LETTER: Landscaper Supports Gas Leaf Blower Ban

In a letter to MyRye.com, The CEO of Connecticut based landscaper MowGreen, Dan Delventhal, explains why he supports gas powered leaf blower bans. He has run a successful full service landscaping company without gas based tools since 2006.

The letter:

Re: Support for Ordinance restricting Gas Leaf Blowers 

Greetings,

Part 1: Support Letter for an Ordinance:

MowGreen fully supports the initiative to prohibit the use of gas leaf blowers legislatively. MowGreen tends 60 acres of lawns per week and uses no gas powered leaf blowers (GLB’s). Our prices are in the median range of market rates for lawn care, similar to most gasoline based landscapers! We are full service landscapers working without gas based tools since 2006.

I have collaborated with numerous town sustainability advocates and testified in over 20 ordinance meetings since 2018. Over 200 cities and towns and 25 states have already taken action to restrict GLB use. Benefits of an ordinance will provide more quiet enjoyment of property by residents who are entitled to it, while reducing adverse health impacts associated with GLB’s.

Eliminating use of GLB’s is a popular idea. Electric blowers are affordable and powerful now. Investment required ranges from $300 to $3,000 for electric blowers and batteries rated from 880 CFM (cubic feet per minute) to 1300 CFM. Based on costs of acquisition and operation, investment in electric blowers yields returns of 10 to 40%, meaning commercial operators can save money by choosing electric today. Today’s electric blowers easily meet all-seasons’ use requirements.

Many GLB’s in use today will require replacement soon. They generally only last for 2 to 5 seasons. When they are replaced with electric units, the ROI on those investments will be 10 to 30% or higher. Landscapers will enjoy savings with electric units over GLB’s while meeting the public health objectives of an ordinance. 

The industry is already transitioning (over 55% of lawn gear sold today is electric), and now electric gear is becoming the dominant offering with value improvements consistent with the economies of scale inherent in an emerging industry standard. Given that commercial landscapers are the least likely to invest in electric gear, representing a minority percentage of buyers, despite a majority of public objection to the noise, we believe the transition needs to be driven legislatively.

It’s worth noting that a GLB ban alone, in a typical town with 60,000 residents, would eliminate the greenhouse gas pollution equivalent of about 6,000 cars on the road all year. That is like 3,000 annual car trips around the world. 

MowGreen is based in Bridgeport, CT, tending 60 acres weekly in Fairfield County with no gas leaf blowers. We use all electric tools for quieter services that reduce associated pollution by over 95%. Our prices are consistent with market rates and we are profitable. Changing to electric blowers from GLB’s is easy and profitable. 

The fact that electric blowers are so much quieter than GLBs and zero emission makes them a superior alternative. People have a right to peace and quiet in their own homes, and the noise and pollution levels from GLBs used in adjacent properties victimizes them. Gas leaf blowers have a low frequency noise that penetrates buildings and travels long distances. Quieter electric leaf blowers do not. (Anti-smoking laws in public places parallel GLB regulation.)

There may be some gas leaf blowers with mufflers that aren’t as loud as the worst of them, and some workers may be more prudent with how much throttle they apply, which can help reduce but not eliminate public detriments. However, the noise (low frequency), even if slightly reduced, is still a nuisance associated with gas leaf blowers and other lawn tools that use gasoline or propane with combustion engines.

Part 2: The cost of buying and using electric leaf blowers

With quieter electric blowers running at 880 CFM (cubic feet per minute–similar to many backpack GLB’s), and 200MPH, with batteries that last 20 to 180 minutes available now, consumer and commercial level electric blower/extra battery sets are affordable and capable. 

In our practice five years ago, 650 cfm hand-held blowers with 20 minute batteries sufficed, and those cost around $250 with a battery and charger. But more recently, in 2022, the 765 CFM units came out and the game was changed further. They were just $300 with a battery and charger.  More recently, 880 CFM hand held blowers have been produced making the case for electric blowing even more compelling. Purchasing two extra chargers and 2 extra batteries for an extra $700 and charging at our customers’ sites covers the needs of most days including fall. It costs about 30 cents to charge a battery and all our customers are fine with that. With a couple more extra batteries, and an on vehicle charging station, truly continuous blowing can occur, although that is rarely needed. We carry a couple extra batteries as contingencies for when there are no outlets available to charge at. Based on the total cost of operation and benefits of fuel savings over time, I analyzed the return on investment for choosing electric over gas, and got 50% considering a simple hand-held 880 CFM solution. 

In 2023 an 800cfm backpack model was released by EGO (and others) for even more power. Our ROI analysis shows a return of 10 to 40% to choose this option over a similar gas unit. For 2025, EGO has released two new commercial models, a 1000CFM hand held for about $400 and an 1100CFM backpack unit for about $700. 

Electric leaf blowers also may have a longer lifespan than GLBs. They require less maintenance as there are no filters to change and you don’t have to drain the fuel for winter. Hand held units take up less space and are easier to maneuver and control than back pack blowers so we use a mix depending on conditions. While a powerful 1250 CFM push rolling unit is now available for about $1,600 with battery and charger, there is no need for landscapers to make that kind of investment to comply with a proposed ordinance. 

Even though we charge often at our customer’s outdoor outlets, we have invested in on board vehicle based battery backup charging capability. Even considering adding vehicle-based charging to the cost benefit analysis, electric blowing would still have a 15 to 30% economic advantage over gas based blowers, not factoring lower maintenance costs also enjoyed by ELB’s. Electricity charges are non-issues because they are so much lower than the cost of gasoline. The cost to charge/fuel ELB’s is 75% less than for GLB’s. 

Part 3: The Return on Investment of electric vs gas blowers

ELB’s cost less to own and operate than GLB’s. For example, six or more all-electric vendors are serving the Fairfield County area now and they do not charge higher rates than their gas-based cohorts.

There is a capital outlay required for buying new electric blowers, batteries and chargers. Also for charging solutions for vehicles. However, it is an investment with a high return. If you buy a blower, batteries and chargers sufficient to allow you to blow all day long (rarely necessary, but okay maybe a bit in the fall), the outlay pays for itself in 4 years with a 25% ROI. It costs over $2 an hour to operate a GLB compared to 50 cents for an ELB. We charge at our customers’ outlets at 99% of job sites and are beginning to add modest vehicle based charging systems. Considering that GLBs need replacing slightly more often than ELBs, the investment becomes more compelling. Even with a $4000 ELB set, with many batteries and chargers vs a comparable GLB for $500, it will cost less to operate annually by 15-25% not counting maintenance advantages. GLBs cost more to own and operate and will likely need replacing sooner than ELB’s.

Part 4: Will prices rise for customers?

Some vendors may hike prices, trying to burden their customers with paying off the new equipment more quickly than a normal cost recovery target term of a few years. But, not all vendors will behave antisocially and emotionally. Prices have gone up in the general lawn care market recently regardless of pending legislation due to changes in the cost of gas and other inflation. As noted above, in Fairfield County, at least 6 vendors are using electric gear and their prices are in line with today’s market rates (market rates range from $45 to $95 hourly and the electric vendors are in the $60 to $85 hourly range). Vendors who try to hike prices beyond market rates will lose customers. I know of at least two electric vendors who serve Rye now.

Part 5: Effectiveness of electric leaf blowers

Many commercial electric blowers are now rated at 800+ CFM, the same speed and power of many Gas Leaf Blowers in use today. They have pretty good battery life too. Whereas a backpack GLB may need refueling every half hour or so, it is the same with the electric blowers, minus the spillage, fumes, filters, gas cans and trips to the pumps. 

Opponents have noted that there are not yet electric blowers on the market to match the power of even higher end gas-leaf blowers. That is no longer true given that 1000 and 1100 CFM units are being shipped now. A 600 to 800 CFM blower is more than adequate for the entire season, based on MowGreen’s experience.  Summertime, or “non-cleanup season” is easy and a “no-brainer.” MowGreen does 60 acres weekly without any GLB’s and uses ELB’s throughout the full season with fair prices and normal profitability.

Part 6: Maintenance of electric vs. gas blowers

Opponents have claimed that getting service for an electric blower is difficult due to limited service centers. That claim is flawed. Service centers exist in all major metro areas and manufacturers and distributors support warranties with shipping of new units in many cases while also operating their own service centers with reasonable turnaround time. 

EGO and Makita are two examples of manufacturers backing their base well, while also establishing local dealer service centers. Repairs are certainly possible, and the maintenance oriented objection is ironic because the MTF (mean time between failures) is better on ELBs than GLBs. 

MowGreen, through its partner Cultural Lawns, is an EGO dealer and service center, as well as for Pellenc, Sun Seeker & Husqvarna (including robot mowers). We have also found that replacing failed parts on older EGO small electric tools like blowers, trimmers and mowers has been possible to do “in house”.

A study by the U of Arkansas cited in an analysis by the City of Seattle claims lifetime maintenance costs are much lower for ELBs than for GLB’s [Publisher’s note: see Councilmember Pedersen Celebrates Passage of Resolution to Rid Seattle of Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers to Protect Workers, Reduce Noise, and Improve Environment]. The concept of having a spare unit on hand whether GLB or ELB is a well known concept to landscapers for business continuity. A bare (no battery) spare ELB costs less than an equivalent GLB! Better yet, buy the spare unit bundled with battery and charger and the blower is practically free while you extend your runtime and service resilience with spare batteries and charger too. 

Part 7: Where do you charge and store batteries at night?

Toting blower batteries and chargers is like carrying a gym bag or two, so the objection that they take up too much room on a truck or need a special facility to charge seems “de minimus”. Opponents have also stated that charging at customers’ sites would be prohibitively time consuming and unprofessional. Although we recently invested in on-board vehicle based charging to reduce customer outlet charging, we have been doing it at 96% of our customers for 20 years. They don’t mind and they love quiet zero emission service. Our prices are no higher than market rates. We don’t stand around waiting for completed charges. It’s pretty seamless. 

Part 8: What is the environmental impact of gas vs electric blowers? 

There are environmental issues with batteries in that recycling technologies are necessary to deal with their waste. In one way, we are trading one (many actually) problem with GLBs–emissions and inherent health impacts and global warming severe weather climate change impacts like rising sea levels–with another more moderate and recoverable problem with ELB’s (mining & battery waste). Studies of lifecycle environmental impacts between gas and electric cars have found that the EVs have half of the environmental impact. This metric and advantage for ELBs comparatively is even more dramatic because gas leaf blowers are 10 to 20 times more polluting per gallon than cars. We believe batteries, despite their drawbacks, can help us avert atmospheric disaster and we expect the lesser evil of recycling challenges will be improved over time. The case for ELB’s over GLB’s gets stronger when you realize the ethical and legal issues of depriving residents from quiet enjoyment of their properties or when considering bystander and worker air pollution exposure in higher proportions than a busy NYC street intersection. 

Opponents have cited issues like child labor and the pollution in lithium related mining/battery manufacturing as a problem, however I believe it pales in comparison to the public nuisance and health hazards of GLB’s. Hopefully after solving the global warming crisis by reducing emissions (US lawncare is 10% of US GHGs, or 1% of the world’s), we’ll develop even better battery recycling processes. Fire safety is also cited as an issue, although lithium batteries are not a leading cause of fires in the US. A quick web search listed 12 top sources of fire in the US and none of them is lithium batteries. We have never had a fire as a result of batteries and charging.

Part 9: Does using electric blowers increase risk of fires?

Opponents have painted a picture of batteries and chargers bouncing around inside messy landscape trailers increasing their fire hazard. We carry batteries and chargers in passenger areas of our cars and vans. Or, they are mounted on walls of vans and trailers and not bouncing around. According to Drive Electric Colorado, Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery fires are different from gasoline fires as they take time to achieve the necessary heat to ignite (called thermal runaway), whereas gasoline ignites immediately when it encounters a spark or flame. Because of this, Li-ion batteries have a significantly lower risk of causing a fire or explosion. When they do, it is usually a result of significant external damage. 

We wholeheartedly support your effort to phase out the use of GLBs. With gas lawn care gear representing 10% of US air pollution and GLBs being the biggest offenders, and electric blower investment over gas offering 10-50% annual ROI, and the noise representing such a clear public nuisance and health threat, a complete ban appears reasonable. Compelling even. 

Please feel free to call or email me with any questions. 

Healthy reYards!

Dan Delventhal,  AOLCP, CT DEEP 3a Pesticide Supervisor, MBA Green Individual Award Winner ’16,  

Founder, MowGreen LLC

Serving Fairfield County and greater New Haven, Since 2006.

CT License: HIC.0650945

CT DEEP Ornamental & Turf Business Registration Number: B-3586

MowGreen®: Tending the average lawn with gas emits tons of green house gases per year; like a car driving 12,000 miles, as gas lawn gear is 10 to 20 times more polluting per gallon than in a car. Lawn Care is 5-10% of US air pollution. MowGreen cuts grass without gas. Over 1000 metric tons of air pollution are avoided annually – over 40,000 acres mowed without gas, avoiding 20 MILLION auto-mile equivalent emissions since 2006 (the equivalent of 800 trips around the world by car)! MowGreen® is a carbon neutral company, focused on sustainable lawn care technologies and services. Clean & Serene, No Gasoline.

Watch Dan Delventhal’s 3-Minute Gas Blower Ban Testimony from Lower Merion Township: