© Black and Decker ZeroOver the years, I have used many different tools and techniques to shovel leaves in my garden. Since I was a kid, my parents made me work, even now when I have to clean up my yard, I've tried many tools and gadgets to see what makes the annual task easier. Here is a summary of everything I use to shred sheets, along with their pros and cons.
Whatever you use, I recommend buying some of the best gardening gloves to protect your hands from wear and tear.
For more gardening tips and tricks, check out our guide on how to easily rip leaves, how to use a leaf blower, and five ways to use fallen leaves in your garden.
shovel
professional:
Cheaper optionjust chill
Opposes:
Cleaning takes longerAh, a humble person. I've spent hours using plastic, metal, and bamboo rakes to pile the papers before taking them to the curb for pick up from our town. Scratching has a meditative quality, but dragging a rag full of leaves around the yard is painful, especially if you have a large lawn. But a shovel is the cheapest and quietest option for collecting leaves. A 65-inch metal rake from Fiskars ($45, Amazon) seems like a great budget option.
blower/leaf crusher
Pros :
Light but strong
leaf mulch
Cons :
sticks can be grabbed
Switching from a blower to a vacuum cleaner is a bit tricky
Nothing says autumn like the sweet tones of a leaf blower howling in the suburbs. Personally, I've found portable leaf blowers to be more efficient than vacuum cleaners, but they are useful for removing leaves in hard-to-reach areas. What I love about the Black & Decker Leaf Blower, $73 on Amazon, is that you can turn it into a vacuum cleaner/shredder.
As a big maid of space balls, she can jump from bullet to bullet and shred leaves and sticks in sacks. If you have your own compost pile, that's great. The only complaint is the difficulty in changing the part from the leaf blower to the vacuum cleaner, and the wand can sometimes get stuck in the hose and obstruct the air flow. These electric models also need to be plugged in, so you'll need an extension cord, although there are battery-powered options.
gas cleaner
Pros :
Silence is a word
Easily collect papers
Cons :
The mulch does not leave
We had them when I was a kid and it was a game changer - cutting page cleanup time in half. The tool basically has four sets of plastic bristles that rotate as you push the tool around the page. Leaves are collected in a large bowl. Since the person pushing the broom provides all the power, it's as quiet as using a shovel, so don't tag your neighbors. The only drawback is that the sheets are not covered, so you have to get rid of them yourself. If you are looking for an effective human-assisted method of collecting leaves, a garden broom may be your best bet.
lawn vacuum cleaner
Pros :
Clean everything at once
It also works as a small twig cutter
Cons :
circular
expensive
A couple of years ago my brother-in-law gave me a craftsman's broom and he cut the leaves very easily. Instead of collecting the leaves in a heap, I just dump the grass - like a lawn mower - and suck everything in my way, brushing and bagging the leaves. It is so strong that thanks to a large oak tree, it can also collect acorns that cover my yard. It also has an opening where you can remove small twigs that will break.
However, it is a gas powered unit so it is the most noisy method I have ever used. And at $800, it's also the most expensive. Unless my generous brother-in-law gets rid of it, I doubt I'll buy it myself.
