-2008, 01:06 PM	#9
Pooka Your Invisible Rabbit Friend Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Betwixt and Between Posts: 528	Guess I shouldn't mention that your daughter pointed at the lawnman pictured above and said rather proudly "Papa" or the the fact that there happens to be a leaf blower in your garage???? Now coming to your defense the blower is our friends ... we borrowed it with the intention of using the reverse feature for making mulch out of our massive amounts of fallen leaves... and have failed to return the device. And Morgi pretty much thinks any picture of a man should be Papa. BTW... dinner is going to be REALLY tasty... Morgi ate 3 bowls for lunch. Just a lil somethin' somethin' to look forward to after your long hard day of jacking around on the Celler... lol.

08-07-2008, 01:08 PM	#10
lookout123 changed his status to single Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Right behind you. No, the other side. Posts: 10,308	better keep your eye on the lawnboy dude. __________________ Getting knocked down is no sin, it's not getting back up that's the sin

08-07-2008, 02:12 PM	#12
barefoot serpent go ahead, abbrev. it Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Lawrence, KS Posts: 2,623	IIRC the MythBusters used one to make a hovercraft. That's why. __________________ Chooses rowing vs. wading

08-07-2008, 09:51 PM	#14
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	Just today, my lawn people came to mow my lawn, and I thought of this thread while they were blowing all the stupid crepe myrtle droppings off my back porch. But then I was distracted by the fact that the blower guy was wearing a pimp hat--seriously, a big floppy brim with bright orange and yellow and black swirls all over. Minifob banged on the window yelling, "Hat! Hat!" at him. True story. __________________ My book My other book My spirit animal

08-07-2008, 11:25 PM	#15
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	Beest and I were just discussing this yesterday on a swamp dock in LA. Hector was fishing, we were all hanging around, would have been blissfull if not for two girls trying to move some swamp weep off the road with leaf blowers. that stuff would have been shifted in 5 minutes with a rake.... thankfully, after almost an hour, they gave up for lunch... __________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

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