NO ENGINES
Mark Cullen uses an oldfashioned rake to quietly get the job done. No engines for him.
I have a beef with two-cycle garden-power equipment, especially leaf blowers and weedwhackers. In my opinion, the noise levels and exhaust fumes of these powerful machines is excessive for the job that they do. Their use in the densely populated urban environment is inexcusable and unsustainable.
You will notice that the professionals who use these machines generally wear hearing protection. But what about the passersby? Or the person trying to read the paper on their front porch while the blower/ whacker user strolls by, head down, dust and debris sent skyhigh.
Many people reading this will agree with me and others have moved on already and don’t really care. So what?
I am prepared to take a compromise position on this subject. Not that I have changed, but technology has.
We now have reasonable and practical alternatives to the 2-cycle gas power engine.
Lithium Ion. New rechargeable batteries are changing the way that we maintain our gardens. A few years ago, when rechargeable batteries were first introduced, they had a reputation for not holding a charge for very long. Through the miracle of modern science and innovation we can finally turn down the volume and get the job done without making the whole neighbourhood go indoors. Lithium Ion batteries last longer and can be recharged many more times than the batteries of just a few years ago.
More power. You can now buy a chain saw that is driven by a lithium ion rechargeable battery. I don’t own one but I might some day. I am told that they work quite well, though not for the seasoned forestry professional. That they exist and are rated quite highly tells me that we are moving in the right direction. Note that a battery alone does not determine the power of the machine, but the design of the machine itself. 18 volts is 18 volts regardless of what kind of battery it is delivered from.
Less energy needed. A lithium ion rechargeable battery costs a few nickels to recharge and will hold many more charges than the previous generation of rechargeables. There is no oil to mix with gas and fewer moving parts. Maintenance is less costly.
Durable and recyclable. Rechargeable batteries are recyclable, but don’t put them in your blue box. Look for a recycling facility in your neighbourhood that handles them. When they are ‘done’ you can replace them.
I am not so naïve to think that garden power equipment is going away any time soon. Which is why I am taking this compromise position on the issue. If you promise to replace your whiney 2-cycle machines with new, cleaner, quieter technology, I promise to stop belly aching.
We cannot talk about replacing the noisiest culprits in the neighbourhood without also talking about the quiet ones. I don’t own a leaf blower but I own several rakes. And my ‘garden’ is 10 acres. Chances are, I spend marginally more time raking up leaves and dumping them in the compost come fall, than I would if I used a 2-cycle machine. But the point is, when I do it, I don’t drive everyone in the house and neighbourhood mad. Besides, I enjoy the experience of raking.
Mark Cullen is lawn & garden expert for Home Hardware, member of the Order of Canada, author and broadcaster. Get his free monthly newsletter at markcullen. com. Look for his new best seller, ‘The New Canadian Garden’ published by Dundurn Press. Follow him on Twitter @ MarkCullen4 and Facebook.