james wika 
- Beyond Just Leaves – 5 Surprising Uses for Your Leaf Blower
A leaf blower is a highly versatile piece of equipment and is as essential in a beautifully maintained garden as it is on a farm or shamba.
“Leaf blowers offer practical solutions for domestic and agricultural needs,” says Lorna Ochiel, East Africa Representative – Husqvarna. She adds that beyond clearing leaves, a cordless leaf blower provides a convenient solution for numerous other tasks requiring a powerful gust of air.
Ochiel shares just a few alternative uses for your leaf blower (although she says that the more you use it, the more uses you will find for it):
1. Fire Control:
Probably the most important of all leaf blower alternative uses is fire control yet many people don’t realise that leaf blowers can be highly effective in fire management.Fires pose a serious threat to farms and smallholdings, especially during the dry season.
That’s why burning firebreaks is an essential annual task for farmers. However, if a fire gets out of control, it can not only damage your property but also make you liable for any destruction caused to neighbouring land.
The Husqvarna 578BTF, for example, features a heat-resistant nozzle, protected fuel lines, and a filtration system that prevents soot and dust from clogging the engine. This makes it an ideal tool for back burning—blowing fire onto itself to slow its spread—or directing controlled burns when creating firebreaks.
2. Outside Maintenance:
Blocked gutters can cause a major headache, particularly during the rainy season when they start to overflow. A cordless leaf blower can simplify this dreaded task by quickly clearing leaves and debris, saving you time and effort. Ideally, gutters should be cleaned at least twice a year to prevent water damage, mold growth, and costly repairs.
3. Cleaning:
Whether you’re cleaning garden equipment like mowers and trimmers or tidying a pathway after replanting a flower bed, a leaf blower is one of the most effective tools for the job. During the dry season, dust buildup can be a challenge, settling into nooks and crannies that a brush or broom can’t easily reach.
A leaf blower tackles this effortlessly with far less physical effort. Farmers and DIY enthusiasts can also save time sweeping their workshops by using a blower to clear wood shavings and fine sawdust.
Your trusty leaf blower is also the perfect tool to clean out your vacuum cleaner filter. Simply hold the blower outlet over the hole that goes into the centre of your filter and blast away (just ensure that you’re in the garden when you do this!)
4. Threading:
If you need to guide a wire through a tight spot or a pipe, try tying the wire to a “weight”, for example, a folded cloth or a piece of sponge, and use your leaf blower to blow the wire through.
5. Drying:
Instead of using a chamois or allowing your car to air dry (which can cause unsightly streaks), simply turn on your leaf blower for a perfectly dry and streak-free car in minutes. You can use this same technique on outside furniture when washing it, or if it has gotten wet in the rain, a few minutes of blowing and your seats will dry out.
Water-logged carpets can also pose a real problem, but you can speed up the drying process with a leaf blower. Simply use the blower to circulate air over the wet carpet, helping to dry it out more quickly and effectively.
“With some many other practical uses, a leaf blower has become an invaluable tool to avid gardeners and farmers alike and well worth the spend to have this multifunctional gem alongside your other essential garden implements,” concludes Ochiel.
Husqvarna’s products are quality and Africa-ready. For more information on their range of leaf blowers or other equipment, visit https://www.husqvarna.com/ke/
