blowing

[grassyfras]

I was wandering if you guys have any technicues when blowing sidewalks, driveways, streets and mulchbeds. I am using a handheld blower if that helps. Do you ever pick up the grass clipings frome sidewalks. What do you do when the grass sticks to the sidewalks.

thanks,
grassyfras

[jeffyr]

The backpacks are more powerfull than the hand helds, so the grass has to be pulverized onto the concrete for the blower to fail. but if it does, grab a broom. Nothin like elbow grease !

Good Luck developing your own style of concrete waste management.

jeffyr

[bob]

I would suggest trying a backpack blower. It will blow wet grass off a driveway as easy as your hand held will blow dry grass. You'll never go back to a hand held. I try not to run the mower over driveways or sidewalks.

[Scag48]

Grassyfrass-What techniques do you need? If you're using a handheld, it can't get much easier. Just blow it on to the lawn. Not very difficult. If you get a backpack blower (which you might consider), it takes a little more effort making the grass go in the right direction but even that is as easy as pie.:)

[HOMER]

As often as you can, try and direct your chute away from concrete surfaces. If you'll edge and trim first then you can blow everything into the yard, mow with the chute blowing debris back towards the grass. If you do everything else right the blowing should be the easiest function. I learned a long time ago that clean-up was taking me longer than anything else so I watched my competition and learned. I don't carry a broom and very seldom use a rake.

Homer

[Runner]

O.K.. Techniques. - Let's think about this one a sec.. First, you gotta remember, YOU have to work the blower. So often, I see a newbee grab a blower and stand there s l o w l y moving the hose back and forth as if all the debris will just "jump" out of it's way. The blower is NOT going to do all the work! It is important that you keep "shaking" the hose to keep the debris moving. Secondly, you have to stay behind it. So often, I will see someone lose focus of their whole objective and become "tunneled" into this 4 ft. wide path, leaving behind them a good portion of their material that not only still has to be blown, but has to go over the same exact area they just blew! Keep the debris out in front of you a ways and move it in a broad, wide pattern toward the direction you are taking it; sort of in a "plowing" motion. Hint: Always work with Mother Nature on your side - moving WITH wind direction. Ex. If you have a north-south driveway and a wind out of the west, walk the LENGTH of the driveway two or three times if necessary. Thirdly, Now that we got the stuff moving along, we're moving at a good clip, what else can we do to improve on efficiency? Well one thing is planning ahead. Ask yourself. "Where is the bulk of this stuff going to end up? (if there is a bulk) Scatter it out if it shows on the lawn. A good way to avoid this is keep as much stuff as possible OFF the cement to begin with. I've seen services COVER a street or driveway with grass only for their customers to track it into their houses and cars before they were done with the job. This is totally preventable. Also, and this is a good one, when you're approaching a porch and steps, SHUT THE BLOWER DOWN (to idle) go up on the porch and at low rpms, blow out AWAY from the house and then down the steps and proceed. This does two things. It keeps our "racket" away from the customers front door and it keeps all the clippings from hitting the steps, flying up and settling back down on the porch 15 seconds after we walk away. Quite simply, it's more efficient.

[Edited by Runner on 11-20-2000 at 03:20 AM]

[jeffyr]

Hey Runner,

You should sell those instructions to Red Max or Echo for their instruction manual. HeHe.

jeffyr

[lawnboy]

Hey runner just wondering how many accounts you have because you seem to know everything:)

[grassyfras]

thats what i wanted to know. thanks

[Runner]

Not very many! I've only been in this business for 17 years, so I'm still growing!:) (Also work full time for benefits) I take care of about 50 accounts, some of them multiple properties, most are full service, right down to the parking lots, and carry about 120 acres of turf. (in all) 75% residential and 25% commercial including government municipality. (2 locations are schools - hoping to land a third this year)

[Runner]

Incidentally, Lawnboy, where abouts in Michigan are you from? I'm here in Flint town.

[lawnboy]

I'm in South Haven, which is along lake Mich. I like reading your comments, you have a lot of good advise to give to people starting out.

[Runner]

Well, thank you. I'm sure as you are on here more, there are ALOT of very informative and actually, in my opinion, brilliant people on here. Since I've been on here, which is only during the past summer, I've met alot of great people who have been a great deal of help. They are very knowlegable in several fields, and I have only touched the tip of the iceberg. In due time, you'll find who these individuals are, but there is ALWAYS some sort of good advice even coming from out in left field. Anyway, good luck with your success, don't forget or hesitate to use the seach function, and if there's anything I can help out with, just ask or Email me. My address is availailable through the mail icon at the bottom of the posts.

[Lawnworks]

Awesome post on blowing! I am going to make my future employee read that. Can you post one of those on trimming or e-mail it to me?

Thanks

[Runner]

Thank you. Since someone has just put a new thread on entitled "Trimming", I'll post in there. You SHOULD be waiting for my book to come out, but since you were considerate enough to fill out your profile, I'll fill you in.

[landscaper3]

We have 2 Echo PB60s back pack blowers and 2 Echo 2100 hand blowers but what works best in open areas is our new 10HP Bill Goat Debri blower with the ajustable shute, mounted a JRCO blower caddy on front of one of our Walker mowers and does lots and walkways fast, also great for spring & fall cleanups.

[Ssouth]

Runner,
EXCELLENT POST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is the info people are looking for. Specific ideas to cut time and labor cost.



The only thing I can add, is about blowing out corners, against a straigh wall, or small cul-de-sacs in the design of the home itself: 1. Try to direct the air flow off the wall to blow the debris back towards you. (away from the structure itself) 2. Then get behind the debris and blow it onto the lawn. 3. When working in muclh beds throttle the blower back to 1/2 throttle. This will blow the clippings or leaves out of the beds without too much blow-out of the mulch.

Hope this helps.

Ssouth

[Runner]

Exactly! GOOD point Ssouth! That's just what I was getting at when I mentioned shutting down and blowing out AWAY from the structure. Also with the beds, half throttle and less, and you have to hammer it alot more as to loosen the debris without blowing all the mulch out. What I do, especially like in lava rock or something, is work the stuff back and forth DIAGONALLY across and toward the out side of the beds. This way, it can move some of the mulch material to loosen debris, cigarette butts, etc. allowing it to escape without blowing the keeper stuff out.:)