Different designs for leaf collection items





Like me, one of my neighbors doesn’t rake his leaves. He claims that dead leaves break down into nutrients that the tree needs and which they will recover through its roots. I don’t rake just because I have too much other yard work to do and lawn aesthetics aren’t a priority for the wife and me.

Yet many people are bound by HOAs or social pressure to keep their yards tidy, which means there are product designs to support leaf collection. Judging by the variety of models on the market, no one has found the perfect solution. Here’s what the companies came up with:

This LeafEasy and Leaf Chute are simply crumpled polypropylene sheets that mate with bags of sheets.

This EZ Sheet Carrier consists of a tarpaulin and fiberglass rods. You are supposed to plant it on the ground while charging. When it’s full, you can use the handles to carry it to your neighbor’s yard to empty the leaves.

This Gardzen Yard Leaf Dustpan looks like it would be a little finicky to use, depending on how wide your rake is.

Same with that abandoned sheet feeder. I think the entry point needs to be flat to be easy to rake, and the shape of the taco would get frustrating, even though it looks great for dumping.

This particular aspect Owl Dustpan from Japan is intended to support a plastic garbage bag. It appears to be designed more for municipal workers using a broom to tidy up paved areas rather than homeowners raking grass.

A more complicated take (to design) is this one Gardena leaf collector. The rotating bristles are supposed to sweep the leaves straight into the bag when you walk on them.

I was curious enough about the latter that I looked up a review. The reviewer below raves about it, but it doesn’t seem that effective to me:

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It looks like you have to do multiple passes, and the unloading process feels a bit clunky to me.

Looking at all these designs, I’m grateful that I don’t have to rake. Also, I think leaf capture objects would be a good identification school assignment.

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