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The Dirt On The Most Popular Power Tools Feel the power of power-tools and cut your time spent weeding, trimming and raking. From "The Dirt On..." episode DTDO-109

Some power hedgers use a double blade for cuttong on both the down-stroke and up-stroke.

It's hard not to love power tools. They make garden chores so much easier, and who doesn't want to make their life easier? The only problem is that there are so many these days it's easy to get carried away and feel like a "kid in a candy store" when you're staring down the aisle at your home and garden center.

To make things easier, The Dirt On gives you the short-list — the top three power tools — for any homeowner looking for a break.

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

• "Weed Eater" or "Weed Whacker"

  Pulling weeds by hand is a pain and if you're too busy to keep an eye out for them, they can grow out of control. Your manual alternatives to power in this case are hoes, hand tools and plenty of patience.

  Typical weed-eaters (figured A) work by cutting weeds with either one or two thin plastic lines (figure B) that rotate very fast. They're powerful enough to cut through even tough weeds, and that's not all they can do. If you have hard to reach areas of lawn like along a fence, on a narrow strip or under shrubs, you can use this tool to cut the grass instead of using a bulky lawnmower. They'll also make edging your lawn a snap.

  There are also heavier-duty varieties that actually employ a circular blade that will cut through larger weeds and brush (figure C).

• Leaf Blower
  
  Anyone with trees has a lot of clean up on their hands and you'll be amazed at just how easy it is to blow your leaf problems away. Your manual alternatives are good old-fashioned rakes and brooms, but if you use these you'd better clear your afternoon schedule because you'll be busy for quite a while.
  

  	Figure D
  	Figure E

  Leaf blowers are basically high-speed fans surrounded by a cover. The fan blows air through a tube to focus the air current on your target. There are different types available for homeowners. Handheld models (figure D) are the most popular and convenient. They are quieter than larger blowers and range in price from around $75 to $200.

  Backpack models (figure E) are more powerful and range from $300 to $400.

  Some models are quieter than others but remember, when you work with any power tool, be courteous to your neighbors. Don't get carried away out there working all hours of the night or you may have to answer to the neighborhood mob.
  

  	Figure F
  	Figure G

• Power Hedger

  You could certainly live without this power hedge-trimmer (figure F). . . if you don't have a hedge, that is! If you do, this tool will be your new best friend. Your manual alternatives to power in this case are loppers and shears, both of which can really strain your arm muscles if you're out there for long.

  Power hedgers have blades that move back and forth to trim hedges with ease (figure G). It takes very little time to get the job done and you'll end up with a consistent look all the way down the line. There are many different types of hedgers on the market to fit your needs. You can buy them with single or double-sided edges. The double-sided edges will cut on both the down and the upstroke so this will save time. Blades typically range in size from 16 to 42 inches so you can cover quite a bit of territory at once. Some are designed to cut larger branches than others. As the gap between the blades increases in different models, the size of the branch it will cut increases as well.
  

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  ALSO IN THIS EPISODE:
  	The Dirt On Budget Landscaping
  	The Dirt On The Most Popular Power Tools
  	Expert Q&A: The Dirt On Growing Organic