Air Force 101: Blower Update

Community regulations challenge efficient service. Considerate operation rivals common sense, and there is reluctance to trade wind speed for softer sound. Add to these tumbling currents the value of an effective product, safe operation, and above all, courtesy, and contractors have quite a bit to consider before pulling the start cord.

To calm these contentions, the market has developed new, noise-friendly blowers, models to match many applications and a sharpened awareness for safety and training.

PRODUCT PRIORITIES. Kurt Pitzer doesn’t look at price tags. He doesn’t worry about noise, and he won’t mess with hand-held blowers. His Edmond, Okla.-based company, Pitzer’s Lawn Management, keeps 23 backpack blowers on its trucks, all of which fit his two key purchase qualifications. "I look for a lot of air volume and wind speed – both of these factors combined," he identified. "Like torque and horsepower on an engine, you need both – not just one or the other."

Pitzer, like many contractors, likes power. Herein lies another contradiction – a discrepancy in trends as contractors demand power and measure wind speed with noise, but still recognize the need for quiet. All this is sparking innovations in manufacturers’ equipment lines.

"There is a trend in the marketplace for bigger models that have more power – that seems to be what people want," noted Tom Dibble, supervisor of technical service, Kawasaki, Grand Rapids, Mich. "The bigger the machine, the noisier it will be, though there are models coming out that have a low-noise designation.

"People tend to equate power with noise," he continued. "There’s not always a direct correlation there."

Noise isn’t an issue in Pitzer’s neighborhood, and he knows power leads to productivity – so he shops accordingly, not forgetting quality, he reminded. Efficient blowers decrease labor needs, lessen operator fatigue, and eventually buffer the company’s bottom line, he added. This is why the first consideration he pushes to the wayside is price. "If it costs more and it will deliver more, it is worth the investment," he said.

Operator comfort also ranks high for Joe Hamper, president, Erieshore Landscape Contractors, Eastlake, Ohio. Long hours mixed with environmental conditions can wear out workers, he noted. "We make sure that our backpack blowers fit comfortably on the back and aren’t too heavy," he said, remembering the weight burden of his older "dinosaur" blowers.

Maintenance, serviceability and parts availability also top contractors’ wish lists. A dependable dealer will provide reliable service and stock parts to make quick repairs, Hamper said.

"If a blower is down, it can cost hundreds of dollars, so maintenance is critical," added Tom Waltz, president, Harvest Landscape Services, Fort Worth, Texas. Warranties are important, but they don’t take precedence over interchangeable parts some equipment lines offer, he said. Availability allows for convenience.

MODEL MATCH. Before purchasing a blower, contractors must decide which model best suits their needs. "This depends on the debris pile they are blowing, and there are different applications based on the volume of air they need and how they want to control it," said Robin Pendergrast, spokesman for Echo, Lake Zurich, Ill.

"It is easier to work on a slope with a backpack blower, but some prefer a hand-held blower," he continued, noting that various circumstances call for different blowers.

Dibble suggested first evaluating the budget and the job’s specifications before choosing which type of blower delivers maximum efficiency and profit. "As you move from a hand-held to a walk-behind or from a hand-held to a backpack blower, what you’re gaining is more power and more blowing ability, and what you’re losing is portability," he said.

Though price shouldn’t drive a purchase, it might influence blower choices, Dibble added. Two hand-held blowers might offer a less-expensive alternative to a larger machine, but operating extra equipment could cost companies extra labor dollars, he warned. "Check your application," Dibble stressed. "If you’re trying to blow the leaves off a lawn with a hand-held blower, you’re probably taking twice as long as you would with a backpack or walk-behind blower."

Hamper juggles all three blower options, tailoring the equipment to seasonal and terrain conditions. Walk-behind blowers handle jobs that are larger than 1 acre, depending on the surface, Hamper noted. When land is wet or on a slope, he favors backpack blowers. In the spring, he retires the walk-behind blowers and uses only backpack blowers to clear leaves out of beds, and to alleviate workers from long hours on their feet in the fall, walk-behind blowers manage large cleanups.

Pitzer, on the other hand, is loyal to his backpack blowers, using them for routine maintenance such as clearing off clippings and trimmings, he said. "Even if you’re going to work for 10 minutes, I’d rather take the 20 or 30 seconds to put the backpack blower on than walk around with a hand-held blower," he remarked. "With hand-held blowers, you’re off balance when you’re blowing because you have all the air power on one side. You can’t use the same amount of power as with a backpack blower, so it takes you longer and you’re much more tired at the end of the day."

However, the versatility of hand-held blowers appeals to many contractors, and most companies stock this travel-size tool.

BLOWER BUZZ. Today, more municipalities are pressuring contractors to tone down blower use, Pendergrast pointed out. Communities want quiet.

"You may not have a problem now, but I guarantee you might in the future," he said.

This wave of noise reduction ordinances enforces the 65-dBA requirement set by the American National Standards Institute and emissions specifications outlined by the California Air Resources Board. Time limitations bar contractors from operating blowers during certain morning, evening and weekend hours, and police issue tickets to violators in some controlled communities.

Even contractors not bound by legislative limitations need to consider possible ramifications, Pendergrast stressed.

"They should look for quiet leaf blowers, and they need to look for clean blowers," he listed. "They need to understand the responsibility that’s required with using all lawn and garden equipment."

As noise negotiations continue in some parts of the country, such as California, Arizona, and most recently, the Boston area, manufacturers will begin to tailor equipment to meet these restrictions, Dibble added.

"Manufacturers are wise to look toward making machines quieter with less emissions," he commented. "Those are trends that are not going to go away."

Still, Pendergrast hopes pending regulations will open eyes during product purchases. Anymore, there is not a market for manufacturers that don’t regard noise limitations, he said.

POLITE POWER. Keeping it quiet might please clients, but other courteous blower behavior also earns points with customers. When contractors blow debris into streets or driveways, allow clippings to fly into cars or rev up equipment near open windows, homeowners have reason to complain, Pitzer said.

"Courtesy and practicality is the key," he stressed. "Anytime we have a mess, we clean it up," he said, adding that employees work around obstructions like animals and parked cars. "We don’t blow debris into storm drains or blow clippings across the street."

Pitzer notifies apartment complex property managers if debris is accidentally shot into an open window of a parked car, and he has even taken a customer’s dog to the groomer to clean off its clipping-covered coat. "And, as with any piece of equipment, when we come in contact with a pedestrian, we stop," he added.

These gestures center on putting people first, but contractors should also put products first by practicing safety and maintenance measures. Customers and equipment deserve equal respect, Pendergrast noted. "A common mishap is people throwing blowers around on their truck, and then they get a gas leak or [the blowers] don’t start or they don’t run efficiently," he said. "There is a tendency to not do the repair work."

Many machines are not tuned up or in top condition, Dibble said, noting that often engine shrouding is broken so operators are not protected from the muffler. "I’ve seen a number of people with burns on their arms from touching mufflers. If it can be easily repaired, that’s what you need to do, and it needs to be maintained on a regular basis."

Hamper added that wearing eye and ear protection at all times is essential, warning against wearing loose-fitting clothes, which can be swept up into the air current and cause internal damage to blower fans. When fueling his equipment, he carefully pours the gas to avoid overfilling or spilling, and catches drips under the machine with a piece of cardboard. In addition, Dibble suggested changing air filters on a regular basis to keep the engine clean.

Most of these practices are common sense, Dibble added. However, considering customers and fine-tuning safety might deter pending blower limitations. "Even if there aren’t regulations, if you use common sense, you might prevent some unnecessarily strict regulations from coming your way in the future," he said.