The recent sharp frosts have certainly had an effect on the leaves and started the Autumn fall in earnest.
And yes, they really do look beautiful fluttering down, with every conceivable shade of red and russet; but gardeners know they need to be cleared away.
Using a tined rake is hard work but leaves should not cause such a problem given the huge variety of leaf clearing equipment now available.
So below we have listed a collection of excellent pieces of machinery for blowing the leaves into piles ready for loading into a barrow and carting to the compost pile.
And remember, in two years’ time you will have a handy quantity of crumbly leaf mould, one of the best materials available for enriching flower beds and vegetable plots – and all for free.
We’ve also listed an excellent chainsaw which you may find useful at this time of year and an excellent and an inexpensive and immensely popular log splitter.
The first three of the leaf blowers are battery powered and much quieter than petrol models.
The first is the Cobra BV65-24V, inexpensive and ideal for small plots.
It has two working speeds – Turbo and Eco – so you can use the less powerful mode for blowing dry leaves to a corner and the faster speed for thicker clumps or wet leaves.
It weighs only 1.7kg and will run for 20 minutes on a two-hour charge. It is supplied with a battery pack.
The cost is just £64.99 and we deliver it free the next working day with a two-year warranty. The battery charger costs £39.99.
This next one is new and exclusive to us at MowDirect,
indeed, we helped to develop the range.
The Redback E435C Cordless Leaf-Blower is powered by either a 2Ah, 4Ah or 6Ah battery which needs to be bought separately.
This is another light and easy to use machine excellent for city gardens or others where neighbours might object to the engine noise.
These latest lithium-ion cells come from Japan and won’t lose their charge when not in use, unlike previous battery types
The blower gives a 121mph blast of air to shift most stubborn leaves and make them easier to collect.
There are four air speeds to select depending on the nature of the debris. And it weighs only 2.5kg.
As we said, the battery and charger need to be bought separately but they fit a huge range of Redback machinery including lawnmowers and hedgetrimmers and even a chainsaw.
It costs £89, £30 off the recommended price and we deliver it free the next working day with a three-year warranty.
And the final one relies on a battery for its power is from a company with a reputation for producing top quality and long lasting garden machinery, often the choice of the professionals.
The STIHL BGA 85 Cordless Leaf-Blower, and this one too excludes the battery and charger, is a Which? Best buy and gives an air current in excess of 160 km/h, enough to clear twigs and hedge clippings as well as leaves.
It weighs just 3.2k and allows the user to adjust the air flow very precisely.
It costs £235 and is delivered free within two to three days of us receiving your order.
There is a two-year warranty from Stihl.
Now on to petrol-powered blowers and the first is the MTD BV3000G Petrol Blower-Vac with Quick-Shift Lever, powered by a 25cc engine.
Changing from blowing to vac modes is dead simple – just pull a lever. And it is not necessary to change the tubes as it is on some models.
The engine is started wit a very light pull on the starter cord using the company’s easy-pull starting system which reduces the effort by 60 per cent.
This machine gives a 165km/h blast of air, enough to deal with matted leaves and twigs.
And once blown into a pile they can be sucked up and shredded to a tenth their original volume into the collection bag ready for composting. The bag holds 40 litres.
It is delivered free the next working day complete with a shoulder strap to make it easier to work for longer periods.
It costs £149, £10 off the recommended price and has a two-year warranty.
The next one is from Japan and new for 2016.
The Tanaka TRB-24EAP Hand-Held Petrol Leaf Blower is from a Japanese manufacturer with a reputation for producing really top quality and hard -working equipment.
This one gives a 76 metres-per-second blast of air and is made with commercial gardeners in mind as well as demanding homeowners.
The power is from a 24cc Pure-Fire engine, low on emissions and fuel consumption while producing 1.3 hp.
It weighs 3.9kg and is a very well-balanced machine so it can be used for long periods without undue fatigue.
The maker’s costs is £249 but we are selling it for £189.
Deliver is free the next working day and there is a five year warranty.
The next one is exclusive to us at MowDirect and on special offer.
The Oleo-Mac BV270 Pro Leaf-Blower with Free Vac-Kit (Exclusive Special Offer) is built with commercial gardeners and owners of larger properties in mind and is powered by a 30.5cc engine.
It gives a 234km/h air blast and yet is a comparatively quiet machine which shouldn’t annoy the neighbours.
With such a strong blast of air it can shift twigs and pine and all the other garden debris which you see at this time of year and yet has low vibration levels making it comfortable to use.
When in vac mode and used with a special nozzle, it has four steel impellers to shred the debris into a 36-litre collection bag.
This machine costs £219.95, £80 off the recommended price. Delivered free the next working day it has a five-year warranty. The vac kit is free.
Back to Tanaka for the THB-260PF Commercial-Grade Handheld Petrol Blower Vac, a machine designed for commercial use on large estates and parkland.
This has a 23.9cc PureFire engine with low emissions and fuel consumption and is designed for a long working life.
It weighs 4.1kg and has an extra handle for two-handed use which makes it easier to use over longer periods and lets you get into difficult areas.
It comes with a free shredder-vac with a steel impeller so the rubbish can be shredded into a 56 litre collector.
It weighs only 4.2kg, making it a very light machine for something so powerful and versatile.
It costs £268, a full £100 off the recommended price and has a five year warranty, two years for commercial use.
The vac shredder kit is free.
Now three backpack leaf blowers, a design often chosen by professional gardeners and local authorities for clearing large areas.
And first, let’s have a look at the Cobra BP43C Backpack Blower.
This has a 43cc engine and gives a powerful air blast enough to shift heavy falls of wet leaves. It is fitted with cruise control and the blower tube has a handle to make it easy to direct.
It comes with a padded backpack frame making it more comfortable to use for longer periods.
This machine costs £164.99, £20 off the recommended price and is delivered free the next working with a two-year warranty.
This one is made with professionals in mind who have to clear large areas of parkland and gardens.
The Stihl BR350 Backpack Leaf-Blower has a 63.3cc engine which has been designed to start easily and be mean on fuel.
It is especially comfortable to use for long periods as it has a well-padded carrying frame and extensive vibration damping.
The range of accessories which can be bought include a chest belt, straight round nozzle, padded hip belt and a bike-style handle for accurate blowing.
It costs £360 compared with the recommended price of £399 and is delivered free within two to three working days with a two-year warranty.
And the third such machine is the Oleo-Mac BV162 Backpack Leaf-Blower.
Exclusive to us it is an Italian-manufactured machine with a 61.2cc Emak engine developing 4.5hp.
Intended for large areas it is remarkably quiet when running for such a powerful machine which gives a 201mph air stream, enough to shift really stubborn rubbish.
It has a lightweight frame and is comfortable to use for longer periods.
It is priced at £499, £100 less than the recommended price and has a five year warranty with free next working day delivery.
And with the evenings getting cooler, here are a couple of machines which could well keep you warm this winter.
First, the Einhell Petrol Chainsaw with Free Starter Kit, exclusive to us and on special offer.
A 41cc engine provides the power turning the saw blade at 21m/sec and is easy to fire up even when it’s cold, and is ideal for felling small trees and cutting wood for the fire.
The saw weighs 4.5kg and has a vibration damping system to make it comfortable to use.
It has an inertia chain brake and a chain catcher, should the chain become derailed, as safety features and a claw grip helps hold the logs being cut.
With this saw is a free safety helmet with visor and ear defenders, sturdy work gloves, fuel mixing bottle and a spare chain.
It is £60 off the recommended price at £139.95, has a two-year warranty and is delivered free the next working day.
And once you’d cut the branches or trunk into handy-sized pieces this best-selling machine will finish the job.
The MD 4-Ton Electric Horizontal Log-Splitter is simple and safe to use and quickly converts thicker logs into handy sized fire wood.
It transfers four tons of hydraulic pressure produced by a 1500W motor to a ram which forces the wood against a splitting wedge and can deal with logs 35cm long and 25cm in diameter.
It is safe to use as both hands are needed to operate it keeping them away from the splitting mechanism.
It can be easily moved around as it has transport wheels and a handle with a rubber grip.
It costs £179.95, £70 off the maker’s recommended price and is delivered free the next working day with a two year warranty.
You can also buy a 4-way splitting wedge for another £20 if you want smaller firewood.
So you see leaves need not be the nuisance they once were as they are easy to clear up with the modern equipment available.
There is a massive selection of equipment on our site to do the job. And if you would like our advice, please give us a ring on 020 3026 8712, we’re help to help.
