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LEAF BLOWER 

 

 A Training Manual in the Proper Use of Leaf Blowers 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 

Echo, Inc. 
400 Oakwood Road 
Lake Zurich, IL 60047 
August 30, 2006 

 

By: Larry Will 

 

Summary of Contents for LEAF BLOWER

Page 1: ...LEAF BLOWER A Training Manual in the Proper Use of Leaf Blowers Echo Inc 400 Oakwood Road Lake Zurich IL 60047 August 30 2006 By Larry Will ...

Page 2: ... blower ordinances 6 Leaf blower improvements 7 Guidelines for proper leaf blower use 8 Guideline 1 Be considerate 9 Guideline 2 Observe noise ordinances 10 Guideline 3 Run at part throttle 10 Guideline 4 Use only one blower at a time 10 Guideline 5 Minimize dust 11 Guideline 6 Never deliberately blow dust 12 Guideline 7 Replace your old leaf blower 12 Summary 12 ...

Page 3: ...ure the sound early morning or late in the evening is often mentioned as being a problem Some hate the way the engine is throttled up and down repeatedly Maybe it is the proximity to a bystander and the rapid movement of air that irritates It could even be what it does to a pet that pushes people to the limit of their tolerance making dogs bark for example There is something to be said about the t...

Page 4: ...er sidewalk of a downtown park with a broom took 80 minutes where it took only 6 minutes to clean with a blower The leaf blower has become indispensable Clearly it is not just a leaf blower It is an all purpose outdoor clean up tool Note A leaf blower is NOT intended for use on gravel driveways dry dirt or other potentially dusty surfaces How serious is the leaf blower problem In recent years ther...

Page 5: ...ound the country that are strongly opposed to the existence of the leaf blower Their greatest influence has been in California but because these groups use the Internet and influence columnists there is talk about banning blowers all over the country Even in foreign countries such as in Germany and Australia leaf blowers have become a notable issue These activities should serve as a wakeup call If...

Page 6: ...ve been many efforts to place a black cloud over leaf blowers Supporters of this view are truly disturbed by the seemingly loud mostly irritating sounds generated by blowers and they feel compelled to do something about it In their zeal they are using every argument possible to paint the blower as an evil and unnecessary landscaping tool Often they find someone that said something unflattering abo...

Page 7: ...op and look at the product at any time convenient to them in order to catch violators No need to wait for a complaint No need to rush across town to catch a violator in the act Leaf blower improvements Echo Incorporated has taken the lead in the industry and has not been sitting by idly while anti blower advocates complain about blower noise Engineers met with these activists to understand the pro...

Page 8: ... problem after improving leaf blower design is operator education People must be made aware of the issues and become sensitive to the bystander s complaint Once trained the conscientious operator should help others to understand how to avoid generating complaints The trained operator can even help in the organization of additional training programs within their own company and community If at the ...

Page 9: ...blow material at automobiles or on neighbor s lawns and driveways This could start retaliatory action They may blow it back with interest atch out for open windows and doors Pointing the blower t eep in mind that it is not only the neighbor and passerby that deserves consideration If he best practice is to be aware of who is around you at all times and know where the W nozzle at or toward an open ...

Page 10: ...rs only at the revolutions per minute RPM needed Only run the blower at throttle settings necessary to do the job Rarely does a large backpack blower have to run at full throttle in a residential area The faster the engine runs the louder it will be and the more irritating the whine will be older blowers Guideline 4 Avoid using more than one blower at a time Two blowers will probably do the job in...

Page 11: ... and then lower it to where it picks up the debris but not the dust You may think that dust is very light and easily lifted into the air In reality it is very heavy per unit volume A good example is cement dust One cubic yard of concrete is 1000 pounds heavier than one cubic yard of sand yet because the particles of cement are very fine a leaf blower can lift them if enough air movement is applied...

Page 12: ...ven using a hand broom is incorrect for this job Sometimes only a garden hose water will do the job courteously and safely Guideline 7 Replace your old leaf blower with a new low noise blower There have been many changes in the design of leaf blowers resulting in a much quieter and less irritating product See your local Echo dealer for the finest products available and do your part to eliminate th...

Page 13: ... Leaf Blower Complaints Echo Incorporated 400 Oakwood Road Lake Zurich IL 60047 1564 1 847 540 8400 No part of this publication may be reproduced for any reason other than personal and private use by any means without written permission from Echo Incorporated 2006 Echo Inc All rights reserved ...

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