Tools Used to Gather and Pick Up Leaves

Rakes

• The traditional rake's thin, flexible tines most commonly are made of plastic, metal or bamboo. Modifications to the traditional rake include the pivot-head rake and scooping rake. A pivot-head rake eases back strain by reducing the amount of bending and turning required to gather leaves into piles. A shovel or second rake attached to the handle of a scooping rake allows a landscaper to gather and scoop leaves in a single motion.

Leaf Blowers and Vacuums

• Electric or gas-powered motors generate powerful gusts or suction on leaf blowers and vacuums. Landscapers use blowers to push leaves into piles before picking them up by hand or with a shovel and rake. Leaf vacuums suck up and store leaves in a detachable bag. Leaf blowers and vacuums direct air through hose-like attachments. While standard leaf blowers and vacuums combine motor and hose attachments into handheld units, heavy-duty models feature backpack-mounted motors.

Mulching Collectors

• Mulching collectors grind leaves into a fine mulch. Like leaf vacuums, mulching collectors use suction to gather leaves. However, rather than storing leaves in a bag, mulching collectors pass them through a series of mulching blades. Some mulching collectors store ground leaves in an attached bag. Other models simply spit the yard waste on the ground. Mulching collectors are handheld tools or equipment that is pushed or ridden.

Industrial Leaf Collectors

• Industrial leaf collectors often resemble riding mowers. The machine's internal combustion engine powers both the machine's motion and a bottom-mounted suction system. The machine sucks up surface materials including wet and dry leaves, straw and grass clippings. Unlike standard leaf vacuums and mulchers, an industrial leaf collector transfers waste into a rigid plastic container. The container, mounted on the rear of the machine, opens and tilts to empty contents.