Blowers and vacuums: a range of products for a growing market
Among the technologies for garden care and the maintenance of open areas blowers and vacuums are product types which have become essential by now. These items of equipment, with increasingly efficient performance, are differentiated according to their use, whether they are for professional or amateur operations
There are various models of machines and equipment put to use for cleaning up gardens and lawns, roads, paths, squares and stadiums after a sports match or other event for the removal of leaves, paper, newspaper, dry residues, small bottles and other debris. The most common machines are leaf blowers and vacuums thanks to the great variety of these machines and the way they facilitate operations and their various versions in a single market category suitable for hobbyists and professional use.
Most widely used are blowers and vacuums for dealing with leaves which have fallen to the ground. Moreover, leaves can account for the most weight over more or less long period, depending on their species, because they have to be cleaned up fairly quickly with the equipment most suitable for differing conditions.
Blowers
Blowers provide the most efficient solution for speedy clearing of leaves and other debris and create windrows and heaps for removal later on.
Their simple operation consists of a jet of air at a certain velocity generated by a turbo or motor, depending on the type of machine, or by a mechanical PTO or hydraulics. The motor can be electric, corded or cordless, powered by lithium-ion batteries, or a two or four-stroke gasoline engine. Some models are powered by a PTO, trailed or mounted on a mower or tractor.
Blowers with their own motors can be carried, provided shoulder straps, or are mounted on a two or four-wheel trolley.
Portable blowers carried by one hand are the most suitable for operations in restricted areas, on small surfaces or where there are obstacles. These machines are generally equipped with battery powered electric motors or gasoline engines and all weigh in at less than 5 kg.
Cordless models run off rechargeable lithium-ion batteries feature a work time of 20-30 minutes which can be extended with a backpack battery pack or a belt pack strapped to the operator. The air speed comes to 45-60 m/s for capacities of 650-800 m³/h. These machines weight less than 3 kg and acoustic pressure reaches less than 80 dB(A). Their performance is similar to hand carried models with a 25-30 cm³ gasoline engine with weight close to 5 kg and acoustic pressure greater than 100 db(A).
Backpack blowers are usually equipped with a gasoline engine and weigh around 10 kg but some models are powered by batteries. They run off a more powerful 30-70 cm³ turbo for an air capacity between 800 and 1,800 m³/h with air velocity of 70-130 m/s and some models can be regulated according to operating conditions. Because these blowers are heavier than those carried by hand their backpack and belt must be securely fastened to the operator’s shoulders and waist and the weight must be balanced correctly.
Blowers run off a gasoline engines and mounted on a trolley can be the push type or self-propelled. The power for the former is 3.5-10 kW and 25kW for the latter type. These trailed and tractor mounted models are used exclusively for large surfaces such as parks, golf courses and the like and feature an air capacity which reaches as much as 200 m³/minute.
Vacuums
Vacuums make up the complementary equipment of blowers necessary for the removal by suction of leaves and other debris heaped by the blower with operations which are opposite to that of the blower. The product vacuumed up, often mulched to reduce volume, is conveyed to a bag. There are three types of this machine: an automatic collecting vacuum, a collecting vacuum and a loader vacuum.
The former types, pushed or self-propelled, are used are used for quantities and areas which are not large. The pushed vacuum carries a gasoline engine powered at 2.5-3.5 kW and includes a collection bag with a capacity from 150 to 250 liters. The width of the vacuum mouthpiece is 50-80 cm and the air capacity come to around 50 m³/minute. The self-propelled models are equipped with 3.5-8.5 kW engines with air capacity beyond 50 m³/minute. The vacuum mouthpiece has a width of more than 80 cm and the collection bag capacity can exceed 500 liters.
In the other two categories are the purely professional models. The leaves are suctioned up, mulched and then discharged into bins of various capacities. For these vacuum collectors the bin capacity is 0.7-3.5 m³. The diameter of the vacuum turbine is about 500 mm, the diameter of the flexpipe mouthpiece operated manually can be as much as 200 mm and the height of discharge can be no greater than 2 meters. Loader vacuums which can be mounted on trucks, trailed or mounted on compact tractors have greater operational capabilities. These types are not equipped with a flexpipe and mouthpiece but vacuum directly.
Blower and vacuum collectors
Blower and vacuum collectors perform both functions. They are based on backpack and hand carried machines and equipped with a battery powered motor or a gasoline engine. The power of the hand carried models is less than 3 kW and the backpack machines reach up to 6 kW of power. The changeover from blow to vacuum is fast and usually done with a quick-change lever with no need for mounting and dismounting.
Other than the normal operations performed by blowers and vacuums, shredding or mulching can be carried out to reduce the volume of the product with the use of a knife or mulching kit. The collection bag capacities vary from 30 to 50 liters and the air speed reaches up to 100 m³/s and can usually be regulated to a capacity of up to 1,800 m³/h.
Conclusions
The choice of a type of machine is essentially linked to the type of work to be performed: cleaning up lawns, market squares, sports stadiums after a match and the like, to the quantities of materials to be collected and the size of the area involved. Hand carried models are built mainly for home use whereas the backpack machines are usually for professional use. The advantages of battery powered electric motors are light weight, low noise levels, no direct CO² emissions and lower maintenance compared to machines powered by a gasoline engine. These, on the other hand, provide longer work time and generally greater operational capacities. The choice of combined blower and vacuum models is for a solution targeted mainly on home use and, in all cases, for small areas.
The selection of other types is not that great and the price to be taken into account must be calculation in connection with performance, reliability and type and frequency of use.
