I just bought my husband one for father's day. It cost $49 - hardly a sign of affluence - and it runs on electricity. The leaves and clippings go in the green bin for disposal. He has done the broom and rake thing for decades - why may he not have the assistance of some modern technology to make things a bit easier? Glad we don't live next to Mr Nance though - what a neighbour he would be!

What a beautifully written article! It captures my own disgust with these machines in a comical and clever way! I too am unsure of the justification for the use of these noisy, polluting devices except as something to make it look like hard work is taking place, when really it is a sign of laziness. Even the cheaper, quieter, cleaner electrical version requires the use of resources that are not required when raking and sweeping.

Well said Ian.. not to mention incredibly annoyingly noisy as well.

And estelles, that's wonderful that you guys actually collect the leaves at the end of the process and dispose of them, but you would be in the minority from what I have seen over the years.. and by the way, electrically powered hardly gets you off the hook now, does it? What about the dirty great coal-fired power station that made the electricity??

A nice quiet healthy BROOM would cost about, oh, $20.00.

Yay! I've railed on about those bloody things ever since they first blighted the suburban landscape not all that long ago. Rakes and brooms work just fine, and they're good exercise.

Ban the Blower!

I've never been able to get my head around the 'philosophy of the leaf-blower', they are heavier than brooms and you don't ever have to swear at a broom for not starting, and, as Bennie pointed out a broom is quiet, in fact the action of sweeping is a very zen movement - relaxing. Besides don't you still have to use a broom at the very end for all the little bits?

BTW I live in Yarra Ranges and am on very familiar basis with leaves all year round.