Blowers & Sweepers5 min
Gutter Cleaning With a Leaf Blower: Kits, Technique and Safety
Clean dry gutters from the ground with a leaf blower and extension kit — which blowers accept kits, technique, and when you still need a ladder.
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Cleanup and hardscape
Blowers & Sweepers
Leaf blowers, lawn sweepers and power brushes — including what they do to paver joints and polymeric sand.
Blowers & Sweepers5 min
Rake or Blower? Matching the Tool to Your Leaf Load
When a leaf rake beats a blower (and vice versa) by yard size, leaf type and wet vs dry conditions — plus the rake shapes worth owning.
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Blowers & Sweepers7 min
Leaf Vacuum Mulchers: Which Type Actually Saves Bags
Corded, cordless and gas leaf vacuum mulchers compared by mulch ratio, metal vs plastic impellers and best use — plus when a mower does it better.
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Blowers & Sweepers6 min
Mulching Leaves With Your Mower: The Fall Shortcut That Feeds the Lawn
Mulch fall leaves into the lawn with any mower: the right deck height, how many leaves is too many, and when to bag instead.
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Blowers & Sweepers8 min
Lawn Mower Tune-Up Parts Checklist
Spark plug, air filter, oil, fuel filter, blade and belt. What each part costs, how often it genuinely needs replacing, and the order to do them in.
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Blowers & Sweepers7 min
Why Your Mower Leaves Ragged, Brown-Tipped Grass
Torn white or brown grass tips a day after mowing almost always mean a dull blade. Here are the five causes in order, and how to tell them apart in one look.
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Blowers & Sweepers8 min
Mulching vs High-Lift Mower Blades
Mulching blades chop clippings fine and drop them; high-lift blades move air to fill a bag. Pick by whether you bag, mulch or side-discharge — plus when to buy OEM.
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Blowers & Sweepers7 min
Mower Blade Bolt Won't Come Off
Most mower blade bolts are standard thread — counterclockwise to loosen, viewed from under the deck. Block the blade, use a breaker bar, and heat only as a last step.
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Blowers & Sweepers6 min
How to Balance a Mower Blade After Sharpening
Hang the blade on a nail. If one end drops, grind metal off the back of the heavy end — never the cutting edge. The test, the fix and the vibration it prevents.
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Blowers & Sweepers8 min
Best Mower Blade Sharpener for a Home Lawn
A 10-inch mill file sharpens a blade for under $20. Angle grinders are faster, drill stones are the compromise. Which tool suits your blade, and what each one costs you.
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Blowers & Sweepers7 min
Should You Sharpen or Replace Your Mower Blade?
Sharpen until the blade loses its sail, thins at the edge, or cracks. Five checks that decide it in under a minute, plus what a dull blade does to grass.
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Blowers & Sweepers8 min
The Best Broom for Polymeric Sand (and the One That Wrecks Joints)
A medium nylon push broom sweeps sand in, a soft broom clears the pavers, and wire strips the joint. Four brooms compared, plus the two-broom method.
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Blowers & Sweepers7 min
Do Lawn Sweepers Pick Up Pine Needles?
A brush sweeper collects loose pine needles well and matted ones poorly. Brush height settings, the mat problem, and when a dethatching rake wins.
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Blowers & Sweepers8 min
How to Sharpen a Lawn Mower Blade (and How Often)
Sharpen every 20–25 mowing hours with a file or bench grinder, keep the 30° bevel, and balance the blade before it goes back on. Full walkthrough.
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Blowers & Sweepers7 min
Cleaning Paver Joints Before Sanding
Old joint sand, moss and haze have to come out or the new polymeric sand will not bond. Joint depth targets, drying time, and the tools that do it fastest.
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Blowers & Sweepers7 min
Gas vs. Battery Leaf Blower
Battery blowers now match mid-range gas on airflow but not runtime. Real CFM comparisons, cost per season, and the yard size where gas still wins.
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Blowers & Sweepers7 min
Lawn Sweeper vs. Bagging Mower
When a tow-behind or push lawn sweeper beats bagging, how each handles wet leaves and grass clippings, and what it costs you in passes and storage.
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Blowers & Sweepers7 min
Leaf Blower CFM vs. MPH
What CFM and MPH actually do on the ground, which one moves wet leaves, and the spec range worth paying for on a normal suburban lot.
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Blowers & Sweepers8 min
The Best Broom for Polymeric Sand Paver Joints
A soft nylon push broom is the safe pick for polymeric sand — wire strips the joint in one pass. Brush types ranked, plus the 90-second joint test.
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