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Eavestrough Leaf Guard Home Depot
August 16, 2010|By Editors, Consumer Reports, The Hartford Courant
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CR tests blade blowers and approach guards By the Editors of Consumer Reports
Gas blade blowers are still the fastest way to bright a backyard abounding of leaves. But Consumer Reports' latest tests of added than 30 models appearance that lower prices and commensurable achievement for the best electric blowers accomplish them a acute best for best homeowners, abnormally if you affliction about noise.
Toro's corded-electric Ultra Blower Vac 51599, $70, and Super Blower Vac 51592, $60, swept abroad leaves and alone adamant bits about as able-bodied as the top gas blowers. And while some gas models are beneath blatant than others, electrics are quietest overall.
Keeping your neighbors blessed ability be the best acumen to accept a less-raucous blower. A quieter agent and a abate impeller fabricated the $230 Kawaski KRB300A haversack blower the atomic blatant gas haversack archetypal tested. It's amid a growing brand of almost compact, lower-priced models that are about handheld blowers with haversack straps. But don't apprehend the ability you'd get with best full-sized haversack blowers.
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HOW TO CHOOSE
-- Know the law. A few areas prohibit gas blowers, and a scattering in California ban all blowers, no amount how quiet the apparatus is. Check with your association or go to www.ConsumerReports.org/blowernoise for a civic account of regulations.
-- Decide whether you allegation to vacuum. Many handheld blowers additionally aces up backyard debris. But their almost baby tubes absolute how abundant you can blot up at one time.
-- Factor in added features. Flatter nozzles tend to be bigger for across-the-board leaves, while angled ones are usually best for alleviation them. Adjustable speeds let you ability bottomward about brittle garden beds, and a bright gas catchbasin shows ammunition level.
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-- Look for activity savers. Handheld models that denticulate able-bodied in CR's administration tests accept bigger antithesis and, often, a additional anchor for added control. A acceptable shut-off about-face lets the user cut the motor or agent quickly. And while the wheeled Little Wonder 9502, $700, is a heavyweight, its aeriform tires took some of the action out of blame it over asperous terrain.
-- Skip bargain models. At beneath than $40, the corded Weed Eater WEB160 and Homelite UT42100 may be appetizing for across-the-board bland driveways and added light-duty chores. But CR's Ratings appearance that spending a little added buys a lot added performance. Additionally be alert of cordless-electric blowers, which backpack alike beneath ability than the wimpiest corded models.
GUTTER GUARDS: DO-IT-YOURSELF SYSTEMS BEAT THE PROS
Systems that affiance to accumulate your gutters leaf-free can calmly amount bags of dollars. But CR's 16 months of alfresco testing showed that a bargain awning may be all it takes to accumulate out leaves and added debris.
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CR activated professionally installed and do-it-yourself articles awash at Home Depot, Lowe's, and added above retailers to see how able-bodied they kept out maple leaves, ache needles, and added gutter-cloggers. Here are CR's results:
Pros abort in a downpour. Best of the professionally installed systems use a surface-tension design, area baptize is declared to adhere to the apparent and breeze into the gutters while leaves canyon over and abatement to the ground. Though all were absorbing at address debris, alike the top-scoring LeafFilter awning was alone middling at absolute a astringent downpour.
Convenience costs. At $20 to $30 per foot, the pro-installed systems activated would amount $3,000 to $5,000 for the almost 160 anxiety bare on an average-sized home. But you'll pay beneath than $100 if you install the CR Best Buy Amerimax 85198 or 854054 yourself. You'll still save bags alike if you add in the almost $100 to $500 a architect will allegation to put in a do-it-yourself system.
Some inserts underwhelming. Best do-it-yourself gutters guards were accessible to install. For inserts, you artlessly cut the cream or angle the besom and columnist it into the gutter. But none of the inserts were acceptable at befitting out debris.
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