The problem with blowers is they're just that -- blowers. They don't pick anything up, just blow them elsewhere or into a pile. So then you still have to pick them up if you want to dispose of them.

If you only have a small amount of leaves and just want to blow things off, you might want to look at EGO tools. I don't have their blower, but I do have a few of their other cordless power tools and I think they're great, and they're not ridiciously heavy. I bought them for myself, and my primary criteria other than it functions well at its intended job, is that it not be too heavy so that I can't use it or easily maneuver it.

If you want something that will also pick up, I'm not sure what to recommend. I'm pretty sure they make leaf vacuums, maybe do a 'net search and see what comes up.

I see EGO makes one, but here again I have no experience with it; here's a link: LV5000E 3 IN 1 LEAF VACUUM - Ego Power+

ETA: I got my EGO tools at the local Lowe's, so if you have a Lowe's near you that's the place to go to check out this line.

We use a cordless blower to blow leaves off of our patio and walkway. A shop vacuum doesn't have a liner, or at least not in ones I've owned and there's no liquid after vacuuming dry leaves. Even the largest shop vacuum would fill up with leaves quickly, and need to be emptied frequently. I suppose a shop vacuum would work if you have small areas to clean up and not many leaves.

We’ve tried different leaf vaccums, in my experience they are okay but not great - but we do gave a huge sycamore that drops enormous leaves and the vaccums tent to struggle with them -

I mulch my leaves with a mower first (def wear eye protection) by mowing over them with no bag, then go back over it with a bag - for our patio, I blow them on to the grass first then mulch/mow - mulching also helps them take up less space if you do yard bags, can also be great natural addditive for planting areas depending on goals

We’ve actually moved to a model of blowing the leaves onto the garden to create cover during winter. By spring they are all gone. We do still need to round up some as our yard is big and full of leaves but it has reduced pick up a lot. We also recently connected with an amazing gardener who does clean ups and is super efficient, I suspect we engage their help this year and just get it done well.

It depends on your budget. I have this one.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0921Q62XJ?tag=brg_ana_bing_paid-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&SubscriptionId=AKIAJO7E5OLQ67NVPFZA&ascsubtag=1760894039526-2-t1760894039529h4cj

It also depends on where you live and what surrounds your driveway and car port. I blow excluseively all leaves all twigs it all just goes away. We chose Dewalt to go all in on. It's the batteries that get spendy and you can use them interchangeably if you stick to one brand. My back patio gets blown off into the grass or planting beds at least once a week. This time of year maybe once per hour!! hahaha The grass leaves I use the lawn tractor with the blades as high as they go it all gets blown into my garden beds. Next spring I blow the garden beds into the woods. Sweeping and raking is for amateurs!! hahahahah

When I had a house, I learned that a rake and broom are less taxing on my body than holding any kind of mechanical blowing contraption.

"I learned that a rake and broom are less taxing on my body than holding any kind of mechanical blowing contraption."

It can be, depending on what you have to do. I have an attached garage vac but I usually sweep out the garage rather than using the vac because I find it faster and easier on my wrists than finagling the long hose and floor attachment. The vac is terrific for vacuuming out the car, though. I usually sweep my large back deck too, I just flick all the debris out onto the beds below, it all eventually decomposes there and isn't noticeable at all. I have too much property to rake, so DH goes over the leaves with the lawn tractor, has at attachment that collects them. The cordless hedge trimmers make cutting down big perennial effortless, way way less toll on my wrists and body than any manual tool, but for just a few cuts here and there I use the pruners. So really it just depends.

I can completely understand where Jennifer is coming from -- simple, effortless chores do become more of an effort as one ages, more so if there are health issues, I find that is happening to me as age is starting to creep up on me and because of it I am investing in more and more power tools that I can use to get chores done. They are tools I choose for ME, not DH -- he's welcome to use them, but I buy them based on my needs and what I can handle, not what he wants. I will say, though, he's completely onboard with this new generation of cordless electric tools. They have really come a long way. You KNOW they have to be good when a *guy* raves about his electric chainsaw and says he never wants to go back to a gas one. LOL!

we had the outfit Lyn shows . my dh was able to use it but I couldn’t due to my height. At 5’2” even though I am very strong its extremely awkward to use. It is also incredibly loud. The whole assembly is tedious to assemble then empty the bag … repeat over and over. Also because of my height the bag got heavier and drug on the ground thus wearing holes in it.

I am 75 and use a broom and rake and dustpan and garbage can . No blowers they are horrible sound wise . Just MHO. c

"No blowers they are horrible sound wise"

I can't comment specifically on the blowers, but I can tell you that the electric tools I have are relatively quiet -- not completely noise-free, but nowhere near the loudness of gas-powered tools.

Most leafblowers have a vacuum function. The advantage is that they chop up the leaves. A shop vac might find many leaves too big and get stuck. I have a dedicated leaf vacuum that looks like a lawn mower. It doesn't work well for compound butternut leaves, because they have long stems that hold the compound leaves. It's fine for the rest of the stuff, but we worry about stray bits of gravel.

Most leaf vacs/blowers assume the leaves are dry. They have bags that you unzip to empty the leaves. You may find a leaf blower makes it easier to pile up the leaves and to shove them in a leaf bag. If you have a spot in your garden where the leaves can decompose, then a blower works very well.

I use my blower and blow them all out onto the drive way, and then across the road, into a field.

"I have a dedicated leaf vacuum that looks like a lawn mower."

What brand/model do you have? That might be something I can use for smaller areas if DH is behind on the mowing/leaf shredding.

@porkchop_z5b_MI yes I have the Ego tools. Chain saw , hedge trimmer and string trimmer. They are fine as far as noise level considering how short a time they are used. leaf blowers even the smallest handheld rechargable ones make me crazy! It is the pitch and the compulsive use that seems to accompany them …. get every last leaf! 😳👎

I have someone who mows my lawn and will sweep the lawn in the fall. He comes once a week, but he doesn't do anything but the lawn - no gardening, no sweeping. (He doesn't charge me anything to mow, says he enjoys mowing and riding the tractor. He just got one knee replaced and has to get the other one done when this one heals, so I can't ask him to do more.)

I own blowers, but if I blow the leaves out into the yard the wind will blow them back onto the patio in an hour.

Carrying the blower vac around gets old fast - it is bulky and unhandy.

Because my house is L shaped it seems like most of the leaves gather on the patio right in front of the sliding glass door that my dogs go in and out of, so they drag the leaves into the house. In the carport they blow to the back wall and in front of the door that leads into the garage.

This is why I was looking for something I could run like I run my indoor vacuum cleaner. Spot clean the edges where dog hair gathers every day and then do the full house every weekend.

It isn't a lot of leaves, but enough that I can't ignore them.

I guess for the moment the easy answer is to just sweep them up once a day until the leaves stop falling.

I did find this vacuum, but the reviews were less than 4 star - right idea, but I will wait for someone to make it better.

https://www.amazon.com/GreenSweep-Vacuum-Mulcher-Artificial-Driveways/dp/B0DBZLQK2Y

I use a battery powered leaf blower and just blow it back onto the lawn. The leaves get picked up when we mow. Works great.

"It is the pitch and the compulsive use that seems to accompany them …. get every last leaf!"

Oh, yea...the compulsive use....

I can not comment on this for fear of losing my mind. I have a sister OBSESSED.. She will don a parka over pajamas to exit in November or December as the last leaf falls from the pear. The tree whose leaves cling until the xmas lights are on. She MUST REMOVE the single leaf, marring the front lawn. There can exist, not one.

I just got an Excedrin five alarm headache thinking about her neuroses.!!

I use the DeWalt blower , no attachment, to get these weeny little leaves out of the garage, where they will annoy the hell out of me if in the car.

Bottom line? The fall season is both gorgeous, and a just damn UGLY: ) pain in the patootie.

A leaf blower with the ablity to be turned to vacuum and shred the leaves so thay take up little room in a bag .
One brand is Workx

That is the style we had @Patricia Colwell Consulting. Sounds like it would be ideal but trust me it isn’t. It is cumbersome, loud and gets clogged anyway . It is a calorie burner muscle builder tolerance builder. 🙏

I have a convertible blower vac - corded so it is lighter than a battery model. I blow or rake my leaves into a pile then I lay the vac on the ground next to the pile and just rake into it. So much easier than trying to hold it and the bag. The bag on mine fits conveniently into a paper lawn/leaf bag for easy removal.

good luck!

Jan Moyer, your sister must be related to my oldest son. He is obsessed with leaves too.

I ahve had mine for years and about 40 trees on my property too It is a tad heavy when filled with leaves so needs to be emptied for sure . The bonus I dump the shredded leaves on my veggie garden and rortill in to add good compost without the pile NOT 490

I had a vacuum leaf mulcher, but it was electric and was a pain to use. I have hand arthritis and it was awkward to many.

As I look out on a yard full of New England leaves YET AGAIN......

About every 2-3 days proposition this time of year to manage.

I use a blower (Milwaukee battery or green electric one don't remember the name) and blow around the landscape beds out onto the lawn. Hubby uses the John Deere riding mower to then blow them out towards the tree lines around the property - no mulching, no picking up, just does circles to constantly blow towards the trees.

Not perfection but keeps things neater looking.

Our landscaping beds around the house are all stone, not mulched, so I'm not interested in using leaves in the beds for the winter.