Gas blowers in Virginia under fire ..

[lilspenny]

More subsidies, wonderful solution...not

Lol... Oh my goodness that is so true and funnier than a one legged drunk trying to kick a barrel up a hill.

 

[Sloughfoot]

War on Christmas season is over. Back to war on leaf blowers.

 

[59billy]

It’s ignorant politicians and the environmental lobbyists causing problems.

Wait... are you telling me that the unquantifiable environmental damage caused by internal combustion engines isn't worse than the unquantifiable environmental damage caused by producing lithium batteries?

 

[MtnHaul]

More subsidies, wonderful solution...not

We already subsidize wealthy companies--why not help the little guys?

Edit: I would prefer no subsidies but in an increasingly expensive world something has to give. I would prefer that things were affordable but that change doesn't appear to be anywhere on the horizon. We've been subsidizing oil companies for the better part of a century yet most of us still pay more for our fuel than we would like.

 

[lilspenny]

Oh

Wait... are you telling me that the unquantifiable environmental damage caused by internal combustion engines isn't worse than the unquantifiable environmental damage caused by producing lithium batteries?

Oh... Not to mention 5 yr olds mining cobalt in The People's Republic of the Congo.

 

[MtnHaul]

Oh
Oh... Not to mention 5 yr olds mining cobalt in The People's Republic of the Congo.

And the complex networks used by the world's big tech companies to hide the origins of their raw materials.

 

[Sloughfoot]

Probably best if we all just go back to using rakes and brooms.

 

[lilspenny]

Only if the handles are organic wood.

 

[fredx]

I thank God every day for letting me live in the great state of Alabama.

It will get there eventually also

 

[lilspenny]

It will get there eventually also

We have our share of idiots, but they are the oddballs.

 

[MtnHaul]

Probably best if we all just go back to using rakes and brooms.

There is ONE landscaper in town who makes a point of only using rakes and brooms--his truck has a bumper sticker that reads "Blowers suck!" But ultimately it all comes down to what the customer wants. One of my customers asked me not to use the blower at all and were not put off when I explained I would have less time for other tasks if I was using a rake and/or broom. If customers are okay paying the same amount to get less done then I have no reason to complain, and rakes/brooms are a lot cheaper than any blower.

 

[59billy]

Who's the best guy to send a rake to for mods?

 

[sawmikaze]

It’s ignorant politicians and the environmental lobbyists causing problems.

Marxist Lesbians do a number on the world, don't they...

 

[lilspenny]

There is ONE landscaper in town who makes a point of only using rakes and brooms--his truck has a bumper sticker that reads "Blowers suck!" But ultimately it all comes down to what the customer wants. One of my customers asked me not to use the blower at all and were not put off when I explained I would have less time for other tasks if I was using a rake and/or broom. If customers are okay paying the same amount to get less done then I have no reason to complain, and rakes/brooms are a lot cheaper than any blower.

My view on that is this... It's too easy to get new customers to get trapped in situations that require more physical labor than is necessary to get the same results. I had this customer once who was from another country that didn't want me to spray her weeds. She said "must grab.. pull up root". Uhhh.. No.

 

[MtnHaul]

Who's the best guy to send a rake to for mods?

If you shave down the upper portion of the tines it decreases wind resistance and an aftermarket articulated handle improves the torque curve.

 

[MtnHaul]

My view on that is this... It's too easy to get new customers to get trapped in situations that require more physical labor than is necessary to get the same results. I had this customer once who was from another country that didn't want me to spray her weeds. She said "must grab.. pull up root". Uhhh.. No.

Yeah I kind of know what you mean. I have a customer who really dislikes the dandelions that have spread like crazy in her front yard that isn't a lawn or anything other than a patch of weeds. She asked if I would spend at least an hour per visit pulling them by hand and I have to admit I felt a little insulted or something close to it. I'm not getting any younger and regardless of pay I'm not interested in spending a bunch of time pointlessly pulling weeds that will return in short order. We sort of compromised with a combo of weedwhacking and vinegar spray. She pays for the 33% vinegar and I don't mind spraying it, although it always makes me crave fish 'n' chips. I know some people will sneer at the vinegar option but I've had great success using it around 15% strength as long as the weeds are relatively young. If the customer pays appropriately it doesn't bother me to spray vinegar instead of RoundUp--spraying is easy work.
I guess my attitude is that if an unpleasant situation is unavoidable I can either drop the client or try to create a workable compromise. All my clients have been with me for between 4 and 10 years so they do become more like friends after a while and I don't want to take a hard line or just up and quit unless really necessary. I've dropped a couple clients but that was within the first month or two and I could see where things were heading.

 

[Sloughfoot]

I'm very anti Roundup. Ranger Pro and Relegate ftw. I put that chit on everything.

 

[MtnHaul]

I'm very anti Roundup. Ranger Pro and Relegate ftw. I put that chit on everything.

I agree it's nasty stuff but there are a handful of circumstances where I reach for the nuclear option. Acanthus is incredibly difficult to get rid of and even RoundUp sometimes struggles to get the job done. 15% vinegar works very well on smaller non-woody weeds, and if the weather is warm and dry it works even better. I use the vinegar solution around the house because of our dogs and all the wildlife that comes through and it knocks down all the crap that grows between our flagstone pathways. I know some ranchers who use a ton of vinegar for weed control in certain areas.

 

[Sloughfoot]

I agree it's nasty stuff but there are a handful of circumstances where I reach for the nuclear option. Acanthus is incredibly difficult to get rid of and even RoundUp sometimes struggles to get the job done. 15% vinegar works very well on smaller non-woody weeds, and if the weather is warm and dry it works even better. I use the vinegar solution around the house because of our dogs and all the wildlife that comes through and it knocks down all the crap that grows between our flagstone pathways. I know some ranchers who use a ton of vinegar for weed control in certain areas.

I'm anti Roundup for other reasons. Just hasn't been effective. Blackberries are my nemesis. The old growth dense forest of it we had laughed at Roundup and a few other big box brands, regardless the concentration. Relegate for woody plants and Ranger Pro for everything else.

 

[lilspenny]

I'm very anti Roundup. Ranger Pro and Relegate ftw. I put that chit on everything.

I don't like Round-up or insecticides. That being said there is a time and place for those but sparingly. Too much can go wrong.