Everything You Need For Fall Cleanup
As the summer comes to a close, trees channel their inner chameleons and begin showing their hidden colors. While caught in the middle of enjoying the natural wonder, it’s easily forgotten that all this natural beauty will soon end up on the ground. Yes, the season of raking leaves is upon us. Yards, sidewalks, driveways, and more will all be covered, and those lazy trees have left all the fall cleanup for us. You already know that rakes are the first tool we all think of this time of year, but what about everything else? Here’s a list of everything after the rake to help you un-bury your grass this fall.
1. Snow Shovel
The shovel you use to clear your driveway in the winter is also an excellent tool for the fall season. Once your leaves are all gathered in a heap, scoop them up with your trusty snow pusher. The motion will feel natural and much easier than the awkward rake-claw action you’ve always tried with the traditional tool. Fortunately, there is still plenty of time before those icy flakes blanket your lawn.
2. Leaf Blower
When you think about it, a leaf blower is essentially an air-powered broom. Blowers push your leaves into a smaller area, making final raking much easier. Choose the right size, whether you choose gas, corded, or cordless.
You’ll save not only time but also energy for other important tasks, like watching the football game with the hour you just spared yourself.
3. Cleanup Bags
All those leaves you just raked need to go somewhere.
Contractor bags are the easiest way to hold all your yard waste. They are built more rigid than standard kitchen bags, so they won’t wholly shred from a few sharp twigs clawing from the inside. You wouldn’t want all your hard work to end back on the grass because your bag couldn’t take a few scrapes.
4. Kangaroo Container
If you can’t stomach throwing away plastic bags along with your leaves, many towns also collect leaves from reusable containers. Dump your leaves in the laundry-style basket, leave it at the end of your driveway, and the garbage collector dumps the loose leaves into the truck. You keep the basket and refill it for next week, the next, and so on. No waste. What’s not to want?
5. Garbage Can
If the spring basket isn’t your cup of tea, perhaps a traditional garbage can is what you need. The Rubbermaid Brute 55-gallon can is a veteran of yard cleanup ventures. The wide brim gives a large opening for dumping leaves, twigs, grass, or other garden waste. You can line it with your contractor bags or just fill it bare. Leave it at the end of your drive, just like the Kangaroo Container, and still avoid all the plastic waste. Plus, it makes excellent garage trash for the rest of the year.
6. Pruner
As your bag leaves, you will undoubtedly encounter sticks that are much too long to fit in the garbage bag or bin. Folding or snapping them by hand is one solution, but it can end with them snapping back and taking up even more space. They can also get razor-sharp points that leave gashes in the thin plastic. A hand pruner is a much better option. Cut unwanted branches cleanly, without any spear points left to get caught.
7. Mulcher
As they say in the pro world, “work smarter, not harder”. The Worx Leaf Mulcher is your yardwork solution for working smarter and faster. The machine holds a bag on the bottom while you dump leaves through the top. A spinning line shreds the leaves so they take up less space, letting you pack more in. Save time, bags, and your sanity.
8. Chain Saw
All those leaves gone make it really easy to trim pesky low branches without anything getting in your way. A chainsaw is the fastest way to prune your yard. Gas saws run longer, but electric and cordless are better in residential areas while providing all the necessary power. A shorter bar is all you’ll need for small trimming jobs. If you want to know more, read about choosing the right chainsaw.
9. Pull Saw
Hand saws are an old standby and a great option when a chainsaw is overkill. Pull saws are aggressive cutters that efficiently slice through small to medium branches. A folding saw has all the cutting ability you need, then folds up for space-saving and safety after you finish.
10. Wheelbarrow
Having many leaves to pick up leads to many trips between the backyard and the driveway. Loading your leaf bags into a wheelbarrow lets you carry several on each trip with much less strain on your back and shoulders. A few companies, such as Makita, offer power-assisted wheelbarrows for hefty jobs. Just pull the throttle and steer while the motors help with the pushing.
Planning even further ahead on the calendar? Check out our must-have snow removal tools and our blog for even more inspiration! No matter the weather forecast, acmetools.com has all the tools you need for all your chores.
