Leaf Blowers: Noise Emissions

Well, a couple of docs are found regarding the noise emissions of leaf blowers.

Linus after 2 seconds of a leaf blower roar

Linus after 30 seconds of a leaf blower roar

Here's one.

A Training Manual on The Proper Use Of Leaf Blowers

There is also concern about when leaf blowers are used. There are many things one would rather not have to listen to after 8:00 PM or before 7:00 AM. Not surprisingly, the leaf blower is one of these.

Umm, yes? Umm, yeah, you would be correct, Sir. By the way, Mr. Will, it would be nice if you would update your doc to 2011. It's been five (5) years since you've released it. What solutions have you published since that time?

Many operators do not know how to properly use a leaf blower. As with everything, there is a right way and a wrong way to use a blower and it is not always obvious. For example, because blowers at an idle are quieter than when run at high speeds, large blowers should rarely be operated at full throttle in a residential area.

We're glad you make light of this -- but this doesn't help us with landscapers in our neighborhood. There is no indication that any of them give a RIP about noise matters.

Also, care should be given as to where debris is blown. It is imperative that the operator be courteous and conscientious.

OK, but this is totally obvious. Isn't there a rule of writing that you shouldn't belabour the obvious? What makes us think that there will be any sweeping movement of landscapers to be courteous and conscientious?

Complaining on the basis of noise alone has not resulted in the kind of support needed to result in blower ban legislation as anti-blower activists had hoped. They had to expand their argument from a mere noise complaint, which is only a harmless irritation, to a potential health hazard. The result is their focusing on engine exhaust emission and the generation of dust. Intuitively, after listening to their argument, people tend to believe that blowers might be hazardous to your health, which helps their case. Of course, this has no foundation in fact, as the CARB report and others have indicated.

Wow. What can you say about that? Unbelievable. Our question: how many independent reviews have been undertaken since 2006 to lend support to (or no support to) claims about leaf blower noise? A lack thereof? Why? Not enough funding available? (Just a guess.)

...

Leaf blower improvements:

Echo Incorporated has taken the lead in the industry and has not been sitting by idly while anti-blower advocates complain about blower “noise”. Engineers met with these activists to understand the problems created by leaf blowers and have been working to improve sound levels and sound quality to a point that is no longer perceived as an irritation. An innovative approach to leaf blower noise has resulted in the quietest leaf blower products in the industry. Sound levels have been systematically lowered from 77 dB(A) per the ANSI B175.2 Standard, to 65 dB(A) for a 75% reduction in sound intensity.

Nice, Mr. Will. But how many independent reviews have been done to confirm your findings?

Typical changes include adding silencers to the air intake, modifying mufflers, incorporating special vibration resistant materials, changing the shape of the fan and fan housing, adding sound barriers and absorbing foams and improving vibration isolation.

Note: For every 6dB(A) reduction in sound, the sound intensity is reduced by 50% or half. Echo is the leader in the production of quiet blowers. Even their largest blower, the PB-751 is three dB(A) quieter than older designs.

What you have written in your report, Mr. Will, simply does not assist us. The situation in our part of town is atrocious, which is why we would like to invite you for one week, rent-free, to be present outdoors while the landscapers are 'doing their duties'.


You can also find the Leaf Blower Guide here, written by Larry Will of ECHO products.




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