I’m writing in response to the recent column regarding the proposed gas leaf blower ban [“The slippery slope of a ban on gas leaf blowers” [Recorder, Aug. 18].
A quick Google search led me to a free May 2023 article by Consumer Reports online, “Gas vs. Electric Leaf Blower: Which Is Better?”at https://tinyurl.com/mvt5rxwj.
In it I read that Consumer Reports rates electric blowers better overall, after comparing capabilities such as sweeping, loosening, vacuuming and handling.
The author of the Aug. 18 column shares that his 4-acre yard takes 2-3 hours to clear with a gas blower. Consumer Reports says electric blowers run up to 94 minutes without a charge, so he’d have to take a break in the middle to charge the batteries, estimated to take between 5 and 48 minutes.
To me, that seems like a reasonable price to pay for a little more peace and quiet in our neighborhoods on autumn weekends.
Chris Marstall
Greenfield